Best Captello Alternatives for Trade Show Lead Capture (2026)
Captello puts prize wheels and trivia games in your booth. That works for some teams. But if you’re here, you’ve hit a wall: the pricing is hidden, your team doesn’t need games, or setup eats your whole Sunday night before the show.
Most exhibitors need something simpler. Scan a badge, jot a note, send a follow-up, push it to your CRM.
We tested the best alternatives to Captello so you can find the right fit. Here’s the short version: BoothIQ is the best Captello alternative overall. It’s free to start, uses AI to read any badge or business card, and lets you follow up before you leave the booth. If you need digital business cards, look at Popl. If you’re locked into the Cvent ecosystem, iCapture or Cvent LeadCapture will fit.
| App | Best For | Price | Free Tier | CRM Sync | AI Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BoothIQ | Best overall alternative | Free–$499/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Popl | Digital business cards + NFC | Free–custom | Limited (cards only) | Paid only | Paid only |
| Mobly | Enrichment-focused teams | Annual subscription | No | Yes | No |
| iCapture | Cvent ecosystem users | $8,000+/yr | No | Yes | No |
| Cvent LeadCapture | Cvent users | Per license/event | No | Yes | No |
| CompuLead | CompuSystems shows | Per-event | No | Yes | No |
1. BoothIQ: Best Captello Alternative Overall
BoothIQ is the fastest way to capture leads at trade shows. Point your phone at any badge, business card, or handwritten name tag. AI reads the text and builds a contact in seconds. No QR codes, no badge APIs, no rental scanners.
BoothIQ stands apart from Captello in what happens after the scan. Leave a voice memo about what you talked about. AI turns it into text, writes a summary, and drafts a follow-up email you can review, edit, and send before you walk off the show floor.
For teams, BoothIQ adds event intelligence. After each show, AI reads your team’s notes and conversations. It shows which deals to chase, what buyers care about, and whether the booth was worth the $40,000 you spent on it. No other Captello alternative does this.
Pricing: Free for individuals, including AI enrichment. Teams at $499/mo ($6k/yr) with unlimited seats and events.
Key features:
- AI scanning of any badge, business card, or name tag
- Voice-to-text notes with AI summaries
- Follow-up emails and calendar invites sent from the floor
- Contact enrichment
- CRM sync with HubSpot, Salesforce, and Zoho
- Event intelligence and team reporting
- Claude and ChatGPT via MCP
- Full offline mode
- Native iOS app and web app
Best for: Teams who want to capture leads, follow up fast, and see what their whole team learned. BoothIQ does not have games or booth engagement features. If foot traffic is your biggest problem, Captello fits better.
BoothIQ is a universal lead capture app that integrates with your calendar and CRM, making follow-up and sales a breeze.
2. Popl: Best for Digital Business Cards and NFC
Popl sells NFC cards and QR codes for sharing your own contact info. Lead capture came later and shows it. The scanning works, but the features are thinner than a dedicated lead capture tool.
Pricing: The free tier covers basic digital business cards. Enrichment, CRM sync, and team features need a paid plan. Teams pricing is custom and contract-based. BoothIQ lets you start and stop any time, so you can buy it for one event with no long-term commitment.
Key features:
- NFC digital business cards
- Badge and business card scanning with OCR
- Lead enrichment on paid plans (95% email match rate claimed)
- CRM integrations with Salesforce and HubSpot on paid plans
Best for: Teams who already use digital business cards and want basic lead capture built in. Popl locks enrichment behind paid plans. BoothIQ includes enrichment free.
3. Mobly: Best If You Can Wait for Enrichment
Mobly scans badges and fills in missing emails and company data. It pushes records into your CRM so your reps don’t spend Tuesday morning copy-pasting from spreadsheets.
The downside is speed. Mobly says most leads are enriched “within minutes,” but timing varies by internet, event type, and queue volume. At the latest, all leads are done by end of day. That means you might not have an email address until hours after the conversation. BoothIQ enriches at 93%+ accuracy and the results come back fast enough to send a follow-up from the booth.
Pricing: Annual subscription based on event volume. Contact for pricing.
Key features:
- Badge, business card, and LinkedIn profile scanning
- Data enrichment with 90%+ valid email yield (can take hours)
- CRM sync with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo
- Offline capture with automatic sync
Best for: Teams who prioritize enrichment accuracy and can wait for results. If same-day follow-up matters, BoothIQ is faster.
4. iCapture: Best for the Cvent Ecosystem
iCapture (now owned by Cvent) is an enterprise lead capture tool built for large exhibitors. It plugs into Cvent’s event management platform.
