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Events · head to head

Activity Messenger vs Planning Pod

Activity Messenger logo

Activity Messenger

Events

Registrations, payments and communications for sports and leisure

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Planning Pod logo

Planning Pod

Events

Event planning software that works

From
$59/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Activity Messenger entry pricing is 99 dollars a month, and online registration itself only appears on the 149 dollar Premium tier, so the cheapest plan is a communications tool rather than a registration one.; Planning Pod no transparent pricing table published; pricing determined individually per venue during demo
  • They diverge on capability: Activity Messenger covers Online registration, Planning Pod covers Lead management.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Activity Messenger and Planning Pod actually diverge.

Attributes where Activity Messenger and Planning Pod differ
AttributeActivity MessengerPlanning Pod
Starting price$99/month$59/month
PlatformsWebWeb, Ios, Android
Founded20192012

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), free tier (No), 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 Activity Messenger

  • Online registration
  • Digital waivers
  • Email and SMS automation
  • Memberships and ticketing
  • Staff management
  • Attendance tracking
  • Bulk certificates

Only in Planning Pod

  • Lead management
  • Floor plans
  • Budgeting
  • Timeline
  • Client portal
  • QuickBooks
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

What people use each for

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

Activity Messenger

  • Running seasonal camp and class registrationsnot Planning Pod
  • Collecting signed liability waivers digitallynot Planning Pod
  • Managing memberships and recurring programmesnot Planning Pod
  • Onboarding and timesheeting seasonal instructorsnot Planning Pod
  • Email and SMS campaigns to a registrant listnot Planning Pod

Planning Pod

  • Event planningnot Activity Messenger
  • Ticket salesnot Activity Messenger
  • Attendee managementnot Activity Messenger
  • Virtual eventsnot Activity Messenger
  • Event marketingnot Activity Messenger

Where each one falls short

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

Activity Messenger

  • Entry pricing is 99 dollars a month, and online registration itself only appears on the 149 dollar Premium tier, so the cheapest plan is a communications tool rather than a registration one.
  • Payment processing costs 2.9 percent plus 30 cents on cards with a 1 percent service fee on all methods, which is charged on top of the subscription.
  • Tiers are gated on email subscriber counts, so an organisation with a large mailing list and few registrations pays for the list.
  • Staff scheduling is listed as coming soon on the Pro tier rather than available.
  • The customer base and case studies are concentrated in North America, so a European organisation should check tax and payment handling before committing.

Planning Pod

  • No transparent pricing table published; pricing determined individually per venue during demo
  • Pricing based on event volume complexity rather than standard tiers
  • Requires personalized demo to determine exact pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

Activity Messenger

$99/month
  • Light$99/month
    • Email marketing with Canva integration
    • Digital waivers and signatures
    • Surveys and forms
  • Premium$149/month
    • Online registration and camps and activities management
    • Staff management
    • Memberships and automations
  • Pro$229/month
    • Private lessons and bookings
    • Unlimited users
    • Fully white label
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing
    • Unlimited data storage
    • Fundraising for athletes

Planning Pod

$59/month
  • Planner$59/month
    • Basic planning tools
    • 5 events
    • Email support
  • Professional$99/month
    • Unlimited events
    • Floor plans
    • Budget tracking
  • Business$199/month
    • Team features
    • Client portal
    • API access

Which should you pick?

Choose Activity Messenger if

  • You need online registration.
  • You also want digital waivers.
Activity Messenger review

Choose Planning Pod if

  • You need lead management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want floor plans.
Planning Pod review

Questions people ask

Is Activity Messenger or Planning Pod better?
Neither clearly leads. Activity Messenger starts at $99/month and Planning Pod at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Activity Messenger or Planning Pod?
Activity Messenger starts at $99/month and Planning Pod at $59/month.
Does Activity Messenger or Planning Pod run on more platforms?
Activity Messenger runs on Web. Planning Pod runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Activity Messenger best used for?
Activity Messenger is most often used for running seasonal camp and class registrations, collecting signed liability waivers digitally, managing memberships and recurring programmes, onboarding and timesheeting seasonal instructors. Of those, running seasonal camp and class registrations and collecting signed liability waivers digitally are not what Planning Pod is typically brought in for.
What can Activity Messenger do that Planning Pod cannot?
Activity Messenger covers Online registration, Digital waivers, Email and SMS automation, Memberships and ticketing. Planning Pod covers Lead management, Floor plans, Budgeting, Timeline.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Activity Messenger: What does Activity Messenger cost?

Light is $99 a month, Premium $149, Pro $229, and Enterprise is custom priced. A $10 pause plan is available for seasonal businesses for up to six months.

Source
Planning Pod: How does Planning Pod pricing work?

Planning Pod uses volume-based pricing determined by the number of events your venue manages at any given time. Pricing typically ranges from $199-319/month for single-location venues, but you only pay for the volume you actually run.

Source
Activity Messenger: Are there transaction fees on top?

Yes. Credit card payments are 2.9 percent plus $0.30 per transaction, Interac and bank transfers are 1 percent plus $0.40, and a 1 percent service fee applies across all payment methods.

Source
Planning Pod: Does Planning Pod publish a public pricing table?

No, Planning Pod does not publish a detailed public pricing table. To determine your specific rate, you must schedule a personalized demo and discuss your venue's event volume with their team.

Source
Activity Messenger: Which tier includes online registration?

Premium at $149 a month. The $99 Light tier covers email marketing, digital waivers, surveys and forms, but registration, camps and activities management, memberships and ticketing start at Premium.

Source
Activity Messenger: Who is it built for?

Sports and leisure organisations: classes and camps, schools, federations, dance studios, gymnastics clubs, swim schools, soccer academies, tennis clubs, parks and recreation departments and sports associations.

Source
Activity Messenger: Who built it?

Founded in Montreal in 2019 by Martin Drapeau, Olivier Rousseau and Michael Shpigelman. Drapeau was previously CTO of Amilia, where he spent six years growing the company from 15 to 110 people.

Source
Activity Messenger: What does it integrate with?

Stripe for payments, Zoom for online sessions on the Premium tier and above, and Canva for email design.

Source
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