When it comes to choosing the right event app, organisers usually get pitched two flavours: shared or white label.
One sounds sleek and exclusive (who doesn’t want their own app?).
The other sounds, well… like a timeshare.
But here’s the catch: most of the marketing spin around these options skips the real-world trade-offs that actually matter—cost, user experience, branding, and maintenance.
So we’re cutting the fluff and breaking it down for you.
Let’s settle the shared vs. white label event app debate once and for all.
🧠 First, What Do These Terms Actually Mean?
Shared Event App
This is a multi-tenant app used by many events. Attendees get a single link (or app) and enter a code or follow a link to your event inside it.
Think of it like Netflix profiles. One platform, multiple "spaces".
White Label Event App
This is a fully branded app under your name, your icon, and your App Store listing. It looks like it’s yours because it technically is—sort of.
You’re licensing it, not building it—but attendees won’t know the difference.
💸 Cost: What You’re Really Paying For
White Label = $$$ and Admin Headaches
Going white label isn’t just a vanity move—it’s a commitment. You’ll often pay:
- Development or setup fees (£2,000–£20,000+)
- App Store publishing fees
- Ongoing support and maintenance
- Annual renewal costs
And don’t forget the weeks (or months) it takes to get through Apple/Google approvals.
Translation: White label looks custom, but costs like custom too.
Shared = Predictable, Low-Stress Pricing
Shared event apps are built to scale. No dev fees. No app store friction. Just one link and you’re live.
At Presso, for example, it’s a flat £1 per attendee. Done.
No tiers, no minimums, no asterisks.
Winner: Shared apps, unless your budget has room to burn.
🎨 Branding: Who Really Owns the Experience?
White Label: The Full Vanity Package
You get your icon, your app name, your colour scheme. The works.
But here’s the kicker: attendees still have to search for and download the app. And that’s a major point of friction (more on that in a sec).
Still, if brand ownership is a top-tier priority (think: agencies, Fortune 500s, or luxury experiences), white label delivers.
Shared: Branded Inside, Not Out
With a shared app or platform link, the outer shell isn’t yours—but the experience inside is.
You can still customise:
- Logos
- Colours
- Agendas
- Maps
- Announcements
Most attendees won’t care about the outer shell. They care about how fast they can find the room for the keynote.
Winner: Tie—depends on how ego-driven your stakeholders are 😉
📱 User Experience: The Critical Dealbreaker
White Label: High Friction, Low Adoption
Let’s be real: no one wants to download another app. Especially for a one-day conference.
Between App Store approvals, download prompts, and password resets, the drop-off is brutal.
Even the best white label apps often see sub-50% adoption rates.
Shared: Link, Tap, Done
Modern shared apps (like Presso’s Progressive Event App) are browser-based. No downloads. No passwords. No updates.
You share a link. Attendees tap it. They’re in.
Adoption rates? Often 90–100%. That’s what happens when you remove all the friction.
Winner: Shared apps. Every time.
🔧 Maintenance & Updates: Who’s Got Time?
White Label = You’re On the Hook
You’ll need to deal with:
- App Store updates
- Bug fixes
- Policy changes from Apple/Google
- Push notification maintenance
Even if the provider “handles it,” that often means you wait while they scramble.
Shared = Always Updated, Never Your Problem
Shared platforms push updates instantly across all users. One fix, done for everyone.
No app store approvals. No delay. No back-and-forth.
Winner: Shared again. Hands-free beats hands-full.
💡 So, Which One’s Right for You?
✅ Choose a White Label Event App if:
- You’re running a high-stakes, high-visibility event with heavy sponsor pressure
- Your brand must own every piece of the digital experience (and budget allows)
- You have internal IT/comms teams who can support the rollout
White label makes sense for agencies, multi-event series, or global brands looking for full control.
✅ Choose a Shared Event App if:
- You want 100% adoption without app downloads
- You need to launch fast with no tech setup
- You care more about the attendee experience than App Store vanity
It’s the smart pick for associations, expos, festivals, B2B conferences, and any organiser focused on outcomes, not overhead.
🤔 But Wait… What If You Want the Best of Both?
Good question. That’s exactly why Presso exists.
We ditched the app stores, cut out the bloat, and built a Progressive Event App that runs in your browser, launches instantly, and looks like it was built just for you.
No downloads. No passwords. No nonsense.
You get:
- Lightning-fast setup
- Custom branding where it counts
- Built-in sustainability impact
- Flat pricing at £1 per attendee
- 90–100% adoption (seriously)
And unlike most platforms, we don’t upsell gimmicks or pitch AI-generated agendas. We believe events are about humans, not hype.
🚀 Ready to Lose the Downloads?
If you’re tired of clunky tech and overpriced vanity apps, it’s time to rethink what “white label” really means.
Explore Presso’s friction-free event experience—and see why thousands of organisers are ditching downloads for good.