Are you searching for the perfect ticketing platform with flexible tools to help you sell out amazing events?
With endless features and options calling for your attention, it's easy to feel overwhelmed before you even begin your search. Add to that the dreaded topic of ticketing fees!
You don’t want to be frustrated by a lack of valuable ticketing features or pay for shiny functionality beyond the scope of your requirements. Before diving into features, it’s vital to take a step back and consider what your event needs from a ticketing platform.
Whether you're hosting a complex event like a sprawling music festival, an intimate charity gala, or a small scale community yoga session—the ideal platform will help you boost your online ticket sales and have the right features and a fair price.
This article will guide you through key questions about your ticketing solution requirements and offer reviews of 10 popular platforms—breaking down their features, pricing structures, and other key characteristics.
What can you do with an event ticketing platform?
Event ticketing platforms provide tools and features that cater to a spectrum of needs, from essential ticket sales to more advanced event management requirements. They allow users to sell tickets online for different event types with secure payment processing, making registration easy for attendees.
More advanced features could include promotional tools like discount campaigns and referral programs, detailed analytics for tracking sales and attendee demographics, integrated marketing features, attendee networking tools, and more.
🗝️ The key to finding out what’s right for you is asking yourself the right questions. Based on your strategy, which features are non-negotiable for you, ‘nice-to-have,’ and what is surplus to requirements?
To help you in your search, here are some questions to consider:
What ticketing or event logistics features do I need?
- Do my guests need physical (PDF) tickets? Consider your audience's demographics and comfort level with technology.
- Do I need in-person check-in functionality? Will you require staff to scan tickets or verify attendance at the door? Do you require event badge printing capabilities?
- Do I need seating allocation? Seating allocation is crucial for events with assigned seating or tiered pricing based on location.
- Will attendees need to download an app? Consider functionalities like interactive features, surveys, or access control through an app.
- Do I need to collect additional attendee information beyond essential registration? Platforms might offer a registration tool offering custom forms to gather attendee preferences like dietary restrictions, preferred workshops, or T-shirt sizes.
Event management functionality
- What level of event creation and management tools do I need? Do you require features like scheduling tools, speaker management, or vendor registration?
- Does the platform integrate with other tools I use? Check if the platform is compatible with other tools that you use and consider social media integration, CRM software, email marketing platforms, or accounting software.
- Do I need features for specific event types? Look for features like cashless payments (food & beverage), merch sales, donation management (charity events), or live-streaming hybrid capabilities.
Cost & pricing
- What is the platform's pricing structure? Consider upfront fees, whether there is a fee per ticket or a monthly minimum, transaction fees, discounts for high-volume, and whether you can post unlimited events.
- Do the fees align with my budget? Compare pricing structures across different platforms to find the most cost-effective option for your event type and expected ticket sales.
- What is the platform payout setup? Can I quickly access funds, or will I have to wait?
Marketing & promotion
- Does the platform offer built-in promotional tools? Look for features like social media integration, email marketing tools, page branding controls, and the ability to generate promo codes and conduct email campaigns.
- How will the platform help me hit my ticket sales goals? Consider the platform's reach based on its user base vs the demographics of your ideal attendees.
Customization & user experience
- How well does the platform allow you to customize the ticket-purchasing experience to reflect your event's branding?
- What level of flexibility does the platform offer in terms of creating different ticket types and pricing options to cater to your audience's needs?
- How user-friendly is the registration and checkout process for attendees, and does the platform provide seamless navigation and minimize steps to purchase?
Additional considerations
- Customer support: Evaluate the platform's customer support options (phone, email, live chat) and their responsiveness to inquiries.
- Security and data protection: Ensure the platform adheres to industry data security and payment processing standards.
- Ease of use: Consider the platform's user interface, how user-friendly it is for organizers, and whether the ticketing process is simple for attendees.
- Scalability: Will the platform handle your event's size and potential growth in the future?
By carefully considering these questions, you can make an informed decision and select an online ticketing platform that ticks all the right boxes.
Best event ticketing platforms 2024
OK event planners, let’s dive into our 10 top ticketing platform picks for this year, covering a broad range of needs, event styles, and sizes, from intimate yoga workshops to multi-day conferences.
We’ll look at platform highlights, who they work best for, who they are less suited to, and the all-important question of pricing and payout.
1. Checkout Page
Checkout Page is a cost-effective, feature-rich platform that enables you to build fully customizable pages—and our events page functionality offers comprehensive ticketing options with zero transaction fees and the ability to create unlimited events!
