Event Management · head to head
Guest Manager vs Planning Pod
The short version
- Only Guest Manager has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
- 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; Planning Pod subscription pricing is metered by concurrent event volume rather than seats: the vendor states "Subscription pricing is based on the number of events your venue manages at any given time" and that "most single-location venues land between $199 and $319 per month."
- They diverge on capability: Guest Manager covers Registration, Planning Pod covers Lead management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Guest Manager and Planning Pod actually diverge.
| Attribute | Guest Manager | Planning Pod |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $59/month |
| Pricing model | freemium | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2014 | 2012 |
Identical on both: 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 Guest Manager
- Registration
- QR check-in
- Badge printing
- Attendance tracking
- Guest communication
- Eventbrite
- Mailchimp
- Google Sheets
Only in Planning Pod
- Lead management
- Floor plans
- Budgeting
- Timeline
- Client portal
- QuickBooks
- Stripe
- PayPal
Both cover
- Zapier
- 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 Planning Pod
- Selling and scanning event ticketsnot Planning Pod
- Printing name badges onsitenot Planning Pod
Planning Pod
- 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
Planning Pod
- Subscription pricing is metered by concurrent event volume rather than seats: the vendor states "Subscription pricing is based on the number of events your venue manages at any given time" and that "most single-location venues land between $199 and $319 per month."
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
Planning Pod
$59/month- Planner$59/month
- Basic planning tools
- 5 events
- Email support
- Professional$99/month
- Unlimited events
- Floor plans
- Budget tracking
- Business$199/month
- Team features
- Client portal
- API access
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 Planning Pod if
- You need lead management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want floor plans.
Questions people ask
- Is Guest Manager or Planning Pod better?
- Neither clearly leads. Guest Manager starts at Free and Planning Pod at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Guest Manager or Planning Pod?
- Guest Manager has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Guest Manager and $59/month for Planning Pod.
- Does Guest Manager or Planning Pod 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. Planning Pod starts at $59/month.
- 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 Planning Pod is typically brought in for.
- What can Guest Manager do that Planning Pod cannot?
- Guest Manager covers Registration, QR check-in, Badge printing, Attendance tracking. Planning Pod covers Lead management, Floor plans, Budgeting, Timeline. Both handle Zapier, Web support, Ios support, Android support.