Event management technology continues to evolve in 2025, offering more specialized tools for planners organizing in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Two platforms that are often compared in this space are Whova and Stova. However, Accelevents stands out as a strong alternative, intentionally built with a consistent data model to deliver a seamless experience for event organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers.
Both Whova and Stova support a wide range of event formats, but they are designed with different users and event types in mind. This article provides a clear, side-by-side look at their core features and differences, while also showing where Accelevents can benefit enterprises and associations seeking a highly customizable, all-in-one solution.
Overview of Whova, Stova, and Accelevents
Whova was founded in 2013 and is based in San Diego, California. It offers a cloud-based event management system designed to help organizations plan and manage in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Whova is known for its mobile app and ease of use, but some users mention limitations when scaling to larger or more complex events.
Stova, created through the merger of Aventri, MeetingPlay, and Eventcore, emerged in its current form in 2022. The platform has grown through acquisition, and user reviews often note that the acquired systems are not always well integrated, leading to a steeper learning curve. Stova focuses on serving large-scale, complex events with enterprise-level tools and infrastructure, often requiring certification training for mastery.
Accelevents was intentionally built from the ground up with a single, unified data model. This creates a seamless experience across all modules for event organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. With 1,847 customers, Accelevents is praised for its ease of use, flexibility, and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7.
Target Market:
Whova: Small to mid-sized businesses, universities, non-profits
Stova: Large enterprises, government, complex corporate events
Accelevents: Enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits of all sizes seeking a seamless, highly customizable experience
Core Strength:
Whova: Attendee engagement and ease of use
Stova: Scalability, customization, and complex workflows
Accelevents: Consistency, rapid onboarding, and a balance of enterprise features with user-friendly design
Event Size Focus:
Whova: Small to medium-sized events
Stova: Large-scale and complex events
Accelevents: Suitable for events of all sizes and types
Key Features and Functions
All three platforms provide event planning, execution, and analysis tools, but their approaches differ in depth, usability, and integration.
Registration and Ticketing
Whova includes basic registration and ticketing tools suitable for smaller events. Some users report confusion with registration page customization and occasional frustration with payment processing options.
Stova offers a more complex registration system, supporting detailed form customization, group registrations, and attendee workflows. However, reviews suggest the registration process can be overwhelming, particularly for new users, and often requires setup assistance.
Accelevents delivers a highly customizable ticketing and event registration platform with drag-and-drop customization for event pages, forms, and badges. Organizers benefit from unlimited ticket types, discount codes, reusable templates, one-click registration forms, seamless payment processing, and conversion tracking. Group registration is streamlined via ticket bundles, enabling multiple ticket purchases and flexible attendee info collection. Conditional logic in forms supports tailored workflows for different attendee types, addressing both simple and complex requirements.
Feature | Whova | Stova | Accelevents |
|---|---|---|---|
Registration page customization | Limited layout options | Complex design tools | Drag-and-drop builder, unlimited layouts |
Payment options | Credit card, PayPal | Credit card, ACH, invoicing | Credit card, ACH, PayPal, Stripe |
Group registration | Basic | Complex, with attendee roles | Ticket bundles, flexible attendee info |
Discount codes | Yes | Yes | Unlimited, reusable |
Confirmation emails | Standard templates | Customizable templates | Customizable, branded templates |
Virtual and Hybrid Tools
Whova offers livestreaming integrations, virtual exhibitor booths, and real-time chat. Some users have noted occasional glitches with virtual networking and livestreaming, particularly during high-traffic periods.
Stova provides its own livestreaming options and integrates with external platforms, supporting complex virtual audience segmentation and role-based session access. However, additional fees may apply for virtual modules, and reviews mention sporadic issues with virtual breakout rooms.
Accelevents was originally built for in-person events and now supports all event types. The platform features native badge printing, mobile app check-in, and a dedicated Virtual Event Hub with modular features. Accelevents is known for reliability, with no references to outages in reviews.
Onsite Check-In and Badge Printing
Whova offers mobile check-in via QR codes and basic badge printing, typically requiring manual setup and standard desktop printers. Users sometimes report limitations with badge customization and print speed at larger events.
