If you ask any event planner, they have probably heard of Cvent. Cvent has been a well-known name in the event industry for years. They have been around for a very long time which means they are doing a lot of things right.
That being said, there are many Cvent alternatives on the market that offer all the best event management features, and at a better price!
In this post, I am going to have a look at the “old dog” vs the “new kids on the block”. Let’s see what has changed in the event technology industry and if Cvent is keeping up. Spoiler: in some categories, but not all.
Compare Cvent and Regpack Pricing
Let’s start with what everyone cares about: how much does it cost.
I have written time and again that price and cost are not the same. Price is what you are actually paying out of the bank and cost takes into account not only the money but also time, efficiency, conversion rate, completion rate, time to market (and a few more variables).
Cost is what economists look at whereas price is what accountants look at (and guess who has the ear of the president of every country and company… the economists since they do the real calculations).
Cvent Pricing
Frustratingly, Cvent doesn’t publicize their pricing. This means it’s not cheap. Google will tell you that Cvent runs the “Price Per Applicant” model, charging $1.50 per applicant +2.5% for payment processing.
Cvent comes with a higher price tag than other event software options on the market. And for good reason: they offer everything under the sun! You might think, “you get what you pay for”. Note also that Cvent has different pricing tiers, so not all features come at the base price and you pay more to get more.
There are tons of great event software alternatives to Cvent worth considering, that gives you all the features you need, at a better price.
Compare Regpack Pricing
Comparatively, Regpack uses the “Price per Admin” model. They also publish their pricing (which you can find here).
This model is the most common, and the fairest for any size organization. Smaller organizations who need fewer admins will pay less than larger events with more admins.
Regpack starts at just $89/month per admin. Contracts are month-to-month so you can use the system when you need, and pause it when you don’t. Cvent does not have a month to month model. Most clients are locked in for 1-3 year contract.
Annual Contracts vs. Month-to-Month Pricing
Former Cvent clients report issues with canceling annual contracts or having to wait for their contract period to end to explore better registration options. This can be frustrating, especially for smaller organizations who need to ensure the money they are spending for a service is giving them a return.
Regpack offers month to month pricing and no cancellation fees! This not only gives any event planner peace of mind that if something isn’t working, they can find something better. It also means cheaper costs overall.
Month to month software also allows you to hit pause on your contract if you don’t need the system for a few months out of the year. Pausing means you can freeze your monthly payments and not use the system without losing your data or the work you’ve done building out reports, filters, emails, etc.
Regpack does offer annual pricing, which gets you a discount on the overall cost. It’s pretty standard in any industry to give a discount for more months committed to.
Many organizations are seasonal and benefit from the ability to pause their account when not in use, especially small organizations and non-profits. This can save money in the long run!
Cvent Features Comparison
Embedded Registration
The big difference between Cvent and Regpack is in embedding the process on your website. While Cvent offers event websites, Regpack allows you to place your registration process on your event website (and also gives you an event website!).
You can read more about how this small detail can increase your conversion rates by 26%!
Embedding registration is a great feature that many event planners are looking for. You’ve already spent a lot of time and money on your website – your logo, fonts, color scheme, etc. Cvent offers limited editing tools for your registration website, and it does not embed. So registration happens on Cvent’s site, not yours.
Embedding your registration onto your own website is not only great for your SEO, it makes the processing of getting your registration up and running online, simple. No editing necessary!
Cvent Learning Curve
The key here is: what you NEED.
Just because Cvent has everything doesn’t mean you need everything. See this blog about solutions, not features. Then factor in the time it takes to learn how to use all these features you might not really need, just to get your registration or event up and running.
Capterra, a leader in event software research, has a great article 5 Cvent competitors that are just as great as Cvent that you should know about! Most of these options are at a much more affordable price than Cvent. Regpack is included in this comparison.
Most organizations do not need every event software feature and don’t have the budget to afford them all even if they did. That is where companies like Regpack come in, as they offer the key event registration features needed to run a successful event, without the cost of a big box system.
Conditional Logic on ANY DATA POINT
Conditional logic is the ability to have things appear, happen, add or any other action based on a specific logic. For example a form is added to an attendee only if they are participating in a specific session and so forth.
Cvent has conditional logic but not all conditional logic is the same (just like an electronic bike and a Tesla both have an electronic engine but they are very different!).
Regpack allows you to have conditional logic on ANYTHING! Forms, services, products, autobilling, fields, sub-units in fields… basically everything.
You can even stack conditions on one another. For example, you will show a premium option to a user only if they completed specific forms, answered yes to a specific question, are from California, have ordered and paid more than $200 and in addition recommended you to one of their friends.
It is like being a programmer without needing to know any programming code!
Regpack’s conditional logic engine is what has made it famous. It is the one “feature” that no system out there has managed to pull off. Including Cvent. And for a very good reason: the conditional logic engine is based on 7 years of research the CEO of Regpack and has received a number of academic awards.
Shared Cvent and Regpack Features
In terms of similarity, Regpack and Cvent both offer:
- Event Registration
- Event Payment Processing
- Mobile Optimization
- Check-In
- Custom Branding + Hosted Templates
- Badge Printing
- Email Tools + Alerts
- Membership Management
- Mobile Payments
- And more!
Recommendation
Only you know what’s right for your business. The best first step when comparing event software options is to request a demo with the software companies you are interested in.
Before you get on the demo, really think about what you need and what your budget is. That way you can tailor the demo to ensure you ask the right questions about the functionality you need.
If you are an enterprise event in need of all the bells and whistles and have the budget to get it, then Cvent is a tried and true option. Cvent also offers many onsite event solutions and venue management. If that is a deal-breaker for you, then Cvent is a great, trusted option!
Download a FREE eBook all about Event Registration Software and how to choose the best one!
Get Your FREE Guide to Event Registration eBook
Here’s a quick view comparing most popular event registration system features:
