The right Eventleaf alternative depends on the events you run. Ticketing tools suit workshops, shows and meetups where selling and scanning tickets is the main job, conference platforms suit larger programmes with agendas, apps and exhibitors, and association platforms suit events that sit alongside memberships. These nine tools are unranked and grouped by event type.
A forty-person workshop and a three-day conference with exhibitors are both events, but they need very different software. Eventleaf's own page covers organiser tools and an attendee app, so your first decision on leaving is which half you were relying on: conference-style management or simple ticketing.
The nine alternatives below are in no particular order and grouped by event type: ticketing-first tools, conference platforms with event apps, and an association platform where events live alongside memberships.
Conference platform or ticket desk?
Ask yourself three plain questions before you open a single demo:
- Do attendees need an app? Agendas, speaker pages and networking point to a conference platform. A ticket and a door scan point to a ticketing tool.
- Who are your attendees? The public buying seats, or delegates, members and exhibitors you already know?
- How complex is registration? One ticket type, or sessions, add-ons, approvals and custom questions?
If most answers point to tickets, start with the first group. If they point to agendas and delegates, go to the second.
Ticketing-first tools
Ticket Tailor is a ticketing platform for designing, managing and selling tickets to your event. Ticketleap sells tickets online or on site, and the vendor says its ticketing features are free without restrictive service tiers, which is worth reading closely on its own site.
Eventbrite pitches itself as an all-in-one ticketing and discovery platform for organisers and attendees, so your event can be found by people browsing for things to do. EventCreate is an event website builder where, in the vendor's words, every event website comes with a registration page and online RSVPs, plus ticketing, check-in and name badges.
For more registration-first options, see my guide to event registration software.
Conference platforms and event apps
These suit bigger programmes with sessions, speakers and exhibitor stands. Cvent covers marketing, venue sourcing and attendee engagement for planners, and its own claim is that it handles any event, any format and any size. Swoogo leads on registration, with custom flows and what the vendor describes as unlimited rules, logic and fields.
EventMobi sells modular event management: registration, agenda, check-in, badge printing and an event app. Whova is an event app with registration, agenda management, speaker management and on-demand badges for in-person, hybrid and virtual events.
When events sit inside a membership
If you're an association, chamber or professional body, your events are part of a bigger relationship with members. Glue Up combines CRM, membership, events and email marketing, so registrations sit on the same record as renewals and newsletters. That's a different buying decision from an events tool, and it usually involves whoever manages membership as well as whoever runs events.
Registration and ticketing tools compared
| Tool | Kind of tool | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Cvent | Event management for planners | Marketing, venues and attendee engagement |
| Eventbrite | Event management and ticketing | Selling tickets and being discovered |
| EventCreate | Event website builder | A ready-made event site with RSVPs |
| EventMobi | Modular event management | Check-in, badges and an event app |
| Glue Up | Association management platform | Events alongside memberships |
| Swoogo | Registration-led event platform | Complex registration rules and fields |
| Ticket Tailor | Event ticketing platform | Designing and selling your own tickets |
| Ticketleap | Online and on-site ticketing | Ticket sales online and at the door |
| Whova | Event app and registration | Agendas, speakers and on-demand badges |
All nine event tools, A to Z
Cvent
Best for: Event planners handling marketing, venue sourcing and attendee engagement, from a vendor that says it covers any event, any format and any size.
Eventbrite
Best for: Organisers who want to create, market and manage events in one place, with a ticketing platform that attendees also browse to discover events.
EventCreate
Best for: Smaller organisers who want an event website with registration, RSVPs, ticketing, check-in and name badges built in from the start.
EventMobi
Best for: Teams running conferences that need registration, agenda, check-in, badge printing and an attendee app, chosen as modules rather than one bundle.
Glue Up
Best for: Associations and chambers where events sit next to membership, CRM and email marketing in one platform.
Swoogo
Best for: Planners of in-person or virtual events whose registration needs custom flows, with the vendor pointing to unlimited rules, logic and fields.
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Ticket Tailor
Best for: Organisers who mainly need to design, manage and sell tickets to their own events, without a full conference suite.
Ticketleap
Best for: Venues and organisers selling tickets online or on site, attracted by what the vendor calls free ticketing features without restrictive service tiers.
Whova
Best for: Conference organisers wanting an event app with registration, agenda and speaker management and on-demand badges for in-person, hybrid or virtual events.
What one test registration should prove
Set up the same small event in each trial and register yourself as an attendee. The test should show you:
- A custom question on the form, such as dietary needs or company name, and where the answer ends up.
- A confirmation email that carries your branding and the right date, time and venue.
- A badge or ticket you can print or show on a phone.
- An on-site check-in, done on a real device, with a slow venue connection if you can manage it.
- A report afterwards that shows who registered, who came and who didn't.
Door check-in is where events go wrong, so read my roundup of event check-in apps if that part worries you most.
My advice for event organisers
Pick the tool for the event you run most often, not the one you run once a year. If your calendar is mostly ticketed workshops with one big conference, a ticketing tool for the routine and a conference platform hired for the big one can work better than forcing everything into one system.
And don't move mid-season. Finish the events already on sale in your current tool, run your next new event on the replacement, and only then move the rest. Attendees who've already bought shouldn't feel the change at all.
Do you make event registration or ticketing software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Related: printing: guidelines and how to pitch.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between ticketing software and an event management platform?
Ticketing software focuses on selling tickets and checking people in. An event management platform adds agendas, speakers, exhibitors and usually an attendee app, which suits conferences and larger programmes.
Do I need an event app for a small event?
Usually not. A clear confirmation email and a scannable ticket cover most small events. Apps earn their place when there's an agenda to follow, sessions to choose and people to meet.
Can I print badges on site?
Several tools here mention badges or badge printing. Test it in the trial with the printer and device you'll use on the day, not just on a demo screen.
What should an association look for in event software?
Check whether event registrations sit on the same member record as renewals and emails, and whether member-only tickets are easy to set up.
Are these event tools ranked?
No. They're in no particular order and grouped by the type of event each one fits.
