---
title: "Event software for nonprofit and association conferences (2026): 9 options compared"
description: "Nine tools an association or nonprofit can run its annual conference on, with each price, nonprofit discount and member-rate option checked on the vendor's own page on Nov 3, 2026."
canonical: "https://agendaforge.app/blog/nonprofit-and-association-conference-software"
last-updated: 2026-11-03
---
# Event software for nonprofit and association conferences (2026): 9 options compared
> Nine tools an association or nonprofit can run its annual conference on, with each price, nonprofit discount and member-rate option checked on the vendor's own page on Nov 3, 2026.
Canonical page: https://agendaforge.app/blog/nonprofit-and-association-conference-software
Last reviewed or updated: 2026-11-03
Content type: article

Author: The AgendaForge team
Published: 2026-11-03

## Key takeaways

- For an association or nonprofit annual conference (members, a call for papers, sessions, sponsors, member-rate tickets), the nine options here split three ways: association platforms tied to a member database (Fonteva, Cvent with its Membership Management product), academic conference tools (Oxford Abstracts, Fourwaves, Ex Ordo), and general conference or registration platforms (Whova, Swoogo, Eventbrite, AgendaForge).
- Only two of the nine vendor pages checked on November 3, 2026 state a nonprofit offer: Cvent says it extends 'special rates to non-profit organizations' (no figure), and Eventbrite offers discounted fees on donation tickets and 50% off its Pro plans for qualifying nonprofits. The others state none on the pages we read.
- Five publish a price: Oxford Abstracts (free Basic, then $890, $2,290 or $3,450 per event), Fourwaves ($0, $999 or $2,599 a year), Swoogo (USD $11,800 a year for Professional), Eventbrite (3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket, free events free) and AgendaForge ($2,000 or $4,000 per event). Cvent, Whova, Fonteva and Ex Ordo route to a quote.
- Free software exists, but narrowly: Eventbrite for free-ticket events, Fourwaves Starter (25 abstract submissions a year, 3% card fee) and Oxford Abstracts Basic. None of them runs a paid, reviewed annual meeting end to end for nothing.
- Fundraising tools such as GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) are built for donations, galas and campaigns. This guide covers software for running the conference itself.

## Where AgendaForge stands

- A published price: $2,000 per event for Core and $4,000 per event for Pro, on the pricing page. There is no nonprofit discount. Founding partners pay $1,500 and $3,000 and keep that rate for their future events.
- Member rates without a member database: a hidden Member ticket type that only appears when someone enters an access code, discount codes in percent or a fixed amount, and personal codes tied to one contact. On Pro, sell by request lets you approve each buyer (for example, after checking membership) before they pay.
- The program side is in the plan: a call for papers with one-question-at-a-time forms, blind review rounds with rubrics and outside reviewers, and a drag and drop agenda with tracks, rooms and clash flags.
- Speakers and sponsors on one contact record that carries across years: a speaker portal with tasks and file requests, sponsor tiers and intake forms, and email to any selection of contacts with every send logged.
- Ticket money goes to your own Stripe account. No platform fee on the first 250 paid tickets (Core) or 1,000 (Pro), then 1% capped at $20 a ticket. Free tickets and comps never count.
- Where it stops: no membership database, dues or renewals, no association management system integration, no native attendee app, no proceedings, no invoicing or pay-by-check, no free tier and no self-serve trial.

If you run an association, society or nonprofit and your big event is an **annual conference or
meeting** (members, a call for papers or abstracts, sessions, sponsors, member and non-member
tickets, a small staff and a board watching the budget), there are three kinds of software to
choose from:

- **Association platforms** that keep members, dues and events in one database: **Fonteva**
  (built on Salesforce) and **Cvent** (with its Membership Management product).
- **Academic conference tools** built around abstracts and peer review: **Oxford Abstracts**,
  **Fourwaves** and **Ex Ordo**.
- **General conference and registration platforms**: **Whova**, **Swoogo**, **Eventbrite** and
  **AgendaForge**.

Only **Cvent** and **Eventbrite** state a nonprofit offer on their own pages. Five of the nine
publish a price.

Every vendor fact below was read on the vendor's own site on **November 3, 2026**. Nothing comes
from a directory, a review site or memory. Where a page did not say something, we say "not stated"
rather than guess.

Disclosure: we build AgendaForge, one of the nine. Its row uses the same columns as everyone
else's, and its section says where it stops.

**What this guide does not cover.** Fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe Pro (the new name for
Classy) describe themselves as nonprofit online fundraising platforms. They are built for donations,
campaigns and galas. If your event is a benefit dinner, start there. If it is a conference with a
program, read on.

