43 Event Management Software Tools You Need to Know About

What if you had an army of robots to do all the grunt work for your events?

This isn’t science fiction: this is the reality of many event managers.

Instead of manually processing registrations, running checks to the bank, or trying to keep track of everything in Excel, they’re using event management software that acts like a robot to do it all for them.

Ariana Stecker, a leading expert in the event planning world and the Chief Operating Officer at Save the Date®, an event planning company, says that the top event managers are the ones who leverage technology the most.

For example, she’s seen clients easily raise 20% more funds from their events simply by using software tools to enable online event registration and bidding.

She further points out that technology not only makes things easier for event managers, but creates a better overall experience for guests too.

If you’re looking to raise more money and make managing your events easier, read on! We’ll cover what event management software is, what to look for when choosing software, and share 43 of our favorite software tools that can help make managing your events and increasing event attendance easier. Feel free to browse them all or use the table of contents on the left to jump to a category that interests you most.

And if you’ve got an event coming up soon, make sure to check out this event planning guide and download our must-have Ultimate Event Planning Checklist for associations and clubs!

What Is Event Management Software?

Event management software is any software that helps event managers organize and execute events. Some software tools offer an all-in-one solution and take on just about any task related to running events. Others are more specialized and take care of things like:

• Project management
• Event marketing
• Building a registration website
• Accepting registrations and payments
• Sending out invitations, updates, and other communications
• Managing RSVPs
• Managing information about guests (e.g. dietary restrictions)
• Creating floor plans and seating charts
• Managing relationships with past, current, and potential guests
• Managing relationships with vendors
• Managing volunteers
• Creating schedules
• Checking-in guests at the event
• Organizing virtual and/or hybrid events
• Providing a virtual platform for guests to network
• Managing budgets
• Creating reports about finances, attendees, fundraising, etc.

What Should I Look For in Event Management Software?

With so many event management software options out there, it can be hard to choose the right one for you. To help you make a decision, look for the following:

1. It should meet your needs

Will your event be in-person, virtual, or hybrid? The right software should have capabilities that will allow you to execute the type of event you’re planning. For example, if your event is virtual, you may need a website, a virtual platform, video-conferencing capabilities, a mobile-app, etc.

Keep in mind that it may not be possible to find every feature you’re looking for in a single software within your budget. In this case, it’s perfectly fine to use a combination of tools that fulfill different needs.

2. It should have good reviews

One of the best ways to determine whether or not a software will work for you is to see what other people are saying about it. Head to sites like Capterra or G2 to read detailed reviews about your software options and testimonials from real event managers who’ve used them.

3. It should be user-friendly

Event planning is hard enough already, and your software should make your job easier, not cause additional headaches. Look for software that’s user-friendly, intuitive, and quick to learn. For example, if the software offers a website builder, it should be geared at someone who has never built a website before. 

If possible, look for software that offers multiple different features or, at the very least, integrates with related tools for a more seamless experience. For example, your event registration tool should communicate instantly with your member management software.

16 All-In-One Event Management Software Options

Don’t want to use a hundred different platforms for one event? Look no further than the following list of software that has every necessary part of event management in one platform.

1. Wild Apricot

If you’re looking for a complete solution to run every aspect of your membership organization, not just your events, Wild Apricot is for you.

Wild Apricot is the #1 rated event and membership management software used by over 20,000 organizations. Along with event management, Wild Apricot offers a complete all-in-one platform to create a website with online registration and payment processing, a fully searchable contact database, mobile event registration through the free app, and an emailing system with professionally designed email and newsletter templates.

It also has a free 60-day trial. In just an afternoon you can have a full website and event calendar setup to begin registering event attendees and processing online payments instantly.

Pricing: Plans start at $60/month.

2. MemberClicks

While Wild Apricot is perfect for many small organizations, MemberClicks builds integrated membership management software solutions specifically for small-to-midsized professional associations, trade associations and chambers of commerce.MemberClicks offers intuitive association management systems, learning management software, event management solutions, and job board software, built to save time, save money, grow membership and increase revenue.

Click here to learn more about MemberClicks can help your organization by connecting you to connected solutions.

Pricing: Available upon request.