Stova supports high-speed badge printing, self-check-in stations, and access control, but setup can be complex and may require dedicated hardware.
Accelevents' badge printing solution allows organizers to design and print badges on demand, integrates with check-in, and supports on-site kiosks for efficient attendee flow.
Mobile Event Apps and Engagement
All three platforms offer mobile event apps to drive attendee engagement and navigation.
Whova’s app is highly rated for ease of use (4.8 on Apple App Store, 4.7 on Google Play), supporting attendee networking, live polling, and Q&A. However, some users mention that networking features are less impactful for large, in-person conferences.
Stova’s mobile app is designed for custom enterprise deployments with white-label branding and modular features. Its ratings vary by implementation, averaging 4.2 on Apple App Store and 4.0 on Google Play. Feedback often highlights the learning curve for new users.
Accelevents' mobile app provides in-person and hybrid engagement, including gamification, session check-in, live Q&A, and push notifications. Networking is enhanced through AI-powered matchmaking and attendee directories, supporting both on-site and virtual interaction. The app’s interface is designed for event organizers and attendees to navigate with ease.
Networking Tools
Whova: AI-powered attendee matchmaking, digital business card exchange, group and private chat, topic-based community boards
Stova: Attendee directory with role segmentation, business card scanning and exchange, session-based networking rooms, integrated sponsor and exhibitor chat
Accelevents: AI matchmaking, attendee directories, business card scanning, group and private chat, and integrated meeting booking
Interactive Polls and Q&A
All three platforms support live polling and Q&A within their mobile apps. Whova and Stova offer moderation controls, but users sometimes report limitations in displaying poll results or managing large volumes of questions.
Accelevents enables real-time engagement with live polling, Q&A, and gamification features that are fully integrated across onsite and virtual sessions.
Integrations and White-Label Options
Whova connects to common marketing and CRM tools, but integrations are typically one-way and limited to pre-built connections. Some users note challenges with exporting data and lack of deeper CRM workflows.
Stova offers an open API and integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Stripe, and Microsoft Dynamics. However, integration fees may apply, and reviews mention the need for technical support to configure custom connections.
Accelevents provides no-charge, native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and numerous association management systems. Its REST APIs and webhooks are well documented, and there are no fees for API access. The platform also supports full white-label branding across web, mobile, and virtual environments with customizable themes.
CRM and Marketing Automation
Whova: One-way integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Mailchimp; limited data sync
Stova: Bidirectional integrations with Salesforce, Marketo, Eloqua, and Microsoft Dynamics; custom mapping available for a fee
Accelevents: Deep, no-fee connectors to Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and more; supports complex association management workflows
Branding and Customization
Whova: Event logo upload, custom color themes, home screen widgets, Whova-branded email templates
Stova: White-label mobile apps, branded URLs, custom email domains, CSS/layout control
Accelevents: Full white-label branding and customizable themes across all attendee touchpoints
Pricing and Scalability
Whova’s pricing is partially transparent, with costs based on attendee count, event type, and required features. Some users report confusion about additional fees for add-ons.
Stova does not publish pricing online and follows a custom quote model. Pricing typically aligns with enterprise budgets and may involve minimum contractual commitments, with additional costs for integrations and support.
Accelevents offers transparent, scalable pricing with pay-only-for-what-you-need modules and no surprise add-ons. This structure supports organizations of all sizes, from enterprises and associations to agencies and nonprofits.
Options for Small to Large Events
Whova supports smaller events with single-use licenses and discounted options for non-profits and educational institutions. Stova’s pricing scales based on event complexity and feature requirements, often requiring multi-year contracts.
Accelevents scales from small meetings to large conferences, offering rapid onboarding and customer success resources for any organization looking to grow with a platform that continues to reinvest in new features.
Support and Resources
Feature | Whova | Stova | Accelevents |
|---|---|---|---|
Support hours | Extended business hours | Varies by contract; 24/7 available | 24/7, support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7 |
Support channels | Email, chat, knowledge base | Email, phone, dedicated reps | Email, chat, phone, live onboarding |
Implementation timeline | 1–2 weeks | 3–6 weeks | Rapid onboarding, typically under a week |
Training resources | Help center, webinars, guides | Live training, documentation, CSM | Knowledge base, webinars, dedicated customer success team |
Which Platform Suits Different Events?