## The nine options at a glance

| Tool | Built for | Published price, as shown | Nonprofit offer on its own page | Member-rate tickets | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Cvent** | Enterprise events, with an association membership product | None. "Get pricing" form | "Special rates to non-profit organizations", no figure | Yes, through Membership Management ("New members can instantly receive member rates") | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Whova** | Conferences, associations, trade shows | None. "Price Quote Request" form | Not stated | "Exclusive and private to only members or invited individuals" | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Fonteva** | Associations, on Salesforce | None. Events: "One predictable fee per organization per year" | Not stated | Not stated on the Events page | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Oxford Abstracts** | Academic event organisers | Basic free; $890, $2,290 or $3,450 per event. Registration 2.5% of revenue, capped | Not stated | "Adjustable ticket types, coupons & add-ons" | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Fourwaves** | Academic conferences and scientific societies | $0, $999 or $2,599 per year (10% off multi-year). Pro custom. 3% card fee | Not stated | Not stated | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Ex Ordo** | Scientific, medical and technical events | None. "Get a Price" form | Not stated | Not stated | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Swoogo** | Event registration and websites | Professional "USD $11,800/year" (estimate by team size). Enterprise: talk to sales | Not stated | Not stated on the pricing page | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **Eventbrite** | Ticketing and discovery | 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket, plus 2.9% processing per order. Free events free | Discounted fees on donation tickets; 50% off Pro plans for qualifying nonprofits | Not covered here | Nov 3, 2026 |
| **AgendaForge** | Conferences with a reviewed program | $2,000 (Core) or $4,000 (Pro) per event. 1% per paid ticket after 250 or 1,000, capped at $20 | None | Hidden ticket types revealed by access codes; discount and personal codes; approve-first on Pro | Nov 3, 2026 |

"Not stated" describes the page we read, not the product. A vendor may support member pricing or
offer a nonprofit rate on request without saying so on its marketing site.

## Cvent

Cvent is the enterprise option, and it is the one in this list with a dedicated association
membership product. Its [Membership Management page](https://www.cvent.com/en/event-management-software/membership-management-software)
says you can "collect membership sign-ups and renewals during event registration", that "new members
can instantly receive member rates", and that "membership and registration fees can be collected in
one simple transaction". It also lists multiple membership types and pro-rated dues by join date.

For the program, Cvent's [Abstract Management](https://www.cvent.com/en/event-marketing-management/abstract-management-software)
lets you assign submissions to reviewers "by track, topic, or expertise" and "create sessions
directly from accepted submissions and publish them into the event agenda".

**Price:** the [pricing page](https://www.cvent.com/en/event-management-software/cvent-pricing)
shows Professional and Enterprise plans with no figures, only "Get pricing". It also says: "Cvent is
proud to extend special rates to non-profit organizations." It does not say how much.

**Fits:** larger associations that want registration, membership and onsite tools from one vendor
and have the staff to configure it.

## Whova

Whova describes itself as "best for conferences, associations, trade shows and events". Its
[registration page](https://whova.com/event-registration-software/) covers ticket types with
early-bird pricing, discount codes, group tickets, and tickets you can make "exclusive and private to
only members or invited individuals". It lists MemberClicks among the systems it connects to, and
supports offline payment by check, cash or wire.

Its [abstract management](https://whova.com/abstract-management/) supports single or double blind
review and says accepted submissions sync "directly to your event agenda". Its homepage leads with
its attendee event app, with personalized agendas, live polls and messaging.

**Price:** the [pricing page](https://whova.com/pricing/) shows no price, only a quote form that
asks about format, length, attendee count and events per year. No nonprofit rate is mentioned.

**Fits:** associations that want an attendee app and an all-in-one package and are fine with a quote.

## Fonteva

Fonteva is an association management system "built on Salesforce and designed especially for
membership organizations". [Fonteva Events](https://fonteva.com/events/) is listed as its own
product, "100% Native to Salesforce", with configurable registration, an agenda builder, and speaker
and sponsor management. Its [membership product](https://fonteva.com/membership-software/) handles
join and renew workflows.

The Events page does not mention member pricing, abstracts or a call for papers. Since the member
record lives in Salesforce, member pricing is likely the point of the product, but confirm it, and
confirm how abstracts would be handled, in a demo.

**Price:** no figures. Fonteva Events describes "One predictable fee per organization per year" plus
a "One-Time Implementation Cost". The membership page describes "a single, predictable fee per user,
per year".

