Hidden costs of free registration systems

When "free" doesn't mean cost-free

Google Forms, basic Eventbrite, or perhaps a simple spreadsheet? At the beginning of our event planning journey, most of us reached for seemingly perfect solutions – free attendee registration tools.

The problem is that many of these solutions eventually prove too limited, too unreliable, or too risky to handle real event needs. And the costs? They appear where you least expect them.

Hidden Cost #1: Time – Your most valuable resource

Every hour spent manually copying data from forms to spreadsheets, manually sending confirmations, or trying to "work around" missing features is time you could have spent on things that truly make a difference.

In practice, this looks like: registration through Google Forms means you must reconcile each payment separately, send each confirmation manually, and enter every participant registration change in multiple places simultaneously.

One tech conference organizer calculated that handling 200 registrations through a "free" toolkit took him 8 hours weekly for the month before the event. That's already 32 hours – nearly a full working week spent on tasks that a professional system would handle automatically.

Hidden Cost #2: Lack of support when you need it most

Tuesday morning, two days before your conference. The form stops working, yesterday's data has "disappeared somewhere," and your technical support email receives an automatic reply: "Expected response time: 3-5 business days."

Lack of professional support isn't just discomfort – it's real risk for the entire event. When something breaks, you have no one to call, no emergency solution, no backup of your data.

Hidden Cost #3: Legal and reputational risk

GDPR isn't just a trendy buzzword – it's a real obligation with concrete consequences. Most free tools don't offer full compliance with data protection regulations. You have no control over how and where your participants' data is stored.

Worse – some organizers unknowingly expose themselves to data breaches by sharing participant data spreadsheets with other team members or event partners. One unfortunate "share with anyone with link" click can mean public access to lists of names, surnames, emails, and phone numbers.

GDPR penalties can reach up to 4% of annual company turnover or €20 million – whichever amount is higher. But even if no penalty occurs, losing participant trust can cost significantly more than an annual professional system subscription.

Hidden Cost #4: Lost growth opportunities

Free tools give you registration, but they don't provide what truly builds event value – data and analytical capabilities. You don't know where your participants come from, what motivates them, or which sessions they register for.

Without this information, you lose opportunities to:

• Better target communication for future events
• Segment participants according to their needs and interests
• Provide valuable data to partners and sponsors
• Measure actual event ROI

When free systems make sense (and when they absolutely don't)

Free tools might suffice if:

• You're organizing an event for up to 30 people
• You don't need online payments or access control
• The event is one-time and non-commercial
• You're not collecting sensitive data or planning marketing communications

You definitely need a professional system if:

• You have partners, sponsors, or exhibitors who expect data
• You're planning future event editions
• Registration involves more than name, surname, and email
• You care about professional image and process automation
• The event generates revenue or has a marketing budget

System investment saves nerves and money

A "free" registration system often ends up as the most expensive solution – because you pay for it with time, stress, lost participant trust, and wasted growth opportunities.

A well-chosen professional system isn't a cost – it's a tool that works for you. It allows you to focus on what truly matters: creating valuable experiences for your event participants.

Before deciding on the seemingly attractive "free" option, ask yourself: can you really afford all the hidden costs that come with it?

About the author

Joanna Chrościechowska

Managing Partner at CONREGO. She specializes in educating event organizers and improving communication with participants. She writes about how to simplify the work of event managers and create processes that enhance attendee satisfaction and the overall effectiveness of event operations.