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SocianaSociana vs Swapcard: an honest comparison for exhibitions & trade shows
Swapcard is an AI-powered networking and exhibitor platform for trade shows and associations, priced by per-user licence tiers.
Pick Swapcard for large trade shows and associations where exhibitor ROI and AI matchmaking drive the budget. Pick Sociana for a 20 to 200 stall fraternity expo that needs exhibitor scans, hospitality and games in one rupee-priced app.
Who should pick which
Choosing between Swapcard and Sociana
Pick Swapcard when
You want Swapcard
- large trade shows and associations where exhibitor ROI and AI matchmaking drive the budget
- organisers who need documented security attestations and hardware for onsite scanning
Pick Sociana when
You need what Swapcard is not built for
- a 20 to 200 stall fraternity expo that needs exhibitor scans, hospitality and games in one rupee-priced app
- closed corporate or wedding audiences where per-user pricing penalises scale
Feature by feature
Sociana vs Swapcard, row by row
Checked on 19 Oct 2026 against public sources. Each row links to the page it was read from.
Found a wrong cell? Report a correction and we will fix it or reply within 5 working days.
| Capability | Swapcard | Sociana | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Login: phone or email OTP, employee code, delegate PIN | ◐ Partial | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| WhatsApp OTP, invites and campaign templates | ◐ PartialSherlock, the AI attendee assistant, can be reached on WhatsApp under the organiser's brand. WhatsApp invites and OTP login are not described. | ✓ Yes | source, 24 Oct 2026 |
| Agenda with personal schedule and Live / Up Next | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Social feed, reactions, photo wall and moderation | ◐ Partial | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| AI face-match photo finder | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| 1:1 chat with accept step and group chat | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Push, in-app and scheduled announcements by group | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Live polls, quizzes and session feedback | ✓ Yes | ✓ YesWord clouds are Custom: built per occasion | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| No-login public voting with venue-screen display | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Games library: bingo, trivia and puzzles | ◐ Partial | ✓ YesBranded games (KBC-style quiz and similar) are Custom: built to order | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Unified leaderboard with team boards | ◐ Partial | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Wallet points and reward store with QR redemption | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Tournaments, contests and KPI submissions with approvals | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| QR attendance with time windows and repeat limits | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Self check-in and entry pass | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Step and wellness sync via Health Connect and Apple Health | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Per-guest hospitality publishing (My Stay, My Flights, cab, liaison) | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| ID-document, PNR and travel-detail tasks per participant | ✗ NoNot listed on swapcard.com as of 19 Oct 2026. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Tickets, payments and invoices | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Meeting-room or time-slot booking with payment | ◐ PartialMeeting scheduling includes an AI Smart Meeting Generator add-on; payment-gated slots are not described. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Exhibitor stall scanning, notes and stall chat | ✓ YesLead retrieval, lead qualifiers, member roles and approval workflows in the Exhibitor Center. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Delegate directory, contact exchange and meeting schedule | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Multi-occasion or agency app with per-occasion branding | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Group-scoped content, polls, chat and notifications | ◐ Partial | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Organiser in-app tools and mobile dashboards | ◐ Partial | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Reports, exports, webhooks and Sheets | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| AI session summaries with organiser approval | ◐ Partial | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Managed delivery team included | ◐ PartialConsulting, onboarding and integration management arrive on the Enterprise tier. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Branded app on the client's own store listing | ◐ PartialThe white-label app is a priced add-on. | ✓ Yes | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| AI matchmaking | ✓ YesAI matchmaking and the Sherlock assistant are core to the app. | ✗ NoDelegate directory with group rules and chat requests; no AI matchmaking | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| On-site badge printing and kiosk hardware | ✓ YesOnsite check-in and badge printing, plus Swapcard Go hardware. | ✗ No | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Public API and integration marketplace | ✓ YesIntegrations with AMS, CRM, registration and payment systems; exhibitor API. | ✗ NoWebhooks, Google Sheets and Airtable connections; no public API | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Virtual, hybrid and webinar streaming | ✓ YesStreaming and year-round community features. | ◐ PartialLive streaming is available on request | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Security certifications shown publicly (SOC 2, ISO 27001) | ✓ YesSOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022 and PCI DSS v4.0 are listed with a certificate verification link. | ✗ No | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Pricing figures published on the vendor site | ✗ NoThe pricing page shows three tiers and add-ons with dollar placeholders instead of figures. | ◐ Partial"From" prices per package on the pricing page | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Rupee pricing, GST invoicing and UPI | ✗ NoQuote-based with per-user rates; no rupee pricing is shown. | ✓ YesRupee quotes with GST; Razorpay and PhonePe checkout | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Interactive floor plan and booth booking | ✓ YesInteractive floor plan and indoor positioning are listed as add-ons. | ✗ NoVenue maps and floor-plan images; no interactive booth booking | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Free tier or self-serve sign-up | ✗ NoDemo and quote route; no self-serve plan is listed. | ✗ No | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
| Sponsor listings and partner zones | ✓ YesBanner ads and sponsor package tiers in the Exhibitor Center. | ✓ YesSponsor logos, pages and a newsfeed sponsor-ads module (add-on per occasion) | source, 19 Oct 2026 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Sources and dates (5)
- release.swapcard.com/sherlock-on-whatsapp-support-under-your-brand-4lZhAs · checked 24 Oct 2026
- swapcard.com · checked 19 Oct 2026
- swapcard.com/pricing · checked 19 Oct 2026
- swapcard.com/security · checked 19 Oct 2026
- swapcard.com/why-swapcard · checked 19 Oct 2026
Fair is fair
Strengths on each side, said plainly
Where Swapcard is strong
- AI matchmaking, exhibitor tooling and meeting scheduling are the core of the product, built for trade shows and associations.
