Honest comparison
Show Sourcing vs spreadsheets, notes apps and general CRMs
Most buyers start with a spreadsheet, the notes app and a pile of business cards. That works for a few booths. Show Sourcing is for when a show means hundreds of products, several buyers and quotes you need to compare.
| Show Sourcing | Spreadsheet | Notes app | General CRM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photos and video on each product | Yes | With work | With work | With work |
| Works offline on the show floor | Yes | With work | Yes | With work |
| Business card scan into vendor contacts | Yes | No | No | With work |
| FOB, price terms and price breaks per product | Yes | With work | No | No |
| Landed cost with US tariffs and freight | Yes | With work | No | No |
| Search words printed on the box in photos | Yes | No | With work | No |
| Team sees new products in seconds | Yes | With work | With work | Yes |
| Contacts, deals and sales pipeline | No | With work | No | Yes |
| Cost | From $8.50 a seat a month | Often free | Often free | Varies |
"With work" means you can get there with your own columns, formulas, folders or add-ons.
When a spreadsheet is enough
If you visit a handful of booths, buy alone, and only need a price list, a spreadsheet is fine and free. Show Sourcing earns its place when photos, vendors, price breaks and landed cost all need to stay together, and when a team works the same show.
When a general CRM fits better
General CRMs are built around contacts, deals and a sales pipeline. Show Sourcing is built around products: photos, quotes, MOQ, tariffs and landed cost, linked to the vendor who quoted them. It is not a sales CRM.
Questions
What is Show Sourcing?
Show Sourcing records the products you find at trade shows. You take photos, add the vendor and the price, and the app calculates the landed cost. Your team sees every product on their own phones.
Does the app work without internet?
Yes. You can create and edit products offline. The app saves them on the phone and uploads them when you are online again. Settings > Data > Sync Queue shows what is still waiting to upload.
How do I export my products?
Settings > Backup & Import > Export Products (JSON). The file has every field and links to every photo. It is not available during the free trial, and the team owner can limit it.
Who sees my products?
Everyone on your team. Products sync to all team phones in a few seconds. People outside your team never see them.
How much does Show Sourcing cost?
You pay per seat (one seat for each person). Yearly is $8.50 a seat a month. 6 months is $10 a seat a month. Teams of 10 or more get a discount. Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. See showsourcing.app/pricing.
More answers in Help & FAQ.
Try it at your next show
Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial. Then $10 a seat a month on the 6-month plan, or $8.50 a seat a month billed yearly. Teams of 10, 15 and 20 seats get 5%, 10% and 15% off.
iPhone, iPad and Mac. Web portal at app.showsourcing.app.