Anime Expo used to be the announcement stage where Bleach, Black Clover, and everything else got their next reveal, and the crowd size has climbed to match. Planning a convention weekend, whether it’s Anime Expo, Otakon, Anime NYC, or a smaller regional, has quietly turned into a spreadsheet-adjacent project: panel schedules, exhibitor maps, meetup times, cosplay gatherings, and food logistics. We tested seven Android apps that make the difference between a hectic day and a well-run one.
What to look for in a convention planner app
- Official schedule integration. If the convention publishes on Sched or Guidebook, you want the same app on your phone.
- Offline access. Convention Wi-Fi is a lottery. Cell signal in halls is worse.
- Notifications. A panel’s start time is useful; a fifteen-minute reminder is what actually gets you there.
- Group coordination. You’re not going alone. You need something for the group thread.
- Maps and floor plans. Vendor maps, panel room maps, and food court maps that work offline.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sched | Official con schedules | Full app | Anime Expo and Otakon official app |
| Guidebook | Regional con schedules | Full app | Custom con guides |
| Whova | Larger cons with networking | Full app | Attendee networking |
| Meetup | Fan-organized gatherings | Full app | Group discovery |
| Google Maps | Venue navigation | Free | Offline map area save |
| Splitwise | Hotel and food expense splits | Free tier | Balance tracking |
| Discord | Group chat and coordination | Free | Voice channels for meetups |
1. Sched — Best for Anime Expo and Otakon
Sched is the platform Anime Expo, Otakon, and several other US anime conventions publish on. Import the con’s guide, favorite panels, and get push notifications before each starts. Offline mode caches everything after first load.
The Android app handles filtering by track, room, and time cleanly. A quick calendar view shows your day at a glance.
Where it falls short: it’s a container. The experience is only as good as the convention’s data entry.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: required if the con publishes on Sched.
2. Guidebook — Best for smaller regional cons
Guidebook is the Sched competitor. Anime NYC, Katsucon, and several regional cons publish on Guidebook rather than Sched. The app model is the same: download the con guide, favorite panels, get reminders, use offline.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: install alongside Sched. Whichever the con uses is the one you need.
3. Whova — Best for large cons with networking
Whova is more common in professional conferences, but larger anime and pop-culture cons have started publishing on it. Its differentiator is attendee networking, a searchable directory of attendees, meetup boards, and structured group chats.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: install if your con specifically uses Whova.
4. Meetup — Best for fan-organized gatherings
Meetup covers the unofficial side, cosplay-group meetups, ship dinners, fandom gatherings that don’t appear on the official schedule. Search by convention name in the days leading up and the community will have posted.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: the app that surfaces the meetups the con badge doesn’t tell you about.
5. Google Maps — Best for venue navigation
Google Maps with an offline area saved for the convention venue and surrounding blocks solves the “I’m in Hall E and I don’t know where Panel Room 411 is” problem. Save the convention center and hotel radius the night before travel.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: unglamorous, indispensable.
6. Splitwise — Best for group expenses
Splitwise handles the shared-hotel, shared-food math. Enter each expense, tag who was in, and it balances the group at the end of the weekend.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: the app to install before you check into the shared hotel room.
7. Discord — Best for group chat
Discord is where most con groups already live. Voice channels for meetups, threaded chats per plan, and location sharing in server nitro. If your group already has a Discord, this is the coordination surface.
Download: Google Play
Bottom line: the group’s home base for the weekend.
How to pick
- Anime Expo or Otakon. Sched, Splitwise, Google Maps, Discord.
- Anime NYC or Katsucon. Guidebook, plus the same others.
- Larger pro-adjacent cons. Whova.
- You’re solo and want to find gatherings. Meetup.
- You’re the group treasurer. Splitwise.
FAQ
How do I know which app my convention uses?
Look at the con’s website or their “download our app” link. Most link directly to Sched, Guidebook, or Whova.
Do these apps work without Wi-Fi in a crowded hall?
Sched, Guidebook, and Whova all cache the schedule locally after first sync. Google Maps needs its offline area saved in advance. Discord and Meetup need connectivity.
Can I sync the con schedule to my phone’s calendar?
Sched supports iCal export. Add the URL to Google Calendar and every favorited session appears there too. Guidebook and Whova are more locked to their own apps.