**Fits:** associations already on Salesforce, or ready to move their member database there.

## Oxford Abstracts

Oxford Abstracts calls itself "software purpose-built for academic event organisers". Its named
customers include the Econometric Society and Parkinson's UK. It covers submission, review, decisions, a program
builder and ticketing with "adjustable ticket types, coupons & add-ons" through Stripe and PayPal.

**Price:** the [pricing page](https://oxfordabstracts.com/pricing/) lists Basic (free), Abstract
management ($890), Standard conference ($2,290) and Professional conference ($3,450), each a one-off
cost per event. Delegate registration is available with all packages at 2.5% of revenue, excluding
VAT, capped per event (the page text gives the cap as £3,750). No nonprofit discount is mentioned.
We compare it with Ex Ordo in [Ex Ordo vs Oxford Abstracts](/blog/ex-ordo-vs-oxford-abstracts).

**Fits:** societies whose meeting is built around abstracts, posters and a book of abstracts.

## Fourwaves

Fourwaves is "conference management software for academic conferences", built for "universities,
scientific societies and research networks". It covers abstracts, single and double blind review
with conflict-of-interest detection, registration forms with online payment, a program, a website
and a free conference app.

**Price:** the [pricing page](https://fourwaves.com/pricing/) shows Starter at $0 a year, Essential
at $999 and Advanced at $2,599 a year, with 10% off on a 2 or 3 year term, and Pro at custom pricing.
A 3% service fee applies to card payments taken through your own gateway, and it can be passed on to
registrants. No nonprofit discount is stated; the page notes its invoicing "is compatible with
university procurement processes".

**Fits:** scientific societies running one or more research meetings a year on a fixed annual budget.

## Ex Ordo

Ex Ordo calls itself "Your Scholarly Events Partner", "designed for scientific, medical, and
technical events". It covers abstracts and peer review, registration with card or bank transfer
payment, a programme and a book of proceedings as add-ons. Several named customers are associations.

**Price:** the [pricing page](https://www.exordo.com/pricing/) shows no figures: "Fill in your
contact details and we'll send you a detailed price." No nonprofit wording.

**Fits:** scholarly societies that need proceedings and bank transfer payment.

## Swoogo

Swoogo is a registration and event website platform. Its
[pricing page](https://swoogo.events/pricing/) shows Professional at "USD $11,800/year", an estimate
for the selected team size, with unlimited events and registrations, a check-in app and attendee
approval workflows. Enterprise is "Talk to Sales". Call for Speakers and mobile event apps are paid
add-ons. The page does not mention nonprofits or associations.

**Fits:** associations running many events a year, where an annual price spreads across all of them.

## Eventbrite

Eventbrite is the familiar ticketing option. Its [pricing page](https://www.eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing/)
shows a "3.7% + $1.79 service fee per ticket" on paid tickets and a "2.9% payment processing fee per
order", with buyers paying fees by default. Free events are free: "Publish unlimited free events at
no cost."

It is the only vendor here with a specific published nonprofit offer. Its pricing FAQ says: "we offer
discounted Ticketing Fees on donation tickets" and "qualifying nonprofits get 50% off our Pro plans"
(Pro is an email marketing add-on). Eventbrite does not run a call for papers or review.

**Fits:** free or simple paid events, or the ticketing half of a conference whose program lives
elsewhere. See [where your ticket money goes](/blog/where-your-ticket-money-goes) for how its fees
compare.

## AgendaForge

AgendaForge runs the conference itself: a call for papers with blind review rounds, the agenda,
the speaker portal, sponsors, the ticket page and check-in, on one contact record that carries from
year to year. It publishes **$2,000 per event** (Core) and **$4,000 per event** (Pro) on
[the pricing page](/pricing). There is **no nonprofit discount**. Founding partners pay $1,500 and
$3,000 and keep that rate.

**Member rates.** There is no membership database here, so AgendaForge cannot check whether a buyer
is a current member. What it does have:

- **Hidden ticket types** that only appear when someone enters an access code. Make a "Member" ticket
  hidden, put the code in your member newsletter, and non-members see only the standard rate.
- **Discount codes**, a percentage or a fixed amount, which can be limited to certain ticket types,
  capped in redemptions and given an expiry date.
- **Personal codes** tied to one contact, and bulk comps that mint one personal code per speaker,
  sponsor contact or other group.
- **Sell by request** (Pro): a ticket type where each buyer sends a request and pays only after you
  approve it, which is one way to check membership by hand first.

