Software · head to head
CVent Events vs Guest Manager
The short version
- Only Guest Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- Each has a real cost: CVent Events pricing is by quote only: the pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per seat cost and routes buyers to sales; 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: CVent Events covers Event registration, Guest Manager covers Registration.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which CVent Events and Guest Manager actually diverge.
| Attribute | CVent Events | Guest Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $1500/month | Free |
| Pricing model | subscription | freemium |
| Free tier | No | Yes |
| Founded | 1999 | 2014 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).
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 CVent Events
- Event registration
- Mobile event app
- Attendee hub
- Event marketing
- Advanced analytics
- Salesforce
- Marketo
- Microsoft Dynamics
Only in Guest Manager
- Registration
- QR check-in
- Badge printing
- Attendance tracking
- Guest communication
- Eventbrite
- Mailchimp
- Zapier
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
CVent Events
- Managing event registration and attendee data for large eventsnot Guest Manager
- Running a virtual or hybrid event attendee hubnot Guest Manager
- Onsite check in and badge printingnot Guest Manager
Guest Manager
- Guest list check in on tablets at eventsnot CVent Events
- Selling and scanning event ticketsnot CVent Events
- Printing name badges onsitenot CVent Events
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
CVent Events
- Pricing is by quote only: the pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per seat cost and routes buyers to sales
- The Professional tier includes 15 user logins; unlimited logins require Enterprise
- Professional licenses individual solutions such as Registration, Attendee Hub and OnArrival separately rather than bundling them
- Bundled access to all solutions requires the Enterprise tier
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
CVent Events
$1500/month- Professional$1500/month
- Event registration
- Email marketing
- Basic analytics
- Enterprise$4000/month
- Mobile app
- Advanced analytics
- Integrations
- Ultimate$8000/month
- Full suite
- Dedicated support
- Custom development
Guest Manager
Free- FreeFree
- 100 guests
- Basic check-in
- Email support
- Pro$79/month
- Unlimited guests
- Badge printing
- Analytics
- Enterprise$199/month
- API access
- White-label
- Priority support
Which should you pick?
Choose CVent Events if
- You need event registration.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want mobile event app.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is CVent Events or Guest Manager better?
- Neither clearly leads. CVent Events starts at $1500/month and Guest Manager at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, CVent Events or Guest Manager?
- Guest Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $1500/month for CVent Events and Free for Guest Manager.
- Does CVent Events or Guest Manager run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- Can I use Guest Manager for free?
- Yes. Guest Manager has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CVent Events starts at $1500/month.
- What is CVent Events best used for?
- CVent Events is most often used for managing event registration and attendee data for large events, running a virtual or hybrid event attendee hub, onsite check in and badge printing. Of those, managing event registration and attendee data for large events and running a virtual or hybrid event attendee hub are not what Guest Manager is typically brought in for.
- What can CVent Events do that Guest Manager cannot?
- CVent Events covers Event registration, Mobile event app, Attendee hub, Event marketing. Guest Manager covers Registration, QR check-in, Badge printing, Attendance tracking. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.