When scheduling tools don't fit your visitor check-in needs.
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SignUpGenius is great at what it does: coordinating volunteers, organizing events, and managing schedules. Many organizations use it because it's familiar and handles sign-ups well. But when they try to adapt it for visitor check-in, the limitations become apparent.
The fundamental issue is that SignUpGenius is designed for scheduled events, not walk-in visitors. It assumes you know in advance who's coming and when. Visitors need to find your sign-up page, navigate to the right date, and add their name to a slot. That workflow makes sense for volunteer shifts but creates unnecessary friction for someone just wanting to check in when they arrive.
Organizations often discover this mismatch when they try to report on visitor data. SignUpGenius can tell you who signed up for what slot, but it can't tell you who actually showed up, when they arrived, or how long they stayed. There's no check-in/check-out flow, no real-time visibility, and no way to capture information from visitors who didn't sign up in advance.
Clerkcat is built specifically for the walk-in visitor use case. Visitors approach a kiosk and check in—no prior sign-up required. You see who's on-site right now, get notified when people arrive, and have accurate records of actual attendance rather than intended attendance.
If your primary need is scheduling volunteers or coordinating events, SignUpGenius is probably the right tool. But if you need to track visitors as they actually arrive, you need visitor management software.
| Feature | Clerkcat | SignUpGenius |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use case | Walk-in visitor check-in | Event scheduling and sign-ups |
| On-site kiosk | Purpose-built check-in kiosk | Not available |
| Pre-registration required | Optional | Required |
| Real-time check-in | Instant check-in on arrival | Sign-up ahead of time |
| Current visitor view | Live dashboard | Not available |
| Host notifications | Automatic on arrival | Not available |
| Attendance tracking | Actual arrival/departure times | Sign-up slots only |
| Walk-in visitors | Fully supported | Not designed for this |
Check in anyone who shows up, whether they signed up in advance or not.
Know who actually came and when, not just who intended to come.
A tablet at your entrance handles check-ins—no need for visitors to find a website.
See who's currently on-site and get notified when people arrive.
Visitors check in when they arrive. No prior registration required.
The sign-up slot model doesn't match how visitor check-in actually works.
Visitors who didn't sign up in advance have no easy way to check in.
You can't see who's currently on-site or when people actually arrived.
Someone signing up doesn't mean they showed up. You need actual check-in data.
There's no purpose-built interface for visitors to use when they arrive.
Clerkcat is the better choice if any of these apply:
SignUpGenius excels at scheduling and sign-ups. Clerkcat excels at visitor check-in. They're different tools for different jobs. If you've been trying to make SignUpGenius work for visitor management, switching to purpose-built software will solve problems you didn't know you had.
Start your 14-day free trial today. No credit card required.
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