Feature Spotlight
CourseStorm vs. RegFox: The Best Software for Course Registration vs. Events
Which one is better, CourseStorm or RegFox? You might as well ask whether a cheese grater is better than a potato peeler. Both are useful tools — they even share some traits — but using one in place of the other is likely to cause frustration.
When we talk about the best online registration platforms, events and courses sometimes get lumped together. The truth is that attendees at events have different needs than students in classes. The right registration software can make a big difference. That’s why we’re comparing CourseStorm and RegFox so you can see how software designed for course registrations compares to event scheduling software.
Who Uses RegFox?
RegFox is an online event registration software. It’s designed primarily for conferences, conventions, and other large-scale events. Although they do mention classes on their website, it’s clear that is not their primary focus. Most of their marketing centers around how they can make events easier and less expensive to run.
Event organizers choose RegFox when they need tools for in-person, virtual, or hybrid events. It seems to offer everything event planners expect. You might see it compared to Eventbrite or Cvent.
RegFox bills itself as event registration software, whereas CourseStorm is designed for class registrations. There’s a big difference between events and classes.
All of that sounds great, but there’s a big difference between class registrations and event registrations. Event attendees want to get the event schedule, network with peers, and maybe buy some event-related merch or claim continuing education credits after the fact. By contrast, learners in courses need to browse your course catalog, interact with their instructors, and potentially even sign up for additional classes.
Ultimately, it comes down to student experience. When you choose registration software, you’re designing your student experience. Weigh the benefits of each option with that in mind.
What Does RegFox Cost?
RegFox and CourseStorm actually have similar pricing models. Both charge a per-person fee plus credit card processing. Neither locks you into a contract or charges monthly fees.
RegFox fees are $0.99 plus 1% per registrant with a 2.99% credit card fee. Given that their clients run events with hundreds or thousands of attendees, they make most of their revenue based on volume. If you want to email attendees, you’ll pay an additional fee per registrant.
Is RegFox Easy to Use?
We hear that the setup process at RegFox is pretty easy and the registration itself is smooth. But when you’re providing learning experiences to students, you’re not just focused on a smooth transaction. You want to cultivate a long-term relationship so students will return to your classes again and again.
Because RegFox is designed for events, it doesn’t include some of the features that enhance the student experience. There are no waiting lists or class rosters. You have to pay if you want to email every student who registers for a specific class, and there’s no way to automatically let students know about upcoming classes that might interest them.
Processing a one-time event registration is different than cultivating a longterm relationship with learners who register for classes.
When students register through CourseStorm, they join your learning community. Our system keeps track of the classes they’ve taken and can automatically let them know about upcoming classes of interest. They can join waiting lists, manage registrations for their whole family, or opt into a payment plan to keep learning affordable.
At the same time, instructors get access to class rosters and can email their students (included at no extra cost) with details or announcements. Program directors get the reporting they need to make informed decisions about next year’s course catalog. Plus, you get automated marketing tools to help grow enrollments.
CourseStorm vs. RegFox
As web-based event scheduling software, RegFox ticks a lot of boxes. It has features like event QR code check in that are pretty cool if you’re hosting a massive event with hundreds of attendees. However, when it comes to offering a quality class experience, some functions are better found in a course registration system like CourseStorm.
This list isn’t comprehensive. We chose the ones most relevant to education programs and their students. As you can see, our focus on education programs specifically means that CourseStorm offers all the features you need most.
And, we’re always adding new ones: our new refund reserve feature ensures that you always have enough to cover potential refunds, but can still get the payouts you need to buy essential class supplies and keep your program running. We also have a new waiting list feature: when a spot becomes available, you can send people on the waiting list a link that expires after a set time. Then, they can either register right on your site or decline the invite.
Should You Choose RegFox or CourseStorm?
For an education program, you need more than a good check-out experience, you also need the tools to keep students happy and engaged. The right software helps you create an ongoing relationship with students. Here’s how to decide which software is the right fit for your program.
- Match the software to your goal. If your goal is to register a bunch of people for a one-time or annual event, event software might be the right choice. When you want to build longterm engagement with learners, you need software to help you do that.
- Cultivate the student experience. You’re not just selling classes, you’re offering an educational experience. Consider how students will feel — and how you need to interact with them — at each stage of the process. Look for software that supports the experience you’re trying to build.
- Disregard unnecessary features. It’s easy to be dazzled by a long list of features, but what you really need are the right features for your program. Make a list of the features you need and those that would be nice to have. Then weigh the software against your list.
- Read reviews. Look for reviews from people who are using the software the way you hope to use it. A registration solution can be a great fit for one type of organization and still be wrong for yours. Seek out the advice of other education programs and providers before you make your final decision.
One of the best ways to decide if a registration and payment processing solution fits your needs is to try it for yourself. Unfortunately, RegFox doesn’t have a free trial, but you can watch an on-demand demo.
If you’re in the market for online registration software, price is probably a primary concern. But with every platform having a unique pricing structure, how do you decide which software will give you the most value? Our article, How Much Does Registration Software Cost? Price vs. Value, will walk you through the questions you should ask to understand how much your registration software is really worth. For a hands-on testing experience set up your free trial of CourseStorm today.
Greg Shula
Greg has spent a decade analyzing business and marketing performance metrics of the companies he has worked with. He uses his analytical mind and investigative skills to find trends and simple answers from complicated data sets. Greg is also an amateur photographer who loves to capture nature from new perspectives.