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Events · head to head

ACTIVE Network vs Guest Manager

ACTIVE Network logo

ACTIVE Network

Events

Registration and payment software for parks departments, races and camps, owned by Global Payments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Guest Manager logo

Guest Manager

Events

Event check-in and registration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Guest Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ACTIVE Network revenue comes from registration processing rather than licence fees, so the vendor is aligned with transaction volume and not with the quality of the administrative experience.; Guest Manager usage is metered in credits consumed by check ins, emails and badges, so cost scales with activity rather than with the subscription alone
  • They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, Guest Manager covers Registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and Guest Manager actually diverge.

Attributes where ACTIVE Network and Guest Manager differ
AttributeACTIVE NetworkGuest Manager
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2014

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Events).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ACTIVE Network

  • ACTIVENet
  • ACTIVEWorks Endurance
  • Camp and Class Manager
  • Participant-paid fees
  • Facility and league scheduling
  • ACTIVE.com listing

Only in Guest Manager

  • Registration
  • QR check-in
  • Badge printing
  • Attendance tracking
  • Guest communication
  • Eventbrite
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ACTIVE Network

  • A city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residentsnot Guest Manager
  • A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot Guest Manager
  • A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot Guest Manager
  • An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot Guest Manager

Guest Manager

  • Guest list check in on tablets at eventsnot ACTIVE Network
  • Selling and scanning event ticketsnot ACTIVE Network
  • Printing name badges onsitenot ACTIVE Network

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ACTIVE Network

  • Revenue comes from registration processing rather than licence fees, so the vendor is aligned with transaction volume and not with the quality of the administrative experience.
  • Passing the processing fee to participants is normal practice, which makes the cost invisible on the agency budget and visible to residents as a service charge at checkout.
  • The ACTIVENet codebase is long-lived and parts of the administrative interface remain dated, with upgrade cycles driven by the parent rather than by agency requests.
  • Support responsiveness is a persistent complaint among municipal customers, and escalation paths are slower than in a standalone software vendor.
  • Because Global Payments owns the merchant relationship, moving off ACTIVE means changing processor as well as software, which usually requires a procurement process rather than a simple switch.

Guest Manager

  • Usage is metered in credits consumed by check ins, emails and badges, so cost scales with activity rather than with the subscription alone
  • Check in devices are capped at 2 on On Demand, 4 on Planner and 8 on Professional
  • Ticket fees are $1.00 per ticket on On Demand and Planner and fall to $0.50 only on the $199 per month Concierge plan
  • Priority support and a dedicated account manager are Concierge and Custom only
  • The free trial covers only the first 50 guest check ins
  • The Custom plan is priced by quote

Pricing, plan by plan

ACTIVE Network

On request
  • ACTIVENet$undefined/year
    • Registration, facility and membership modules
    • Revenue derived primarily from registration processing fees
    • Fee can be absorbed by the agency or passed to the participant
  • Camp and Class Manager$undefined/year
    • Flat rate or per registration fee model
    • Rates quoted per account, not published
  • ACTIVEWorks Endurance$undefined/year
    • Race registration priced on a per registration fee
    • ACTIVE.com listing included

Guest Manager

Free
  • On Demand$null/usage
    • Pay-as-you-go credit packages
    • 2 devices
    • Self-service support
  • Planner$39/month
    • 3,600 credits/year
    • 4 devices
    • Self-service support
  • Professional$79/month
    • 9,600 credits/year
    • 8 devices
    • Self-service support
  • Concierge$199/month
    • 24,000 credits/year
    • Unlimited devices
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose ACTIVE Network if

  • You need activenet.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want activeworks endurance.
ACTIVE Network review

Choose Guest Manager if

  • You need registration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want qr check-in.
Guest Manager review

Questions people ask

Is ACTIVE Network or Guest Manager better?
Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Guest Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or Guest Manager?
Guest Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ACTIVE Network and Free for Guest Manager.
Does ACTIVE Network or Guest Manager run on more platforms?
ACTIVE Network runs on Web, iOS, Android. Guest Manager runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Guest Manager for free?
Yes. Guest Manager has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ACTIVE Network starts at On request.
What is ACTIVE Network best used for?
ACTIVE Network is most often used for a city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residents, a race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendor, a ymca needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one system, an agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing fees. Of those, a city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residents and a race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendor are not what Guest Manager is typically brought in for.
What can ACTIVE Network do that Guest Manager cannot?
ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. Guest Manager covers Registration, QR check-in, Badge printing, Attendance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ACTIVE Network: Who owns ACTIVE Network?

Global Payments, which acquired it in 2017 for around 1.2 billion US dollars. It sits in the merchant solutions business.

Guest Manager: Is there a free trial for Guest Manager?

Yes. New users can check in their first 50 guests free with access to every feature. No credit card required.

Source
ACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?

Primarily from registration processing fees, charged as a percentage plus a fixed amount per registration.

Guest Manager: How much does Guest Manager charge per ticket?

Guest Manager charges per-ticket service fees ranging from $0.50-$1.00 depending on your plan, plus payment processor fees (Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30).

Source
ACTIVE Network: Can we absorb the fee instead of charging residents?

Yes, the agency chooses. Most pass it to the participant, which is why registrants see a service fee.

Guest Manager: What is the difference between Guest Manager's subscription plans?

Planner ($39/mo) includes 3,600 credits/year and 4 devices. Professional ($79/mo) includes 9,600 credits/year and 8 devices. Concierge ($199/mo) includes 24,000 credits/year and unlimited devices with priority support.

Source
ACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?

No. Both licence and processing rates are quoted per account.

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