Highbar

5 EventMobi Alternatives for 2026

Looking for an EventMobi alternative? Here's how Highbar and other event app platforms compare on setup, pricing, attendee experience, and design.

Alternative Landscape

EventMobi competes in the mid-market event app space alongside several other platforms. Here's a quick look at the most common alternatives event organizers consider:

Whova: Popular with associations and academic conferences. Strong networking features but follows the same traditional app paradigm. Read our full Whova comparison →

Guidebook: One of the original event app platforms. Simple and affordable but limited in AI and analytics capabilities. Read our full Guidebook comparison →

PheedLoop: Canadian competitor with a similar all-in-one approach. Good for hybrid events but complex setup process. Read our full Pheedloop comparison →

Amego: Newer entrant focused on attendee engagement. Worth watching but still building out core features. Read our full Amego comparison →

Highbar: AI-native event app platform. Self-serve setup, published pricing, and a conversational attendee experience that replaces the traditional menu-and-icon approach. That's us, and we'll go deeper below.

Snapshot

EventMobi is one of the more established mid-market event app platforms. They've been around since 2009 and power tens of thousands of events, primarily for associations and corporate teams. They compete most directly with Whova, Guidebook, and PheedLoop at the mid-market level, while also positioning against Cvent for larger accounts.

Their sweet spot is the association conference planner who wants a full-service vendor with onboarding support, badge printing, and a traditional event app experience.

EventMobi is a solid, proven platform. But it was built for a pre-AI era of events and carries the design and interaction patterns of that era forward. If you're looking for a modern, AI-native alternative that doesn't require a sales call to get started, that's where Highbar comes in.

App Creation

Highbar
EventMobi

Setup

Self-guided, step-by-step setup

Fill out a form, book a demo, get a quote, then work with an onboarding specialist

Content

Upload or connect your content with an instant live preview of your app.

Manually upload and format sessions, speakers, sponsors across separate modules.

Manage

Streamlined app management, every function is no more than 3 clicks away.

Complex admin panel with settings spread across multiple product areas.

Publish

Publish your app in under an hour

Requires sales contract and onboarding before you can go live

Pricing

Free to build and launch. $5 per engaged attendee, capped at $9,500 per event, plus $2 per paid registration, or $12,000/yr for unlimited events

From $3,500/event or $7,900/yr, priced per attendee. AI features, branded app, custom domain, and integrations all billed as add-ons

Event App Experience

Eventmobi = Traditional Event App UX

EventMobi's app follows the classic event app paradigm: a home screen with icon grids or widget tiles linking to different sections (Agenda, Speakers, Sponsors, Maps, Gamification, Q&A, etc.).

Their app page heavily promotes features like drag-and-drop widget design, interactive floor maps, gamification leaderboards, live polls, and document libraries.

This is the approach that defined event apps from roughly 2010-2023. It works. But it asks attendees to learn a new interface, navigate menu structures, and figure out which section holds the information they need.

EventMobi attendee app for an annual conference: a home grid of Agenda, Event Info, Maps and Speakers tiles

Highbar = Branded, AI‑Native, Conversational

Highbar takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of giving attendees a menu of features to explore, Highbar gives them a conversational AI agent that answers their questions in natural language. "What sessions are about AI?" "Who should I meet if I'm interested in sustainability?" "Where's the closest coffee?" The information finds the attendee, not the other way around.

Your event also gets a fully branded start page, but it's not the static icon grid you're used to. Think AI-generated summaries that update in real time, rich media blocks with photos and video, sponsored content, and topic highlights, all arranged however you want. It's a living homepage for your event, not a table of contents.

AI Horizons Conference start page in the Highbar event app, beside the AI concierge suggesting questions to ask

Design

EventMobi: Native App, Custom Branding

EventMobi gives organizers meaningful design control within their system:

  • Drag-and-drop Homepage Designer with configurable widget layouts
  • Custom colors, logos, and banner images
  • Attendees download a native app from the App Store or Google Play

Because it is a native app, attendees have to find it in the app store and download it before they can access anything at the event.

