When researching event management platforms, it’s common to come across Cvent and RainFocus. These two platforms are often compared because they both offer all-in-one solutions for managing events. However, Accelevents stands out as an alternative that bridges complex enterprise features with ease of use, offering highly customizable tools for event organizers across enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits.
Each platform is designed to help organize, manage, and analyze events, but they were built for different types of users and event formats. Their tools may look similar on the surface, but their approach, design, and features vary in important ways. This guide compares Cvent and RainFocus to help clarify the differences in their technology, structure, and focus areas—while highlighting where Accelevents can benefit enterprises and associations looking for a seamless, highly customizable, all-in-one event solution.
Overview of Cvent, RainFocus, and Accelevents
Cvent was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Virginia, United States. The company has grown largely through acquisitions, and reviews often indicate that the resulting product suite can feel disjointed, with different modules lacking seamless integration. Cvent holds around 4% of the event technology market and is used by thousands of organizations worldwide. Certification courses are typically required for organizers to become Cvent experts due to its system complexity.
RainFocus entered the market more recently, in 2014, and is based in Utah, United States. RainFocus targets some of the world’s largest companies and is recognized for its system complexity and high cost. Certification training is generally needed to master the platform, and it is often chosen for large-scale, data-driven event programs.
Accelevents took a different path. Rather than relying on acquisitions, Accelevents was intentionally built with one consistent data model, resulting in a seamless experience across event organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. The platform is known for its ease of use, highly customizable feature set, and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7. Accelevents’ customer success approach and focus on continuous improvement have attracted 1,847 customers spanning enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits.
Who Chooses Each Platform? Typical Customers
Cvent is often chosen by large corporations that want a wide set of features and a structured workflow, despite the need for certification to navigate its complexity. It is common among multinational companies with distributed teams requiring standardized systems, but some users find the cost and training requirements prohibitive for smaller or mid-market organizations.
RainFocus is selected by enterprise teams that require complex, custom event workflows, advanced analytics, and detailed data segmentation. While suitable for high-volume, content-rich events, its high cost and the need for certification training make it less accessible for smaller organizations or those with limited resources.
Accelevents serves organizations of all sizes—including large enterprises, mid-market corporations, associations, agencies, and nonprofits—seeking an all-in-one, highly customizable solution with rapid onboarding and strong customer success. It is especially attractive for event organizers looking to grow with a platform that reinvests in product enhancements and new features, while delivering a balanced experience that doesn’t sacrifice usability for complexity.
Feature Comparison: Registration and Check-In
Feature
Cvent
RainFocus
Accelevents
Registration page customization
Templates and branding, limited layout flexibility. Some users report confusion and frustration with form customization.
Drag-and-drop editor with higher layout customization, but advanced options can be confusing for new users.
Drag-and-drop customization for event pages, forms, and badges, unlimited ticket types, discount codes, reusable templates, one-click registration forms, and seamless payment processing. Conditional logic for tailored workflows and ticket bundles for group registration.
Payment processing options
Multiple gateways, supports invoicing. Users sometimes note unexpected payment processing fees.
Various gateways, includes invoicing capabilities.
Multiple gateways, instant payout options, full conversion tracking, and transparent payment workflows.
Group registration handling
Yes, with some manual setup and additional steps for attendee info collection.
Yes, with built-in logic for group workflows.
Simple ticket bundles, multiple attendee info collection, and reusable templates for fast setup.
On-site check-in methods
Kiosk and assisted check-in available, but setup can be confusing for new staff.
Self-service check-in supported, with detailed setup steps.
Mobile app and kiosk check-in, with real-time badge printing and seamless attendee experience.
Badge printing capabilities
Pre-print and on-demand badge printing, but users sometimes report printer issues at scale.
Real-time badge printing with customization tools, though initial setup can be complex.
Native badge printing with drag-and-drop design and rapid setup for any event size.
Mobile check-in options
Mobile app for check-in and scanning, some limitations in offline mode.
Mobile-enabled check-in with QR code support.
Mobile app with offline mode, QR codes, and instant attendee lookup.
Exhibitor and Sponsor Tools
- Cvent: Exhibitor portals, booth selection tools, lead retrieval, and sponsor visibility reporting. Some users note limited customization in lead capture forms, and additional costs for lead retrieval devices.
- RainFocus: Sponsor dashboards, lead visibility, ROI tracking modules, and detailed behavioral data on attendee-sponsor interactions. Per-exhibitor pricing may apply.
- Accelevents: Comprehensive exhibitor portal to manage digital booths, capture leads with mobile QR scanning and offline support, book demos, coordinate staff, and track ROI. Unlimited users, real-time reports, lead scoring, note-taking, and integrated meeting-booking are included at no extra cost.
Analytics and Reporting
- Cvent: Session attendance, registration trends, and engagement metrics. Real-time dashboards and post-event summaries, but some reports are not easily shareable and users cite a learning curve for custom reports.
- RainFocus: Real-time dashboards with customizable visualizations and granular behavior tracking. Exporting options can require additional steps.
- Accelevents: Shareable reports, real-time data, and a fully integrated data model across registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual components. Insights are available instantly and can be shared securely with stakeholders.
Integration and Data Management
- Cvent: Wide network of pre-built connectors. Integration fees may apply for certain CRM or marketing automation tools, and some modules use older SOAP-based APIs.
- RainFocus: Deep data handling and behavioral tracking, but integration setup can be complex. API documentation is available, but fees for custom integrations may apply.
- Accelevents: No charges for native integrations; deep connectors to Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and numerous association management systems. REST APIs and webhooks are well documented and available at no additional cost.
