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Events · head to head

ACTIVE Network vs OpenGov

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
OpenGov logo

OpenGov

Government

Modern Cloud ERP for Government

From
$1000/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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.; OpenGov custom pricing only, no transparent public pricing
  • They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, OpenGov covers Budgeting & Planning.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and OpenGov actually diverge.

Attributes where ACTIVE Network and OpenGov differ
AttributeACTIVE NetworkOpenGov
Starting priceOn request$1000/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryEventsGovernment
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 OpenGov

  • Budgeting & Planning
  • Financial Reporting
  • Permitting & Licensing
  • Asset Management
  • Transparency Portal
  • Tyler Technologies
  • Munis
  • Microsoft Excel

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 OpenGov
  • A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot OpenGov
  • A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot OpenGov
  • An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot OpenGov

OpenGov

  • Citizen Servicesnot ACTIVE Network
  • Records Managementnot ACTIVE Network
  • Public Safetynot ACTIVE Network
  • Civic Engagementnot 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.

OpenGov

  • Custom pricing only, no transparent public pricing
  • No free tier available
  • Requires vendor contact for quotes

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

OpenGov

$1000/month
  • Government Cloud$1000/month
    • Budgeting & Planning
    • Reporting & Transparency
    • Citizen Services

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 OpenGov if

  • You need budgeting & planning.
  • You also want financial reporting.
OpenGov review

Questions people ask

Is ACTIVE Network or OpenGov better?
Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and OpenGov at $1000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or OpenGov?
ACTIVE Network starts at On request and OpenGov at $1000/month.
Does ACTIVE Network or OpenGov run on more platforms?
ACTIVE Network runs on Web, iOS, Android. OpenGov runs on Web.
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 OpenGov is typically brought in for.
What can ACTIVE Network do that OpenGov cannot?
ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. OpenGov covers Budgeting & Planning, Financial Reporting, Permitting & Licensing, Asset Management.

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.

OpenGov: What does OpenGov provide?

OpenGov is government budgeting and planning software for municipalities and public sector organizations. It helps with budget planning, financial management, and government transparency.

Source
ACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?

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

OpenGov: How much does OpenGov cost?

OpenGov pricing is custom and quote-based. There is no public pricing listed. Organizations need to contact OpenGov directly for a proposal based on their specific needs.

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.

OpenGov: Is there a free tier?

No. OpenGov does not offer a free plan. Pricing requires direct vendor contact and is procurement-led.

Source
ACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?

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

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