FairUp

FairUp is a web platform for career and vocational events serving students, graduates, and job seekers. It is strongest for organizers who need exhibitor management and attendee matchmaking across online and in-person formats; its free plan is a poor fit for exhibitor-led fairs.

Overview

FairUp combines event pages, exhibitor and participant management, bookings, scheduling, communication, and event analysis. Attendees can create profiles, upload CVs and documents, browse exhibitor profiles and jobs, chat with exhibitors, and arrange appointments. Profile-based matching gives organizers a way to connect people beyond a simple directory of booths.

Digital, hybrid, and physical event modes make it suitable for teams whose format varies by audience or venue. Video meetings support remote conversations. The main trade-offs are the free plan's lack of exhibitors and the paid plans' fixed exhibitor and team caps. FairUp's one-time plan prices also do not eliminate transaction costs: Stripe usually charges 2.9% + €0.25 per transaction in addition to FairUp's platform fee.

Key features

From discovery to appointments

Attendee profiles, CV and document uploads, exhibitor and job browsing, chat, and appointment scheduling support a recruiting event from first look to direct conversation. Organizers get event pages, participant and exhibitor management, booking tools, and dashboards with statistics and analysis. This is a useful end-to-end set for career fairs; teams seeking only a basic event page may not need the additional recruiting workflow.

Security and availability

FairUp says it uses SSL/TLS encryption, access controls, and hosting in Germany or the EU. It also says payment processing uses certified providers, complete payment data is not stored by FairUp, and its payment security is PCI-DSS 3.2 Level 1 compliant. The company strives for average technical availability of at least 98% per month, subject to stated exclusions, so organizers with stricter uptime needs should weigh that commitment against their event requirements.

Pricing

FairUp uses a freemium model, with a free plan and one-time paid plans. The listed 14-day trial is also available. Stripe usually adds 2.9% + €0.25 per transaction on top of FairUp's platform fee, which matters for events selling tickets or collecting payments.

The Community plan's unlimited guest allowance is generous, but its zero exhibitor capacity rules it out for a conventional career fair. Starter removes the platform fee and supports up to 30 exhibitors, but its three-seat limit and basic support suit a small team. Professional doubles the exhibitor cap and adds automation, analytics, matching, and premium support; it is the more complete choice for recurring or more complex recruiting events. Professional plus raises capacity to 120 exhibitors and adds branding and talent-pool access, though organizers should contact FairUp if they need more than ten team members or custom integrations. Enterprise customers seeking custom features or integrations, and governmental institutions seeking a special offer, can contact the team for custom pricing.

Platforms

FairUp is web-based, making it a fit for organizers and attendees using a browser rather than a platform-specific app.

Who it's for

FairUp is aimed at businesses organizing career and vocational-orientation events for students, graduates, and job seekers. It makes most sense when exhibitor coordination, participant communication, matchmaking, and appointments all matter. A free community event can use Community, but organizers who need exhibitors should budget for a paid tier and check its booth and team limits against the event plan.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Broad event coverage: Digital, hybrid, and physical modes give career-event organizers format flexibility.
• Recruiting workflow in one platform: Profiles, CV uploads, job browsing, matching, chat, and appointments connect discovery with attendee-exhibitor interaction.
• Clear one-time tiers: Paid plans state exhibitor and team limits, and Starter includes a 0% platform fee.

Cons

• Free plan has no exhibitors: Community is not suitable for an exhibitor-led career fair, despite its unlimited guests.
• Paid plans cap team size: Starter allows three team members and Professional five; Professional plus allows ten, with more on request.
• Transaction charges remain relevant: Stripe's usual 2.9% + €0.25 per transaction adds cost even when a plan has a 0% platform fee.
• Availability target is qualified: The stated monthly average of at least 98% is subject to exclusions, which may not meet every organizer's reliability needs.

Alternatives

For a broader recruiting events software comparison, start with the category directory. Choose event67 if its free plan's whole feature set and one live event for up to 50 activated attendees better suit a small event; its one-time Event Pass is $5, paid once. Choose Handshake for a recruiting platform with a free Basic tier offering 10 messages a month, simple company presence, and limited matching; its Pro plan is $450 a month. ScanFactor is another freemium alternative, with a free attendee option that requires no mobile app and provides an instant QR code and company viewing. GradLeaders is a paid alternative across Android, API, iOS, and web. iCIMS is a paid alternative available across Android, API, iOS, and web. Eventus offers a freemium option and a paid Value plan at from $5 (priced on request), free for the first 10 users, then billed per user. EasyVirtualFair offers a single-event license starting at $1,500, paid once, with the final quote depending on event scope. Talview offers a tailored paid solution with unit-based pricing and a typical minimum commitment of approximately 150 to 200 candidates.

Verdict

FairUp is a strong fit for organizations running exhibitor-led career events that need participant profiles, matchmaking, communication, and appointments across digital, hybrid, or physical formats. Its main advantage is the recruiting workflow paired with clearly tiered one-time plans; look elsewhere if you need exhibitors without paying, a larger team on a lower tier, or a higher stated availability target.