Seat MakervsWhovaEvent operations
Seat Maker vs Whova for Seating and Guest Planning
Use Seat Maker for the banquet room: import names, place each guest and keep a saved native plan for offline changes.
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 | Whova |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Guest seats & room changes | Attendee app, networking & registration |
| Tools | VIP locks, shuffle & undo | Event app with personalized agendas and networking |
| Offline edits | Saved native plans on iPhone & iPad | Not verified in reviewed sources |
| Price | Free browser tools; paid online access & native upgrades | Request a custom 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
Whova combines registration, attendee networking, agendas and onsite tools. Seat Maker addresses arranging tables and named guests for a room within the event. If your conference already runs on Whova, a seating tool can support the dinner without replacing the attendee experience.
| What matters | Seat Maker | Whova |
|---|---|---|
| Planning focus | Named guests, individual seats and a practical room plan. | Combine event administration with attendee engagement, networking and sponsor value. Source ↗ |
| Guest and planning tools | Import names, arrange individual seats, lock VIP seats and shuffle other guests. | Event app with personalized agendas and networking. Registration and ticketing with configurable ticket options Source ↗ |
| Layouts and handoff | Room layout tools and native image/PDF exports. Browser tools include drafts, signs and place cards. | Check-in, badge generation, surveys and certificates. Exhibitor/sponsor profiles and lead retrieval 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. Source ↗ |
| Offline work | Saved native seating plans can be edited offline. Online RSVPs, sync and published websites require internet. | Verify onsite offline tasks with Whova; no offline seating capability is established here. Source ↗ |
| Price and access terms | Free browser tools. Paid online access and separate native upgrades. Review the complete offer before purchase. | Official pricing requests a custom quote; a 20-minute one-to-one demo can provide a trial. Source ↗ |
| Moving your data | Review a guest-list import. Rebuild room geometry and rules separately. Later updates need reconciliation. | Export the relevant attendee subset with approval. 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 need the conference app, networking, speaker or exhibitor information and event-day 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 →Whova
Official pricing requests a custom quote; a 20-minute one-to-one demo can provide a trial. No current numeric price verified.
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
Export the relevant attendee subset with approval. Keep registration and networking data in Whova and reconcile the dinner count before importing names for seating.
- 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 Whova makes senseIts strengths and documented workflow
You need the conference app, networking, speaker or exhibitor information and event-day operations.
- Event app with personalized agendas and networking
- Registration and ticketing with configurable ticket options
- Check-in, badge generation, surveys and certificates
- Exhibitor/sponsor profiles and lead retrieval
Combine event administration with attendee engagement, networking and sponsor value.
Editorial workflow illustration from Whova’s official documentation. Official positioning: “All-in-one Event Management Platform”.
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.
- Whova: product & workflow ↗whova.com
- Whova: official reference 2 ↗whova.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 Whova?
You need the conference app, networking, speaker or exhibitor information and event-day operations.
Can I move my Whova plan into Seat Maker?
Export the relevant attendee subset with approval. Keep registration and networking data in Whova and reconcile the dinner count before importing names for seating.
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 Whova’s price?
Official pricing requests a custom quote; a 20-minute one-to-one demo can provide a trial. No current numeric price verified.
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 Whova: Verify onsite offline tasks with Whova; no offline seating capability is established here.
Make your seating plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.