Porter vs SwipedOn: Which Visitor Management System is Right for You?
SwipedOn is a popular visitor management platform originally from New Zealand. It's a solid product — but how does it stack up against Porter for UK businesses? Here's an honest look at both.
Quick overview
- UK-based, UK data hosting
- From £49/location/month
- GDPR compliant by design
- Strong contractor compliance features
- UK-based support team
- New Zealand-based, data hosted in AU/NZ
- From £149/location/month (approx.)
- Well-known in APAC and growing in UK
- Good employee sign-in features
- NZ/AU timezone support
Feature comparison
| Feature | Porter | SwipedOn |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | ||
| Employee sign-in | ||
| Custom branding | ||
| Contactless sign-in | ||
| Analytics dashboard | ||
| Slack / Teams notifications | ||
| API access | ||
| UK-based support team | ||
| Android tablet support | ||
| Capacity management |
Pricing comparison
Porter offers significantly lower pricing than SwipedOn, making it a strong choice for cost-conscious UK businesses.
| Plan | Porter | SwipedOn |
|---|---|---|
| Starter / Lite | £49/mo | ~£149/mo |
| Professional / Business | £79/mo | ~£199/mo |
| Enterprise | £149/mo | Custom |
| Free trial | 14 days | 14 days |
* SwipedOn pricing is approximate, converted from NZD/USD. Prices per location per month.
Key differences for UK businesses
Data hosting & GDPR
Porter hosts all data in the UK, making GDPR compliance straightforward. SwipedOn's data is primarily hosted in Australia/New Zealand, which means your visitor data leaves the UK. While international data transfers can be handled with adequate safeguards, UK-hosted data removes that complexity entirely.
Support hours
Porter's support team is UK-based and available during UK business hours. SwipedOn's primary team is in New Zealand, which is 11–13 hours ahead of the UK. While they offer email support, real-time help during your working day may be limited.
Contractor compliance
Porter includes full contractor management with induction tracking, certification verification, and site-specific compliance rules. SwipedOn has basic contractor sign-in but lacks the deeper compliance tooling that UK construction and facilities management companies typically need.
What SwipedOn does well
SwipedOn is a polished product with a clean interface. Their employee sign-in feature is well-implemented, and they have solid brand recognition in the APAC region. If you have offices in Australia or New Zealand, SwipedOn's local presence there could be an advantage.
Which should you choose?
Choose Porter if you...
- Are a UK-based business
- Need UK data hosting for GDPR
- Require contractor compliance tracking
- Want to save 60%+ vs SwipedOn
- Need UK business hours support
Choose SwipedOn if you...
- Have offices in Australia or New Zealand
- Prioritise employee sign-in as the primary use case
- Already use SwipedOn's ecosystem
- Don't need UK-specific contractor compliance
Ready to try Porter?
Set up your first kiosk in under 5 minutes. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.