Compare · Trade shows

Best Event Apps for Trade Shows in 2026

Ranked on the three things a show organiser is actually buying: exhibitor matchmaking, lead retrieval, and who assigns the room or the table. Sourced cell by cell from the vendors' own pages.

Last verified: 2026-09-08 · 26 event platforms ranked from a 35-vendor dataset

How this ranking works

Three cells, read off each vendor's own site: exhibitor matchmaking, lead retrieval and meeting room or table assignment. Included scores 2, a paid add-on or higher tier scores 1, absent or not-stated scores 0. Maximum 6. Ties break on whether the platform also does AI attendee matchmaking, then on how much of its pricing it publishes, then alphabetically.

It is a coverage count, not a rating — there are no stars on this page and no review corpus behind it. The full dataset, all 35 vendors across twelve capabilities with a source URL and the vendor's own words per cell, is published as the event app networking feature matrix.

Read this before you read the ranking

Exhibitor matchmaking is the least observable capability in this dataset. Across 35 vendors checked on 2026-09-08: 10 publish it as included, 3 as a paid add-on, 13 offer none at all, and 9 say nothing either way on any page we could reach.

Those 9 are not failures of the product. They are failures of the vendor's publishing — enterprise platforms in particular route exhibitor capability through a sales deck rather than a feature page. We render them as not stated, never as a No, and they cost the vendor ranking positions here purely because we will not score what we cannot source.

What that means for you

Ask for it in writing. If a vendor is marked “not stated” below, that is the exact question to open the call with — and the answer belongs in the contract, not in a demo.
Do not infer it from a lead-retrieval page. Several vendors describe scanning a badge in detail and never describe matching an exhibitor to a buyer. Those are different products.
Price the add-ons separately. 12 of the 26 vendors here sell lead retrieval as a paid add-on or a higher tier, and 4 do the same with room and table assignment.

The ranked shortlist

Positions 1–10. Each card prints the vendor's own words for one of the three cells, with a link to the page they came from.

Jublia (Jublia AI, Jublia Pte Ltd)

6/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes some prices

All three exhibitor capabilities included, with matchmaking in the entry Essential plan rather than upsold, and a meeting layer that includes table selection. Its own exhibitor pitch is demonstrated intent rather than registration data. It publishes no figure on any of its three plans.

For attendees, this means better meeting suggestions and content. For exhibitors, it means higher-quality connections based on real, demonstrated intent–not just a registration checkbox.
Jublia (Jublia AI, Jublia Pte Ltd) on exhibitor matchmaking — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

No price is published on the vendor’s own site — pricing requires a sales conversation.

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalIncluded

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

Brella

6/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes no price

Sponsor matchmaking, badge-scan lead capture and physical tables assigned per networking slot, all included. The gap is commercial rather than technical — the pricing page carries no amount, no plan name and no comparison table.

Tables allow you to add physical meeting locations to your event. Tables are assigned in a first-come-first-serve method, and per networking slot whenever a meeting is accepted.
Brella on meeting room / table assignment — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

No platform or licence price is published anywhere I could fetch — brella.io/pricing carries no amounts, no plan names and no comparison table, only 'Contact sales' / 'Talk to an event expert'.

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalIncluded

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

vFairs

6/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes no price

The most explicit exhibitor-matching control in the dataset: the organiser weights the fields of interest on both sides. Badge scanning with CRM sync is included, and an in-person meeting has its location assigned automatically. No published price, no named plan.

set up a criteria and assign weightage to all the fields of interest between attendees and exhibitors
vFairs on exhibitor matchmaking — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

No price is published on the vendor’s own site — pricing requires a sales conversation.

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalIncluded

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

RainFocus

6/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes no price

Built for the enterprise show floor — room inventory, walk-up meetings, configurable lead devices, and booth staff notified when a qualified lead is in front of them. It publishes no price, no tier and no module inclusion list, and its pricing URL returns a 403.

Targeted Leads: Booth staff are instantly notified when they're talking to a qualified lead thanks to our target lead profile creation and notifications.
RainFocus on exhibitor matchmaking — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

NO_PUBLISHED_PRICE — quote-only. No price, tier, per-attendee or per-event figure appears anywhere on rainfocus.com; the FAQ explicitly routes pricing to sales.

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalIncluded

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingNot stated on the vendor’s site (checked 2026-09-08)

Converve

5/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes prices

The transparent option: booth and table assignment, hosted-buyer matching, and three named plans with per-event list prices. Two caveats worth pricing — the lead-capture app is an add-on, and the attendee app is browser-only rather than store-listed.

Automated scheduling with booth and table assignment. Clash-free schedules for exhibitors and visitors, synced across the entire venue.
Converve on meeting room / table assignment — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

Three named plans with public list prices, per event, net, shown for the 1–100 attendee band: Match from €3,400 (≈€7 / meeting); Match & Meet from €4,950 (≈€10 / meeting); Match & Meet Pro from €7,900 (≈€16 / meeting).

