Porter vs Envoy: Visitor Management Comparison 2026
Envoy is the market leader in the US, and for good reason — it's a mature platform with an enormous ecosystem. But is it the right choice for a UK business? We put Porter and Envoy side-by-side so you can decide for yourself.
Quick overview
- Founded in the UK, UK data hosting
- From £49/location/month
- GDPR compliant by design
- Focused on visitor & contractor management
- Best for UK SMB & mid-market
- Founded in San Francisco, US data hosting
- From £299/location/month (approx.)
- Workplace platform (visitors, desks, rooms, deliveries)
- 250+ integrations ecosystem
- Best for US enterprise / large multinationals
Feature comparison
| Feature | Porter | Envoy |
|---|---|---|
| iPad kiosk check-in | ||
| Badge printing | ||
| Pre-registration & QR codes | ||
| Host notifications | ||
| Visitor photos | ||
| NDA / document signing | ||
| Multi-location support | ||
| Contractor compliance tracking | ||
| Fire evacuation / roll call | ||
| GDPR compliance built-in | ||
| UK data hosting | ||
| Deliveries management | ||
| Room booking integration | ||
| Desk booking | ||
| 250+ third-party integrations | ||
| Slack / Teams notifications | ||
| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Custom branding | ||
| API access | ||
| UK-based support team |
Pricing comparison
Pricing is one of the biggest differentiators between Porter and Envoy. Envoy is built for large enterprise budgets; Porter is designed to give smaller businesses access to the same professional features at a fraction of the cost.
| Plan | Porter | Envoy |
|---|---|---|
| Starter / Basic | £49/mo | ~£299/mo |
| Professional / Standard | £79/mo | ~£499/mo |
| Enterprise | £149/mo | Custom |
| Free trial | 14 days | Demo only |
* Envoy pricing is approximate and based on publicly available information. Prices are per location per month. Envoy prices converted from USD at current rates.
Where Envoy wins
We believe in being honest. Envoy is the bigger platform, and there are areas where it genuinely excels:
- 1Broader workplace platform — Envoy offers desk booking, room scheduling, and deliveries management alongside visitor management. If you need an all-in-one workplace OS, Envoy has more modules.
- 2More integrations — With 250+ integrations, Envoy connects to practically every enterprise tool. Porter supports key integrations (Slack, Teams, SSO) but the catalogue is smaller.
- 3Brand recognition — As the market leader, Envoy is a household name. That can matter when presenting to a board that wants a well-known vendor.
Where Porter wins
- 1Price — Porter starts at £49/month, roughly 80% less than Envoy. For businesses that need visitor management without the full workplace platform, that's a significant saving.
- 2UK focus — Porter is built in the UK, hosts data in the UK, and has a UK-based support team. You won't be waiting until US business hours for help.
- 3GDPR compliance — Porter was built GDPR-first. Data stays in the UK, automated retention policies are included, and consent management is built in. Envoy's GDPR story requires more configuration.
- 4Contractor compliance — Porter includes contractor management with induction tracking, certification verification, and site-specific rules — essential for UK construction and facilities companies.
- 5Simplicity — Porter is laser-focused on doing visitor and contractor management well. Less bloat, faster setup, easier for reception staff to learn.
Which should you choose?
Choose Porter if you...
- Are a UK-based business (SMB or mid-market)
- Need visitor + contractor management
- Care about UK data hosting and GDPR
- Want to save 60–80% vs Envoy
- Prefer UK-hours support
Choose Envoy if you...
- Are a large US or multinational enterprise
- Need desk booking + room scheduling + deliveries
- Rely on a specific Envoy integration
- Have enterprise-scale budget
- Need a recognized brand for board-level buy-in
Ready to try Porter?
Set up your first kiosk in under 5 minutes. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.