Checkout Page's key features and costs
✔ Offer unlimited events with any number of tickets, each with its price and availability
✔ Collect a booking fee for every ticket sold and keep the revenue
✔ Supply free, donation-based tickets and discount codes
✔ All significant currencies accepted and customizable fields for translations
✔ Top-notch customer support from the founders
✔ Built on the Stripe payment gateway
✔ No-code page builder with branding options
✔ Set up flexible ticketing options
✔ Customizable registration forms
Pricing: Subscription Model
Each option permits you to add an unlimited number of checkout pages and an unlimited number of paid or free tickets, making it unique in the market:
Launch $29/month (up to $3k sales volume)
Grow: $99/month (up to $10k sales volume)
Scale: $239/month (up to $30k sales volume)
See full pricing
💸 Payout time: Immediate
🏆 Great for Those looking for a budget-friendly option with plenty of customization, adaptability, and exceptional customer service to ensure you make the most of our features.
😞 Not so great for Those hosting events that call for seating management and e-ticket check-in.
2. Eventbrite
Eventbrite has become one of the go-to platforms for both event organizers and attendees. For organizers, it offers a user-friendly interface to create pages, manage ticket sales, and gain valuable buyer insights.
Eventbrite's key features and costs
✔ Boasts the world's largest online event ticketing marketplace
✔ Event organizer app allows you to monitor sales and check-in guests
✔ Custom email templates for email marketing
✔ Real-time event analytics and insights
✔ Because it’s well-known, buyers feel a sense of trust in the platform
Pricing:
For event organizers in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland:
- It is free to publish unlimited events
- A pro plan (subscription) has been introduced to offer advanced marketing email capabilities
Basic pricing:
As of 4th September 2024:
- Events of any size and with any number of tickets can be listed for free.
- Free tickets incur no fees.
- Paid tickets incur 3.7% + $1.79 service fee per ticket in the USA.*
- Paid tickets incur 6.95% + £0.59 service fee per ticket in the UK.
- A 2.9% payment processing fee is taken per order.
* The full fee breakdown per country can be found here
Note: Eventbrite states that fees are paid by ticket buyers on paid tickets unless you, the organizer, elect to cover them.
Pro plans:
Eventbrite Pro offers enhanced email marketing capabilities for event organizers. Subscribers to the Pro plan can send up to 10,000 daily emails and have unlimited contacts.
The tiers for this plan are as follows:
- Pro 2k (formerly Pro 100): Send up to 2,000 daily emails for $15/month
- Pro 6k (formerly Pro 250): Send up to 6,000 daily emails for $50/month)
- Pro 10k (formerly Pro Unlimited): Send up to 10,000 daily emails for $100/month (USD)
Annual subscribers to a Pro plan will receive a 20% discount. Qualifying nonprofits can enjoy a 50% discount.
Is there a platform lock-in?
No, you can cancel at any time
💸 Payout time: Eventbrite offers a choice of the following payout schedules:
- After your event: We'll start processing a single payout 3 days after your event's end date.
- Twice a month: Payouts start processing on the 1st and 15th of the month.
- Every week: Payouts start processing weekly on Wednesdays.
- Instant payout: Users based in the US can request an instant payout of funds, although a fee applies to this.
🏆 Great for Event organizers without an established audience, creating an event on this platform automatically puts it on the public listings, maximizing its exposure to potential attendees.
😞 Not so great for Those wanting complete control of customization or those wanting a budget-friendly option - those fees mount up!
3. Bizzabo
Bizzabo is a leading, feature-rich event management software platform designed to help organizations plan, execute, and analyze all aspects of their events, from virtual attendees to trade shows and local community gatherings.
Bizaboo's key features and costs
✔ Create ticket tiers with varying prices based on access levels, early bird discounts, or VIP packages.
✔ Allow attendees to easily manage their tickets online, including viewing receipts, downloading PDFs (if offered), or transferring tickets to others (if permitted).
✔ For events with limited capacity, Bizzabo offers waitlist features to manage interested attendees who haven't secured tickets yet.
✔ Flexible tools for website creation and customization
✔ Live Streaming capabilities for virtual or hybrid events
Pricing:
Platform access starts at $499 per user per year, including unlimited events and other features.
Premium add-ons are available, and custom pricing is determined upon speaking to a Bizzabo representative. Further details can be found on their pricing page.
💸 Payout time: We could not find this on the website.
