Softwr

Education · head to head

CampMinder vs Guest Manager

CampMinder logo

CampMinder

Education

Camp management for residential summer camps, priced by camper rather than by seat

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Guest Manager logo

Guest Manager

Events

Event check-in and registration

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Guest Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: CampMinder pricing is never published and scales with camper volume, so a camp that grows a session finds its renewal quote grows with it, without a published schedule to check the increase against.; Guest Manager usage is metered in credits consumed by check ins, emails and badges, so cost scales with activity rather than with the subscription alone
  • They diverge on capability: CampMinder covers Enrolment and waitlists, Guest Manager covers Registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CampMinder and Guest Manager actually diverge.

Attributes where CampMinder and Guest Manager differ
AttributeCampMinderGuest Manager
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotesubscription
Free tierNoYes
CategoryEducationEvents
FoundedUnknown2014

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 CampMinder

  • Enrolment and waitlists
  • Tuition billing
  • Health records
  • Staff management
  • Cabin and group assignment
  • Parent portal
  • Transport
  • Reporting

Only in Guest Manager

  • Registration
  • QR check-in
  • Badge printing
  • Attendance tracking
  • Guest communication
  • Eventbrite
  • Mailchimp
  • Zapier

What people use each for

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

CampMinder

  • An overnight camp of eight hundred campers whose nurse currently runs medication logs on paper and cannot produce records for an insurernot Guest Manager
  • A camp hiring three hundred seasonal staff a year and losing candidates in an email-based application processnot Guest Manager
  • A camp network wanting consistent enrolment and retention reporting across several sitesnot Guest Manager
  • A camp whose parent communication during session is the main driver of re-enrolment and is currently ad hocnot Guest Manager

Guest Manager

  • Guest list check in on tablets at eventsnot CampMinder
  • Selling and scanning event ticketsnot CampMinder
  • Printing name badges onsitenot CampMinder

Where each one falls short

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

CampMinder

  • Pricing is never published and scales with camper volume, so a camp that grows a session finds its renewal quote grows with it, without a published schedule to check the increase against.
  • Payment processing is charged separately from the licence and is negotiable, but many camps accept the default rate; on several million dollars of card tuition that decision costs more than the software.
  • It is built for the North American residential camp model, so camps in the UK, Europe or Australia find terminology, health record structure and transport tooling assume American practice.
  • The interface accumulated over two decades and is dense; new administrators need real training, which matters when camp offices turn over staff between seasons.
  • Off-season utilisation is poor: a camp pays for a full year of a platform it uses intensively for four months, which makes the per-camper cost feel high to a board reviewing annual spend.

Guest Manager

  • Usage is metered in credits consumed by check ins, emails and badges, so cost scales with activity rather than with the subscription alone
  • Check in devices are capped at 2 on On Demand, 4 on Planner and 8 on Professional
  • Ticket fees are $1.00 per ticket on On Demand and Planner and fall to $0.50 only on the $199 per month Concierge plan
  • Priority support and a dedicated account manager are Concierge and Custom only
  • The free trial covers only the first 50 guest check ins
  • The Custom plan is priced by quote

Pricing, plan by plan

CampMinder

On request
  • CampMinder$undefined/year
    • Registration, billing, health and staff modules
    • Parent portal with photos and messaging
    • Priced by camper volume, quoted annually

Guest Manager

Free
  • On Demand$null/usage
    • Pay-as-you-go credit packages
    • 2 devices
    • Self-service support
  • Planner$39/month
    • 3,600 credits/year
    • 4 devices
    • Self-service support
  • Professional$79/month
    • 9,600 credits/year
    • 8 devices
    • Self-service support
  • Concierge$199/month
    • 24,000 credits/year
    • Unlimited devices
    • Priority support

Which should you pick?

Choose CampMinder if

  • You need enrolment and waitlists.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want tuition billing.
CampMinder review

Choose Guest Manager if

  • You need registration.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want qr check-in.
Guest Manager review

Questions people ask

Is CampMinder or Guest Manager better?
Neither clearly leads. CampMinder starts at On request and Guest Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CampMinder or Guest Manager?
Guest Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for CampMinder and Free for Guest Manager.
Does CampMinder or Guest Manager run on more platforms?
CampMinder runs on Web, iOS, Android. Guest Manager runs on Web, Ios, Android.
Can I use Guest Manager for free?
Yes. Guest Manager has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CampMinder starts at On request.
What is CampMinder best used for?
CampMinder is most often used for an overnight camp of eight hundred campers whose nurse currently runs medication logs on paper and cannot produce records for an insurer, a camp hiring three hundred seasonal staff a year and losing candidates in an email-based application process, a camp network wanting consistent enrolment and retention reporting across several sites, a camp whose parent communication during session is the main driver of re-enrolment and is currently ad hoc. Of those, an overnight camp of eight hundred campers whose nurse currently runs medication logs on paper and cannot produce records for an insurer and a camp hiring three hundred seasonal staff a year and losing candidates in an email-based application process are not what Guest Manager is typically brought in for.
What can CampMinder do that Guest Manager cannot?
CampMinder covers Enrolment and waitlists, Tuition billing, Health records, Staff management. Guest Manager covers Registration, QR check-in, Badge printing, Attendance tracking.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

CampMinder: What does CampMinder cost?

It is not published. Pricing is quoted annually against camper volume, plus separate implementation and payment processing costs. Ask for the volume bands in writing so next year's increase is predictable.

Guest Manager: Is there a free trial for Guest Manager?

Yes. New users can check in their first 50 guests free with access to every feature. No credit card required.

Source
CampMinder: Is payment processing negotiable?

Yes, and it is the largest cost most camps overlook. Compare the offered rate against an independent merchant quote before signing.

Guest Manager: How much does Guest Manager charge per ticket?

Guest Manager charges per-ticket service fees ranging from $0.50-$1.00 depending on your plan, plus payment processor fees (Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30).

Source
CampMinder: Does it handle camper health records properly?

Yes. The health centre module with medication administration logs is one of the strongest reasons camps choose it over generic registration tools.

Guest Manager: What is the difference between Guest Manager's subscription plans?

Planner ($39/mo) includes 3,600 credits/year and 4 devices. Professional ($79/mo) includes 9,600 credits/year and 8 devices. Concierge ($199/mo) includes 24,000 credits/year and unlimited devices with priority support.

Source
CampMinder: Is it suitable for a day camp?

It can be, but much of what you pay for, such as bunking, transport and health centre operations, is built for overnight camps.

Share

Related pages

More on CampMinder

More on Guest Manager

Keep looking

Other head to heads