Best Event Management Software
From small meetups to major conferences, manage registration, logistics, and engagement
Eventbrite is best for public ticketed events with strong discovery features. Cvent leads for large corporate events and conferences with complex requirements. Hopin excels at virtual and hybrid events with interactive features. For simple event registration, Luma offers elegant simplicity. Choose based on event type and complexity.
Event management software has evolved a lot, especially since hybrid and virtual events became standard. What used to be just registration and ticketing now includes virtual venues, networking features, mobile apps, and detailed analytics. The right platform depends heavily on your event type: public vs. private, in-person vs. virtual, and simple vs. complex logistics. Toolradar data: of the 693 marketing tools in our catalog, only 24 are fully free.
Top Picks
Based on features, user feedback, and value for money.
| Tool | Starting price | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eventbrite | From $15/mo | 4.5(6,626) | Public ticketed events wanting built-in marketplace discovery and simple ticketing |
| Hopin | From $99/mo | 4.8(299) | Organizations running virtual or hybrid events with interactive networking |
| Luma | From $199/mo | n/a | Tech and startup communities wanting beautiful, simple event management |
| Cvent | Custom | 4.4(3,125) | Enterprises and large conferences that need venue sourcing, registration, mobile apps,... |
| Bizzabo | Custom | 4.3(405) | B2B conference organisers that need a polished attendee experience across in-person, vi... |
| Splash | Custom | 4.4(370) | Marketing teams that run brand events (launches, dinners, summits) and need branded pag... |
| Airmeet | Custom | 4.6(754) | Community and SaaS teams that run virtual conferences and want rich networking and brea... |
| Swapcard | Custom | 4.5(231) | Conferences that prioritise attendee networking, matchmaking, and sponsor lead capture... |
Public ticketed events wanting built-in marketplace discovery and simple ticketing
Value 75/100. Eventbrite's pricing for free events is excellent, as there are no fees.
Watch out: Payment processing fee (2.9%) on top of ticket fee
Organizations running virtual or hybrid events with interactive networking
Value 60/100. Hopin was acquired by RingCentral in 2023 and rebranded as RingCentral Events.
Watch out: Per-organizer pricing means each person who creates events needs their own license, a 5-person events team costs $495-$1,495/mo, not $99-$299/mo
Tech and startup communities wanting beautiful, simple event management
Value 75/100. Luma's pricing is fair, offering a generous Free tier for personal events.
Watch out: No free trial for paid plans
Enterprises and large conferences that need venue sourcing, registration, mobile apps, and exhibitor management.
Value 55/100. Cvent's pricing, hidden behind 'Contact Sales' for both Professional and Enterprise tiers, suggests an expensive, enterprise-focused solution.
Watch out: No transparent pricing, requires sales engagement.
B2B conference organisers that need a polished attendee experience across in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats.
Value 65/100. Bizzabo's pricing structure, lacking public dollar amounts and relying on custom quotes, makes it difficult to assess fairness directly.
Watch out: Custom pricing can lead to higher-than-expected costs
Marketing teams that run brand events (launches, dinners, summits) and need branded pages, RSVPs, and email automation.
Value 65/100. Splash's pricing structure is somewhat opaque, with only a free tier publicly listed and custom pricing for Pro and Enterprise.
Watch out: Custom pricing requires direct negotiation
Community and SaaS teams that run virtual conferences and want rich networking and breakout features.
Value 65/100. Airmeet's pricing, particularly the Starter plan at $500/month, appears on the higher end compared to some competitors for basic virtual event needs.
Watch out: Higher attendee limits are add-ons
Conferences that prioritise attendee networking, matchmaking, and sponsor lead capture via a mobile app.
Value 40/100. It's impossible to determine if this pricing is fair, generous, or expensive as all tiers are 'Contact us'.
Watch out: No transparent pricing
Other Event Platforms worth considering
Beyond the editorial top picks, these are also strong choices we evaluated.
What is Event Management Software?
Event management platforms handle the end-to-end event lifecycle: registration and ticketing, attendee management, event websites, email communication, check-in, virtual event delivery (for online events), mobile apps, and post-event analytics. Enterprise platforms add features like venue management, exhibitor coordination, and multi-event programs.