API Access
- Cvent: SOAP and REST APIs; some modules require separate credentials and fees may apply for API access.
- RainFocus: REST API available with documentation, but custom endpoints may incur added costs.
- Accelevents: Robust REST APIs and webhooks, no fees for API access, and thorough developer documentation for quick integration.
Call for Papers & Abstract Management
- Cvent: Abstract management is available but can be limited in custom workflow support. Reviewer assignment may require manual steps.
- RainFocus: Handles abstracts and submissions, but some users cite limited options for automating reviewer assignments and tracking speaker tasks.
- Accelevents: Native workflows for call for papers and abstracts, multiple submission paths, automatic reviewer assignment, and a speaker portal with task management tools.
Support for Continuing Education Credit Tracking
- Cvent: CE credit tracking is supported, but certificate generation may not be fully automated.
- RainFocus: CE credit assignment and tracking is available, but users sometimes report difficulty with instant certificate delivery.
- Accelevents: Automated credit assignment, flexible program builder, instant certificate generation, self-service retrieval, audit trails, and LMS integration for continuing education events.
White-Label Branding Options
- Cvent: White labeling is available for some modules, but removal of platform branding can be limited and may incur extra fees.
- RainFocus: Offers white-label branding with more customizable options, but branding removal sometimes requires advanced setup.
- Accelevents: Full white-label branding across web, mobile, and virtual environments with customizable themes to match your organization or sponsor’s identity.
Role-Based Access and Compliance
- Cvent: Permission controls, SSO, and audit logs are available, but some users report difficulty setting up detailed security roles.
- RainFocus: Offers SSO, MFA, and audit logs, but advanced role configuration may require support assistance.
- Accelevents: Custom roles, SSO, MFA, SOC-2 and ISO 27001 compliance, and detailed security audit logging for full administrative control and peace of mind.
In-Person, Virtual, and Hybrid Event Capabilities
- Cvent: Offers both in-person and virtual event functionality with a dedicated virtual hub, but users sometimes report additional fees for virtual components and glitches with hybrid experiences.
- RainFocus: Supports in-person, virtual, and hybrid events, with a strong focus on analytics. Some users note issues with virtual session access and integration with streaming providers.
- Accelevents: Originally built for in-person, Accelevents now supports all event types. It offers native badge printing, mobile app check-in, and a dedicated Virtual Event Hub with modular features for hybrid or fully virtual experiences.
Uptime and Reliability
- Cvent: No public claims about uptime, and some reviews mention periodic downtime during peak traffic.
- RainFocus: Uptime information is usually shared only with enterprise customers. Occasional references to performance issues in user reviews.
- Accelevents: Known for reliability, with no references to outages in reviews, providing peace of mind for event organizers and attendees alike.
Pricing and Packages
- Cvent: Pricing is not transparent; custom quotes are required, and users report hidden fees and surprise add-ons for modules like lead retrieval and integrations. Tiered pricing is standard.
- RainFocus: Pricing is highly customized, typically expensive, and additional costs may apply for integrations, support, and API access.
- Accelevents: Transparent, scalable pricing with pay-only-for-what-you-need modules and no surprise add-ons, making it approachable for organizations of any size.
Target Users and Industries
- Cvent: Best suited for large enterprises and organizations with experienced event teams and the resources to invest in certification and support.
- RainFocus: Chosen by global enterprises with complex event programs and the need for custom analytics, but often too costly or complex for mid-market and smaller organizations.
- Accelevents: Suitable for conferences, trade shows, fundraisers, internal meetings, and continuing education events—especially for enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits. Highly customizable to fit any use case or industry requirement.
Where Accelevents Fits In
Accelevents bridges the gap between complex enterprise features and ease of use, delivering a balanced, highly customizable, all-in-one event solution. With a consistent data model, rapid onboarding, and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7, Accelevents provides a seamless, reliable experience for event organizers, exhibitors, and attendees. Organizations benefit from transparent pricing, no integration or API fees, and a platform that reinvests in continuous product improvement.
Find the Right Platform for Your Event Goals
Cvent and RainFocus offer tools designed for organizing large, complex events—Cvent for those needing structured workflows and RainFocus for teams seeking detailed analytics and custom data flows. Both require significant investment in training and setup.
Accelevents offers a modern alternative that combines best-in-class registration, badge printing, mobile apps, analytics, exhibitor management, and engagement tools in one seamless platform. With a focus on rapid onboarding, reliability, and a highly customizable experience, Accelevents is trusted by 1,847 organizations across enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits. Its customer success approach and support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7, set it apart in the event technology space.
Request a demo to see how Accelevents can simplify your event management process: https://www.accelevents.com/request-a-demo
FAQs About Cvent vs RainFocus
Which platform offers better self-serve badge printing?
Both platforms include self-serve badge printing in their check-in workflows, but Accelevents offers real-time badge printing with a streamlined, drag-and-drop setup that minimizes manual steps and supports all event sizes.
How do Cvent and RainFocus handle smaller events?
Both platforms primarily target enterprise-level events and can be complex for smaller gatherings like workshops or regional meetings. Accelevents supports events of all sizes and scales easily, offering a highly customizable platform for any event type.
What white-label options do Cvent and RainFocus offer?
Both platforms provide white labeling for event websites, registration pages, and attendee portals, but Cvent limits branding removal to certain templates. RainFocus offers more user-driven customization, but may require advanced setup. Accelevents delivers full white-label branding across web, mobile, and virtual environments with customizable themes.