A tile-based event app that needs an app store download, beside Highbar's AI concierge that opens from a QR code

Highbar: Your Brand, Built In

Highbar is fully white-labeled and requires no download:

  • Your fonts, colors, and logo throughout, with no Highbar branding visible
  • Launches instantly from a QR code or link, no app store required
  • Always up to date with your latest content, no version conflicts

Attendees tap a link and they are in. No app store. No login friction. No waiting for a download on a slow hotel wifi.

Pricing

Eventmobi Pricing

EventMobi publishes starting prices, but the final cost requires a sales conversation. Pricing scales based on attendee count and which products you select, so the number you see is a floor, not a quote.

Per-event pricing starts at $3,500 and scales based on attendee count and selected products. Annual pricing starts at $7,900/year. Additional costs include hardware rental for badge printing (starting at $1.99/badge), virtual event streaming add-ons (starting at $500 per event), and lead capture ($50 per exhibitor).

Several features that sound core are actually add-ons billed on top: a branded app, custom domain, single sign-on, AI-powered automation workflows, and MobiAI, their AI feature, all carry additional charges. The per-event plan also caps event length and post-event access at seven days each.

The modular pricing structure means the final bill for a typical conference with registration, badge printing, an event app, and a couple of integrations can climb well above the starting price. And if you want AI features, that is another line item.

EventMobi pricing tiers: Per Event from US$3,500 and Per Year from US$7,900, with included products listed

Eventmobi's pricing page

Takeaways

EventMobi is a proven platform with a long track record. If you are running large association conferences and want a full-service vendor with onboarding support, badge printing, and a traditional event app experience, it is a reasonable choice.

But if you are looking for something different, here is what it comes down to. EventMobi was built for the way events worked in 2012. Highbar was built for the way they work now. One gives you menus, modules, and a project manager. The other gives you a conversational AI agent, outcome-based pricing, and a published app in under an hour.

You do not need a demo to find out if Highbar is right for you. Just sign up and try it.

Frequently asked questions

How is Highbar different from EventMobi?

EventMobi follows the classic event app pattern: a home screen of icon grids or tiles linking to the agenda, speakers, sponsors, and maps. Highbar gives attendees a conversational AI agent that answers their questions in natural language, on a branded start page that updates in real time.

How does Highbar pricing compare with EventMobi?

EventMobi starts at $3,500 per event or $7,900 a year, priced by attendee count and the products you select. AI features, a branded app, a custom domain, and single sign-on are billed as add-ons, and badge printing hardware and lead capture cost extra.

Highbar publishes its prices. A single event costs $5 per engaged attendee, capped at $9,500, plus $2 per paid registration if you sell tickets. The Platform plan is $12,000 a year for unlimited events, with 3,000 engaged attendees included. Highbar never takes a percentage of your ticket revenue.

How long does it take to launch compared with EventMobi?

EventMobi starts with a form, a demo, and a quote, then work with an onboarding specialist, and needs a sales contract before you can go live. On Highbar you sign up, follow the guided setup, and publish in under an hour, without a sales call.

Do attendees need to download an app?

EventMobi attendees download a native app from the App Store or Google Play before they can see anything at the event. Highbar's event app opens from a link or a QR code in any browser, with no app store and no download, so attendees are in with one tap.

Can I move my existing event content to Highbar?

Yes. If you can export your sessions, speakers, and sponsors to a spreadsheet, Magic Import turns the CSV or XLSX file into a Highbar event app, with no template to fill in and no columns to map. Building and launching are free, so you can see your event running before you pay anything.

When is EventMobi the better choice?

If you run large association conferences and want a full-service vendor with onboarding support, badge printing, and a traditional event app experience, EventMobi is a reasonable choice with a long track record.

See your own event running on one system.

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