Quick Summary

Whova is widely known for its mobile event app, attendee engagement features, and sponsor visibility, especially for conferences, associations, and community-led events.

‍

But many organisers eventually start looking for Whova alternatives when they need:

• A more modern or flexible mobile experience
• Better networking or matchmaking
• Stronger branding control
• Improved virtual or hybrid support
• Or a platform that fits how their events are actually run today

‍

This guide breaks down the best Whova competitors with a transparent look at strengths, trade-offs, pricing fit, and who each platform is really best for.

‍

Important note: Lumix is not a direct Whova alternative and is therefore not ranked alongside engagement platforms. You’ll find it included later as a notable mention for teams whose needs extend beyond attendee engagement.

Shortlist: Best Whova Alternatives at a Glance

Why Teams Look for a Whova Alternative

Across user reviews, event organiser forums, and industry conversations, four consistent reasons come up.

1. Engagement is strong but the experience can feel dated

Whova’s app is functional and familiar, but many organisers feel:

• The UI hasn’t evolved much
• Branding options are limited
• The experience looks the same across events

‍

For design-conscious brands, this becomes a problem.

2. Mobile-first is great but not enough on its own

Whova shines inside the app, but:

• Event websites and registration flows are basic
• Some teams need stronger pre-event journeys
• Others want deeper integration with marketing stacks

3. Networking expectations have changed

Attendees increasingly expect:

• Smart matchmaking
• 1:1 meeting scheduling
• Personalised agendas

‍

Whova’s networking is solid, but newer tools go deeper.

4. Scaling across multiple events can feel limiting

For teams running:

• Many events per year
• Different formats (field events, conferences, communities)

‍

Whova can feel like a great single-event tool, but less flexible as a program scales.

‍

The Best Whova Alternatives

1. Eventee

Best For: Conferences and internal events that want a clean, modern, mobile-first experience without operational complexity.

‍

Eventee is often chosen by organisers who like Whova’s core idea, a centralised mobile experience, but want something that feels simpler, lighter, and more modern.

‍

Where Whova can feel busy or cluttered, Eventee focuses on clarity: agendas are easy to navigate, speaker profiles are cleanly presented, and attendees generally need little to no guidance to get value from the app.

‍

This makes Eventee particularly popular for:

• Internal company events
• Smaller professional conferences
• Community meetups
• Regional or one-day events

‍

Strengths

• Very intuitive attendee experience with minimal learning curve
• Clean, modern UI compared to Whova’s more utilitarian design
• Quick setup and low operational overhead
• Affordable for smaller teams

‍

Trade-offs

• Limited flexibility for complex registration or ticketing rules
• Sponsor and exhibitor tools are basic
• Not designed for large, multi-day expos

‍

Pricing

• Affordable, tiered pricing aimed at SMB and internal teams

‍

2. Bizzabo

Best For: Marketing-led teams running large, branded conferences where sponsor experience and production quality matter.

‍

Bizzabo competes with Whova at a higher level of ambition. It’s designed less as a “conference app” and more as a full event experience platform, covering websites, registration, engagement, sponsors, and hybrid delivery.

‍

Teams often switch from Whova to Bizzabo when:

• Events become a core marketing channel
• Brand presentation matters more
• Sponsor revenue becomes a key KPI

‍

Strengths

• Highly customisable event websites and registration flows
• Strong mobile app combined with a polished web experience
• Mature hybrid and virtual capabilities
• Advanced sponsor and exhibitor tooling

‍

Trade-offs

• Significantly more complex than Whova
• Requires an experienced event owner internally
• Pricing can escalate quickly
• Overkill for simple or low-frequency events

‍

Pricing

• Custom pricing; typically mid-market to enterprise

‍

3. Swapcard

Best For: Conferences and trade shows where networking, matchmaking, and exhibitor ROI are central to the value proposition.

‍

Swapcard approaches the problem from a different angle to Whova. Instead of treating networking as a feature, it treats it as the core product.

