Here is the honest answer before the detail: an app for your conference, trade show, festival or corporate event costs from $36 a month with a no-code event app builder, $1,000 to $20,000 a year on platforms built only for events, and $10,000 to $100,000 and more once an agency writes code for you. The right question is not just the subscription line, though. It is what happens per attendee, per edition, and above all per ticket sold. This guide gives every number a date, because prices move: everything below was verified on August 13, 2026.
The three ways to get an event app, and what each really costs
| Option | Advertised price | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| No-code app builder (GoodBarber) | $36 to $135 per month, all-inclusive | native iOS and Android from the $70 tier |
| Event-only platforms | $1,000 to $20,000 per year, often priced per event or per attendee | pricing behind a demo call, fees on registrations |
| Custom development by an agency | $10,000 to $100,000 and more | GoodBarber's benchmark: a no-code build runs about one tenth of a custom one |
Behind that table sit three very different pricing logics.
No-code builders charge a flat subscription. You assemble the app yourself from ready-made sections (agenda, speakers, maps, push notifications, live video), and the subscription covers hosting, database, security updates and store republishing. There is nothing to install and no separate infrastructure bill.
Event-only platforms price by the event, the attendee, or both. The event-tech vendors themselves put platform pricing between $1,000 and $20,000 a year, with enterprise contracts beyond $50,000, and most of them only reveal the exact figure after a demo call. At the accessible end of that market, one event app platform advertises plans from $399 per year for a single app (checked August 13, 2026). These tools are deep on registration workflows; you pay for that depth whether or not your event needs it, and the meter often restarts at the next edition.
Custom development is a different sport. An agency sells you a project, not a subscription, and every later change is billed again. It is the right path for requirements no builder covers, and oversized for the agenda, speakers, networking and communication needs of most events.
GoodBarber's real price list for an event app
The prices below come straight from GoodBarber's public pricing API, in US dollars, as of August 13, 2026. Full details on the pricing page.
| Plan | Monthly | Yearly | What it means for an event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | $36 | $360 | a Progressive Web App: your event app in any browser, installable on the phone, no app stores needed |
| Premium | $70 | $660 | native iOS and Android apps on the App Store and Google Play, 30,000 push notifications per month |
| Pro | $135 | $1,260 | unlimited extensions and team seats, 250,000 push notifications per month |
Two details matter in practice. Yearly billing works out to roughly ten monthly payments, so a committed organizer saves about two months a year. And the Pro tier has a one-time option ($4,600, ten years): rarely the first choice, but worth knowing for an institution that plans long term.
If you want to see how the sections map to a real program (multi-session agendas, speaker profiles, attendee chat, live streaming), the event app builder page walks through them one by one, and this step-by-step guide to creating an event app covers the build itself.
The costs no pricing page shows
Whatever platform you pick, two fees come from Apple and Google, not from your vendor.
- Apple Developer Program: $99 per year. Required to publish a native iOS app under your event's own name.
- Google Play Console: $25, one time. Required to publish on Android.
Then count the human side: someone has to load the first agenda and keep it alive. With a no-code builder that person is a member of your team with a browser, not a developer. That is the real saving, and it is why you should judge a platform on how easy the weekly update feels, not only on the subscription line. If you want the generic version of this math, here is what an app costs to build without coding.
Ticketing and registration: the line that decides your real cost
For most events, the biggest number in this budget is not the app. It is the ticketing line. Per-ticket fees apply on every sale, on every platform; on a few thousand paid registrations, a percentage point weighs far more than $70 of subscription.
The pattern that works: your app can point a section straight at the web ticketing you already use. Keep Eventbrite, your own ticketing page or your venue's system exactly as they are, and open that page inside the app. Buyers keep a checkout they already trust, your accounting does not change, and the fees stay those of your ticketing provider, not a second layer on top. GoodBarber supports this natively: any web-based ticketing page can become a section of the app.
This setup has a second advantage: a purchase completed on your ticketing provider's web page is processed by that provider, outside the app stores' in-app purchase system, so the stores' commission never enters the equation.
One-off event or annual edition: does the app die after D-day?
This is the question event-only platforms price around, and it deserves a plain answer.
- For a one-off event, a monthly subscription is the honest format: build on the Standard plan at $36, run the event, stop when you are done. No annual contract for a three-day gathering.
- For a recurring event, the app becomes an asset. Content updates are instant, so next edition's program replaces last edition's in place, and your attendees keep the same app on their phones year after year. Push notifications reopen the conversation when ticket sales start again: no re-download, no new audience to rebuild.
How to keep the total predictable
- Start with the PWA plan if you are unsure. For $36 a month your app runs in every phone's browser. Move to native apps ($70) when your audience asks for the stores or you need push notifications at scale.
- Count the all-inclusive line, not the sticker price. Hosting, database, updates, security and store republishing are inside GoodBarber's subscription. On platforms that price per event, per attendee or per module, add every line before you compare.
- Route ticket sales through your existing provider's web page, as described above, and compare providers on per-ticket fees, not on app fees.
- Test before you pay. GoodBarber's trial runs 30 days, free, no credit card: long enough to build the real app, not just a demo.
FAQ
How much does an event app cost per month?
Between $36 and $135 per month with GoodBarber, depending on the plan, everything included (verified August 13, 2026). Event-only platforms typically run $1,000 to $20,000 per year, often priced per event or per attendee, with exact figures given after a demo call.
How much does a conference app cost?
The same grid applies: from $36 a month with a no-code builder for a PWA, $70 for native iOS and Android apps. A conference mostly needs a multi-session agenda, speaker profiles, room maps and push notifications, which are standard sections rather than paid modules with this model.
Is there a free event app builder?
Free trials exist; free event apps at scale rarely do. Entry-level event platforms advertise from $399 per year per app, and free tiers cap installs or attendees quickly. A 30-day free trial is a different thing: it costs nothing because it is time-limited, not because fees fund it elsewhere.
What do Apple and Google charge on top?
$99 per year for the Apple Developer Program and $25 once for Google Play, whichever platform builds your app. A PWA (GoodBarber's $36 plan) avoids both, because it lives in the browser instead of the stores.
Can I reuse my event app for the next edition?
Yes, and that is where the subscription model pays off: content updates are instant, the app stays on your attendees' phones between editions, and push notifications relaunch the conversation when the next program goes live. Nothing is rebuilt, nothing is resubmitted from scratch.
Why do you need an event check-in app?
Because the entrance line is where first impressions form. A check-in flow in your event app, or a link to your registration provider's check-in tool, shortens the queue and gives you live attendance numbers instead of a headcount at the end of the day.