Ticket money goes to your own Stripe account (or USDC to your wallet). There is no platform fee on
the first 250 paid tickets on Core or 1,000 on Pro, then 1% capped at $20 a ticket. Free tickets and
comps never count.

**Where it stops:** no dues, renewals or membership records, and no association management system
integration. No native attendee app, no proceedings or book of abstracts, no invoicing or
pay-by-check. No free tier and no self-serve trial; after sign up you book a 25-minute walkthrough.

**Fits:** associations and nonprofits with a reviewed program, speakers and sponsors, that keep
members in another system and want a fixed per-event price.

## How to choose (and what the board will ask)

Start with where your member data lives.

1. **If members, dues and the event must share one record**, you are choosing between association
   platforms (Fonteva, Cvent with Membership Management). Everything else means a member list
   exported from your AMS and a code or approval step at checkout.
2. **If the program is the hard part** (hundreds of abstracts, reviewers, posters, proceedings),
   weigh the academic tools first. Our [abstract management guide](/blog/best-abstract-management-software)
   compares them in depth.
3. **If you need program, speakers, sponsors and tickets together** at a known price, compare the
   general platforms and add the ticket fees to your expected revenue.

Then prepare for the board. These are the questions that come up:

- **"What does it cost all in?"** License, plus the platform's cut of ticket revenue, plus card
  processing. A 2.5% or 3% fee on $80,000 of registrations is $2,000 to $2,400, about the same as a
  license. Our [published pricing comparison](/blog/conference-management-software-with-published-pricing)
  works the arithmetic for one example.
- **"Is it per event or per year?"** One annual meeting usually favours a per-event price. Three or
  more events a year can favour an annual one.
- **"Did we ask for the nonprofit rate?"** Cvent and Eventbrite state one. For everyone else, ask in
  writing; the answer goes in the board pack.
- **"Where does the ticket money sit, and when do we get it?"** Some platforms collect and pay out;
  others charge on your own Stripe or gateway account so the money is yours on day one.
- **"Who owns the member and attendee data, and can we export it?"** Ask for the export format
  before signing.
- **"How many staff logins do we get?"** Per-user pricing (Fonteva's membership model, Swoogo's
  team-size estimate) grows with staff, not attendees.
- **"Can we leave after one year?"** Check term length, renewal pricing and whether multi-year
  discounts lock you in.
## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best event software for a nonprofit or association conference?

It depends on where your member data lives and what the program needs. If members, dues and events must share one database, look at an association platform such as Fonteva (built on Salesforce) or Cvent with its Membership Management product. If the meeting is built around abstracts and peer review, Oxford Abstracts, Fourwaves and Ex Ordo are built for that. If you need a call for papers, sessions, speakers, sponsors and member-rate tickets with a published per-event price, AgendaForge, Whova and Swoogo are the general conference options here.

### Is there free event software for nonprofits?

Yes, with limits. Eventbrite charges no ticketing fees on free events. Fourwaves Starter is $0 a year with 25 abstract submissions a year and a 3% service fee on card payments. Oxford Abstracts Basic is free for abstract management and described as best for small meetings with no budget. None of these covers a paid, reviewed annual conference with sponsors end to end at no cost. We also list free abstract tools in [free abstract management options](/blog/free-abstract-management-options).

### Do event software vendors give nonprofit discounts?

Some do. On November 3, 2026, Cvent's pricing page said it extends special rates to non-profit organizations, without a figure. Eventbrite's pricing FAQ said it discounts ticketing fees on donation tickets and gives qualifying nonprofits 50% off its Pro plans. The pricing pages of Whova, Swoogo, Fourwaves, Oxford Abstracts and Ex Ordo did not mention a nonprofit discount. AgendaForge has no nonprofit discount. A vendor that does not publish one may still negotiate, so ask.

### How do I offer member and non-member ticket prices?

Most conference tools do it with ticket types plus codes. On AgendaForge you create a hidden Member ticket type and an access code that reveals it, then send the code to members; a discount code or a personal code tied to one contact also works. AgendaForge does not check membership against a member database. Platforms that hold the member record (Cvent Membership Management, Fonteva) can price by membership type directly.

### What is the difference between nonprofit event software and fundraising software?

Fundraising platforms such as GoFundMe Pro (formerly Classy) are built around donations, peer-to-peer campaigns and benefit events. Conference software handles a call for papers, review, the agenda, speakers, sponsors, registration and check-in. An association running an annual meeting needs the second; a charity running a gala usually needs the first.

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AgendaForge is an AI-native event-management platform. Public machine-readable index: https://agendaforge.app/api/ai