Grip specialises in matchmaking and hosted-buyer meetings; Swapcard is a wider event app with exhibitor tools. Choose Grip if meetings are the product, Swapcard if the whole attendee experience is.
At a glance
Facts as of 19 Oct 2026; publisher: Sociana. Grip: London, UK (Intros.at Ltd). Swapcard: Paris, France. “Not listed” means not found on the vendor’s site that day.
What each is best at
Grip
- Reported scale in meetings and events, including Informa, Clarion and Messe Frankfurt. (source)
Swapcard
- AI matchmaking, exhibitor tooling and meeting scheduling are the core of the product, built for trade shows and associations. (source)
Comparison table: 12 rows
| Dimension | Grip | Swapcard |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Quote-only: the /pricing path returned 404 in our check, so no figures are published. (source) | Quote-only. (source) |
| Attendee app | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) | Platforms: iOS, Android, Web. (source) |
| Networking | Matchmaking is the core product. (source) | Yes: listed on swapcard.com; no detail recorded (checked 19 Oct 2026). and the Sherlock assistant are core to the app. (source) |
| Gamification | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) | Partly: listed on swapcard.com; no detail recorded (checked 19 Oct 2026). (source) |
| Hospitality | Not listed on grip.events as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) | Not listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Check-in | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) | Yes: Onsite check-in and badge printing, plus Swapcard Go hardware. (source) |
| Polls | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) | Yes: listed on swapcard.com; no detail recorded (checked 19 Oct 2026). (source) |
| Exhibitors | A hosted-buyer calculator is published. (source) | Yes: Lead retrieval, lead qualifiers, member roles and approval workflows in the Exhibitor Center. (source) |
| Rupee billing | Not verified: no India pricing or support-hours page was found. (source) | No rupee billing was found. (source) |
| Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) | Partly: Sherlock, the AI attendee assistant, can be reached on WhatsApp under the organiser’s brand. WhatsApp invites and OTP login are not described. Checked 24 Oct 2026. (source) | |
| Support model | A weekly group demo and recorded demos are offered. (source) | Managed or account support: Consulting, onboarding and integration management arrive on the Enterprise tier. (source) |
| Status and ownership | Operated by Intros.at Ltd, London. (source) | Swapcard was named a G2 Fall 2026 Leader in its mid-market category and introduced the Sherlock AI assistant in Dec 2025. (source) |
Grip vs Swapcard pricing
Budget lens: Grip quotes on request; Swapcard quotes on request. No like-for-like total has been run.
Where they differ
- Attendee app: only Swapcard lists it (Platforms: iOS, Android, Web); Grip shows nothing we could confirm.
- Gamification: only Swapcard lists it; Grip shows nothing we could confirm.
- Check-in: only Swapcard lists it (Yes: Onsite check-in and badge printing, plus Swapcard Go hardware); Grip shows nothing we could confirm.
- Polls: only Swapcard lists it; Grip shows nothing we could confirm.
- WhatsApp: only Swapcard lists it (partly); Grip was not verified.
- Both list: networking, exhibitors, managed support.
- Neither confirmed on the pages we read: hospitality.
- Not verified for at least one of them: attendee app, gamification, check-in, polls, rupee billing, WhatsApp.
Who should choose which
Choose Grip for exhibition and conference organisers who want AI matchmaking and hosted-buyer meetings. No single row on public pages separates it from Swapcard.
Choose Swapcard when your brief leans on attendee app, gamification, check-in, polls, WhatsApp (partly), where Grip showed nothing we could confirm.
Where Sociana fits
Sociana is our product. We are closer to Swapcard’s app scope than Grip’s, but smaller: a delegate directory, stall lead capture and My Stay and pickups for Indian occasions, with no AI matching.
FAQ
How do Grip and Swapcard pricing compare?
They differ in shape before size. Grip: quote-only. Swapcard: quote-only. Checked 19 Oct 2026; compare quotes on one scenario.
Who is Grip for, and who is Swapcard for?
Grip: exhibition and conference organisers who want AI matchmaking and hosted-buyer meetings. Swapcard: large trade shows and associations where exhibitor ROI and AI matchmaking drive the budget. Public pages differ most on attendee app.
Do Grip or Swapcard support rupee billing, GST invoices and WhatsApp?
Grip was not verified for rupee billing and was not verified for WhatsApp; Swapcard shows no rupee billing and documents WhatsApp messaging in part. GST invoicing could not be confirmed from public pages.
What do people use instead of Grip and Swapcard?
See Swapcard alternatives, or Best exhibition apps in India.
Sources and disclosure
Publisher: Sociana, a competing vendor unaffiliated with Grip or Swapcard; both names belong to their owners. Corrections: report a correction or email hello@sociana.in; we correct or reply within five working days.