Whova is an event app and event management platform for conferences, trade shows and association events, in person, hybrid and virtual. The AttendBeacon event platform covers much of the same ground: registration, the agenda, the event app, check-in, speakers and sponsors. The main differences are how you pay, where the data is hosted, and how long each platform has been around.
At a glance
| Topic | AttendBeacon | Whova |
|---|---|---|
| Price for organisers | Published: free for free events, free up to 1,000 participants, then €500 per event, excluding VAT | On request, depending on the size of the event and the services |
| Fee on paid tickets | None | 3.0% + $0.99 per paid ticket, on top of Stripe's fee |
| Payments | Your own Mollie or Stripe account | Your own Stripe account |
| Data hosting | EU regions of Microsoft Azure | AWS in the United States |
| Event app | In the browser, also offline, and in the App Store and on Google Play | iPhone and Android apps, and a web portal |
| Languages | 11, for the app, the emails and the workspace | Event content in other languages; some of the app's own labels stay in English |
What it costs
Whova does not publish a price list. Its pricing page asks you to request a quote or book a demo, and its FAQ says the app is free for attendees, organisers pay, and the price "depends on the size of the event and service options".
For paid tickets, Whova's own price comparison says: "Fees are 3.0% + $0.99 per paid ticket, no fee for free tickets." Its page on ticketing adds that this comes on top of the Stripe fee, and that you can absorb the fee or pass it on to attendees.
An example: 200 tickets at €25 bring in €5,000. Whova's fee on that is 3%, or €150, plus 200 times $0.99, before Stripe's fees. And the organiser's price for Whova itself comes on top.
The AttendBeacon pricing page is public and works per event:
- An event where every ticket is free is always free, at any size.
- Any other event is free up to 1,000 participants.
- Above that, a one-off licence costs €500 per event, excluding VAT.
- There is no fee per ticket and no subscription, and every feature is in every event.
Your payment provider charges its own fees on both platforms. Try your own numbers in the ticket fee calculator.
Payments
Whova uses Stripe: you link your own Stripe account, and the money is deposited there once a ticket is sold. It also supports offline payments, such as a bank transfer.
AttendBeacon also pays into your own account, with Mollie or Stripe. Mollie is a Dutch company. Each event sells in one of 38 currencies, with local ways to pay, such as iDEAL in the Netherlands or BLIK in Poland.
Where your data is
Whova's page on data security says its servers and data centres are in the USA, hosted by Amazon Web Services. It says Whova is GDPR compliant, complies with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, and maintains SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. We found no option to host an event's data in the EU.
AttendBeacon runs in the EU regions of Microsoft Azure, in Sweden and the Netherlands. Microsoft is a US company, and a US company can be subject to US law. The sovereignty page lists what leaves the EU, such as push messages and wallet passes, and why.
Where Whova is stronger
- Track record. Whova says it has powered more than 55,000 events. AttendBeacon is new and much smaller.
- Virtual events. Whova offers a virtual conference platform that supports the major streaming platforms. AttendBeacon has hybrid sessions with a live stream, but no virtual venue of its own.
- Security certification. Whova maintains SOC 2 Type 2. AttendBeacon has no such certification yet.
- Support. Whova's home page promises an answer within 30 minutes on business days.
Where AttendBeacon does more
- A published price, without a demo or a quote, and no fee on paid tickets.
- Hosting in the EU, with a list of what leaves it.
- Languages. The event app, the emails and the workspace come in 11 languages. Whova's FAQ on languages says your event can be shown in other languages, but the names of the built-in icons and the section titles cannot be changed from English.
- Check-in on any phone. The scanner runs in the browser and keeps working offline. Several doors can each have their own rules and capacity.
- Integrations with CRMs such as Dynamics 365, bookkeeping and mailing lists, included in every event. See the integrations page.
Both have what a conference needs on the day: a call for speakers, sponsors and exhibitors with lead capture, messaging between attendees, badges and check-in kiosks. See the features.
Who should switch, and who should not
Consider AttendBeacon if:
- You want to know the price before you talk to sales.
- Ticket fees per sale add up for your event.
- You, your attendees or your employer want the data hosted in the EU.
- Your attendees speak other languages than English.
Stay with Whova if:
- You need a virtual event venue, not just a live stream.
- Your organisation requires a SOC 2 report from its suppliers.
- Your team knows Whova and your attendees already have its app.
Whova is a trademark of its owner. AttendBeacon is independent of Whova and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by it.