Corporate Conferences
Stova is often selected for corporate conferences with multiple tracks, large attendee volumes, and tiered access levels, but may require certification training for full mastery. Whova is commonly used for regional sales meetings, company retreats, and partner forums, though may be less suitable for complex conferences due to feature limitations.
Accelevents serves enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits by bridging complex enterprise features and ease of use. Its highly customizable tools, rapid onboarding, and integrated data model make it a strong fit for conferences of any size.
Fundraisers and Associations
Whova provides simple tools for ticket types and member pricing, as well as CE credit tracking. Stova supports complex pricing logic and membership verification, but may be cost-prohibitive for some associations.
Accelevents is suitable for associations and nonprofits, offering member and non-member pricing, automated continuing education credit tracking, and native workflows for call for papers and abstracts. The platform is trusted by organizations seeking an all-in-one solution with ongoing product updates.
Higher Education Settings
Whova is often chosen for orientations and alumni events, while Stova integrates with learning management systems for larger institutions, though both may require additional configuration for accessibility.
Accelevents supports continuing education with automated credit assignment, instant certificate generation, self-service retrieval, and audit trails. LMS integration is available for seamless tracking and reporting.
Looking Ahead for Your Event Strategy
Whova and Stova address different event planning needs. Whova is designed for small to mid-sized events and favors ease of use, while Stova is built for enterprise-level events and offers deeper customization and integration features, though often with a steeper learning curve and higher cost.
Accelevents combines the ease of use found in Whova with the enterprise flexibility and complex workflows seen in Stova. With a unified data model, rapid onboarding, and a support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7, Accelevents is suitable for organizations of all sizes seeking an all-in-one, highly customizable event solution. Its transparent pricing, full white-label branding, and deep CRM integrations make it a strong alternative for enterprises, associations, agencies, and nonprofits.
Quick decision guide:
Choose Whova if you need: Simple setup, attendee engagement, and lower pricing for smaller events
Choose Stova if you need: Deep customization, enterprise security, and complex workflows for large-scale events
Choose Accelevents if you want: A seamless, highly customizable platform that bridges enterprise features with user-friendly design, rapid onboarding, and ongoing product innovation
Ready to see how Accelevents can simplify your event management process? Request a demo today.
FAQs About Choosing an Event Platform
How do Whova, Stova, and Accelevents handle certificate tracking for education events?
Whova offers basic tools for issuing continuing education credits and certificates, which work well for smaller programs. Stova includes more complex options for CE tracking, including automation and learning system integration. Accelevents automates credit assignment, provides a flexible program builder, instant certificate generation, self-service retrieval, audit trails, and LMS integration.
Are Whova, Stova, and Accelevents suitable for multi-day trade shows?
Both Whova and Stova support multi-day trade shows, though Stova provides more complex exhibitor and sponsor management tools. Accelevents offers a comprehensive exhibitor portal to manage digital booths, capture leads, book demos, coordinate teams, and track ROI.
What are the main differences between Whova, Stova, and Accelevents’ pricing models?
Whova uses a semi-transparent pricing model based on attendee count and event format. Stova follows a custom quote structure, often with additional fees for integrations and support. Accelevents provides transparent, scalable pricing with no surprise add-ons, allowing organizations to pay only for the modules they need.
How do Whova, Stova, and Accelevents compare for international events?
Whova supports multiple languages and time zones, with standard payment options. Stova includes localized language settings and enterprise-level payment processing. Accelevents supports global events with multi-language capabilities, international payment processing, and compliance with accessibility standards.
Which platform offers better data analytics for measuring event ROI?
Stova provides complex analytics with real-time dashboards and session-level engagement tracking. Whova offers standard reporting tools for registration, attendance, and engagement. Accelevents delivers shareable, real-time reports and analytics, fully integrated across registration, onsite, mobile, and virtual components for a holistic view of event ROI.
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