CrowdPass vs Cadmium
The NFC-First Alternative to Cadmium
Cadmium (formerly CadmiumCD) specializes in education and conference event management, offering abstract management, speaker tools, and session scheduling. It is well-suited for academic and association conferences but lacks modern NFC technology, NFC badges, and robust lead retrieval tools.
Choose CrowdPass if you need
- You need NFC wristbands, NFC badges, or multi-zone access control
- Lead retrieval with tap-to-capture is important for your exhibitors
- You want photo booths, SMS messaging, and modern attendee engagement tools
Choose Cadmium if you need
- Abstract submission and peer review management are core to your academic conference
- You need deep speaker management with session scheduling and content harvesting tools
Bottom Line
Cadmium is purpose-built for academic conferences with abstract management workflows. CrowdPass is the better choice when your conference also needs modern on-site technology — NFC badges, lead retrieval, and real-time attendee tracking.
Feature comparison
Pricing comparison
CrowdPass
From $4/attendee with per-event and subscription plans
Cadmium
Custom pricing; typically $5,000–$20,000+ per event depending on modules (abstract management, registration, badge printing)
Cadmium requires custom quotes and module-based pricing that can add up quickly. CrowdPass offers transparent per-attendee pricing with all on-site technology included.
Where CrowdPass wins
NFC Badge & Wristband Technology
CrowdPass provides NFC-enabled badges and wristbands for access control and attendee tracking. Cadmium's badges are standard print-only.
Lead Retrieval for Exhibitors
CrowdPass offers NFC tap-to-capture lead retrieval with CRM export. Cadmium's lead retrieval is limited and often requires third-party tools.
Modern Attendee Engagement
CrowdPass includes photo booths, SMS messaging, and branded mobile experiences. Cadmium focuses on content management rather than attendee engagement.
Where Cadmium wins
Abstract & Peer Review Management
Cadmium has a dedicated abstract submission and peer review system used by thousands of academic and medical conferences — a workflow CrowdPass doesn't specialize in.
Content Harvesting & Speaker Tools
Cadmium's speaker tools include presentation upload, content harvesting, and session recording management that are purpose-built for education conferences.
Switching from Cadmium
Migrating is easier than you think. Here's how.
Export Conference Data
Download attendee lists, speaker information, and session data from Cadmium for import into CrowdPass.
Configure Registration & Badges
Build your registration flow and NFC-enabled badge designs in CrowdPass, mapping speaker and attendee categories.
Set Up On-Site Technology
Deploy NFC readers, badge printers, and check-in stations. CrowdPass provides venue setup assistance and day-of support.
Frequently asked questions
Other comparisons
Ready to see the difference?
Schedule a personalized demo and discover why event teams choose CrowdPass over Cadmium.