Wi-Fi Silent Disco vs RF

Cost Comparison — 100 Person Event

Full Feature Comparison

Factor	Wi-Fi	RF
Upfront cost	$99–$349/yr	$500–$3,000+ (buy) or rental
Per-event cost	$0	$3–8 per headset
Headphone logistics	None — guests use their own	Distribute, collect, sanitize
Battery management	None	Charge 100s of headsets before each event
Audio channels	3	Typically 3
Audio sync	±<20ms	Good
Setup time	5 minutes	30–60 minutes
Outdoor use (no Wi-Fi)	Needs Wi-Fi coverage	Works anywhere
Lost / damaged units	Not your problem	$15–40 per lost headset
Scalability	Unlimited on Pro plan	Limited by headset inventory
Hygiene	Guests use own earbuds	Shared headphones (sanitized)

When RF Is Still the Right Choice

RF headphones still make sense in specific scenarios:

• Outdoor events with no Wi-Fi — a field, park, or festival site without reliable network coverage
• Events where guests can't be expected to have smartphones — very young children, assisted living events
• Rental businesses — if you're in the business of renting equipment to other promoters, you need physical headsets

When Wi-Fi Is the Clear Winner

For the vast majority of venues and events — clubs, hotel ballrooms, corporate events, weddings, yoga studios, fitness studios, pop-ups — Wi-Fi wins:

• Your venue already has Wi-Fi your guests connect to
• Everyone has a smartphone and earbuds
• You want zero per-event overhead cost
• You run events regularly and want a one-time software cost
• You want guests using their own comfortable earbuds, not shared plastic headphones