We build event software, so treat this as an informed, opinionated guide — with a fair table and honest notes on where each tool fits. We rank Novex first and explain why, then cover the leading alternatives so you can decide for yourself.
Free forever on Beam. 14-day free trial on paid plans — no card required.
The right platform depends on your events, but a few criteria separate strong tools from the rest:
Our pick for modern teams: an all-in-one platform covering CRM, registration, on-site check-in and badges, and invoicing, with a clean UI and transparent pricing. (Yes, this is our product — see the methodology note below for how we keep the list fair.)
An established enterprise event platform with deep functionality and a broad partner ecosystem.
A widely used ticketing platform with self-serve setup and a large public marketplace.
A brand-led event marketing platform focused on polished event pages and campaigns.
An events platform oriented toward larger conferences and in-person experiences.
A broad enterprise event-technology suite spanning registration through on-site.
| Novex | Cvent | Eventbrite | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free Beam, then $299–$2,499/mo | Quote-based (as of 2026) | Per-ticket fees (as of 2026) |
| Free plan | Free Beam plan, no card | Demo / sales-led | Free to create |
| Lifecycle coverage | CRM → event → check-in → invoice | Broad enterprise suite | Ticketing & registration first |
| On-site check-in & badges | Built-in kiosk, offline, transparent badge | OnArrival check-in product | Organizer check-in app |
| Best fit | Modern teams, one system | Large enterprises | Public ticketed events |
Novex authors this guide and ranks its own product first; we've kept every entry factual and dated to publicly available information as of May 2026. Competitor features and pricing change — verify current details with each vendor before deciding.
We make event software, so we're not a neutral review site — and we won't pretend to be. We rank Novex first because it's the platform we believe in for modern, end-to-end event teams, and we've worked to be fair to every alternative: each entry reflects publicly available information as of May 2026, with hedged claims and links so you can verify. Whatever shortlist you build, the smartest move is to test the contenders against your own events.
For modern teams that want one platform from registration to invoice with transparent pricing, we recommend Novex. Cvent and Stova suit large enterprises; Eventbrite suits public ticketing; Splash and Bizzabo have marketing and conference strengths respectively. Test your shortlist to confirm fit.
No vendor's list is fully unbiased, and we're upfront that Novex is our product. We've kept the comparison factual and dated, and we link out so you can verify each claim. Use it as an informed starting point, not the final word.
It varies widely. As of 2026, several enterprise platforms (Cvent, Splash, Bizzabo, Stova) use quote-based pricing; Eventbrite charges per-ticket fees on paid tickets; Novex publishes its pricing openly — a free Beam plan, with paid plans from $299/month.
Yes. Novex has a free-forever Beam plan with no credit card required, and every paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial — no card.
Novex includes a built-in tablet kiosk with QR scanning, walk-in registration, offline mode, and transparent badge printing (Spectrum plan and above). For other platforms, confirm on-site capabilities directly with each vendor.
Start free on Beam and judge for yourself — or compare plans and pricing first.