FairUp

FairUp is a web platform for career and vocational events, aimed at organizers serving students, graduates and job seekers. Its standout appeal is the mix of event logistics and participant-to-exhibitor connections; the key constraint is that exhibitor access starts only with a paid plan.

Overview

FairUp covers event pages, exhibitor and participant management, bookings, schedules, communication and post-event analysis in one platform. Attendees can create profiles, upload CVs and documents, browse exhibitor profiles and jobs, chat with exhibitors and book appointments. Profile-based matching helps connect people beyond simply browsing listings, making the product more useful for recruiting events than a basic event page tool.

Organizers can run digital, hybrid or physical events, and video meetings support remote conversations. That flexibility suits teams choosing a format for different audiences, though the plans’ exhibitor and team caps still shape how large an event can be. FairUp says it uses SSL/TLS encryption, access controls and hosting in Germany or the EU. Payment processing is handled by certified providers; FairUp says it does not store complete payment data and is PCI-DSS 3.2 Level 1 compliant. It targets average technical availability of at least 98% per month, subject to exclusions.

Key features

From discovery to appointments

Profiles, CV uploads, job browsing, matchmaking, chat and appointments give participants several ways to find and contact exhibitors. For organizers, exhibitor and participant management, scheduling and analytics cover both event operations and review afterward. The Professional plan is where job import automation, an analytics dashboard and a matching engine are explicitly included; organizers who need those capabilities must budget accordingly.

Transaction costs

Ticket sales and payments are included in the free Community plan, but payment processing can add cost: Stripe usually charges 2.9% + €0.25 per transaction, in addition to FairUp’s platform fee. This is worth factoring into event economics rather than treating the plan price as the full payment cost.

Pricing

FairUp is freemium, with a free plan and a 14-day trial. Its paid plans are one-time purchases, not recurring subscriptions. Stripe’s usual transaction charges apply separately as described above.

Community’s unlimited guest allowance does not compensate for its lack of exhibitors if the event depends on employers presenting opportunities. Starter adds booths and a larger organizing workflow, but gives up the job import, analytics dashboard and matching engine named for Professional. Professional plus doubles Starter’s exhibitor ceiling and adds branding and talent pool access, but costs more and still has a stated team limit. Enterprise customers seeking custom features or integrations, and governmental institutions seeking a special offer, can contact FairUp.

The pricing model lists 0% platform fee for Starter, while Stripe charges are separate; the listed fee should not be mistaken for free payment processing. Starter includes basic support, while Professional includes premium support.

Platforms

FairUp is web-based, so it suits organizers and participants accessing the event through a browser. The supported event formats span digital, hybrid and physical gatherings.

Who it's for

FairUp is best suited to businesses organizing career and vocational orientation events for students, graduates and job seekers, especially when exhibitor conversations, appointments and follow-up matter. It is less suitable for an exhibitor-led fair on a zero budget, or for an organizer whose needs exceed the paid plan’s exhibitor or team caps without custom arrangements.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Digital, hybrid and physical event formats with video meetings suit mixed participation needs.
• Pros: Participant profiles, CVs, matching, chat and appointments support direct exhibitor engagement.
• Pros: Paid plans are one-time purchases with explicit exhibitor and team limits, helping organizers size a budget around capacity.
• Cons: The free plan has no exhibitors, making it a poor fit for a conventional career fair.
• Cons: Stripe transaction charges can add up alongside the plan cost.
• Cons: Larger teams or events may outgrow the stated limits and require a custom discussion.

Alternatives

For a different recruiting-events product, compare Recruiting Events Software. Choose event67 instead if its free plan’s one live event and up to 50 activated attendees suit a smaller event, or if its listed Event Pass model fits better. Handshake is an alternative with a free Basic plan capped at 10 messages per month and 100 matches per job, and a Pro plan at $450 a month; consider it when those limits and subscription terms suit your needs better than FairUp’s one-time event plans. ScanFactor offers free attendee and recruiter plans, making it an alternative to compare for QR-based event participation and recruiter candidate information.

EasyVirtualFair may fit organizers seeking a per-event virtual-fair license, starting at $1,500, paid once, with the final quote depending on scope. Eventus uses per-contact pricing, with the first 10 users free and a Value plan on request; compare it when per-user costs align better with your audience size. GradLeaders and iCIMS are other paid alternatives. 12twenty Career Cloud has custom pricing and invites universities to request a tailored demo.

Verdict

Choose FairUp for career fairs that need more than event logistics: participant profiles, matching, exhibitor chat and appointments are its clearest strengths, with event formats spanning in-person and online. Its one-time plans make capacity costs legible, but the free tier’s lack of exhibitors and separate Stripe charges are meaningful constraints. Organizers who need exhibitor participation should budget for Starter or above; those needing bigger capacity or customization should discuss a tailored offer before committing.