3. A2Z Events

A2Z Events is perfect for large organizations who want to give their attendees the best experience possible. With features such as floor plan management, online sales, an exhibitor portal, and powerful reporting, you’ll be able to help your event succeed at every step in its lifecycle.

Pricing: Available upon request.

4. Amilia

With online event registration, reporting, CRM, fundraising, billing and more, Amilia is a complete event management tool for any organization.

Pricing: Plans start at $99/month.

5. Aventri

Aventri is a robust online event management platform that simplifies registrations while helping you to plan, market and manage even the most complex events. It integrates with SalesForce.com, Cliqbook, Pathable, and other services.

Pricing: Available upon request.

6. Bizzabo

Bizzabo is an all-in-one event platform that helps organizers create successful events by empowering them to build amazing websites, sell tickets, grow communities, go mobile and maximize event experiences using a beautiful, user friendly platform.

Pricing: Available upon request.

7. Cvent

Cvent is a flexible, easy-to-use online event management software that helps increase event attendance and engagement. The platform automates many management tasks (data analytics, event marketing, event registration, etc) to save your time. You can track your attendees in real time and build event reports to navigate every aspect of the event process.

Pricing: Available upon request.

 8. Event Leaf

Event Leaf is event management software offering event creation, online registrations, an emailing platform, and many other options like printable event badges.

Pricing: Free limited plan. Paid plans start at $1/attendee.

9. Eventbrite for Nonprofits

Eventbrite for Nonprofits lets you set up an online registration page for your event in minutes. Then, take advantage of Eventbrite’s promotional tools to send email invitations or publicize your event on social networks. Their free event registration app lets you manage your event and check in guests, anywhere.

Pricing: Plans start at 2% + $0.79 per ticket

10. Eventzilla

Eventzilla offers a complete event registration and ticketing platform for classes, conferences, fundraisers, social events and more. Features include barcode ticket scanning, box office management, print-at-home tickets, mobile ticketing, and reserved seating options.

Pricing: Plans start at $1.50 per ticket.

11. MyEvent

Choose from pre-designed templates and set up your website for any type of event in minutes with MyEvent. Add photo albums, countdown timers, polls, and connect your social media accounts.

Pricing: Available upon request.

12. OpenConf

OpenConf is an abstract submission and review management system used extensively by events and journals across a wide set of industries in over 100 countries and by authors and reviewers in more than a dozen languages. The software is available for download or cloud-based, and has consistently received rave feedback for its outstanding support.

Pricing: Plans start at $250 per year.

13. Paperless Transactions

Paperless Transactions lets you build custom event pages, giving pages, storefront pages, forms and more. Get the word out about your events by sending mass text alerts and make event management easier with software designed for event registration and ticketing.

Pricing: Plans start at $75/month with a $500 setup cost.

14. Planning Pod

Planning Pod is an all-in-one online event management software that streamlines how you plan your events by organizing all your event information in one convenient place. Their application’s 30+ easy-to-use tools are mobile-responsive and can be used by your team members to manage attendees, check-ins, budgets, schedules, floorplans/layouts, tasks, checklists, calendars, files, surveys, vendors, sponsors, volunteers and much more.

Pricing: Available upon request.

 15. ConfTool

VSIS ConfTool and ConfTool Pro are web-based event management systems developed to help you organize academic conferences, workshops, congresses and seminars efficiently. They support the submission, peer-reviewing and scheduling process, as well as participant registration, invoicing and management.

Pricing: VSIS ConfTool is free; pricing for ConfTool Pro is available upon request.

16. Whova

Whova provides an award-winning event management tool to save organizers time and create a modern and engaging event. The Whova all-in-one event management solution includes the Whova event app, powerful event marketing solution, and many other features such as name badge generation, attendee check-in, and program management tools.

Pricing: Available upon request.

7 Event Scheduling & Organization Tools

If you’re just starting to plan your event or need help visualizing how it’s all going to come together, take a look at the tools below.

1. OPS by AllSeated

OPS by AllSeated is a free event planning tool that enables event professionals to easily design floor plans, manage guest lists and meal preferences, organize event timelines, and preview their layout in stunning 3D. Using OPS, event professionals can collaborate with their vendors and clients efficiently and effectively, delegating tasks and updating everyone in real-time, allowing them to save countless hours on every event.

