Envoy alternative: build your own visitor sign-in with AI

Envoy is a workplace platform whose Visitors product handles sign-in, host notifications, badges, legal documents and visitor analytics, priced per location. A single office that needs a reliable sign-in book, NDAs and an evacuation list can build that part.

Pricing checked October 2026 on envoy.com/pricing

Is there a cheaper alternative to Envoy for visitor sign-in?

If your office has more than 50 people or 100 visits a month, or you want NDAs and badges without a per-location fee, build a visitor sign-in app from this blueprint: a reception tablet kiosk, NDA signing with versions, badge printing, host emails, QR invites, automatic sign-out, an evacuation list and scheduled deletion of visitor details. Envoy's Basic plan is free for 100 visitor entries a month and up to 50 employees; Premium is $362 per location per month billed annually (checked October 2026). Keep Envoy if you need ID scanning, access control or several locations.

Envoy compared with building your own

Compared	Envoy	Build from the blueprint
Price	Free on Basic (100 entries a month, 50 employees); Premium $362 per location per month billed annually; Enterprise custom.	Free blueprint. You pay for your AI builder, hosting and a tablet.
Sign-in	iPad kiosk, QR code sign-in and sign-in flows per visitor type.	Browser kiosk on any tablet, with sign-in steps per visit type.
Documents and badges	Legal documents and badge printing from Premium.	Versioned documents signed by typed name; badges printed from the browser.
Host notifications	Host notifications on every plan, including Basic.	Email to the host, with an optional reception Slack message.
Security	Blocklist, ID scanning and access control on Enterprise.	Not included.
Data retention	Managed in Envoy.	Visitor details deleted after a set number of days, in your own database.
Locations	Priced per location.	One office.
Who maintains it	The vendor.	You.

Which should you choose?

Build your own if

You have more than 50 people or more than 100 visits a month, beyond Envoy's free plan.
You want NDAs signed and badges printed without a $4,344-a-year plan for one office.
You want visitor details deleted on a schedule you set, from a database you control.
You need sign-in, host emails and an evacuation list, not a whole workplace platform.

Pay for Envoy if

You need ID scanning, watchlist screening or access control integrations.
You run several locations and want one system across them.
You want visitor photos, a video front desk, or desk and room booking in the same product.
You're a small office with under 100 visits a month: Envoy's free plan may be enough.

What the blueprint covers

Visit types (guest, interview, contractor, delivery) with their own documents and badge rules; a kiosk screen for the reception tablet; sign-in with name, company, host and visit type; documents such as an NDA signed by typing a full name, with the exact version kept; returning visitors recognised by email; badge printing from the browser; host notifications by email, with an optional message to a reception Slack channel; invites with a QR code for one-tap sign-in; sign-out at the kiosk, by badge, by the host or automatically in the evening; a live on-site list and evacuation printout; a searchable visitor log with CSV export; and automatic deletion of visitor details after a retention period.

What you give up

ID scanning, visitor photos, blocklist screening, access control and Wi-Fi integrations, a video front desk, several locations, package deliveries tracking, desk and room booking, SMS, calendar integrations and analytics dashboards.

Read the Visitor Sign-In blueprint

Envoy alternatives: questions people ask

What does Envoy do that this blueprint doesn't?

Visitor photos, a virtual front desk, ID scanning, blocklist screening, access control and guest Wi-Fi integrations, SSO and directory integrations, emergency notifications to visitors, analytics, several locations, and the other Envoy products: Response, Reservations, Screens and Deliveries.

Is Envoy free?

Envoy Visitors has a free Basic plan with host notifications for up to 100 visitor entries a month and 50 employees in the directory (checked October 2026). Badge printing and legal documents are on Premium.