- One of the most detailed security pages in the category: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022 with a certificate number, PCI DSS v4.0 and an A rating from Security Scorecard.
- Exhibitor Center with lead qualifiers, package tiers and approval workflows, plus the Swapcard Go hardware line.
- Claims 15,000 events supported and 700,000 meetings booked (vendor-reported, 19 Oct 2026).
Where Sociana is weaker
- AI matchmaking. Delegate directory with group rules and chat requests; no AI matchmaking
- On-site badge printing and kiosk hardware. Sociana does not offer this today.
- Public API and integration marketplace. Webhooks, Google Sheets and Airtable connections; no public API
- Security certifications shown publicly (SOC 2, ISO 27001). Sociana does not offer this today.
- Interactive floor plan and booth booking. Venue maps and floor-plan images; no interactive booth booking
- Virtual, hybrid and webinar streaming. Live streaming is available on request
- Pure webinars, venue sourcing and dues-based membership management are not what Sociana is for.
Where Sociana differs
- Sociana builds the exhibitor stall module, the visitor app, hospitality and games into one branded app for 20 to 200 stalls; Swapcard prices attendees and exhibitors per user.
- Sociana publishes per-guest travel and stay; no hospitality module is listed on Swapcard's pages as of 19 Oct 2026.
- Sociana quotes in rupees with GST; Swapcard shows no rupee pricing.
- Sociana ships WhatsApp invites and campaigns inside the app; Swapcard lists none.
Pricing and India
What it costs, and how it bills
- Swapcard pricing
- Quote-only. Starter, Professional and Enterprise tiers are priced as licence fees with per-user rates for attendees and exhibitors, tiered by event size. Add-ons cover extra attendees, white-label app, floor plan, hardware and the AI meeting generator. Price cells show a dollar placeholder rather than a figure. (source, checked 19 Oct 2026)
- Sociana pricing
- Rupee quotes with GST, per occasion or annual programme. See the packages.
- India presence
- Rupee billing: not listed · WhatsApp: listed · An India sales presence is reported; the public site shows no rupee pricing or GST workflow. Its AI assistant is available on WhatsApp (checked 24 Oct 2026).
“Not listed” means we could not find it on the vendor’s pages that day, not that it does not exist. “Not verified” means the row was not checked page by page, so we make no claim either way.
FAQ
Sociana vs Swapcard: questions
When is Swapcard the better choice than Sociana?
Choose Swapcard for large exhibitions and associations where AI matchmaking, exhibitor qualification and onsite hardware drive the plan, and the budget is in US dollars. Choose Sociana for a fraternity or industry expo of about 20 to 200 stalls that also needs hospitality, games and WhatsApp.
Why do organisers look for a Swapcard alternative?
The cited themes are commercial: licence tiers with per-user rates for attendees and exhibitors, add-ons for white-label app, floor plan and lead capture, and price cells that show placeholders instead of figures. Some Indian organisers also want rupee billing and WhatsApp, which the site does not list as of 19 Oct 2026.
How do the pricing models compare?
Swapcard prices a licence plus per-user rates, tiered by event size, with add-ons. Sociana prices one occasion by scope and includes the exhibitor module, visitor app and delivery team. Neither can be called cheaper without a like-for-like scenario of attendees, exhibitors and days.
Does Swapcard suit Indian exhibitions?
It is used by trade-show organisers worldwide. For an Indian show, check rupee pricing, GST invoicing, UPI payments and WhatsApp for visitor invites, none of which the public site lists as of 19 Oct 2026. Sociana's Bengaluru wedding fraternity meet-up ran exhibitors, tickets and delegates in one app.
Can exhibitor leads from Sociana go to my CRM?
Yes. Leads, notes and the scan log export to any CRM through Google Sheets, Airtable or webhooks. Sociana does not offer a native Salesforce or HubSpot sync, lead qualification scoring or an interactive floor plan today, which are areas where Swapcard is ahead.
Disclosure. Published by Sociana, which sells a competing event platform and is not affiliated with the Swapcard or its owner. Other product names are trademarks of their owners. Facts were checked against public vendor pages on 19 Oct 2026. Spot an error? Report a correction or email hello@sociana.in; we correct or reply within 5 working days.
Not sure Swapcard or Sociana fits?
Tell us the event, the guests and the date. We will say plainly whether Sociana is the right tool, and point you elsewhere if it is not.