Event Management · head to head
Guest Manager vs Partiful
The short version
- Each has a real cost: 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; Partiful no automatic email or SMS delivery to guests, requiring manual link sharing for event invitations
- They diverge on capability: Guest Manager covers Registration, Partiful covers Digital invitations.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Guest Manager and Partiful actually diverge.
| Attribute | Guest Manager | Partiful |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | freemium | Unknown |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | iOS, Android, Web |
| Founded | 2014 | 2021 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Guest Manager
- Registration
- QR check-in
- Badge printing
- Attendance tracking
- Guest communication
- Eventbrite
- Mailchimp
- Zapier
Only in Partiful
- Digital invitations
- RSVP tracking
- Guest messaging
- Photo sharing
- Calendar sync
- Apple Calendar
- Google Calendar
- iMessage
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Guest Manager
- Guest list check in on tablets at eventsnot Partiful
- Selling and scanning event ticketsnot Partiful
- Printing name badges onsitenot Partiful
Partiful
- Event planningnot Guest Manager
- Ticket salesnot Guest Manager
- Attendee managementnot Guest Manager
- Virtual eventsnot Guest Manager
- Event marketingnot Guest Manager
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
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
Partiful
- No automatic email or SMS delivery to guests, requiring manual link sharing for event invitations
- Ticketing fees are not disclosed until setup time, making budget planning difficult for event hosts
- No support for interactive seat maps or assigned reserved seating for ticketed events
- Designed primarily for informal social events and works best for gatherings under 300 people
Pricing, plan by plan
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
Partiful
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Partiful review.
Which should you pick?
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.
Choose Partiful if
- You need digital invitations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want rsvp tracking.
Questions people ask
- Is Guest Manager or Partiful better?
- Neither clearly leads. Guest Manager starts at Free and Partiful at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Guest Manager or Partiful?
- Guest Manager starts at Free and Partiful at Free.
- Does Guest Manager or Partiful run on more platforms?
- Guest Manager runs on Web, Ios, Android. Partiful runs on iOS, Android, Web.
- Can I use Guest Manager for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Guest Manager best used for?
- Guest Manager is most often used for guest list check in on tablets at events, selling and scanning event tickets, printing name badges onsite. Of those, guest list check in on tablets at events and selling and scanning event tickets are not what Partiful is typically brought in for.
- What can Guest Manager do that Partiful cannot?
- Guest Manager covers Registration, QR check-in, Badge printing, Attendance tracking. Partiful covers Digital invitations, RSVP tracking, Guest messaging, Photo sharing. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Partiful: Is Partiful free to use for creating events?
Yes. Creating events and inviting guests is completely free. Ticketing features are available with variable fees based on ticket price and event size, but the basic event creation and RSVP collection has no cost.
SourcePartiful: Does Partiful support assigned seating or seat maps?
No. Partiful Ticketing supports tiered pricing and capacity limits but does not currently support interactive seat maps or assigned-seat reserved seating.
SourcePartiful: How does Partiful notify guests about events?
Partiful primarily uses link sharing rather than automated email or SMS delivery. Hosts must share event links with guests, typically via text message or social media.
SourcePartiful: What ticketing features does Partiful support?
Partiful Ticketing supports tiered pricing for different ticket tiers, capacity limits with QR code check-in, and promo codes. However, it does not support ticket add-ons, waitlists for ticketed events, or individual refunds from the dashboard.
Source