🏆 Great for Event professionals hosting at a large scale and repeat event organizers looking for a comprehensive platform to cover all aspects of hosting, including hybrid event management.
😞 Not so great for Anyone hosting small events or looking for low-cost or free options such as charity or community organizers.
4. Ticket Tailor
Ticket Tailor caters specifically to independent event organizers, offering a straightforward interface for creating ticketing pages, managing ticket sales, and gaining valuable audience insights.
Ticket Tailor's key features and costs
✔ Create different ticket tiers with varying prices to cater to different attendee budgets or offer VIP packages
✔ Free check-in app
✔ Personalize pages with your branding and visuals
✔ Flat fee structure and free tier for events with 50 tickets or less
✔ Integrate Ticket Tailor with various marketing and management tools you might already use
✔ Offer attendees convenient mobile ticketing options
Pricing:
Free events: Free
Pay upfront: from $0.28 per ticket.
Pay as you sell: from $0.75 per ticket.50% charity discount50% discount for low-price tickets
💸 Payout time: Typically, it takes 7 days for a paid ticket to arrive in your account, or you can set up batch payments.
🏆 Great for Small to medium event organizers with experience with ticketing and registration platforms. Users have said they needed to be more tech-savvy setting up with this platform over Eventbrite.
😞 Not so great for Some users have found the lack of customization options for landing pages and overall branding adjustments frustrating. It would also be less of a great candidate for complex ticketing structures.
5. Eventzilla
From ticketing and registration to attendee engagement tools and virtual solutions, Eventzilla empowers organizers to create successful events with a user-friendly platform and the features you need to streamline your event ticketing and planning process.
Eventzilla's key features and costs
✔ Self-service options to register, modify, cancel and get refunds
✔ Customizable registration emails, session info, badges, and reminders
✔ Eventzilla allows for branding elements and visual design to personalize pages, creating a professional presentation
✔ Facilitate attendee interaction before, during, and after the event with features like online communities, forums, or chat functionalities
✔ Industry-specific solutions offered for fundraisers, conferences, training/classes, and more
Pricing:
Basic plan: $1.50 per registration
Plus plan: 2.9% + $1.50 per registration (at the time of writing, there is 50% off this plan)
Custom plan: For a bespoke configuration, contact their sales team to complete pricing information
💸 Payout time: Daily, weekly, or monthly payout options.
🏆 Great for Popular with hosts of conferences, fundraisers, and more significant events that call for a hybrid approach with interactive webinars. Its users praise its inbuilt CRM.
😞 Not so great for Some users who have found it hard to get to grips with some of the more advanced features of this platform.
6. RegFox
Regfox is an affordable and comprehensive event ticketing platform that caters to broader aspects of event management, from attendee registration and communication to marketing and analytics.
It prioritizes user experience and prides itself on its budget-friendliness and fee transparency.
RegFox's key features and costs
✔ Check-in app and attendee management functionality
✔ Create workflows, dynamic pricing, and custom questions
✔ Badge print onto labels
✔ Social media promotion tools
✔ Create visually appealing registration pages with a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface
Pricing: Flat 99¢ + 1% fee per paid registrant (capped at $4.99 per registrant and no monthly minimum)
This applies to free tickets also.
See full pricing
💸 Payout time: Direct and instant payouts are possible daily
🏆 Great for Those who prioritize affordability, user-friendliness, and a streamlined registration process that does not need to cater to complex ticketing structures.
😞 Not so great for Hosts looking for more bespoke features like the ability to sell different workshops within a single event.
7. Cvent
Cvent is an all-in-one event platform designed to go beyond essential registration to offer a powerful suite of tools that streamline the entire project lifecycle, from pre-event planning and marketing to on-site execution and post-event analysis.
Cvent's key features and costs
✔ Offer various ticket types with different pricing, availability, and benefits (e.g., early-bird discounts).
✔ Design branded registration experiences with a drag-and-drop builder. Personalize online forms & workflows.
✔ Manage hotel bookings with real-time insights and automated records.
✔ Simplify team registration with bulk options, customization, and group discounts.
✔ Integrate with global payment options (Stripe, Flutterwave, etc.) with easy tax incorporation.
✔ Supports virtual as well as in-person events
Pricing:
Cvent’s pricing structure includes an annual license fee + a per-registration fee. Their custom pricing scales are tailored to your needs, so get in touch to request a quote.
💸 Payout time: There is a waiting period for funds to settle, depending on your chosen setup. You can find more information on Cvent’s support page.
🏆 Great for Event professionals immersed in the industry looking for a high-end, enterprise-scale, highly customizable and comprehensive event management platform.