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalPaid add-on / higher tier

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

Certain, Inc.

5/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes some prices

Exhibitor and booth suggestions computed from interests, signals and behaviours, with drag-and-drop meeting scheduling that carries a location. Lead retrieval is a separate package the organiser grants per exhibitor, and the plans Certain does price publicly cover check-in, not this.

Suggest the best exhibitors and booths based on interests, signals, and behaviors. One click to view details and location.
Certain, Inc. on exhibitor matchmaking — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

Partial - real prices published for Certain Greet (check-in) ONLY: Single Event "$999" one-time per event, up to 500 attendees; Starter "$300/mo", cancel anytime, no annual contract, attendees accrue at 175 a month and roll over, unlimited events;

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalPaid add-on / higher tier

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

Grip

5/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes no price

The hosted-buyer specialist. Locations are typed as booth or table with a concurrency cap, and an accepted meeting gets a table number automatically. Lead retrieval is the exhibitor upsell — badge scanning and lead qualification sit in the Pro exhibitor tier, not the basic one.

When a meeting is Accepted at this location, a table number will be automatically assigned and be visible to participants, so they know where to go. ... Define the maximum number of concurrent meetings that can take place at this location.
Grip on meeting room / table assignment — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

No price is published on the vendor’s own site — pricing requires a sales conversation.

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalPaid add-on / higher tier

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

Whova

5/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes no price

Exhibitor matchmaking and QR badge scanning are both included. The room-and-table layer is not — Meeting Space Reservations is sold as an add-on, which on a show floor is the line item that decides whether a meetings programme happens at all.

This new add-on feature is perfect for events that go the extra mile by providing dozens of tables or rooms for private meetings.
Whova on meeting room / table assignment — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

NO_PUBLISHED_PRICE — /pricing/ carries only a "Price Quote Request" form (event format, duration, attendee count, annual event frequency) and a 20-minute demo offer.

Exhibitor matchmakingIncluded

Lead retrievalIncluded

Meeting room / table assignmentPaid add-on / higher tier

AI matchmakingIncluded

Accelevents

4/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes some prices

A real hosted-buyer engine: preference selection feeds a scheduler that generates agendas across your slots, rooms and tables. That engine, exhibitor lead retrieval and the mobile app itself are all add-ons above the two published plan prices.

Once buyers and sellers complete their preference selections, the scheduling engine systematically generates meeting agendas across your defined time slots, rooms, and tables. ...
Accelevents on meeting room / table assignment — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

Professional — "Starting From $7,500", 1 Event. Business — "Starting From $13,500", Unlimited Events. Enterprise — "Custom", Unlimited Events. White Label — "Custom", Unlimited Events.

Exhibitor matchmakingPaid add-on / higher tier

Lead retrievalIncluded

Meeting room / table assignmentPaid add-on / higher tier

AI matchmakingIncluded

#10

Swapcard

4/6 exhibitor coveragePublishes some prices

Multiple onsite meeting locations with a capacity set per location, and a published entry figure for the platform. Exhibitor networking, the Exhibitor Lead Center and hosted-buyer smart meetings all sit above that figure as add-ons, so the entry price is not the trade-show price.

Provide multiple onsite meeting locations like meeting rooms, networking halls, and exhibitor booths. ... Set a capacity for each meeting location to control the number of meetings. ...
Swapcard on meeting room / table assignment — vendor page, checked 2026-09-08

Published pricing

One real published number: Event Engagement Platform "Starting at* $610 per year", footnoted "*Self-service starting price.

Exhibitor matchmakingPaid add-on / higher tier

Lead retrievalPaid add-on / higher tier

Meeting room / table assignmentIncluded

AI matchmakingIncluded

All 26 vendors, ranked

Same rule, whole field. WebMobi is in here at position 24.

