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Events · head to head

Activity Messenger vs Universe

Activity Messenger logo

Activity Messenger

Events

Registrations, payments and communications for sports and leisure

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Universe logo

Universe

Events

Ticketing and event management made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Universe has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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.; Universe limited design customization for event pages and branding control
  • They diverge on capability: Activity Messenger covers Online registration, Universe covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 15 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Activity Messenger and Universe actually diverge.

Attributes where Activity Messenger and Universe differ
AttributeActivity MessengerUniverse
Starting price$99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20192011

Identical on both: 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 Universe

  • Ticketing
  • Event pages
  • Guest lists
  • Check-in app
  • Analytics
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Facebook

What people use each for

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

Activity Messenger

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

Universe

  • 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.

Universe

  • Limited design customization for event pages and branding control
  • User interface becomes unintuitive for advanced features and complex event types
  • No ability to transfer attendees between time slots; requires full refund and repurchase
  • Difficult walk-up/credit card sales processing at physical events
  • Slow customer support for refunds and technical issues

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

Universe

Free
  • Free EventsFree
    • Free event creation and ticketing
  • Starter$0.79/per ticket
    • 2% + $0.79 per ticket
    • Capped at $19.95 per ticket
    • Basic event management
  • Standard$1.99/per ticket
    • 2.5% + $1.99 per ticket
    • Capped at $19.95 per ticket
    • Advanced features
  • Pro$undefined/custom
    • Dynamic pricing
    • RFID access control
    • Ticketmaster distribution

Which should you pick?

Choose Activity Messenger if

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

Choose Universe if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want event pages.
Universe review

Questions people ask

Is Activity Messenger or Universe better?
Neither clearly leads. Activity Messenger starts at $99/month and Universe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Activity Messenger or Universe?
Universe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $99/month for Activity Messenger and Free for Universe.
Does Activity Messenger or Universe run on more platforms?
Activity Messenger runs on Web. Universe runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Universe for free?
Yes. Universe has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Activity Messenger starts at $99/month.
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 Universe is typically brought in for.
What can Activity Messenger do that Universe cannot?
Activity Messenger covers Online registration, Digital waivers, Email and SMS automation, Memberships and ticketing. Universe covers Ticketing, Event pages, Guest lists, Check-in app.

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
Universe: What platforms does Universe support?

Universe is available on web, iOS, and Android, with support across 25 countries and 9 languages. Organizers can accept online, mobile, onsite, kiosk, and print-at-home tickets.

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
Universe: Does Universe integrate with other tools?

Yes. Universe integrates with 5,000+ partner applications through Zapier, allowing automation of ticket sales data to CRM, invoicing, and other business tools without code.

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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