Event management software helps organizations plan, run, and analyze events using digital tools. These platforms are used to manage registration, track attendees, build event websites, and support virtual or hybrid events.
Swoogo and Stova are two event management platforms that are often compared. Both are used by event teams across industries, but they differ in how they are built, who they serve, and how they handle key parts of the event process. Accelevents is increasingly considered by event organizers who want a seamless, highly customizable solution that bridges complex enterprise features with ease of use.
This article provides a structured comparison of Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents. Each section explores features, pricing, integrations, onboarding, and user feedback to help readers understand how these platforms work and where Accelevents can benefit enterprises and associations.
Overview Of Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents
Swoogo and Stova are both cloud-based event management software solutions. They are designed to help event planners manage tasks like registration, check-in, agenda building, and attendee engagement.
Swoogo: An independent platform with a growing presence in the event technology space. It has 3,723 customers and holds a 0.93% market share among event tech providers. Its platform supports virtual, hybrid, and in-person events.
Stova: Formed through the merger of Aventri, MeetingPlay, and eventcore, Stova has 2,638 customers and a 0.66% market share. Reviews suggest the different acquisitions aren’t fully integrated, which can result in a steeper learning curve and inconsistent user experience. Stova targets a wide range of industries, including corporate, nonprofit, education, and government.
Accelevents: Intentionally built with a single, consistent data model, Accelevents delivers a seamless experience for event organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. With 1,847 customers, it is known for its ease of use, highly customizable platform, and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7. Accelevents emphasizes a balanced approach—combining complex enterprise-grade features with user-friendly design.
Key Features Compared
When comparing Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents, several key features stand out that can help you decide which platform might work better for your events.
Registration And Check In
All three platforms offer online registration and on-site check-in tools, but they approach these features differently.
Swoogo Registration: Known for being straightforward to set up, with custom forms and basic conditional logic. Some users have noted frustration with limitations in customizing complex workflows.
Stova Registration: Offers more complex registration options, including different price tiers, member verification, and detailed form logic. However, reviews mention that the registration setup process can be confusing due to the platform’s system complexity.
Accelevents Registration: Accelevents provides a highly customizable event registration and ticketing platform with drag-and-drop customization for event pages, forms, and badges. It supports unlimited ticket types, discount codes, reusable templates, one-click registration, seamless payment processing, and conversion tracking. Group registration is streamlined with ticket bundles and flexible attendee information collection. Conditional logic in forms enables tailored workflows for different attendee types, making it suitable for both simple and complex events.
Virtual And Hybrid Event Tools
As virtual and hybrid events become more common, all three platforms have developed tools to support these formats.
Swoogo Virtual: Supports basic virtual event needs, such as video embedding and attendee chat.
Stova Virtual: Offers a more complex virtual event experience with a virtual lobby, breakout rooms, and engagement games. Some users have reported glitches during high-traffic virtual events.
Accelevents Virtual: Originally built for in-person events, Accelevents now supports all event types. It features native badge printing, mobile app check-in, and a dedicated Virtual Event Hub with modular features, allowing event organizers to adapt the experience for any audience. Reviews have not cited virtual event glitches or bugs with Accelevents.
Data Analytics
Understanding event performance is crucial, and all three platforms provide analytics tools to track results.
Swoogo Analytics: Offers real-time data on registrations, check-ins, and session attendance. However, custom dashboard options are limited and some reports are not easily shareable.
Stova Analytics: Provides more detailed analytics, including attendee behavior tracking and custom reports. Reports can be shared, but the system’s complexity may require additional training.
Accelevents Analytics: Accelevents delivers real-time, fully shareable reports with a unified data model across registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual components, giving teams actionable insights without extra effort.
Pricing and Plan Options
Neither Swoogo nor Stova publishes their pricing openly. Both use a custom pricing model based on your specific needs, and users have reported hidden fees or required add-ons for certain features.
Swoogo: Typically prices based on the number of events and attendees, offering both per-event and annual subscription options. Some users mention additional costs for integrations or premium support.
Stova: Uses a tiered pricing structure aimed at larger organizations, with extra charges for features like white-label branding, analytics, and custom workflows.
Accelevents: Offers transparent, scalable pricing with pay-only-for-what-you-need modules and no surprise add-ons. Organizations can select only the features needed for each event, making it cost-effective for enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits.
Feature | Swoogo | Stova | Accelevents |
|---|---|---|---|
Pricing Model | Per event or annual subscription | Tiered enterprise packages | Transparent, modular, scalable |
Free Trial | Demo available | Demo available | Demo available |
Common Add-ons | Integrations, premium support | White-labeling, analytics | No surprise add-ons |
Integrations and Technical Support
CRM and Marketing Integrations
All three platforms connect with popular CRM and marketing automation systems. However, integration depth and fees vary.
Swoogo: Standard integrations with basic data syncing. Some integrations may require technical help or incur additional fees.
Stova: Offers more complex integration options and open APIs for real-time data syncing, but advanced workflows may require extra support or costs.
Accelevents: Provides deep, native connectors to Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and several association management systems with no charges for native integrations. Its API is well documented, with no fees for access and support for REST APIs and webhooks.