Why Event Software Matters
Manual event management breaks at scale. Spreadsheet registrations, individual email confirmations, paper check-in lists, it's error-prone and time-consuming. Good event software automates the administrative work, provides professional attendee experiences, and generates data to improve future events. For serious events, it's essential.
Key Features to Look For
Custom forms, ticket types, pricing tiers, promo codes
Branded landing page with event details and registration
Automated confirmations, reminders, and updates
Mobile app or web-based check-in with badge printing
Streaming, networking, chat, breakout rooms for online events
Attendee app with agenda, networking, and notifications
Registration data, attendance, engagement metrics
Virtual booths, lead capture, sponsor management
Key Factors to Consider
Evaluation Checklist
Pricing Overview
Eventbrite free events, Luma free tier, Hopin Starter (100 attendees)
Luma Plus $59/mo, Eventbrite Essentials 3.5% + $1.79/ticket, Luma Business $149/mo
Hopin Growth $799/yr, Cvent custom $15K-50K+/yr
Mistakes to Avoid
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Overbuilding for simple events, A 30-person meetup doesn't need Cvent. Luma or even a Google Form with Stripe link works fine. Match tool complexity to event complexity
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Underestimating virtual event production, Good virtual events need a producer managing tech, a moderator managing chat, and tested backup plans. Budget $500-2,000 for production on important virtual events
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Too many registration fields, Every optional field reduces completion by 3-5%. Ask only what you absolutely need upfront. Collect additional info in pre-event surveys after registration
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No reminder sequence, Free events see 30-50% no-show rates. Send reminders at 1 week, 1 day, and 1 hour before the event. Eventbrite and Luma handle this automatically but Hopin requires configuration
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Ignoring post-event follow-up, Send surveys within 24 hours while the experience is fresh. Response rates drop 50% after 48 hours. Include a CTA for your next event to build recurring audience
Expert Tips
- →
Use early-bird pricing strategically, Offer 20-30% off for the first 2 weeks after announcement. This creates urgency and provides social proof ('100 tickets already sold') that drives later registrations
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Optimize for mobile registration, Test your event page on 3+ phone models. Use short descriptions, large CTA buttons, and minimal form fields. Eventbrite mobile conversion is 40% higher than desktop for public events
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For virtual events, schedule 50-minute sessions, not 60, Attendees need breaks between sessions. Back-to-back hours cause dropoff. Hopin's agenda builder supports custom session lengths
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Create FOMO with capacity limits, Even if you could host 500, cap at 200 and show '180/200 spots remaining.' Scarcity drives registration speed. Luma and Eventbrite both display remaining capacity
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Record everything, Even in-person events benefit from recorded speaker sessions. This content becomes blog posts, social clips, and marketing for future events. Budget $200-500 for a videographer
Red Flags to Watch For
- !Platform charges percentage fees with no cap, on a $500 conference ticket, 6% + $1.79 = $31.79 per attendee adds up fast
- !No built-in waitlist management, popular events need automated waitlist promotion when cancellations occur
- !Virtual event platform with no backup recording, if the livestream fails, you lose the content entirely
- !Lock-in on attendee data, some platforms restrict CSV export of attendee contact information on lower tiers
The Bottom Line
Eventbrite (free for free events, 3.5% + $1.79 for paid) is the default for public ticketed events with built-in marketplace discovery. Hopin (free to $799/year) leads for virtual and hybrid events with networking features. Luma (free to $149/month) offers elegant simplicity for community and startup events. Cvent ($15K-50K+/year) dominates enterprise conferences. Match the tool to your event type, over-buying complex platforms for simple meetups wastes money and time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage should I expect to pay on ticket sales?
Typically 2-5% plus payment processing (another 2.9% + $0.30). Eventbrite is around 3.5% + $1.79 per ticket. Higher-priced tiers often let you absorb fees in ticket price or reduce platform percentage.
Virtual or in-person, which is harder to run?
Good virtual events are surprisingly hard. Technical issues, engagement challenges, and 'Zoom fatigue' are real. In-person has logistics complexity but more natural engagement. Hybrid is the hardest, you're running two events simultaneously.
How early should I start promoting my event?
For conferences: 3-6 months. For smaller events: 4-8 weeks. Most registrations come in the first week and last two weeks. Create urgency with early-bird pricing and strategic reminders.
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