Softwr

Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Cvent vs Meetup

Cvent logo

Cvent

Webinar & Virtual Events

Event technology for every event

From
$10000/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 high cost prohibitive for small organizations and nonprofits; Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
  • They diverge on capability: Cvent covers Event registration, Meetup covers Groups.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cvent and Meetup actually diverge.

Attributes where Cvent and Meetup differ
AttributeCventMeetup
Starting price$10000/month$55/month
PlatformsWeb, MobileWeb, iOS, Android
CategoryWebinar & Virtual EventsEvent Management
Founded19992002

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), free tier (No), 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 Cvent

  • Event registration
  • Venue sourcing
  • Attendee management
  • Mobile event app
  • Event marketing
  • 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

  • Event planningnot Meetup
  • Ticket salesnot Meetup
  • Attendee managementnot Meetup
  • Virtual eventsnot Meetup
  • Event marketingnot Meetup

Meetup

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cvent

  • High cost prohibitive for small organizations and nonprofits
  • Complex modular pricing makes budgeting difficult

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

$10000/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Cvent review.

Meetup

$55/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Cvent if

  • You need event registration.
  • You work on Web, Mobile.
  • You also want venue sourcing.
Cvent review

Choose Meetup if

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

Questions people ask

Is Cvent or Meetup better?
Neither clearly leads. Cvent starts at $10000/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 or Meetup?
Cvent starts at $10000/month and Meetup at $55/month.
Does Cvent or Meetup run on more platforms?
Cvent runs on Web, Mobile. Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android.
What is Cvent best used for?
Cvent is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Meetup is typically brought in for.
What can Cvent do that Meetup cannot?
Cvent covers Event registration, Venue sourcing, Attendee management, Mobile event app. Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Cvent: Does Cvent offer a free trial or demo?

Cvent does not list pricing on its website but offers customized demos and evaluations. No free trial is publicly available.

Source
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
Cvent: What modules are available?

Core modules include Registration, Attendee Hub, OnArrival, event app, badge printing, and real-time reporting. Additional modules can be added based on event needs.

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
Cvent: Does it support virtual and hybrid events?

Yes. Cvent Event Management supports in-person, virtual, and hybrid events with integrated registration, attendee engagement, and reporting across all formats.

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
Cvent: How much does it cost?

Cvent pricing starts at $10,000 per month and scales to $100,000+ for enterprise deployments, with costs based on selected modules and event volume. Exact pricing requires a sales consultation.

Source
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Related pages

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