TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

Save this comparison

Save this comparison

Add Product

Recommended Comparisons

    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Accruent EMS

    Score9.7 out of 10
    N/AEMS Software is an enterprise space management, event, class and resource scheduling application acquired and now supported by Accruent in June 2018.N/A

    Cvent Event Management

    Score9 out of 10
    N/ACvent is a cloud-based enterprise event management company offering software solutions to event planners and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event management and marketing, onsite solutions, email marketing, and attendee engagement. Cvent's suite of products automate and simplify the planning process to maximize the impact of events. Cvent provides hoteliers with an integrated platform, enabling properties to increase business demand through targeted advertising…N/A
    Pricing
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Editions & Modules
    No answers on this topic
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Free Trial
    NoNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeRequiredRequired
    Additional Details
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Considered Both Products
    Accruent
    Chose Accruent EMS
    EMS is very user friendly and makes space management very efficient
    Incentivized
    Chose Accruent EMS
    I haven't recently looked at competing products.
    Incentivized
    Cvent
    Chose Cvent Event Management
    Cvent is more advanced, easier to learn, easier to create events, and looks cleaner overall than USI.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    78%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    98%
    Would buy again
    277 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    100%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    221 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    78%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    273 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    83%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    5 Answers
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    176 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    83%
    Implementation went as expected
    5 Answers
    92%
    Implementation went as expected
    184 Answers
    Features
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Mobile Capabilities
    Comparison of Mobile Capabilities features of Accruent EMS and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Accruent EMS
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    7.3
    84 Ratings
    17% below category average
    Responsive Design for Web Access00 Ratings7.281 Ratings
    Mobile Application00 Ratings7.984 Ratings
    Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile00 Ratings6.879 Ratings
    Online Meetings / Events
    Comparison of Online Meetings / Events features of Accruent EMS and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Accruent EMS
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    7.9
    76 Ratings
    6% below category average
    Calendar integration00 Ratings8.058 Ratings
    Meeting initiation00 Ratings7.553 Ratings
    Integrates with social media00 Ratings7.149 Ratings
    Record meetings / events00 Ratings7.744 Ratings
    Slideshows00 Ratings7.836 Ratings
    Event registration00 Ratings9.278 Ratings
    Online Events Collaboration
    Comparison of Online Events Collaboration features of Accruent EMS and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Accruent EMS
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.2
    66 Ratings
    2% below category average
    Live chat00 Ratings8.855 Ratings
    Audience polling00 Ratings7.768 Ratings
    Q&A00 Ratings8.267 Ratings
    Online Events Security
    Comparison of Online Events Security features of Accruent EMS and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Accruent EMS
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    7.6
    78 Ratings
    12% below category average
    User authentication00 Ratings7.775 Ratings
    Participant roles & permissions00 Ratings7.976 Ratings
    Confidential attendee list00 Ratings7.370 Ratings
    Online Events Marketing
    Comparison of Online Events Marketing features of Accruent EMS and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Accruent EMS
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.9
    86 Ratings
    5% above category average
    Branding options00 Ratings8.683 Ratings
    Integration to Marketing Automation00 Ratings8.957 Ratings
    Attendee list export00 Ratings9.286 Ratings
    Virtual Event
    Comparison of Virtual Event features of Accruent EMS and Cvent Event Management
    Feature
    Accruent EMS
    -
    Ratings
    Cvent Event Management
    8.5
    92 Ratings
    6% above category average
    Registration, RSVP, and ticketing00 Ratings9.286 Ratings
    Email marketing00 Ratings7.990 Ratings
    Livestreaming00 Ratings7.946 Ratings
    Audience engagement00 Ratings8.676 Ratings
    Event recording00 Ratings8.247 Ratings
    Virtual booths00 Ratings8.649 Ratings
    Networking00 Ratings8.360 Ratings
    Event analytics00 Ratings9.088 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Small Businesses
    No answers on this topic
    Whova
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    No answers on this topic
    Splash
    Score7.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    No answers on this topic
    Webex Events (formerly Socio)
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Likelihood to Recommend
    6.8
    (176 ratings)
    9.5
    (425 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.9
    (31 ratings)
    10.0
    (46 ratings)
    Usability
    6.8
    (18 ratings)
    8.9
    (90 ratings)
    Availability
