Comparing Trade Show Lead Capture Apps: The Ultimate Guide for 2025

Comparing Trade Show Lead Capture Apps: The Ultimate Guide for 2025

As in-person marketing becomes more central to pipeline generation, the tools your team uses to capture leads at events matter more than ever. In 2025, high-growth GTM teams are turning away from single-use, show-specific apps and embracing platforms they own—solutions that provide consistency, context, and real-time CRM integration across every event.

This guide breaks down the strengths and limitations of top lead capture platforms, helping you make the right investment for scale, speed, and ROI.

Why the Shift to Owned Lead Capture Is Accelerating

Most event organizers offer their own badge scanning apps—but these are built to support the event, not to optimize your pipeline. Meanwhile, owned platforms like Popl standardize your approach, improve data quality, and dramatically reduce time-to-lead.

Category	Show-Provided	Owned Platform (e.g., Popl)
Scope	Single event only	Works across all events
CRM Sync	Manual, delayed	Real-time sync
Enrichment	Limited or none	AI-powered
Setup Time	Per event	One-time setup
Analytics	Basic counts	Full ROI + rep visibility
Use Cases	Booth-only	Booth + dinners + hallway chats

How the Top 2025 Platforms Compare

Popl

Best for: Enterprise teams needing end-to-end in-person lead generation, enrichment, and automation.

• Universal compatibility (badge, card, QR, manual)

• AI enrichment for complete contact profiles

• Digital business cards included

• Real-time CRM syncing to HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho & more

• Offline-first performance

• Full visibility into team and event ROI

Popl is more than lead capture—it’s the first platform to unify in-person GTM into one cohesive system.

Cvent LeadCapture

Best for: Teams already using Cvent for event logistics and registration.

• Strong badge scanning capabilities

• Deep integration with the Cvent ecosystem

• Best suited for Cvent-managed events

• Requires additional configuration for CRM syncing

• Less flexible for non-booth or non-Cvent scenarios

TL;DR: Cvent is powerful inside its own walls, but lacks the flexibility, enrichment, and day-of usability that modern field teams need across all event types.

Captello

Best for: Organizations that prioritize gamification and engagement activations at their booth.

• Offers customizable games and interactive experiences

• Includes lead capture via badge or manual entry

• CRM integration available (with setup)

• Lead enrichment depends on integrations

• More setup-heavy, with a steeper learning curve for teams

TL;DR: Captello is a fit for booth engagement, but not ideal for scalable, rep-driven lead capture across dinners, activations, and meetings.

Mobly

Best for: Budget-conscious teams focused on basic badge or form capture.

• Simple mobile lead capture tools

• Limited enrichment or CRM sync features

• Minimal setup, but also minimal customization

• Better suited for smaller teams or local activations

TL;DR: Mobly is a starter option, but lacks the depth and automation that enterprise or scaling teams require to maximize event ROI.

Why Popl Is the Platform Built for Modern GTM

Popl is the only solution designed to:

• Capture leads everywhere—not just at the booth

• Standardize your process across events, reps, and formats

• Enrich every contact instantly, so your team can segment and follow up fast

• Sync directly to your CRM without waiting for CSVs or third-party support

• Track team and event ROI with clear dashboards and rep-level data

Whether you're capturing a badge scan, sharing a digital business card, or hosting a private dinner, Popl turns every touchpoint into a pipeline event.

Summary: Feature Comparison

Feature	Popl	Cvent	Captello	Mobly
Universal Lead Capture	✅	❌	⚠️	⚠️
Digital Business Cards	✅	❌	❌	❌
Real-Time CRM Sync	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌
AI Lead Enrichment	✅	❌	⚠️	❌
Works Offline	✅	⚠️	✅	⚠️
Cross-Event Use	✅	❌	✅	⚠️
Advanced Analytics	✅	⚠️	⚠️	❌
Setup Time	⚡ Fast	🐢 Moderate	⚠️ High	✅ Minimal

The Verdict

Most tools in the market solve part of the puzzle—badge scans, booth games, or basic forms. Popl solves the whole thing. It brings together the tools your GTM team needs to capture leads, enrich them instantly, sync to your CRM, and follow up fast—no matter where the conversation happens.

“Popl empowers sales and marketing teams to stop chasing CSVs and start converting real conversations into real revenue.”

See Why GTM Teams Are Standardizing on Popl

Book your demo and discover why teams are switching from legacy tools to a modern lead capture platform that moves at the speed of your team.