Pricing: Starts at $8,000/year. Badge API kits cost extra per event.
Key features:
- Badge scanning with API kits for major badge providers
- Business card OCR
- Custom qualification forms
- AI lead scoring
- Integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo
Best for: Large companies already using Cvent who have budget for per-show API kits.
5. Cvent LeadCapture: Best If the Event Runs on Cvent
Cvent LeadCapture only works at events where the organizer uses Cvent for registration. If the event runs on a different platform, the app can’t read the badges. You’re paying per event for a tool that only works at some of your events.
Pricing: Per license, per event. Each rep needs their own license. Cvent doesn’t publish pricing. BoothIQ is $499/mo for the whole team with no per-event fees.
Key features:
- Badge scanning synced with Cvent Event Management
- Lead rating and qualification questions
- E-literature delivery from the show floor
- Analytics dashboard
Best for: Event planners already on Cvent who want lead capture in the same platform.
6. CompuLead: Best for CompuSystems Shows
CompuLead is the lead retrieval app from CompuSystems. If your event uses CompuSystems for registration, this is the default pick.
Pricing: Per-event pricing. Varies by show.
Key features:
- One-button badge scanning
- Quick Scan mode for high-volume capture
- Lead scoring and custom surveys
- Real-time lead access via myLeads portal
Best for: Exhibitors at events that use CompuSystems for registration. Useless outside those shows.
What Captello Does Well
Captello is good at one thing: pulling bodies into your booth. At a 50,000-person trade show where your booth is in row ZZ, games work. Prize wheels, trivia, and instant e-gift cards give attendees a reason to stop walking. Captello has over 60 activations. No other app on this list matches that.
Captello also has no device or user limits per event license. Your whole team can run games and capture leads without hitting a cap.
If booth foot traffic is your main problem and you have the budget and setup time, Captello earns its place.
When to Look for a Captello Alternative
You don’t need games. Most exhibitors capture leads through conversations. If your team works a booth by talking to people, scanning badges, and jotting notes, you need a fast scanner and quick follow-up. Not 60 game templates.
Pricing is hidden. Captello doesn’t list prices. Add-ons can push costs past what you planned for. Hard to compare tools when one won’t show you the sticker.
Setup eats your prep time. Building game activations, custom forms, and leaderboards takes hours. If your team hits 8+ shows a year, that setup piles up. Simpler tools let you scan and follow up in minutes.
You need AI follow-up. Captello captures leads. It doesn’t help you follow up. BoothIQ uses AI to draft emails and schedule meetings while you’re still on the show floor. That speed matters. By Wednesday, your prospect has 200 unread emails. Yours needs to land Monday.
You want to know what your team learned. Captello gives you lead data. BoothIQ’s event intelligence reads notes and conversations across your whole team. It pulls out themes, competitor mentions, and follow-up priorities.
For more options, see our full best lead retrieval apps guide. For badge scanning, we have a best badge scanner apps comparison. For tips on what to do after the event, check our trade show follow-up guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Captello free?
No. Captello has no free tier. Pricing is not public. You need to call their sales team. BoothIQ has the most complete free plan: scanning, enrichment, voice notes, and follow-up emails. Popl has a free tier, but it only covers digital business cards. Enrichment and CRM sync need a paid Popl plan.
What is the best free alternative to Captello?
BoothIQ. The free plan includes AI badge scanning, voice-to-text notes, contact enrichment, and follow-up emails.
Does Captello work offline?
Yes. Most alternatives on this list also work offline, including BoothIQ, Popl, and Mobly.
Can I use Captello without gamification?
Captello does offer basic lead capture without games. But its core value is the games. If you skip them, you’re paying for features that stay on the shelf. A simpler tool will cost less and take less time to set up.
How does Captello vs BoothIQ compare?
Captello brings people to your booth with games and contests. BoothIQ captures leads fast and follows up before you leave the floor. Captello has 60+ game activations. BoothIQ has AI scanning, voice-to-text notes, instant follow-up, and event intelligence. Captello requires a sales call for pricing. BoothIQ is free to start, with teams at $499/mo.
Do any Captello alternatives integrate with HubSpot and Salesforce?
Yes. BoothIQ, Popl, Mobly, iCapture, and Cvent LeadCapture all connect to HubSpot and Salesforce. BoothIQ also supports Zoho.
Stop losing leads at your next event. Try BoothIQ free.
References
Pricing and feature information was gathered from official websites and third-party review platforms in April 2026.