Best Event App For You: How to Pick in 2023

Launching an event app may seem simple, but it’s crucial to choose the best mobile event app platform to ensure the best outcome.

But it takes hours to scroll through countless event websites. You have to read truckloads of reviews and case studies to find the best-suited event app for your brand. 

So, I did the heavy lifting for you. I’ve compiled a list of the best event apps so you don’t have to spend hours on research. 

By the end of this blog, you’ll know which mobile app is best for your event.

Finding The Top Event App For You

Before jumping into the list of top event apps, you must understand my evaluation process. 

• Step 1: I spoke to experts to get their insights about event apps 
• Step 2: I spent time researching the brand’s websites and review websites 
• Step 3: For platforms that provided a free trial, I created the event app
• Disclaimer : All the data is up to date as Per March 20th 2023. I will try and update it every month.

Here is my detailed evaluation criteria :

How To Choose The Perfect Event App In 2023

The 7 Best Event Apps In 2023

My pick for the best event app in 2023 is Nunify. Here is the preview of the list

7. Hopin

6. Eventx

5. Stova (Formerly Meetingplay & Aventri)

4. Core-apps (Previously Pathable)

3. Hubilo

2. Guidebook

1. Nunify

7. Hopin

Ratings: G2 – 4.5 | Apple App store : 3.6 | Google Play store : 3.5

Founding Year: 2019

Difficulty Level : Unsure. The app was not available for a free trial.

Hopin Features :

Let’s take a look at how Hopin fared on the must-have features of event apps!

Here are the top features for audience engagement on Hopin

• Chat
• Live Polling and Q/As
• Schedule meetings with video calls
• Booths

What unique features does Hopin advertise?

I scanned the features list but unfortunately nothing much grabbed my attention. It does have some unique features like editing recordings, multilingual streaming & speaker dry runs, but it doesn’t appear to have anything for traditional in-person events.

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : Hopin has an exhaustive list of integrations with all major CRM, registration, and social media providers.

Price : I noticed wasn’t any specific pricing for event app. Most of their plans are focused towards virtual events. Free upto 1 admin and 100 attendees for 2 hours. Custom Pricing for advanced plan – reach out to the sales team.

Top Features:

• Hopin’s event app comes with a virtual venue. It has a virtual event stage where you can present screen recordings or live sessions for up to 10,000 viewers. Create an unlimited number of concurrent sessions with moderators and speakers.
• The Hopin app is laden with engagement and networking features. You get interactive polls, games, quizzes, and more to hook attendees to the event – whether they are in-person or virtual attendees. 
• Hopin lets you share supporting media during the event. Share informative PDFs, playlists, and other media to educate the attendees.
• The event app integrates with registration, CRM, and email marketing tools to conduct events smoothly. The integrations allow you to conduct the whole thing through one platform. No more switching between multiple apps.  

Pros:

Cons:

6. Eventx

Ratings: G2 – 4.9 | Apple App store : Not rated | Google Play store : Not rated

Founding Year: 2014

Difficulty Level : Unsure. The app was not available for a free trial.

Eventx Features :

Let’s take a look at how Eventx fared on the must-have features of event apps!

Here are the top features for audience engagement on Eventx

• Live Polling and Q/As
• Business matching

What unique features does Eventx advertise?

None to call out

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : Seems quite limited . I did see a Salesforce integration documentation

Price : They have an in-person package for FREE for Upto 20 pax per event. Their plans for upto 250pax per event start $1999/year

Top Features of EventX

• The landing page of the event app acts as a lobby. Attendees can access all parts of the event from there. They can watch the schedule, access the networking lounge, take a virtual tour, and check out the speakers’ list. 
• EventX provides real-time attendance. As your attendees register for the event, you get a notification. Set alerts for VIP guests so you can when they enter the event. 
• Exhibitors can scan attendees’ business cards or OR codes to build an instant connection with them. They can access attendees’ information and qualify them as leads. 

Pros:

• Virtual tour of the venue is available 
• You receive alerts when a VIP attendee enters 
• Lead retrieval is available 

Cons:

• The mobile app seems like a web HTML app

5. Stova (Formerly Meetingplay & Aventri)

Ratings: G2 – 4.7 | Apple App store : 3.9 (Meetingplay) | Google Play store : Not rated

Founding Year: 2022 (Merger year)

Difficulty Level : Unsure. The app was not available for a free trial.

Stova Event App Features :

Let’s take a look at how Stova fared on the must-have features of event apps!

Here are the features for audience engagement that Stova advertise

• Live Polling and Q/As
• Gamification
• Lead Retrieval
• Schedule meetings & appointments

What unique features does Stova advertise?