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    9.0
    (5 ratings)
    Performance
    3.6
    (4 ratings)
    8.0
    (5 ratings)
    Support Rating
    5.5
    (16 ratings)
    9.9
    (115 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    6.5
    (2 ratings)
    9.1
    (3 ratings)
    Online Training
    7.3
    (3 ratings)
    4.5
    (3 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    8.1
    (14 ratings)
    7.2
    (16 ratings)
    Configurability
    8.0
    (166 ratings)
    8.2
    (2 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    1.0
    (3 ratings)
    5.5
    (3 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    8.0
    (160 ratings)
    8.4
    (5 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    5.4
    (2 ratings)
    7.3
    (3 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.1
    (2 ratings)
    7.3
    (3 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Accruent EMSCvent Event Management
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Accruent
    Accruent EMS is well-suited when it comes to room utilization and transparency but with regards to onboarding other departments such as A/V and Catering, it becomes a challenge because there are other software that meets the needs of these departments that EMS does not have. The use of multiple systems for other departments is a nuisance especially with inventory mangement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    Cvent has been great for our large flagship conferences, roadshows, exec forums, and webinars. From registration and attendee management all the way to post-event engagement and everything in between. Its custom reporting has helped us present business cases when we needed to eliminate certain events and has also helped us navigate challenging recruitment times by calling out patterns and successes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Accruent
    • It's user friendly. By doing a little self-exploration one can find out the many features that EMS offers.
    • It is simple to add or remove conference rooms and provide details of the conference rooms.
    • I appreciate that there are different ways of reserving conference rooms. This allows each user to feel comfortable in their use of EMS by finding what works best for them.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    • Event registration - manages different registration types for different programming.
    • Audience Segmentation - from sessions to event emails to push notifications, Cvent's audience segmentation saves us so much time.
    • Training - Cvent has a vast library of help articles and community questions and answers to help both new and seasoned users.
    Read full review
    Cons
    Accruent
    • Incredible complexity on the back end. While its highly configurable nature lends to flexibility, it also makes it a challenge to manage.
    • Support has not been as quick as we'd like when we've needed to reach out.
    • Most likely due to the company recently changing hands, we had real trouble with their billing department attempting to double charge us for our services, and sorting it out took 6 months of back and forth.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    • Growth emphasis seems slanted towards trade shows and events vendor integrations (less so on educational/attendee features)
    • Because of rapid incorporation of new functionality, documentation can lag behind the current platform
    • Complexity is growing, so the platform requires a significant investment of time and coordination to fully leverage
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Accruent
    Accruent EMS has always been a one-stop-shop for our organization when it comes to scheduling conference rooms, offices, apartments, services, etc. It has a wide array of reporting, and what isn't set up as a standard report, can usually be created as a query to report on the information you are looking for. Accruent EMS has pushed out new releases with updates to bugs and other add-ins and stays current and up-to-date with market trends.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    We are very pleased with the features that Cvent gives us. The ease of use and the immediate support when something does stump us. Cvent provides us with everything that we need to run a successful event. The only reason I did not Rate Cvent as a 10 is the cost
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Accruent
    Most new users would greatly benefit from (or possibly require) at least some training on how to use EMS, but the training doesn't need to be extensive for the users to get comfortable with it. Most functions are easy and straightforward, so users tend to not have many issues with it.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    Super simple to use once configured. The solutions guide you through the process and the training resources and community fill in anything you can't figure out. Technical and non-technical users alike will be able to figure out how to successfully use the system.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Accruent
    Currently I can only access EMS from my work computer, from in my office, on campus. While I'm sure this isn't an Accruent issue, and mostly our IT issue, Accruent hasn't exactly stepped up and tried to help when these issues have been addressed.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    There have been a few times when the system has gone down in the midst of registration. It can be frustrating but know that it does happen at times
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Performance
    Accruent
    The only other software we use in conjunction with EMS is Epaper Signs by Visix. Once we worked out the initial bugs, the integration has been seamless. It does not slow down our software or cause any errors. Our signs are updated every 15 minutes with any problems.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    When pulling reports and it can sometimes lag a bit and that can be frustrating when you are trying to get things done on a timeline
