Buzztime built the bar-trivia category on tablets — and the tablets are exactly the part venues are tired of. Soiraye runs the same kind of always-on trivia with no hardware to buy, no contract to sign, and no app for your crowd. Here's the honest comparison.
Buzztime details are as publicly reported and vary by plan — confirm current terms with the vendor.
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| Soiraye | Buzztime | |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware | None — a laptop and a TV you already own | Proprietary tablets to buy, charge, store and replace |
| How players join | Scan a QR or type a 4-letter code — no app | Venue tablets or the Buzztime app |
| Contract | Month-to-month, 30-day free trial | Typically a longer-term agreement |
| Reported price | $49–$149/mo flat | ~$149–$199/mo + hardware |
| Built for | Gay bars & nightlife venues | Sports bars & chains |
| Your branding | Your logo, color & sponsor on every screen | Buzztime-branded network look |
| Beyond trivia | Drag bingo, an always-on Channel, live watch parties | Tablet card games & poker |
| Who runs it | Your bartender, from one screen — or autopilot | Runs itself on the tablet network |
| Crowd data | Attendance, returning regulars & season standings in your dashboard | Network-level, less venue-owned |
Tablets get dropped, drained, and lost. Soiraye needs nothing but the screen and laptop behind your bar — players bring the rest on the phones in their hands.
Month-to-month with a 30-day free trial. Run a real night before you commit, and leave whenever you want. No multi-year lock-in.
Your logo, your color, your sponsor on every screen — and every team and visit lands in your dashboard, not a national network's.
If you run a sports bar that wants 24/7 self-serve tablet trivia and you're happy owning the devices and the contract, Buzztime is a proven fit. But if you're a nightlife venue that wants a produced weekly night — branded as your room, with no hardware, no contract, and the same platform also running drag bingo and watch parties — Soiraye is the modern answer.
No. Soiraye runs on a laptop behind the bar and any TV you already have. Players join from their own phones by scanning a QR code or typing a 4-letter code — there's no hardware to buy, charge, or store.
Soiraye is a flat $49–$149/month with no hardware cost and no per-event fee. Buzztime is reported at roughly $149–$199/month plus tablet hardware and a longer-term agreement. Most independent venues come out ahead, but confirm current pricing with each.
Yes — that's what the Channel is. Your TVs run trivia, year-guesses and polls on a loop between live nights with no host, so the screens are never dead. See the Channel →
No. Soiraye is month-to-month with a 30-day free trial, so you can run a full night before committing and cancel anytime.
Get set up and we'll show you the host console, the big screen, and the phone — live, with your bar's brand on it.
The full shortlist if the tablets are aging out — and how to make the move.
See alternatives → Own it vs rent itRun the night yourself instead of paying a national brand to send a host.
Compare → The roundupEvery major platform compared by model, hardware, contract and price.
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