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Events · head to head

ACTIVE Network vs SimplyBook.me

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
SimplyBook.me logo

SimplyBook.me

Scheduling

Online booking system for service businesses

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SimplyBook.me 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.; SimplyBook.me pricing model includes many features locked behind custom add-ons
  • They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, SimplyBook.me covers Booking website.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and SimplyBook.me actually diverge.

Attributes where ACTIVE Network and SimplyBook.me differ
AttributeACTIVE NetworkSimplyBook.me
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
CategoryEventsScheduling
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 SimplyBook.me

  • Booking website
  • Client management
  • Payment processing
  • Marketing tools
  • Custom branding
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook
  • Zoom

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

SimplyBook.me

  • Schedulingnot ACTIVE Network
  • Appointment bookingnot ACTIVE Network
  • Time trackingnot ACTIVE Network
  • Resource managementnot ACTIVE Network
  • Team coordinationnot 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.

SimplyBook.me

  • Pricing model includes many features locked behind custom add-ons
  • No built-in video conferencing, requiring third-party integration
  • Limited CRM capabilities compared to dedicated sales platforms
  • Free plan capped at 5 bookings per month, limiting small business use

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

SimplyBook.me

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 50 bookings/month
    • Booking website
    • Basic features
  • Basic$8.25/month
    • 100 bookings
    • Custom features
    • Payments
  • Standard$24.9/month
    • 500 bookings
    • All features
    • Multiple locations

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 SimplyBook.me if

  • You need booking website.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want client management.
SimplyBook.me review

Questions people ask

Is ACTIVE Network or SimplyBook.me better?
Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and SimplyBook.me at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or SimplyBook.me?
SimplyBook.me has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ACTIVE Network and Free for SimplyBook.me.
Does ACTIVE Network or SimplyBook.me run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use SimplyBook.me for free?
Yes. SimplyBook.me 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 SimplyBook.me is typically brought in for.
What can ACTIVE Network do that SimplyBook.me cannot?
ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. SimplyBook.me covers Booking website, Client management, Payment processing, Marketing tools.

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.

SimplyBook.me: Does SimplyBook.me offer a free plan?

Yes, SimplyBook.me offers a free plan for small businesses, though advanced features and custom add-ons require paid plans.

Source
ACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?

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

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.

ACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?

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

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