#	Vendor	Exhibitor matchmaking	Lead retrieval	Rooms / tables	AI matchmaking	Coverage	Pricing
1	Jublia (Jublia AI, Jublia Pte Ltd)	●	●	●	●	6/6	Publishes some prices
2	Brella	●	●	●	●	6/6	Publishes no price
3	vFairs	●	●	●	●	6/6	Publishes no price
4	RainFocus	●	●	●	—	6/6	Publishes no price
5	Converve	●	◐	●	●	5/6	Publishes prices
6	Certain, Inc.	●	◐	●	●	5/6	Publishes some prices
7	Grip	●	◐	●	●	5/6	Publishes no price
8	Whova	●	●	◐	●	5/6	Publishes no price
9	Accelevents	◐	●	◐	●	4/6	Publishes some prices
10	Swapcard	◐	◐	●	●	4/6	Publishes some prices
11	b2match	◐	◐	●	◐	4/6	Publishes no price
12	Cadmium (Eventscribe)	●	●	○	—	4/6	Publishes no price
13	Stova	—	●	—	●	2/6	Publishes some prices
14	Zuddl	○	●	—	●	2/6	Publishes some prices
15	Bizzabo	—	●	—	◐	2/6	Publishes some prices
16	Cvent (Attendee Hub)	—	◐	◐	◐	2/6	Publishes no price
17	Eventtia	—	◐	◐	○	2/6	Publishes prices
18	Braindate (by e180)	—	○	●	—	2/6	Publishes no price
19	Eventzilla	○	◐	○	—	1/6	Publishes prices
20	RingCentral Events (formerly Hopin)	—	◐	—	○	1/6	Publishes prices
21	EventMobi	○	◐	○	○	1/6	Publishes some prices
22	Sched	○	◐	○	○	1/6	Publishes some prices
23	Webex Events (formerly Socio)	○	◐	○	○	1/6	Publishes no price
24	WebMobi	—	—	—	◐	0/6	Publishes prices
25	10times (Ten Times Online Private Limited)	—	○	—	—	0/6	Publishes prices
26	Swoogo	○	○	○	○	0/6	Publishes some prices

● Included◐ Paid add-on or higher tier○ Not offered— Not stated on the vendor's site (checked 2026-09-08) — never read this as a No

Deliberately absent: Hubilo — rebrand to VirtualPro unresolved — re-research under the current brand; Splash — 7 of 12 cells unknown after verification — below the publishable threshold; Wonder — brand not reachable — wonder.me does not resolve over HTTPS (verified 2026-09-08); Attendify — brand not reachable — attendify.com does not resolve over HTTPS; cert is a shared-host default (verified 2026-09-08); Pathable — brand not reachable — pathable.com has no reachable web property (verified 2026-09-08). Community, ticketing and virtual-meeting products in the dataset are also out of scope for a trade-show ranking; they remain in the full matrix.

Where WebMobi lands: 24th of 26

We publish this page and we score last-but-two on it. None of the three exhibitor cells could be established for WebMobi from our own published pages on 2026-09-08, and we apply the same rule to ourselves that we apply to everyone else: what we cannot source, we do not score. WebMobi networking is in private beta and is not enabled by default. Request activation at /contact-sales or support@webmobi.com.

If exhibitor matchmaking or hosted-buyer meetings are the reason for this purchase, the top of the list above is the honest answer. Where WebMobi is worth a conversation is the event around them — a native branded app, check-in and agenda — and a price you can read before you talk to anyone, which 10 of the 26 vendors here do not publish at all: Free, $19–$99/month, or $49–$999 per event. WebMobi takes 0% of your ticket revenue, on every plan, permanently.

Each Pro Event includes everything in your Growth subscription — the agents keep running through the conference, not instead of it.

WebMobi takes 0%. WebMobi does not process ticket payments: a paid event sells on the ticketing provider you already use, which charges its own fee.

Frequently asked questions

What separates a trade-show app from a conference app?

Three capabilities: exhibitor matchmaking (recommending the right exhibitors and buyers to each other), lead retrieval (badge or QR scanning that puts a contact in an exhibitor’s hands), and meeting room or table assignment (deciding where a booked meeting physically happens). A conference app can be excellent and have none of them.

How is this list ranked?

Included scores 2, a paid add-on or higher tier scores 1, and absent or not-stated scores 0, across those three cells for a maximum of 6. Ties break on whether the platform also does AI attendee matchmaking, then on how much of its pricing it publishes, then alphabetically. No ratings and no editorial weighting are applied.

Why do so many vendors show “not stated” for exhibitor matchmaking?

Because it is the least observable capability in the dataset. Of 35 vendors checked on 2026-09-08, 10 publish it as included, 3 as a paid add-on, 13 do not offer it, and 9 say nothing either way on any page we could reach. A "not stated" cell is a gap in the vendor's own publishing, not a finding that the feature is missing — so it is never rendered as a No.

Is lead retrieval usually included?

Not usually. Of the 26 vendors ranked here, 10 include lead retrieval and 12 sell it as a paid add-on or a higher tier. It is the single most reliably upsold capability on this page, and it is the one exhibitors will ask you about first.

Where does WebMobi rank?

24th of 26, and the reason is in the table: none of the three exhibitor cells could be established for WebMobi from our own published pages on 2026-09-08, and networking itself is a private beta rather than a shipped default. If exhibitor matchmaking is the reason you are buying, buy from the top of this list.

Best event networking software

The same 26 vendors ranked on the attendee side

The full networking matrix

35 vendors × twelve capabilities, with sources

Running a show floor this year?

Tell us how many exhibitors and how many meeting slots, and we will tell you straight whether WebMobi fits — or which platform above does.

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