Works with screen readers
Works with the screen reader on every phone, and follows Apple and Google's guidelines, so students who navigate by voice or touch aren't left out.
4.7/5 (3.7k reviews)
Guidebook vs. Whova: How We Compare
"I bought relief from Whova's headaches and nightmares… I bought myself peace of mind." - Kate Brenner, SIL International
Still looking for a Whova alternative? See why Guidebook stands above Whova in terms of transparency, support, pricing, and customer feedback.
4.5/5 (300+ reviews)
All features included - no hidden fees
| Features |  |  |
|---|---|---|
EDU First | ✓ | ✗ |
Award-winning support (US East Coast & UK) | ✓ | ✗ |
Personalized schedules | ✓ | ✓ |
Interactive maps | ✓ | ✓ |
Social feed | ✓ | ✓ |
Unlimited downloads | ✓ | ✗ |
Unlimited content upload | ✓ | ✗ |
Offline capability | ✓ | ✗ |
Your own app in the App Stores | ✓ | ✗ |
Leaderboards | ✓ | ✓ |
Event Registration | ✓ | ✓ |
QR code check-in | ✓ | ✓ |
Surveys and polls | ✓ | ✓ |
AI Chatbot | ✓ | ✗ |
Unlimited event pricing | ✓ | ✗ |
Small event pricing | ✓ | ✗ |
Event badges | ✓ | ✓ |
Guidebook and Whova both deliver mobile event apps with strong attendee engagement capabilities, but their philosophies diverge in meaningful ways.
Whova emphasizes social networking through:
- Community Boards and gamification leaderboards
- Meet-up matching and photo contests
- Features designed to maximize organic connections between attendees
However, Whova's strengths come with tradeoffs:
- An a la carte pricing model that can become opaque, with add-on features accumulating quickly
- Branding customization limited to logos, banner images, and single brand colors
- Occasional synchronization issues between mobile and web experiences
- Overwhelming notifications and mixed customer service experiences reported by users
Guidebook takes a design-first approach with key differentiators:
- Intuitive drag-and-drop creation with control over more than one hundred discrete visual elements
- Unlimited color variations and custom icons for complete brand consistency
- Transparent, all-inclusive pricing without hidden add-ons
- Streamlined setup requiring minimal training
- Consistently responsive support teams in the US and UK
For organizations prioritizing professional branding, customization flexibility, pricing clarity, and sustainable growth, Guidebook delivers proven value through elegant design control and reliable partnership.
Guidebook is a top-rated leader on G2 for Event Apps
Streamline your attendee engagement with this app
"It is easy to build and navigate. Minimal training is needed, as this app is easy to self teach.
The premium version makes it a one-stop shop for all conference related items. We really enjoyed the QR Code Scavenger Hunt game feature."
Easy manage and user experience!
"I really like the manage-end of Guidebook. The ease of uploading all of my events at one time and being able to edit easily in real time takes the stress out of the management of events with many moving parts.
I also like that you can customize as much or little as you want and the app experience for the user still looks cleans and welcoming."
Great product and easy to use
"It is very user friendly and easy to use. I like that they are affordable compared to other competitors and does not charge based on number of attendees, exhibitors, or company."
VS
Whova - Excessive messaging and poor UI navigation
The group messaging can lead to a lot of unwanted messages in the app. There should be options to unsubscribe from conversations. The e-mail traffic can be a bit high, and it would be good if the e-mail settings could be personalized easily. Finally, the UI is not very intuitive in certain aspects. For example, it takes 5-6 clicks to locate the day's agenda. The app could also use a more user-friendly front-end where one can see a summary of all daily activities (like a news feed). Right now, you can miss a lot of social activities that are buried under many sub-sub-sections of the app.
Whova - Distracting notifications and irrelevant content
The regular notifications about other conferences and gatherings in the area that are not related to the conference I am attending are distracting and generally a nuisance.
Whova - Mobile usability challenges
Using it from my phone was a little difficult for me as my I.T. skills can be lacking at times. It wasn't quite as user friendly for me on my phone.
Why do 1,000’s of customers trust Guidebook?
Event planners choose Guidebook because it gives them clarity. Instead of juggling tools or chasing updates, they get one platform that’s simple, flexible, and backed by real people who care.
Whether you're managing a small workshop or a global conference, Guidebook helps you stay in control — without overwhelm.
Flexible Pricing and Ease of Use
Guidebook was built to make event organizers and attendees lives easier–we believe in fair, simple prices that don’t keep going up. If you have small events, we have a plan for that!
Ease of Use
Customers say it’s surprisingly easy to learn to build an app with Guidebook, see for yourself how easy it is to build an app and what that looks like for attendees here.
Superior Support
Whatever you need, our award-winning team is here to help. With real people available in the US and UK (and no robots), you get quick responses from people who care.