• Photo Gallery
• Pop-up messages in app to provide guidance
• Quick List for attendees to keep track of exhibitors

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : It covers all the major integrations including other registration systems & expo platform

Price : Not disclosed

Top features of Stova: 

• Stova lets you run more than one concurrent session to provide personalized content for different attendees. Even in separate sessions, you maintain consistent brand experience across in-person, hybrid, and virtual events.
• Stova’s fast pass lets your attendees enter the venue within seconds. Your attendees can scan the registration QR code with the mobile event app, print a badge for themselves and enter the event in seconds. 
• Lead retrieval in Stova lets you scan through several attendees’ profiles and qualify them as ‘leads’ for the exhibitors. 
• Branded booths let attendees click selfies with your sponsors’ or exhibitors’ branding in the background. Whenever an attendee shares the picture, it will promote the brand automatically. 

Pros:

• Customizable branding options 
• Good options for sharing information with attendees 
• Lead retrieval for exhibitors 
• Dedicated project managers

Cons:

• It looks like it is not a DIY platform since there is no self help documentation

4. Core-apps (Previously Pathable)

Ratings: G2 – 4.5 | Apple App store : No app | Google Play store : No app

Founding Year: 2018 (Community Brands partners with Pathable)

Difficulty Level : Unsure. The app was not available for a free trial.

Core-apps Event App Features :

Let’s take a look at how did Core-apps fare on the must-have features of event apps!

Here are the features for audience engagement that Core-apps advertise

• Activity feed
• Networking – messaging, book meeting

What unique features does Core-apps advertise?

• Interactive maps
• Targeted alerts
• Session Check-in

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : On their website they mention integration to lots of data providers that include – Salesforce, MapYourShow, Experient, J.Spargo, Compusystems, SOAP, LDAP, Sched.org, eShow, Cadmium, AttendeeInteractive, SimpleView, CoeTruman, Personify

Price : There is no mention of pricing on their website

Features of Core apps

• The mobile app is easy to use for both hosts and attendees. The app builder lets you create the app in no time with no-code functionality. Attendees can view sessions, and conduct private meetings to engage within the app. They can even book a table in the virtual room and use it whenever they like. 
• Pathable helps you gather real-time data to report the ROI of your event. The exhibitor dashboard monitors metrics like event page views, booth visits, and session attendance. Your stakeholders get access to the event metrics so they monitor performance throughout the event. 
• The lead tracker lets your sponsors identify people who’ve shown interest in their product. They can take action by exporting details of the prospect and reaching out to them immediately. 
• Pathable supports both onsite and online registration. Share custom ticket types, promotional codes, and discount coupons with attendees right inside the app. The app monitors real-time registration data to track the number of attendees. 

Pros:

• User-friendly interface 
• Integrated social media sharing capabilities 

Cons:

• Higher prices compared to competitors 
• Limited branding options 
• Limited integration with third-party tools

3. Hubilo

Ratings: G2 – 4.7 | Apple App store : No app | Google Play store : No app

Founding Year: 2015

Difficulty Level : Hubilo is an end-to-end solution for the event app, landing page creation with registration & ticketing, marketing, and analytics. Everything regarding the features and event app is available on the website. To actually create an app I had to book a demo first and go through the sales process.

Hubilo Event App Features :

Let’s take a look at how did Hubilo fare on the must-have event app features!

Here are the engagement features for Hubilo

• Live Chats
• Reactions, GIFs & emojis
• Polls, Surveys and Q/As
• Gamification and contests 
• 1:1 chats & group discussions

What unique features does Hubilo have ?

• Group discussion
• Contests, but I was unable to find what type of contests
• Quizzes

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : Hubilo has several integrations especially to marketing automation, CRM & engagement tools like Hubspot, Interprefy, Kahoot! , Kudo, Mailchimp, Marketo, Microsoft Dynamics, Mootup, Slido, Salesforce, Typeform, Snapbar and many more.

Price : Hubilo has both monthly & annual plans but it was tricky to find out which ones are only for event app. Their advanced plan start at $650/month which is billed annually. This plan seems to have 1000 registrations

Features of Hubilo

• Hubilo has powerful engagement tools such as polls, surveys, interactive chats, reactions, and social media integrations. It also has a gamification feature like Nunify to facilitate healthy competition among attendees.
• It comes with a multi-tier ticketing system with customizable discount codes to help you attract more attendees. 
• Hubilo has customized features based on the organization. It has categories for Corporations, Associations, EMCs, and Institutions. 
• Hubilo integrates with tools like Hubspot, Kahoot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Typeform, and much more to facilitate an end-to-end event experience.
• Hubilo has customizable dashboards to help you quantify your event strategy. Dive into real-time data from session interactions, polls, surveys, and contests to understand what’s popular among attendees. Share these reports with stakeholders and sponsors to provide an overview of the event’s ROI. 