Pricing: Free

 2. Evite

Evite lets you create and send an online invitation for any event in just a few steps. They offer hundreds of templates to choose from, plus many additional features including polls, gifts, photo sharing, RSVP tracking, and comments from guests.

Pricing: Free limited account; premium invitations start at $14.99 per event or $249.99/year.

 3. ScheduleOnce by OnceHub

ScheduleOnce is an online scheduling service that enables all meeting attendees to compare real-time availability and quickly find the best time for all. It was specifically designed to integrate with Google Calendar to prevent double booking.

Pricing: Free limited plan; paid plans start at $10 per user per month.

4. Smartwaiver

Make signing waivers online easy with Smartwaiver and its highly customizable platform. Guests can sign or type their signature, and the Auto Photo Capture feature captures the participants signing waivers. You can also add instructional or safety videos to your waiver, and set up the waiver for adults, minors, or guardians.

Pricing: Plans start at $15/month.

 5. Setster

Setster allows you to embed a scheduling widget on your website to show times and services. Website visitors can then request an appointment time, and Setster sends confirmation emails to both parties. It integrates with iCal, Google Calendar, and Outlook.

Pricing: Plans start at $16/month with an annual subscription.

6. Slack

With this popular messaging app, you can create channels for different groups of people or topics, host 1:1 video calls, and message people individually. It’s perfect for communicating with event planning staff, volunteers, and vendors.

Pricing: Free limited plan, premium plans start at $6.67 per user per month.

7. Trello

Trello is a simple project management tool that’s perfect for event planners. You can create a card for each task, add any notes, assign it to the right team member, and set a deadline, then place the card in the appropriate column.

Pricing: Free limited plan; paid plans start at $5 per user per month.

3 Event Apps

Want to make life (or at least your event) easier to manage with a mobile app? Try these app builders to make managing your event more convenient for everyone.

1. AppInstitute

AppInstitute is an all-in-one app builder that makes it easy to create an app for your next event. Features include an event calendar, directions, push notifications, online payments, social media integration, and more. Along with events, you can use AppInstitute to build any sort of app you’d like for your organization.

Pricing: Plans start at $59/month billed annually.

 2. EventMobi

Easily create an event registration app, and an app for your event attendees, with EventMobi. Their Content Manager gives you the control you need to customize and update your app on the fly. Features include in-app sponsorship features, personalized profiles for attendees, in-app chat, unlimited users, and full analytics.

Pricing: Available upon request.

3. BuildFire

BuildFire is an app builder for conferences and events. Use it to share event information and resources, send notifications, collect feedback, and help engage event attendees. The best part? You don’t need to know any coding to build your app.

Pricing: Plans start at $159 per month billed annually.

3 Event Promotion & Social Media Tools

You’ve got an event in the works. Now what? Read on to find out how to engage more people with your event and to promote yourself online.

 1. Hootsuite

Schedule all your event promotions on social media in advance with Hootsuite. It integrates with all your social profiles like Twitter, Facebook, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, WordPress and LinkedIn. Monitor your social accounts and easily see what others are talking about.

Pricing: Free limited plan; paid plans at $49/month.

2. LiveTweetApp

LiveTweetApp is an online solution to help you search, moderate and beautifully display tweets on a (big) screen to increase social interactions during your events and conferences. It’s great for giving event sponsors more real estate. Features include control over how your Twitter Wall is displayed, television broadcasting, and mobile optimization.

Pricing: $40 per day.

3. MeetEdgar

Have a lot of events coming up and want to promote them on repeat? Use MeetEdgar’s social media automation to ensure they keep sharing without having to schedule it multiple times yourself.

Pricing: Plans start at $24.91/month.

8 Event Registration Software Tools

One of the most important parts of event management is registration, so we’ve handpicked the best software to make the process less intimidating.

1. 123formbuilder

Create and customize user-friendly registration forms with all the options you could ever need, such as contact fields, feedback fields, quizzes and polls in just minutes. You can start with their free form templates or you can start with a blank form. No coding skills required.

Pricing: Free limited plan; paid plans start at $19.99/month.

2. Event Wizard

Event Wizard gives you all the tools you need to quickly create and launch online event registration for your nonprofit. No annual fees, no sign-up fees, and no contracts to sign – pay only for what you use.