Customization and Flexibility
Your app is fully customizable and simple to update. Add your colors, logos, fonts, images, and publish to the stores. Invite as many collaborators to help you as required, and publish unlimited changes.
Open Integrations
Unlike Cvent and other event technology products, Guidebook has a free open-API available to all customers–and out-of-the-box integrations with products like Cvent, Splash, Eventbrite and more.
Mobile First
The Guidebook platform has been built for mobile since 2011, based on the belief that an event is an experience and mobile is the technology which can have the biggest impact on attendees having a happy, successful experience.
Event builder
Your all-in-one solution for every event
- Inclusive & consistent pricing: When new features are added to the platform, they're instantly available to everyone. No extra costs, no delays, and no more having to pay for things you don't want or need. Unexpected price hikes? No, thank you.
- Drag & Drop: Unlike other app builders, Guidebook allows you to quickly and easily pick what you need, upload content using simple templates or uploads, and publish edits in seconds. Want to use what you did last year as a base? Clone it in seconds and save hours.
- Award-winning support: Should you need it, Guidebook has teams in the US and UK ready to assist you, taking the time to understand your needs and goals to provide consultative support.
- Digital badges: Make check-in, networking, and session attendance verification even easier with simple QR badges on phones.
- Offline access: Your audience can access the important content they need, even if they don't have an internet connection.
Security and Compliance
The power of your brand in your app, from first visit to alumni.
Build trust
Attendees download your app, not ours. Your name, colors, and crest in the stores.
.avif)
One place for the whole event
Schedules, maps, registration, and updates in one branded hub - not five tools.
Stand out
A branded app is what people keep on their phone after the printed program is in the recycling.
Accessible for every student on campus
Accessibility isn't an add-on. Guidebook is built so every student can find their way, read their schedule, and stay connected, whatever tools they rely on to use their phone.
FAQs
What's the difference between Guidebook and Whova?
Whova leads with social networking: community boards, meet-up matching, photo contests and gamified leaderboards. Guidebook leads with design control and ownership.
With Whova, branding stops at a logo, a banner image and one brand color. With Guidebook you control more than one hundred design elements, unlimited colors and your own custom icons, and the app lists in the app stores under your institution's name.
With Whova, branding stops at a logo, a banner image and one brand color. With Guidebook you control more than one hundred design elements, unlimited colors and your own custom icons, and the app lists in the app stores under your institution's name.
How does Guidebook's pricing compare to Whova's?
Guidebook is one fixed fee. Whova prices a la carte, and the add-ons accumulate.
That's the complaint teams raise most: it's hard to know the final number until the invoice arrives. Guidebook includes unlimited events, unlimited downloads and unlimited content uploads in the plan, with a small event option when you only need one. What you're quoted is what you pay.
That's the complaint teams raise most: it's hard to know the final number until the invoice arrives. Guidebook includes unlimited events, unlimited downloads and unlimited content uploads in the plan, with a small event option when you only need one. What you're quoted is what you pay.
Can we get our own branded app in the app stores with Whova?
Not under your own name. Whova attendees download the Whova app and find your event inside it.
Guidebook publishes your app to the iOS and Android stores as your institution: your name, your logo, your colors, your listing. Students search for your university and find you. That recognition is why they open it, and open rates are the whole game.
Guidebook publishes your app to the iOS and Android stores as your institution: your name, your logo, your colors, your listing. Students search for your university and find you. That recognition is why they open it, and open rates are the whole game.
Is Guidebook a good Whova alternative for universities?
Yes. Whova was built for conferences and associations. Guidebook was built for the events that decide whether students enroll and stay.
One app carries an admitted student from Admitted Student Day through Orientation and Welcome Week, instead of a separate build for each. Your admissions and orientation teams run it themselves, and support sits in the US and UK when you need a person.
One app carries an admitted student from Admitted Student Day through Orientation and Welcome Week, instead of a separate build for each. Your admissions and orientation teams run it themselves, and support sits in the US and UK when you need a person.
Does Guidebook work without WiFi?
Yes. Everything students need, including schedules, maps, directions and announcements, lives on the phone and works offline. Whova depends on a connection.
Move-in day in a concrete residence hall is exactly when a connection fails and exactly when a family needs directions. Offline access means your staff aren't the fallback.
Move-in day in a concrete residence hall is exactly when a connection fails and exactly when a family needs directions. Offline access means your staff aren't the fallback.
Why do teams switch from Whova to Guidebook?
Three reasons come up again and again: pricing that's hard to predict, branding that stops at a logo, and notification volume that students tune out.
Kate Brenner at SIL International put it plainly: “I bought relief from Whova's headaches and nightmares… I bought myself peace of mind.” Teams move for clarity on cost, control over how the app looks, and a support team that answers.
Kate Brenner at SIL International put it plainly: “I bought relief from Whova's headaches and nightmares… I bought myself peace of mind.” Teams move for clarity on cost, control over how the app looks, and a support team that answers.