Softwr

Event Management · head to head

CVent Events vs Meetup

CVent Events logo

CVent Events

Event Management

Enterprise event management by Cvent

From
$1500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Meetup logo

Meetup

Event Management

Find your people

From
$55/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • 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; Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • They diverge on capability: CVent Events covers Event registration, Meetup covers Groups.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which CVent Events and Meetup actually diverge.

Attributes where CVent Events and Meetup differ
AttributeCVent EventsMeetup
Starting price$1500/month$55/month
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Founded19992002

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Event Management).

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 Meetup

  • Groups
  • Events
  • RSVP System
  • Messaging
  • Event Photos
  • Recommendations
  • Google Calendar
  • Zoom

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 Meetup
  • Running a virtual or hybrid event attendee hubnot Meetup
  • Onsite check in and badge printingnot Meetup

Meetup

  • Finding local groups and events around a shared interestnot CVent Events
  • Organising a recurring in-person groupnot CVent Events
  • Running online events alongside physical onesnot CVent Events
  • Growing a community by drawing on Meetup's existing member basenot 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

Meetup

  • Organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • Increased paywalling of core community features
  • Platform is buggy with many unfixed issues
  • Customer support no longer available with AI responses only
  • Issues with billing accuracy and unauthorized recurring charges
  • Poor technical support responsiveness to organizer complaints

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

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

Which should you pick?

Choose CVent Events if

  • You need event registration.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want mobile event app.
CVent Events review

Choose Meetup if

  • You need groups.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want events.
Meetup review

Questions people ask

Is CVent Events or Meetup better?
Neither clearly leads. CVent Events starts at $1500/month and Meetup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, CVent Events or Meetup?
CVent Events starts at $1500/month and Meetup at $55/month.
Does CVent Events or Meetup run on more platforms?
CVent Events runs on Web, Ios, Android. Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android.
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 Meetup is typically brought in for.
What can CVent Events do that Meetup cannot?
CVent Events covers Event registration, Mobile event app, Attendee hub, Event marketing. Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Meetup: What is Meetup Pro pricing?

Meetup Pro starts at $55 per group per month, or $47 per group per month for six-month commitments. Enterprise plans are available at custom pricing. A one-week free trial is offered.

Source
Meetup: What features does Meetup Pro include?

Meetup Pro includes event scheduling, group management, member engagement tools, community-building features, and integrations with platforms like Zoom and Mailchimp.

Source
Meetup: Does Meetup charge organizers fees?

Yes, Meetup charges organizers fees for hosting groups and events. Organizer fees have increased significantly following the Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024.

Source
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Related pages

More on CVent Events

More on Meetup

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