Alternatives to Poptop and Add to Event
- UK event platforms fall into three types: quote marketplaces (you post a brief, suppliers quote back), directories (you browse and enquire yourself), and broad lead platforms that cover events among many other services.
- For customers, the choice is mostly about whether you want suppliers to come to you, or you want to pick from portfolios yourself.
- For suppliers, the choice is about pricing model: pay per lead, pay monthly, or pay a commission only when a booking is confirmed.
- Main names: Poptop, Add to Event, Bark, Hitched, Bridebook, Guides for Brides, UKbride and Bookt.
- Disclosure: we run Bookt. Check current terms on each provider's site before committing.
Poptop and Add to Event are both UK platforms for booking event suppliers, so people searching for alternatives are usually after one of two things: another place to get quotes, or another place to be listed as a supplier.
This guide covers both sides. It groups the options by how they actually work rather than ranking them, because the right answer genuinely depends on whether you are booking or being booked.
Disclosure before you read on: we build Bookt, which appears in the comparison below. Platform terms and pricing change regularly, so confirm anything that matters to you on the provider's own website.
Quote marketplaces: you post a brief, suppliers come to you
This is the model Poptop and Add to Event are built on, and it is the fastest route from idea to prices. You describe the event, the date and roughly what you need, and suppliers who cover that area respond with quotes.
It suits you if you are early in planning, are not fixed on a particular supplier, or want a realistic sense of the market rate before committing. It suits you less if you already know exactly whose work you want, because you are effectively asking the platform to shortlist for you.
Bookt works this way too. You submit one brief and up to five matching suppliers reply with personalised quotes, usually within hours. Requesting quotes is free, there is no sign-up required, and there is no obligation to book.
Bark also operates on a quote-request basis, though it covers a much wider range of services than events alone, so the supplier pool is broader and less specialised.
Directories: you browse and choose for yourself
Hitched, Bridebook, Guides for Brides and UKbride are the established UK wedding directories. You search by location, look through portfolios and reviews, then contact suppliers directly.
The advantage is control and depth. These sites have been running for years, carry a large number of listings and a lot of accumulated reviews, and are the best place to compare visual style properly, which matters enormously for photographers and videographers.
The trade-off is effort. You are doing the shortlisting, the outreach and the chasing yourself, and availability is unknown until you ask. Many couples use a directory to find styles they like and a quote marketplace in parallel to see who is actually free on their date.
For suppliers: the pricing model is the real difference
If you are reading this as a supplier deciding where to list, ignore the branding and look at how each platform charges. There are three models in UK use.
Pay per lead: you pay to contact each enquiry, whether or not you win the work. Predictable flow of enquiries, unpredictable cost per booking.
Subscription: you pay monthly or annually to be listed. Most wedding directories use this. Predictable cost, but quiet months and seasonal gaps still cost you the same.
Commission on confirmed bookings: you list free and pay a percentage only when a booking completes. Bookt uses this model at 7.5%, with no subscription and no charge to reply to enquiries. Your cost tracks your income, so a quiet month costs nothing.
The comparison that matters is your cost per confirmed booking, not the headline fee. Take three months of spend on any platform and divide it by the jobs you were actually paid for through it. That single number is comparable across all three models.
How the main options compare at a glance
Poptop: event-focused quote marketplace covering entertainment, catering and wider event services across the UK.
Add to Event: event-focused quote marketplace with a broad supplier catalogue, long established in the UK market.
Bark: general services marketplace that includes events but spans many unrelated categories, so enquiry volume is high and relevance varies.
Hitched, Bridebook, Guides for Brides, UKbride: wedding directories built for browsing portfolios and reviews, strongest for visual comparison and depth of listings.
Bookt: UK wedding and event marketplace. Free quotes for customers with no sign-up, and free listing for suppliers with a 7.5% commission only when a booking is confirmed. Deposits are held through Stripe. Newer and smaller than the names above, with correspondingly lower enquiry volume today.
Choosing between them
If you are a customer who wants prices quickly, use a quote marketplace and let suppliers come to you. If you care most about matching a specific visual style, start with a directory and shortlist on portfolio quality first, then check availability.
Using both is normal and costs nothing. Requesting quotes is free on every quote marketplace listed here.
If you are a supplier, there is no penalty for listing on a free, commission-only platform alongside whatever you already pay for. Give it a season, measure cost per confirmed booking on each, and keep whichever earns its place.
Tell us about your booking and we'll match you with verified UK pros who quote back within hours. Free, no obligation.
Get free quotes →Frequently asked questions
What are the main alternatives to Poptop and Add to Event?
For quote-based booking: Bookt and Bark. For browsing portfolios yourself: Hitched, Bridebook, Guides for Brides and UKbride. The quote marketplaces bring suppliers to you, the directories let you shortlist first and enquire directly. Many people use one of each.
Which is best for booking a wedding photographer?
Directories are strongest for judging photographic style, because you can compare large portfolios side by side. Quote marketplaces are strongest for checking who is free on your date and what they charge. A practical approach is to shortlist styles on a directory, then post one brief on a quote platform to surface available photographers and real prices for your date.
Is there a UK platform that does not charge suppliers to reply to leads?
Yes. Bookt does not charge suppliers to see or reply to enquiries and has no subscription. It charges 7.5% only when a customer confirms a booking. Other platforms use pay-per-lead or subscription models, so check the current terms on each provider's website before signing up.
Does it cost customers anything to get quotes?
On Bookt, no. Requesting quotes is free, needs no sign-up and carries no obligation to book. A service fee only applies if you go on to confirm a booking. Most UK quote marketplaces are also free for the customer, with the supplier side carrying the platform's cost.
How many quotes should I expect?
On Bookt, up to five matching suppliers respond, usually within hours. Five is a deliberate cap: enough to compare price and style properly, few enough that you are not fielding twenty emails about one date.
How current is this comparison?
Written in July 2026. It deliberately describes how each platform works rather than quoting specific prices, because fees change. Confirm current terms with each provider directly. We run Bookt, so treat this as a comparison from an interested party, not an independent review.