Pricing: $3.45 per registrant, or $10,000 annual fee with unlimited registrations.

3. Formsite

Formsite is an online form builder that lets you create secure and awesome web forms, order forms, and post-event surveys with just your browser.

Pricing: Free limited plan; paid plans start at $21 per month billed annually.

 4. OneCause

Ideal for organizations looking to centralize their registration and check-in process, OneCause handles most of the little details in event planning for you. You can sell tickets while also accepting donations, and during check-in, OneCause will record info on your guests for your convenience.

Pricing: Available upon request.

5. Meetup

Meetup is the most popular online event creator with nearly 500,000 meetups created every month. Easily browse meetups in any location in any category, or create your own meetup and start inviting people. It’s a lot more simple than some of the other options available but sacrifices more advanced features.

Pricing: Varies depending on the size of your group.

6. TicketStripe

TicketStripe is amazing at creating beautifully colourful event pages that are accessible from any device. Search Engine Optimized event pages help your event show up in search engines. Register and check in guests while keeping track of the demographics and where your sales are coming from with useful real-time reports.

Pricing: Service fee of $0.50 + 1.50% per ticket.

7. Regpack

Regpack’s online event registration software enables organizations to register applicants quickly and effectively, while seamlessly integrating online payments and providing a sophisticated yet intuitive user management platform. Features include the ability to A/B test forms and fields, insight reporting, enhanced security, data backups, and integrated payment processing.

Pricing: Plans start at $125/month per admin.

8. WhenNow

Create any custom event with WhenNow. Promote and share anywhere and manage ticketing and registration on-the-go. Features include social sharing, attendee check-in and full analytics. This online event registration software is perfect for nonprofits on a budget. There is also a WhenNow app that makes checking guests in easier.

Pricing: 2.99% + $0.50 per ticket.

6 Event Ticketing Software Tools

If you want to ease the process of selling tickets and checking in guests, take a look at these ticketing tools.

1. Accelevents

Accelevents offers easy online ticketing setup and allows you to customize your event page. Sell tickets and sponsorships, as well as collecting attendee information. They also offer mobile bidding, donation pages, and text-to-give software.

Pricing: $500 per event or $125 per month.

2. Brown Paper Tickets

Brown Paper Tickets offers a wide range of services beside easy-to-create and print event tickets. Some of their services include free custom seating charts, barcoded mobile tickets, donation tracking, and fully customized event pages.

Pricing: $0.99 + 5.0%per ticket.

3. ePly

ePly makes event registration and ticketing fast and easy, with help from experts as you navigate the process available. There is an app available that you can tailor to your needs so your guests can engage even further, and all the data from the event is categorized in analytics reports that you can use to your advantage.

Pricing: Available upon request.

4. Give Lively

Give Lively’s free event ticketing platform offers a better way to promote and sell tickets to your next fundraising event. Users can create unlimited user-friendly pages with custom ticketing and sponsorship tiers for as many events as you want. Attendees can quickly purchase tickets, share your event, and get directions on any device — all without leaving your page. Event Ticketing seamlessly integrates into all features of Give Lively’s fundraising platform.

Pricing: Free for nonprofits.

 5. TicketBud

Easily create a fully functional event website ready to sell tickets in 5 minutes with TicketBud. Upload photos, descriptions, and integrate your social media and email platforms to generate more ticket sales.

Pricing: 2% + $0.99 per ticket plus 2.9% credit card processing fee.

6. Yapsody

Yapsody helps you create an online ticketing store, customizable in every way. You can plan out your seating with separate categories of General Admission and Reserved Seating and much more! The marketing features make it easier to integrate your social media presence with your event.

Pricing: $0.49 + 2.8% per ticket.

Which Event Management Software Is Right For You?

We hope this list has helped you discover the perfect tool (or a few!) for organizing and executing your next event.

If you haven’t already, do consider investing in an all-in-one solution. Even if you don’t need all of its capabilities at this very moment, you’ll likely be putting on larger and more elaborate events in the future, as your organization and community grow.

An all-in-one solution like Wild Apricot has countless other features that will not only help you organize events, but also manage all other aspects of your nonprofit. When everything is integrated and housed in one database, you can automate most of your administrative tasks and focus on what really matters — building and engaging your community.