5 Best Event Registration Platforms for Your Next Conference

Best Event Registration Platforms

Managing event registrations is more than just collecting names and payments—it’s about creating a seamless experience for attendees while keeping organizers in full control. For academic and scientific event organizers, particularly in STEM communities, the stakes are even higher: efficiently handling registrations, abstract submissions, and complex logistics is key to a successful event.

This guide highlights five top event registration platforms, their standout features, and their best use cases, helping you choose the right solution to streamline your next conference. Whether you’re running a large international scientific meeting or a small workshop, these platforms offer the tools you need.

What is an Event Registration Platform?

An event registration platform is a digital solution designed to streamline the registration process for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Features often include customizable forms, payment processing, mass email communication, and analytics to manage and track participant data effectively.

Why Use an Event Registration Platform?

• Payment Automation: Effortlessly process payments, issue receipts, and manage refunds.
• Efficiency: Centralize all attendee information, ticketing, and communication in one place.
• Analytics: Gather valuable insights to improve future events, from registration trends to attendance metrics.

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Top 5 Event Registration Platforms for Academic and Scientific Events

This section recommends the most robust event registration platforms in the market. To narrow down your list, we list their standout features and what each platform is best used for.

1. Fourwaves 

Best for: Scientific Conferences and Academic Events

Fourwaves is purpose-built for academic conferences, offering robust registration tools alongside abstract management, virtual poster sessions, and more. With flexible features like deferred payments, detailed analytics, and customizable registration forms, Fourwaves ensures a professional and streamlined experience for organizers and participants alike.

Standout Features:

1. Multiple Payment Options: Offer deferred payments or integrate directly with Stripe. Participants automatically receive receipts upon payment. 
2. Customizable Registration Forms: Define ticket quotas, set conditional questions, and manage taxes dynamically.
3. Sales Tax Management: Accommodate varying tax rules while ensuring participants pay the same final amount.
4. Mass Email Communication: Notify attendees, submitters, and reviewers efficiently in one place.
5. Comprehensive Dashboard: Track registrations, submissions, and transactions, and export data with ease.

Pro Tip: Combine registration with abstract management and virtual poster sessions. Explore Abstract Management Software to simplify every aspect of your conference.

2. Cvent

Best for: Advanced Analytics and ROI Reporting

Cvent excels in offering detailed insights and comparison reports, making it ideal for proving event ROI to stakeholders. Its customizable dashboards and easy-to-digest graphs simplify understanding attendee behavior and event performance.

Standout Features:

1. Event Snapshots: Analyze data for pre-, during, and post-event performance.
2. Comparison Reports: Benchmark metrics across dates, locations, or attendee types for deeper insights.
   Pro Tip: If you’re looking for additional data-driven inspiration, check out our Guide to Event Metrics.

Pricing: Contact Cvent for a custom quote.

3. Eventbrite

Best for: Small Workshops or One-Time Events

Eventbrite’s AI-powered tools make it simple to set up an event page and manage registrations for small-scale events. However, recent pricing changes make it less appealing for recurring workshops or large conferences.
Pro Tip: For scientific events that require more robust tools, explore why Fourwaves is an excellent alternative.

Standout Features:

1. AI-Generated Event Pages: Automatically create summaries, tags, and images in seconds.
2. Flexible Ticketing: Offer free, paid, or donation-based tickets with custom order limits.
3. Email Builder: Easily design and send professional event invitations.

Pricing:

• Free Plan: $0 for up to 25 tickets.
• Flex Plan: Starting at $9.99 per event for up to 100 tickets.
• Pro Plan: Starting at $29/month for recurring events.

4. Whova

Best for: Large-Scale, Sponsor-Backed Events

Whova stands out for its comprehensive sponsor management system, making it ideal for conferences that rely heavily on sponsorships. It also offers competitive ticketing fees, making it more cost-effective for larger events.

Standout Features:

1. Sponsor Registration: Streamline the registration process for sponsors with a specialized portal.
   Pro Tip: Attracting sponsors? Learn how to showcase sponsor benefits on your conference website in our Guide to Event Sponsorships.
2. Early Payout: Access funds before the event to cover costs.
3. Lower Fees: Ticketing fees are more affordable than many competitors.

Pricing: Contact Whova for a custom quote.

5. Google Forms

Best for: Simple, Small-Scale Events

Google Forms is a no-frills solution for basic event registration. While it lacks the advanced features of other platforms, its simplicity and integration with the Google ecosystem make it a practical choice for small-scale workshops.

Standout Features:

1. Intuitive Form Builder: Quickly create forms with conditional logic and multiple question types.
2. Google Sheets Integration: Automatically sync responses to a spreadsheet for easy management.
3. Add-Ons: Enhance functionality with tools like Choice Eliminator for limiting responses or Payable for payment integration.

Pricing:

• Free for basic features.
• Paid plans start at $6/user/month for business accounts.

Pro Tip: For more advanced needs, compare Google Forms with academic-focused solutions like Fourwaves in our Abstract Management Tips.

The Verdict

Each event registration platform offers unique benefits tailored to specific needs:

• Fourwaves: The ultimate platform for scientific and academic events, integrating registration, abstract management, custom website event and virtual tools.
• Cvent: Best for ROI-focused generic events with advanced analytics.
• Eventbrite: Ideal for simple, small-scale workshops.
• Whova: A go-to choice for sponsor-driven events.
• Google Forms: A basic solution for straightforward registration needs.

For academic conferences requiring robust tools and seamless integration, Fourwaves stands out as the most comprehensive platform. Ready to elevate your next event? Book a demo to see how we can simplify your event planning process today.