Seat MakervsStovaEvent operations
Seat Maker vs Stova for Seating Planning
Use Seat Maker for the room’s guest assignments and local native edits while your event platform handles wider operations.
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 | Stova |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Guest seats & room changes | Registration, meetings & event operations |
| Tools | VIP locks, shuffle & undo | Registration workflows with attendee-type rules, group bookings and waitlists |
| Offline edits | Saved native plans on iPhone & iPad | Not verified in reviewed sources |
| Price | Free browser tools; paid online access & native upgrades | Request a module-specific quote |
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
Stova covers registration, meeting operations and attendee technology. Seat Maker addresses the room and seating handoff when those wider functions are already handled. The comparison is deliberately scoped: moving a table plan does not move registration rules, sourcing or event intelligence.
| What matters | Seat Maker | Stova |
|---|---|---|
| Planning focus | Named guests, individual seats and a practical room plan. | Connect event planning, attendee experience, engagement and measurement across an event program. Source ↗ |
| Guest and planning tools | Import names, arrange individual seats, lock VIP seats and shuffle other guests. | Registration workflows with attendee-type rules, group bookings and waitlists. Strategic meetings, sourcing and budget management Source ↗ |
| Layouts and handoff | Room layout tools and native image/PDF exports. Browser tools include drafts, signs and place cards. | Mobile/on-site services and access control. Event intelligence/reporting and networking modules Source ↗ |
| Access and devices | iPhone/iPad app, free browser tools and a paid online planner. Features vary by surface. | Event technology suite; verify the relevant module and device requirements. Source ↗ |
| Offline work | Saved native seating plans can be edited offline. Online RSVPs, sync and published websites require internet. | Confirm offline onsite functionality directly for the module you use. Source ↗ |
| Price and access terms | Free browser tools. Paid online access and separate native upgrades. Review the complete offer before purchase. | Request a current quote for the modules and event volume you need. Source ↗ |
| Moving your data | Review a guest-list import. Rebuild room geometry and rules separately. Later updates need reconciliation. | Keep the event system and operational history in Stova. 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. | You depend on integrated registration, strategic meetings or onsite attendee operations. 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 →Stova
Request a current quote for the modules and event volume you need. A reliable public price was not established, so no numerical price comparison is made.
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 the event system and operational history in Stova. Confirm guest export permissions, take only the seated-function attendee list and rebuild the room independently.
- 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 Stova makes senseIts strengths and documented workflow
You depend on integrated registration, strategic meetings or onsite attendee operations.
- Registration workflows with attendee-type rules, group bookings and waitlists
- Strategic meetings, sourcing and budget management
- Mobile/on-site services and access control
- Event intelligence/reporting and networking modules
Connect event planning, attendee experience, engagement and measurement across an event program.
Editorial workflow illustration from Stova’s official documentation. Official positioning: “Powering the Full Event Lifecycle”.
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.
- Stova: product & workflow ↗stova.io
- Stova: official reference 2 ↗stova.io
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 Stova?
You depend on integrated registration, strategic meetings or onsite attendee operations.
Can I move my Stova plan into Seat Maker?
Keep the event system and operational history in Stova. Confirm guest export permissions, take only the seated-function attendee list and rebuild the room independently.
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 Stova’s price?
Request a current quote for the modules and event volume you need. A reliable public price was not established, so no numerical price comparison is made.
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 Stova: Confirm offline onsite functionality directly for the module you use.
Make your seating plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.