‍

Its AI-driven matchmaking is often the reason organisers choose Swapcard, particularly when they need to demonstrate tangible value to exhibitors and sponsors.

‍

Strengths

• Strong AI-powered matchmaking and recommendations
• Excellent exhibitor lead capture and analytics
• Works well for large conferences and expos
• Good balance of mobile and web experiences

‍

Trade-offs

• Setup can feel heavier than Whova
• Interface is functional rather than beautiful
• Less suitable for small or informal events

‍

Pricing

• Custom pricing; generally mid-market and above

‍

4. Brella

Best For: Relationship-driven events where 1:1 meetings are the primary outcome.

‍

Brella is often used alongside other platforms rather than as a full replacement for Whova. Its strength lies in structured meetings, not content delivery.

‍

It’s popular for:

• Investor events
• Partner summits
• Executive or invitation-only conferences

‍

Strengths

• Excellent 1:1 meeting scheduling
• Strong matchmaking logic
• Clear ROI for relationship-focused events

‍

Trade-offs

• Limited agenda and content management
• Requires integration with another event platform
• Not suitable as a standalone solution

‍

Pricing

• Per-event or subscription-based; mid-market

‍

5. Attendify

Best For: Teams that want more branding control over their mobile app than Whova provides.

‍

Attendify is often chosen by organisers who are happy with Whova’s engagement model but want:

• A more white-labelled experience
• Greater control over how the app looks and feels

‍

Strengths

• Strong white-labelling and branding options
• Clean attendee experience
• Useful audience data and insights

‍

Trade-offs

• Weaker logistics and operational tooling
• Virtual event features are lighter
• Not designed for very large expos

‍

Pricing

• Tiered mid-market pricing

‍

6. Airmeet

Best For: Community-led, discussion-driven virtual and hybrid events.

‍

Airmeet stands out for its table-based networking model, which encourages conversation rather than passive consumption.

‍

It’s commonly used for:

• Online communities
• Panel discussions
• Virtual summits

‍

Strengths

• Highly interactive virtual experience
• Strong sense of community
• Good live engagement tools

‍

Trade-offs

• In-person tooling is limited
• UI can feel busy
• Less suited to formal conferences

‍

Pricing

• Tiered pricing; mid-market friendly

‍

7. Hopin

Best For: Large-scale virtual or hybrid events with heavy engagement needs.

‍

Hopin (now RingCentral Events) was built for scale and remains a strong option for organisations running large virtual programs.

‍

Strengths

• Robust virtual infrastructure
• Handles large audiences well
• Strong engagement features

‍

Trade-offs

• Less compelling for in-person-only events
• Branding flexibility varies
• Pricing can be high for frequent use

‍

Pricing

• Package-based; mid to high range

‍

8. Swoogo

Best For: Teams running many events who need flexibility beyond mobile engagement.

‍

Swoogo is often chosen when teams outgrow Whova’s mobile-first model and need:

• More control over registration logic
• Better integration with CRM and marketing systems
• Scalable templates for repeat events

‍

Strengths

• Extremely flexible workflows
• Excellent for high-volume event programs
• Strong CRM and MAP integrations

‍

Trade-offs

• No native mobile-first “wow” experience
• UI is more utilitarian
• Requires an ops-savvy owner

‍

Pricing

• Predictable mid-market subscription pricing

‍

Notable Mention: When Lumix Makes Sense

Lumix

Lumix is not a Whova replacement and that’s intentional.

While Whova and its competitors focus on attendee engagement, Lumix is built for teams struggling with:

• Supplier sourcing
• Contract management
• Budget control
• Operational consistency across many events

Teams often discover Lumix after engagement stops being the biggest problem and usually when:

• They’re running many events per year
• Supplier complexity increases
• Procurement, finance, and operations become blockers

In practice, Lumix is frequently used alongside engagement platforms, not instead of them.

‍

‍