😞 Not so great for Some users have complained about the complexity of use - the fact it’s heavily customizable can mean individual setups are challenging to navigate.
8.TicketBud
Ticketbud is a strong choice for organizers of in-person, online, and hybrid events, especially those starting or looking for a budget-friendly option. The free plan allows you to test the platform's capabilities, and the user-friendly interface makes it easy to create multi-day event pages.
TicketBud's key features and costs
✔ Create an unlimited number of events and offer various ticket types (single tickets, group tickets, VIP packages) with different pricing tiers
✔ Track sales data, attendee demographics, and other key metrics to measure success
✔ Track offline ticket sales and manage guest lists for registrations received outside the platform
✔ Access your ticket sales revenue quickly with flexible payout options, including daily, weekly, or monthly schedules
✔ Design custom event pages with your branding to provide a professional look and feel
Pricing:
Free: Free events free!
Paid events: 2% +99c per ticket sold
Non-profits & schools: 1.75% + 99c per ticket sold
Payment processor fee: 2.9% + 30c per ticket
See full pricing
💸 Payout time: Daily, weekly, or monthly payout options are available.
🏆 Great for Ticketbud prides itself on being great for those getting started on their ticket sales journey with an excellent range of features and a user-friendly setup.
😞 Not so great for Anyone looking for a more customizable platform.
9. Whova
Whova is a powerful event registration platform that strongly focuses on attendee engagement and experience. It offers advanced features, integrates seamlessly with its app solution, and provides valuable data insights.
Whova's key features and costs
✔ Create diverse ticket tiers with varying prices and access levels to cater to different attendee budgets and interests
✔ Restrict registration or specific ticket types to a pre-approved list, ideal for exclusive events
✔ Simplify ticket purchases for groups by allowing them to register and pay together
✔ Integrated event app experience
✔ Rich data analytics and reporting tools
Pricing: Whova does not provide pricing on its site, so you must request a quote from a sales representative. However, as of March 2023, their pricing plans were approx:
Starter Plan: $1,499 for up to 500 attendees for a 2-day event
Standard Plan: $2,999 for up to 1,000 attendees for a 2-day event
Pro Plan: $5,999 for up to 2,000 attendees for a 2-day event
Pricing available on demand
💸 Payout time: Whova’s website states: “Receive early registration payouts to cover venue deposits, food, travel, and other expenses sooner. Benefit from improved cash flow and stress-free event planning.”
🏆 Great for Larger-scale organizers who want a seamless experience with an integrated app that offers data-driven insights for future planning.
😞 Not so great for Small, one-off events with limited ticketing needs, no app requirement, and a keen eye on budget.
10. Purplepass
Purplepass is a popular ticketing platform that allows organizers to easily create, promote, and sell tickets for events such as concerts, festivals, conferences, and more. It offers a range of features, including customized event pages, ticket-scanning apps, and seating charts.
Purplepass's key features and costs
✔ User-defined ticketing options
✔ Ability for hosts to transfer guests to different ticket types
✔ Automatically show tickets available at the door if the event is not sold out
✔ Limit ticket numbers available per customer to prevent scalping
✔ Email communication tools for sharing important information with attendees
Pricing:
Fees for free events: None
Non-profit service fees: 2.0% + $0.99/ticket
For-profit service fees: 2.5% + $0.99/ticket
Full pricing
💸 Payout time: Payouts happen on the first Thursday proceeding your event.
🏆 Great for Budget-conscious organizers of free and lower-cost events looking for a great range of features for the price point.
😞 Not so great for Hosts wanting to customize their setup or requiring enterprise-level features.
What is the best ticketing platform?
🏆 For its brand new event page feature, cost effectiveness, customization AND outstanding support: Checkout Page
🏆 For a fully integrated registration and management platform that customers and attendees love: Bizzabo
Shortlisting platforms is challenging because requirements are so diverse; however, based on features, cost, and what customers say about the different solutions, we’ve decided to champion the above solutions.
Want to experience Checkout Page’s fantastic new event page feature firsthand? Why not sign up for our free trial - no card is required!
We have a library of templates like this one to get you off to a flying start. We know you’ll find it intuitive and slick if you want to start from scratch. And as a bonus, our founders are on hand to assist you in setting things up optimally!
If you’d like to learn more about selling tickets online like a pro, read our article How to sell event tickets online.
We hope to support you on your journey to putting on a beautiful event and a fantastic experience for attendees.
