The best Swapcard alternative depends on what your event is built around: matchmaking and meetings, onsite check-in and badges, a large enterprise programme, or an association's annual conference. Event platforms that look alike on a home page usually lean hard towards one of those, so start with the centre of your event and shortlist from there.
If you run conferences, trade shows or association events, you'll know that switching event platforms is rarely about one missing feature. It's about whether the whole system fits the way your event works, from the first registration to the last exhibitor follow-up. Swapcard's page lists registration, a web and mobile event app, sessions and abstracts, exhibitor management, event AI agents and onsite services.
The nine platforms below are listed in no particular order, nothing is ranked and nothing is linked. They're grouped by what each one is built around.
What you'd be replacing
Before you look at alternatives, map which parts of the current setup you use. Many organisers rely heavily on two or three parts, such as registration and the event app, and barely touch the rest. Others depend on exhibitor tools because exhibitor income keeps the event running.
Write down the parts you'd miss on day one, the parts you'd miss within a month, and the parts nobody would notice. That list is far more useful than a feature grid, because no two platforms here bundle the same pieces.
Matchmaking, onsite, enterprise or association-led
Built around matchmaking. Brella centres on AI matchmaking and managed meetings, including hosted buyer programmes. Grip is an AI-powered networking and matchmaking platform focused on connecting participants and generating leads.
Built around onsite operations. Eventdex covers check-in, badge printing and floor plans as well as matchmaking and lead retrieval. PheedLoop is an all-in-one platform for small teams running big events, from registration to badges and apps.
Built for virtual and hybrid as well as in-person. Zoho Backstage handles all three formats, with a multi-language event website builder and an attendee app. EventMobi is modular, so you can start with registration and engagement and add pieces as you go.
Enterprise suites. Cvent covers event management, marketing and engagement and connects planners with venues. Stova spans registration, speakers, exhibitors, onsite access control and lead retrieval, with event intelligence dashboards.
Association focus. Eventscribe is aimed squarely at associations and nonprofits, which suits organisers whose main event is an annual conference for members.
Lead scanning, matchmaking and what attendees agreed to
Platforms like Swapcard push exhibitor lead scanning and attendee matchmaking, and those are often the features that sell the platform to exhibitors. The question buyers miss is what attendees agreed to when they registered.
When an attendee's contact details are shared with an exhibitor or a partner, you need a clear lawful basis for doing it, and registration wording that tells attendees plainly that it will happen. You also need to know who acts as the data controller for the exhibitor's follow-up emails: you, the exhibitor, or both. Requirements vary by country, so check the guidance from your data protection regulator, such as the ICO in the UK, and take advice where you're unsure.
In practice, ask each vendor how its registration form records that consent, and whether the consent record can be exported with the lead so the exhibitor has it too. A platform that can't answer clearly is a risk, however good its matchmaking looks.
Nine event platforms in brief
Brella
Best for: Organisers whose event lives or dies on networking, with AI matchmaking, managed meetings for hosted buyer programmes, lead scanning and meeting ratings.
Cvent
Best for: Planning teams wanting event management, marketing and attendee engagement alongside venue sourcing, on a platform connecting planners, marketers and venues.
Eventdex
Best for: Show organisers needing registration, check-in, badge printing, floor plans, matchmaking and lead retrieval for in-person, hybrid or virtual events.
EventMobi
Best for: Event teams who want registration, data collection and attendee engagement as modules, with a branded event app on top.
Eventscribe
Best for: Associations and nonprofits that want event management software built around their kind of event, with an RFP route for buyers.
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Grip
Best for: Trade event organisers who want AI-powered networking, matchmaking and lead generation centred on connecting participants.
PheedLoop
Best for: Small event teams running large events who want registration, check-in, badges and mobile apps in one platform.
Stova
Best for: Large organisations wanting registration, speakers, exhibitors, networking, onsite access control and lead retrieval, plus event intelligence dashboards.
Zoho Backstage
Best for: Teams already using business software from the same maker who want a multi-language event website, an expo module and attendee apps.
Swapcard alternatives compared
| Tool | Built around | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Brella | Matchmaking-first event app | Networking and hosted buyer meetings |
| Cvent | Enterprise event platform | Planners who also source venues |
| Eventdex | Matchmaking and onsite check-in | Badges, check-in and floor plans |
| EventMobi | Modular event suite with app | Registration and engagement in modules |
| Eventscribe | Association-focused event software | Associations and nonprofits |
| Grip | Networking and matchmaking platform | Connecting participants at trade events |
| PheedLoop | All-in-one event management | Small teams running big events |
| Stova | Enterprise suite with onsite tools | Onsite access control and lead retrieval |
| Zoho Backstage | Event suite from a wider business-software maker | In-person, virtual and hybrid events |
My advice for organisers planning a switch
Pick the platform that's strongest at the thing your attendees and exhibitors judge you on. If people come to meet the right buyers, matchmaking should lead your shortlist. If the pain is queues at the door, put onsite check-in and badges first. If you run many events across a large organisation, an enterprise suite will save more time than any single feature.
Give yourself a full event cycle to move. Switching weeks before a show leaves no room to train staff or fix registration problems. My list of alternatives to the biggest enterprise event platform looks at more enterprise options, my guide to the best event apps goes deeper on attendee apps, and my roundup of the best virtual event platforms covers online and hybrid formats.
Questions to ask every event platform vendor
- How does your registration form record consent to share contact details with exhibitors?
- Can that consent record be exported with each lead?
- Which parts of the platform can we turn off if we don't use them?
- How do you handle check-in when the venue's internet connection is poor?
- What support do you give on the event days themselves?
- Can we export all attendee, session and exhibitor data at the end of our contract?
Ask every vendor the same questions in writing, and compare the answers side by side. The way a vendor answers tells you a lot about how the partnership will feel on a busy show day.
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Frequently asked questions
Why do organisers look for Swapcard alternatives?
Usually because their event is built around something a different platform does better, such as matchmaking, onsite check-in, association conferences or large enterprise programmes.
What's event matchmaking?
It's software that suggests who attendees should meet, often using AI and profile data, and helps them book meetings. Some platforms also run managed meetings for hosted buyer programmes.
Do attendees need to agree before exhibitors get their details?
You need a clear lawful basis and wording at registration that explains the sharing. Rules vary by country, so check your regulator's guidance and take advice if unsure.
Is there event software built for associations?
Yes. Some platforms focus on associations and nonprofits, which suits organisers whose main event is a member conference with sessions and abstracts.
How long does it take to switch event platforms?
It's safest to allow a full event cycle, so staff can learn the system and registration can be tested well before your next event opens.
What's lead retrieval at an event?
It's the tool exhibitors use to scan attendee badges or app codes and collect contact details, so they can follow up after the event.
