Events · head to head
ACTIVE Network vs Swapcard
ACTIVE Network
Events
Registration and payment software for parks departments, races and camps, owned by Global Payments
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
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.; Swapcard pricing requires custom quote; starting price of $610 does not include per-attendee charges which can add significant costs
- They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, Swapcard covers AI matchmaking.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and Swapcard actually diverge.
| Attribute | ACTIVE Network | Swapcard |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | On request | $610/one-time |
| Pricing model | quote | Unknown |
| Founded | Unknown | 2013 |
Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 Swapcard
- AI matchmaking
- Lead capture
- Event mobile app
- Exhibitor management
- Analytics
- Salesforce
- HubSpot
- 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 Swapcard
- A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot Swapcard
- A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot Swapcard
- An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot Swapcard
Swapcard
- Event planningnot ACTIVE Network
- Ticket salesnot ACTIVE Network
- Attendee managementnot ACTIVE Network
- Virtual eventsnot ACTIVE Network
- Event marketingnot 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.
Swapcard
- Pricing requires custom quote; starting price of $610 does not include per-attendee charges which can add significant costs
- Smaller company with 181 employees compared to market leaders like Cvent, limiting support resources
- Limited reporting and analytics features compared to tier-1 event platforms
- API documentation is sparse; custom integrations require direct vendor support
- Primarily focused on B2B events; less suitable for consumer or small events
Pricing, plan by plan
ACTIVE Network
On request- ACTIVENet$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
Swapcard
$610/one-timeNo published plan breakdown. See the Swapcard review.
Which should you pick?
Choose ACTIVE Network if
- You need activenet.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want activeworks endurance.
Choose Swapcard if
- You need ai matchmaking.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want lead capture.
Questions people ask
- Is ACTIVE Network or Swapcard better?
- Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Swapcard at $610/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or Swapcard?
- ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Swapcard at $610/one-time.
- Does ACTIVE Network or Swapcard run on more platforms?
- ACTIVE Network runs on Web, iOS, Android. Swapcard runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- 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 Swapcard is typically brought in for.
- What can ACTIVE Network do that Swapcard cannot?
- ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. Swapcard covers AI matchmaking, Lead capture, Event mobile app, Exhibitor 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.
Swapcard: What does Swapcard's pricing model include?
Swapcard pricing includes three components: a base license, usage volume (attendees and exhibitors), and add-ons. The Event Engagement Platform starts at $610 and includes mobile/web apps, AI-powered networking, virtual event capability, and exhibitor lead management.
SourceACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?
Primarily from registration processing fees, charged as a percentage plus a fixed amount per registration.
Swapcard: What event types does Swapcard support?
Swapcard supports in-person, virtual, and hybrid events including conferences, trade shows, exhibitions, webinars, and networking events.
SourceACTIVE 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.
Swapcard: What are Swapcard's core platform features?
Core features include dashboard access, agenda management, streaming and audiovisual capability, abstract/paper management, lead capture tools, networking features, and audience response systems.
SourceACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?
No. Both licence and processing rates are quoted per account.
Swapcard: How many integrations does Swapcard offer?
Swapcard connects natively to over 30 integrations including event platforms like Eventbrite, Cvent, and Bizzabo, plus CRM tools like HubSpot and mapping solutions.
SourceSwapcard: Who is Swapcard and when was it founded?
Swapcard was founded in 2013 in Paris by Baptiste Boulard, Godefroy Des Francs, and Damien Courbon. The company has raised $5.27M and serves event organizers globally.
SourceRelated pages
More on ACTIVE Network
Other head to heads
- ACTIVE Network vs Regpack
- ACTIVE Network vs CampSite
- ACTIVE Network vs CIRCUITREE
- ACTIVE Network vs CVent Events
- ACTIVE Network vs Meetup
- ACTIVE Network vs Universe
- ACTIVE Network vs Aventri
- ACTIVE Network vs Guest Manager
- ACTIVE Network vs RSVPify
- ACTIVE Network vs Ticketkantoor
- ACTIVE Network vs Ticketmaster
- ACTIVE Network vs Remo
- ACTIVE Network vs Eventix
- ACTIVE Network vs Grip
- ACTIVE Network vs Planning Pod
- ACTIVE Network vs Ticket Tailor
- ACTIVE Network vs Brella
- ACTIVE Network vs Tito
- ACTIVE Network vs Brown Paper Tickets
- ACTIVE Network vs Accelevents
- ACTIVE Network vs Luma
- ACTIVE Network vs Social Tables
- ACTIVE Network vs Tripleseat
- ACTIVE Network vs Zkipster
- Swapcard vs Regpack
- Swapcard vs CampSite
- Swapcard vs CIRCUITREE
- Swapcard vs CVent Events
- Swapcard vs Meetup
- Swapcard vs Universe
- Swapcard vs Aventri
- Swapcard vs Guest Manager
- Swapcard vs RSVPify
- Swapcard vs Ticketkantoor
- Swapcard vs Ticketmaster
- Swapcard vs Remo
- Swapcard vs Eventix
- Swapcard vs Grip
- Swapcard vs Planning Pod
- Swapcard vs Ticket Tailor
- Swapcard vs Brella
- Swapcard vs Tito
- Swapcard vs Brown Paper Tickets
- Swapcard vs Accelevents
- Swapcard vs Luma
- Swapcard vs Social Tables
- Swapcard vs Tripleseat
- Swapcard vs Zkipster