Envoy is the category leader. We are not going to pretend otherwise. For Fortune 500 security teams running global workplaces, with ITAR or C-TPAT obligations and a dedicated identity stack, Envoy is the right answer.
For SMBs (under 100 employees, one to three locations, no dedicated security team), Envoy is overbuilt and overpriced. Their entry tier is $109 per location per month billed annually. Their typical fully-loaded stack (Standard plan plus emergency notifications, room reservations, signage screens, deliveries, SSO) lands around $362 per location per month.
For a 50-person office, that is about $4,300 per year. For features 90% of the office will never use.
This guide scores the six visitor management apps SMBs actually shortlist, with the honest verdict for offices under 100 people.
The 6 shortlist apps
Envoy, SwipedOn, The Receptionist for iPad (now Sign In App), Sign In App, Greetly, and CheckinIQ.
Each scored on: monthly billing option, single-site starting price, included features at entry tier, hardware lock-in, integrations, free trial terms, and SMB persona fit.
| Vendor | Starting price (single site) | Monthly billing | Hardware required | Free trial |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Envoy | $109/mo billed annually | No | iPad recommended; pricier add-ons | Yes, limited free tier |
| SwipedOn | $630/site/yr billed annually | No | iPad | Yes |
| The Receptionist for iPad | ~$60/mo billed annually | No | iPad | Yes |
| Sign In App | £415/site/yr (~$525) annually | No | iPad or kiosk | Yes |
| Greetly | $99/mo billed annually | No | iPad only | Yes |
| CheckinIQ | $55/mo billed monthly | Yes | iPad you already own | Yes, 14 days, no card |
The single biggest divergence is the billing model. Every option except CheckinIQ requires annual prepay. For a small organization, that up-front commitment is the deal-killing line on the procurement sheet.
When Envoy is still the right call
Pick Envoy if you have:
- A dedicated security or facilities team that will use the full workplace stack
- Multi-floor or campus-style locations
- Active ITAR, EAR, OFAC, or C-TPAT compliance obligations
- Bandwidth in IT to configure SSO, SCIM, integrations, and printers
- Budget tolerance for $4K-$15K per site per year
If three of those are true, the rest of this article is not for you. Envoy is great at what it does.
When the answer is one of the rest of us
If you have:
- One to three locations
- Under 100 employees per site
- No dedicated security or facilities team
- A "we just want to retire the clipboard" mandate
- A procurement process where annual prepay is friction
Then the comparison narrows to SwipedOn, The Receptionist (now Sign In App), Sign In App, Greetly, and CheckinIQ.
Of those five, four are now under one corporate parent (Sign In Solutions, which owns SwipedOn, Sign In App, The Receptionist, Traction Guest, and ThreatSwitch as of January 2026). That consolidation is a relevant data point for renewal-cycle decisions. CheckinIQ is independent. More on the Sign In Solutions story here.
The verdict for SMBs under 100 people
This is the honest scorecard, with our bias declared:
| Use case | Best fit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Single-site, under 50 people, paper clipboard today | CheckinIQ Starter | Lowest monthly cost, no card, runs on the iPad in your supply closet |
| 1-3 sites, 30-100 people, want polish | CheckinIQ Professional or SwipedOn | CheckinIQ is cheaper and monthly; SwipedOn is more polished if budget is not the constraint |
| Multi-floor, dedicated facilities team | Envoy Standard | Worth the price |
| Strong UK presence | Sign In App | Native fit |
| Need digital mailroom + 2-way SMS at entry tier | Greetly | They built it for that workflow |
Frequently asked questions
Can I run CheckinIQ on the same iPad I use for other things?
Yes. The iPad runs CheckinIQ as a kiosk; you can switch out of kiosk mode with a PIN for other use.
What if I need to scale to 10+ locations later?
CheckinIQ Enterprise covers multi-location at scale. Talk to us.
Is there an Android version?
The kiosk runs in any modern browser, which means it runs on Android tablets, Chromebooks, and Windows touch displays. No iOS-only lock-in.
How do I migrate from Envoy?
Export your visitor history CSV from Envoy. Import to CheckinIQ. Set up your hosts. Most migrations take under an hour. Step-by-step walkthrough here.