Pros: 

• Customizable branding options 
• Automated event reminders and notifications 
• Data analytics and reporting

Cons:

• Hard to launch for first-time users
• Higher prices compared to competitors

2. Guidebook

Ratings: G2 – 4.4 | Apple App store : 4.7 | Google Play store : 4.2

Founding Year: 2011

Difficulty Level :

I found the self-service plan on the Guidebook pricing page. I signed up for it. It took me to the app builder where I started creating the app. Everything was fairly easy – I added all the features. To launch the app I should pay for the plan. 

I think the app-building process is fairly easy. Even if you’re a newbie it will take you around 8 hours to build your own app.

Guidebook Features :

Let’s take a look if Guidebook covers the critical event app features

Here are the engagement features for Guidebook

• Live polls and Q&A
• Flexible forms
• Session RSVP and verification

What unique features does Guidebook have ?

• Self guided tour
• Matchmaking

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : Guidebook has integrations to Eventbrite, Cvent, Aventri, Mailchimp & Marketo only

Price : Hubilo has both monthly & annual plans but it was tricky to find out which ones are only for event app. Their advanced plan start at $650/month which is billed annually. This plan seems to have 1000 registrations

Features of Guidebook

• Guidebook is a no-code app builder with drag-and-drop functionality. Anybody can create an app within minutes with any coding background. Customize your app as per your branding guidelines and custom mobile app icons. 
• Guidebook lets you analyze real-time feedback from attendees when they’re onsite. They instantly share their views on their social feed or pills which helps you understand what they like or dislike. 
• Guidebook helps you generate maximum revenue from your event with ad display and sponsored posts. Create sponsored sessions for attendees to market your sponsors and bag that revenue. 
• Guidebook comes with brilliant engagement features such as live polls, Q/As, private messaging, social media integration, and photo sharing. Communicate with your attendees with content updates and push notifications. Guidebook also suggests personalized session recommendations for attendees so they enjoy everything they attend. 

Pros: 

• Several attendee engagement features
• Surveys and feedback forms
• Engagement features 
• Interactive maps and floor plans

Cons:

• Setup is a time-consuming app
• Expensive as it has larger or annual packages 
• Any updates and maintenance may require additional costs

1. Nunify

Out top pick of 2023 for mobile event app is Nunify

Ratings: G2 – 4.7 | Apple App store : 4.7 | Google Play store : 4.7

Founding Year: 2014

Difficulty Level :

To create an app, I have to fill out a form to book a demo first. The sales of Nunify take me through the product. I pay and then create the app. 

Creating the app is simple and fun. It takes around 2-3 hours if you have an asset plan and requirements ready.

Nunify Features :

Does Nunify have all the essential features for event apps ?

Here are the engagement features that Nunify has

• Live polls and Q&A
• Gamification
• Chat & Group Discussion
• Speed Networking
• Event wall

What unique features does Nunify have ?

• Custom navigation & assets
• Speed Networking & AI matchmaking
• Contests like Scavenger hunt, puzzles, image & video contests
• Rich leaderboard with team wise breakup and badges
• Upload videos, Hashtags & mentions in Social wall

Customer support :

Security Compliance :

Integrations : Nunify supports one of the most exhaustive list of integrations.

Price : The plans start at an affordable $300/event for Upto 100 logins. They also support White-label of the app but have not provided their pricing for it. You can contact their sales to get a custom package.

Top Features of Nunify

• Nunify’s easy-to-launch event app combines features for attendees’ registration, check-in, and engagement. 
• The app comes with an event wall where people can share their experiences. 
• The built-in gallery inside the event app lets you store all images and videos that you and your attendees share. 
• The app also comes with venue maps to lead your attendees right where they’re supposed to go. 
• Nunify comes with AI-based matchmaking system that finds two complementary profiles with similar interests and matches them together. 
• Nunify has branded rooms where exhibitors can promote their brand and attendees can chat with each other. Attendees can click selfies with exhibitors’ branding and share them on social media. It automatically promotes the exhibitors’ brand. 
• The event app segments booths based on the topic of discussion. Your attendees can join whichever topic they prefer. 
• Nunify comes with Gamification to drive more attendee engagement. Attendees can play games and solve puzzles to earn points whenever they complete a task in the game.
• Nunify has an easy-to-use interface which makes it perfect for busy event organizers. 

Pros:

• Easy to launch event app
• Affordable event app with smaller, flexible packages 
• Several attendee engagement features 
• Seamless integration with other tools
• Advanced networking options for a large audience 
• Flexible screen sharing – live, on zoom or RTMP 

Cons: