| Feature | Why SeatPlan.io does it better |
|---|---|
AI Floor-Plan Import | Upload a venue photo or PDF and AI builds an editable, to-scale layout in seconds — MapD has no AI floor-plan import, so every table is placed by hand. Available on every SeatPlan.io plan, with one free import to try; Event Manager adds free CAD/DXF imports at exact scale. |
Wedding to gala in one tool | Same product covers a 30-guest dinner and a 500-seat gala — no per-event-type onboarding |
Self-serve from free | Free designer with no signup, self-serve paid tiers — no sales call |
Scaled venue layouts | Exact room dimensions with to-scale rendering — precision without enterprise overhead |
Real-time collaboration | CRDT-based co-editing with granular client permissions and reusable venue templates |
Catering-ready exports | Excel seat lists with dietary columns drop straight into your caterer's email |
11 minutes
to seat 80 people
“Took me 6 hours to seat 80 people on paper. Took me 11 minutes on SeatPlan.io.”
<30 minutes
for a 120-person wedding
“I had my entire 120-person wedding seated in under 30 minutes.”
200 guests
with 8 dietary needs and 4 wheelchair users
“200 guests. 8 dietary requirements. 4 wheelchair users. 1 complicated family tree. SeatPlan.io handled all of it.”
Frequently asked
SeatPlan.io vs MapD: common questions
- Is MapD a SeatPlan.io alternative for weddings?
- MapD is built for tradeshows, large galas, and corporate events with digital guest wayfinding. For weddings specifically, a couple-focused tool like SeatPlan.io is faster to onboard and cheaper to run, with the same scaled venue precision.
- Can SeatPlan.io handle gala-scale events?
- Yes. SeatPlan.io supports 500+ seat galas with scaled venue layouts, granular client permissions, and catering-ready Excel exports. The Event Manager tier covers unlimited events.
- Do I need a sales call to use SeatPlan.io?
- No. Self-serve sign-up, published pricing, and a free designer with no signup. Paid tiers checkout in seconds.
- Does SeatPlan.io support guest-facing wayfinding like MapD?
- SeatPlan.io focuses on the planner workflow: designing the chart, managing guests, exporting for venues and caterers. Pair it with a guest-facing display tool if you need wayfinding signage at the event.
- Does SeatPlan.io have AI floor-plan import that MapD doesn't?
- Yes — on every plan. SeatPlan.io turns a photo or PDF of your venue into an editable, to-scale seating template automatically — tables, seat counts, and areas detected for you, then refined in the designer. MapD has no AI import. The free designer includes one AI import to try; paid plans include 3 a month with cheap top-ups, and Event Manager adds free exact-scale CAD/DXF imports.
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