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Support Rating
    Accruent
    Since the merger, our team has found that there are a select few of the tech team that can actually support our questions. More often than not, we have already tried the suggestions that they give us and they are either unable to answer our questions and submit them as update suggestions or they have to be sent to supervisor for an answer. Once or twice in the last year we have received bad advice that resulted in system issues. Prior to last year, the customer support system was at the top of the list of tech support departments that I have ever had to deal with, especially during our upgrade to 4.0.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    The company offers 24/7 customer support, including phone, email, and chat support, to ensure that we can get help when we need it. Additionally, the platform has a comprehensive help center and knowledge base, including user guides, tutorials, and FAQs, which help us troubleshoot issues on our own. Cvent also provides training and support resources, including onboarding assistance, live training sessions, and webinars, which help us get the most out of the platform. Overall, Cvent appears to be committed to providing excellent customer support and resources to its users, which can help ensure a positive user experience and successful events.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Accruent
    we had brought out several consultants over the course of the past couple years and they have been fantastic from Brandy Cahill to Matt Luther
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    Our on-site trainer was very knowledgeable in the product and gave us very important pointers on best practices and how to perform tasks in the simplest manner
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Accruent
    It was great but could have been a little better. I feel like there are different ways to use some of the software and some of that was not explained. I think at the time the training was great but now that we are more experienced with the product I can see we missed training based on what part of EMS the instructor thought we were going to use.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    It was all self-driven and I had to do a lot of searching around in the community to get answers.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Implementation Rating
    Accruent
    I think one of the biggest things is to step back and see how you want your organization to function and use the product prior to quickly diving in and configuring. I think some (based on some EMS Live conference sessions I attended) built their systems on how they used their old systems or old processes, but thinking about how you want your organization to function moving forward will help you configure it the best way and make the necessary changes from the start rather than having to go back and adjust.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    It would have been nice during implementation if we had received more pointers on how to organize our parked report folders, libraries, etc. to avoid the mess we find ourselves in today. If we had known ahead of time the limitations we could have planned better.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Accruent
    [Accruent] EMS is very robust, and a great all in one solution for hospitality and Event management needs. I have dealt with a few other software solutions in the past that try to handle event planning and management, but have run into the need to have multiple solutions to handle all those needs.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    There is no other tool that offers the same range of solutions as Cvent, all under one umbrella. With minimal reliance on APIs, client and associate data are more secure, making all stakeholders more comfortable with the software. All other solutions I looked at only solved one piece of the puzzle I was dealing with.
    Read full review
    Scalability
    Accruent
    We purchased the client, web version, and Outlook plug-in. I'll be honest, we haven't pushed the email part, but I did test it and liked it. After the old program we placed, I have simply been gun-shy about implementing another email plug-in. However, the client for the super users to get department alerts, etc. and the web version for all users to create reservations has been fabulous and easy to use and understand.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    I can see how this can help small AND large companies as they continue to grow
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Return on Investment
    Accruent
    • The most noticeable improvements in our usage of EMS is our ability to process requests more efficiently using a standardized form that has a professional presentation. Before we began using EMS, we processed our parking requests by simply typing an email with a few details. Pricing was jumbled in with the wording and clients often did not read the fine print. EMS has definitely made an impact with projecting a professional image to our clients when they receive confirmations and invoices.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cvent
    • Cvent Event Management has definitely provided great value with our exhibitors. It's a well organized system that they all trust and utilize each year now.
    • Cvent Event Management has also provided positive ROI on the app front. Our clients rely on the app to share information and it's saved us a lot of money in paper printing costs!
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots