Seat MakervsBizzaboEvent operations
Seat Maker vs Bizzabo for Event Seating Workflows
Use Seat Maker for the dinner seating alongside your conference platform, with precise seats and an offline native room plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.
Try a real seat change8 fictional guestsAlex is fixed in seat 1. Shuffle the other guests, or select two people to swap.
Why choose Seat Maker?
See what you can do.
Put every guest in a seat
Lock VIPs. Shuffle the others. Swap two guests. Undo a change.
Try the seat controls
Keep planning at the venue
Edit saved native seating plans offline on iPhone and iPad.
Explore offline planning
Start with your guest names
Import a list, review the fields, then place your people.
Try guest-list importReal Seat Maker views with fictional names. Native offline edits work in saved iPhone/iPad plans; online sync and RSVPs need internet.
The key differences.
Full feature breakdown ↓| Your decision | Seat Maker | Bizzabo |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Guest seats & room changes | Conference registration, experience & operations |
| Tools | VIP locks, shuffle & undo | Custom registration and event websites/agendas |
| Offline edits | Saved native plans on iPhone & iPad | Not verified in reviewed sources |
| Price | Free browser tools; paid online access & native upgrades | From US$17,999/year; 3-user minimum |
Vendor-described capabilities. Unknown features are not scored as missing. Full terms & sources below.
The details, when you need them.
Pricing, transfers & official sourcesFull feature comparison8 topics, including devices and offline access
Bizzabo supports the broader conference experience, including registration, agendas and attendee engagement. Seat Maker addresses the room-and-guest seating portion of that event. Evaluate a dinner planning handoff alongside the conference platform rather than comparing the full event operating budget to a seating tool.
| What matters | Seat Maker | Bizzabo |
|---|---|---|
| Planning focus | Named guests, individual seats and a practical room plan. | Run and measure a portfolio of events through registration, experiences, attendee engagement and reporting. Source ↗ |
| Guest and planning tools | Import names, arrange individual seats, lock VIP seats and shuffle other guests. | Custom registration and event websites/agendas. Mobile app and automated event communications Source ↗ |
| Layouts and handoff | Room layout tools and native image/PDF exports. Browser tools include drafts, signs and place cards. | Networking and Klik wearable technology options. Sponsor/exhibitor/speaker workflows and analytics Source ↗ |
| Access and devices | iPhone/iPad app, free browser tools and a paid online planner. Features vary by surface. | Online event platform with attendee app and onsite options. Source ↗ |
| Offline work | Saved native seating plans can be edited offline. Online RSVPs, sync and published websites require internet. | Confirm any offline onsite operations separately from seating edits. Source ↗ |
| Price and access terms | Free browser tools. Paid online access and separate native upgrades. Review the complete offer before purchase. | Official pricing lists Event Experience OS starting at $17,999/year, billed annually with a 3-user minimum. Source ↗ |
| Moving your data | Review a guest-list import. Rebuild room geometry and rules separately. Later updates need reconciliation. | Keep registration and attendee operations in Bizzabo. Source ↗ |
| A reason to choose it | You want to work directly on guests and seats, and keep a local native plan for offline venue edits. | Your conference needs registration, attendee engagement, sponsor workflows or wearable technology. Source ↗ |
Plans & pricingWhat is free, what is paid and what expires
Seat Maker
Start with account-free browser planning tools and an editable local draft. The full online planner requires paid access. Native upgrades have separate in-app offers.
Checkout shows the current currency, renewal period and total before purchase.
View online access options →Bizzabo
Official pricing lists Event Experience OS starting at $17,999/year, billed annually with a 3-user minimum. Premium capabilities and onsite products may be additional.
Official plan terms ↗Reviewed October 21, 2026. Confirm editors, exports, tax, renewal and access expiry for your region. A suite’s fee covers more than seating.
Bring your guest listImport, rebuild and review
Keep registration and attendee operations in Bizzabo. Export the approved dinner attendee subset and reconcile cancellations before seating them in a separate room plan.
- 1Keep an originalSave the source list and a dated visual plan.
- 2Test a small importReview names, duplicates, groups and accepted fields.
- 3Rebuild & reconcileCheck capacities, fixed seats and unassigned people.
A PDF is a visual reference, not an editable room transfer. A CSV snapshot does not create live sync; choose where future changes will be maintained.
Try Seat Maker’s guest-list import →When Bizzabo makes senseIts strengths and documented workflow
Your conference needs registration, attendee engagement, sponsor workflows or wearable technology.
- Custom registration and event websites/agendas
- Mobile app and automated event communications
- Networking and Klik wearable technology options
- Sponsor/exhibitor/speaker workflows and analytics
Run and measure a portfolio of events through registration, experiences, attendee engagement and reporting.
Editorial workflow illustration from Bizzabo’s official documentation. Official positioning: “The intelligence behind every great event”.
Try a realistic sample120 fictional guests · downloadable CSV
Start with 120 fictional guests, 12 four-person families and four fixed VIPs in 16 eight-seat tables. Cancel Guests 105–108, add Guests 121–124, move Guests 117–120 into the four vacated seats and remove Table 16. The final plan has 120 guests and 120 seats. Keep families together, Guests 053 and 061 apart, and Guests 049–052 in their fixed seats.
Review imported names before setting groups and locks. Extra CSV fields may need manual mapping. This is a reproducible exercise, not a completed competitor benchmark.
Sources & comparison methodOfficial references · reviewed October 21, 2026
Seat Maker publishes this comparison. Recommendations are editorial judgments. Competitor features and prices come from official product, help and pricing materials reviewed October 21, 2026; no paid-account or timed head-to-head benchmark was performed.
- Bizzabo: product & workflow ↗bizzabo.com
- Bizzabo: official reference 2 ↗bizzabo.com
Native images are Seat Maker v3.2.2 on iPhone 17 Pro; browser images are actual tool captures. Names are fictional. No competitor interface has been recreated.
Suggest a correction →Quick answers.
When should I keep Bizzabo?
Your conference needs registration, attendee engagement, sponsor workflows or wearable technology.
Can I move my Bizzabo plan into Seat Maker?
Keep registration and attendee operations in Bizzabo. Export the approved dinner attendee subset and reconcile cancellations before seating them in a separate room plan.
Can I try Seat Maker before buying?
Yes. The public browser planning tools accept your own names and save a local draft without an account. The full online planner and native app upgrades have separate purchase terms.
What should I check about Bizzabo’s price?
Official pricing lists Event Experience OS starting at $17,999/year, billed annually with a 3-user minimum. Premium capabilities and onsite products may be additional.
Can I edit my plan without Wi-Fi?
Seat Maker’s saved native seating plans support local offline edits. Account sync, online RSVPs and published websites require internet. For Bizzabo: Confirm any offline onsite operations separately from seating edits.
Make your seating plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.