Help Desk Availability
Swoogo: Support during business hours with optional upgrades for faster response.
Stova: 24/7 support across channels, with dedicated account managers for most enterprise clients.
Accelevents: A support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7, known for rapid, knowledgeable assistance and strong customer success.
Implementation and Onboarding
Getting started with a new event platform takes time and training, and the three platforms differ in their approach.
Swoogo: Designed for faster implementation, with many users able to set up their first event in a few weeks. Simpler interface, but limited onboarding support.
Stova: Typically takes longer to implement due to system complexity, with more settings and options that require thorough onboarding and training.
Accelevents: Rapid onboarding with self-paced resources, live training, and a unified interface that minimizes the learning curve for teams of all sizes.
Which Platform Fits Your Industry?
Different industries have unique event management needs. Here’s how Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents align:
Enterprises: Stova’s detailed security controls and complex workflows appeal to large corporations. Accelevents supports enterprises seeking an all-in-one, highly customizable solution with rapid onboarding and strong customer success.
Associations: Stova includes features for associations such as member pricing and continuing education credit tracking. Accelevents offers automated credit assignment, flexible program builder, instant certificate generation, and self-service retrieval for continuing education events, plus detailed engagement tools.
Agencies and Nonprofits: Swoogo and Accelevents both serve agencies and nonprofits, but Accelevents is particularly suitable for those seeking an all-in-one solution that grows with their needs.
Trade Shows: Stova’s exhibitor portals and floor plan management are built for large expos, while Accelevents offers a comprehensive exhibitor portal, lead capture with QR scanning, demo booking, team coordination, and ROI tracking.
Continuing Education: Accelevents supports automated credit tracking and LMS integration for continuing education events.
Real World Feedback and Challenges
Based on user reviews and industry feedback, here are the common experiences people report when using these platforms:
Common User Pain Points
Swoogo: Limited options for complex registration workflows, basic mobile features, and simple CRM connections that may require manual work. Analytics are standard with few customization options.
Stova: Mobile app performance issues during busy periods, system complexity from combining three previous platforms, and a steeper learning curve for new users. Longer wait times for complex support requests are also noted.
Accelevents: Reviews consistently highlight ease of use, reliability (with no references to outages), and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7.
Positive Outcomes
Swoogo: Quick setup for most event types, user-friendly interface, and reliable performance for multi-day events.
Stova: Strong virtual and hybrid event tools, effective for complex pricing and attendee groups, and helpful support for large-scale events.
Accelevents: Seamless experience across all event types, highly customizable workflows, and a platform that reinvests in new features for enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits.
Making The Right Choice For 2025
Choosing between Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents comes down to your specific needs and resources.
Swoogo: Works best for mid-sized organizations, teams that need to launch events quickly, and users who want a simple interface.
Stova: Suited for larger organizations with complex requirements, detailed security needs, and virtual-first or large hybrid events.
Accelevents: Bridges complex enterprise features and ease of use, delivering a balanced, highly customizable, all-in-one event solution. It is suitable for organizations of all sizes—including large enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits—who want rapid onboarding, strong customer success, and a platform that grows with them.
If you need... | Swoogo | Stova | Accelevents |
|---|---|---|---|
Quick setup | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
Complex registration rules | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
Enterprise security | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
User-friendly interface | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
Advanced virtual tools | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
Simple CRM connection | ✔️ | ✔️ | |
24/7 support | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Where Accelevents Fits In
Accelevents stands out as a modern, all-in-one platform that bridges the gap between complex enterprise features and ease of use. It is intentionally built for seamless data management, rapid onboarding, and a highly customizable experience. Enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits seeking a platform that grows with them—and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7—will find Accelevents to be a strong alternative to Swoogo and Stova.
FAQs About Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents
How do the mobile event apps from Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents compare?
Swoogo’s mobile app provides basic features like agendas and messaging. Stova offers a more interactive experience with live polling, gamification, and networking tools. Accelevents delivers a mobile event app with personalized agendas, live Q&A, push notifications, gamification, and onsite check-in, supporting both in-person and hybrid engagement.
Which platform provides better tools for exhibitors and sponsors?
Stova includes exhibitor tools like dedicated portals and lead retrieval. Swoogo offers basic exhibitor registration and lead scanning. Accelevents provides a comprehensive exhibitor portal for digital booths, lead capture with QR scanning, demo booking, team coordination, and ROI tracking.
What are the differences in customer support between Swoogo, Stova, and Accelevents?
Swoogo provides support during business hours with optional upgrades. Stova offers 24/7 support with dedicated account managers. Accelevents is recognized for a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7, and delivers strong customer success.
How well do these platforms handle complex multi-day conferences?
Both Swoogo and Stova manage multi-day events, with Stova offering more tools for complex agendas and attendee journey mapping. Accelevents supports multi-day, multi-track agendas, speaker management, and real-time updates, making it suitable for complex conferences.
Which platform offers better tracking for marketing return on investment?
Stova provides detailed attribution tools that connect event participation to business outcomes. Swoogo tracks basic engagement metrics. Accelevents delivers real-time, shareable analytics and conversion tracking across registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual channels.
Request a demo to explore how Accelevents can simplify your event management process.
