Eventbrite Pricing: is it worth it, or should you consider PromoTix?

Eventbrite Pricing: is it worth it, or should you consider PromoTix?

Understanding what you really get for your money—and how PromoTix compares.

If you've ever navigated Eventbrite's pricing structure, trying to calculate whether the 3.7% service fee plus $1.79 per ticket will eat into your event's profitability, while discovering that payment processing adds another 2.9% per order, you know that event ticketing costs can quickly spiral beyond your initial budget projections.

Eventbrite has established itself as a massive force in event ticketing, connecting organizers with 93 million unique buyers through its marketplace. The platform offers comprehensive event management tools, from ticket sales to attendee check-in, backed by strong brand recognition that can boost event credibility. But as Eventbrite has grown into a dominant marketplace, its fee structure has become increasingly costly for event creators, particularly those running frequent events or operating on tight margins.

I've spent time analyzing Eventbrite's pricing tiers, fee structures, and hidden costs. I believe it's the ideal choice if:

• You need access to a built-in marketplace of event seekers
• Your events benefit from Eventbrite's brand recognition and trust
• You run occasional events where the convenience outweighs the fees
• You value having extensive third-party integrations
• You can absorb or pass on the substantial ticketing fees

However, Eventbrite's pricing may not be optimal if:

• You want to maximize profit margins on every ticket sold
• You need powerful built-in marketing tools beyond basic features
• You're running frequent events where fees accumulate quickly
• You want fully integrated and secured streaming without third-party platforms
• You prefer all-in-one marketing capabilities without external tools

In this case, you should consider PromoTix: an event management platform built by event creators for event creators, offering lower fees (or even zero fees with professional plans), integrated viral marketing tools, and features designed to help organizers sell more tickets while keeping more revenue.

Because of that, I've included a detailed pricing comparison with PromoTix in this review, as an alternative for profit-conscious event creators. With that said, if you're eager to jump into the PromoTix pricing breakdown, go ahead and do so with this link.

Table of contents

• Eventbrite Pricing Summary
• Eventbrite Pricing: In-Depth Overview
• Where Eventbrite Falls Short
• Best Eventbrite Alternative: PromoTix
• Eventbrite Feature Value Breakdown (vs PromoTix)
• Eventbrite Pricing FAQ
• Final Verdict: Eventbrite vs PromoTix
  
  
  

Eventbrite Pricing Summary

Eventbrite Pricing: In-Depth Overview

Eventbrite operates on a per-ticket fee model where costs are typically passed to ticket buyers, though organizers can choose to absorb them. The platform is free to use for publishing events, with fees only applying to paid tickets. Beyond the standard ticketing structure, Eventbrite offers optional subscription add-ons like Eventbrite Pro or Eventbrite Boost for enhanced marketing capabilities and custom packages for events that will add to your costs.

Free Events: $0 for Organizers

Eventbrite's free event option provides complete access to the platform's core features without any fees. This includes event page creation, registration management, and basic marketing tools. The platform genuinely delivers value for community events, free workshops, and meetups where organizers need professional registration management without the associated costs.

The Bottom Line 👉 Perfect for community organizers and nonprofits running free events, but lacks advanced marketing tools that drive attendance.

Paid Events: 3.7% + $1.79 Per Ticket

For paid events, Eventbrite charges a service fee of 3.7% plus $1.79 per ticket, with an additional 2.9% payment processing fee per order. Organizers can choose to absorb these fees themselves or pass them to attendees. A $100 ticket with fees passed to the buyer would cost approximately $108.39, representing a significant markup that can impact sales.

The Bottom Line 👉 Standard paid events work for occasional organizers but become expensive for frequent events or high-volume ticket sales.

Eventbrite Pro: Starting at $15/Month

Eventbrite Pro enhances marketing capabilities by increasing the daily email limit from 250 to between 2,000 and 10,000 emails, depending on your tier. The $15/month starter plan provides 2,000 daily emails while $100/month plan offers 10,000. The subscription add-on also provides 24/7 chat support for organizers of free events, who otherwise have email support. Qualifying nonprofits receive a 50% discount on Pro plans.

The Bottom Line 👉 Worthwhile for organizers sending frequent email campaigns but doesn't address the core issue of high ticketing fees.

Large Events: Custom Pricing

For large-scale events, Eventbrite offers custom packages with dedicated support and exclusive marketing opportunities. This tier includes a Strategic Advisor, priority phone support, and sponsored marketing placements on the platform. Pricing requires direct contact with sales and varies based on event size and requirements. Note that custom pricing can provide volume discounts not available in standard tiers.

The Bottom Line 👉 Suitable for major festivals and conferences where custom pricing and dedicated support justify the negotiation process.

Where Eventbrite Falls Short

While Eventbrite excels at providing marketplace exposure and brand credibility, its pricing model and feature limitations create challenges for profit-conscious event creators seeking comprehensive marketing tools.

High Cumulative Fees Erode Profit Margins

The combined service fee of 3.7% plus $1.79 per ticket, along with 2.9% payment processing, can total over 6.6% plus fixed costs per transaction. For an event selling 1,000 tickets at $50 each, fees could exceed $5,000 when including both percentage and fixed components. These costs particularly impact frequent event organizers and those operating on tight margins. Many creators find that what seems like a reasonable percentage quickly becomes a substantial expense that forces them to either raise prices or accept lower profits.

Marketing Capabilities Require Enhancement

While Eventbrite offers marketing tools including Eventbrite Boost with automated social advertising, the platform lacks certain specialized features like built-in viral contest capabilities and comprehensive ambassador program management. Organizers seeking these specific tools must integrate third-party solutions, creating additional complexity and cost.

Source: Eventbrite

Streaming Requires External Platforms

Eventbrite supports virtual events through integrations with platforms like Zoom, Vimeo, and YouTube, but lacks native streaming capabilities. While these integrations can work well, organizers must manage multiple systems and coordinate between platforms. This creates additional steps for creators who want seamless, integrated streaming experiences, especially for hybrid events where both in-person and remote audiences need to be served, or security is critical, where you want to guarantee every viewer has paid and registered.

Limited Custom Branding Options

While Eventbrite does offer custom branded mobile apps through its Onsite Registration Suite for enterprise clients, this feature isn't readily available in standard plans. Most organizers are limited to Eventbrite's standard app, where their events appear alongside competitors, potentially diluting brand presence.

These limitations have led many event creators to explore alternatives that prioritize profitability and provide comprehensive marketing tools.

Best Eventbrite Alternative: PromoTix

PromoTix delivers powerful event management capabilities while letting creators keep more revenue through lower fees and integrated marketing tools.

For those who find Eventbrite's fees challenging, need integrated marketing capabilities, or want built-in streaming features, PromoTix offers a compelling solution with flexible pricing options, viral marketing features, and comprehensive hybrid event support.

Built by an event promoter who experienced firsthand the challenges of existing ticketing platforms, PromoTix started as marketing software first. The platform evolved into a full ticketing solution designed to help event creators both market effectively and maintain healthy profit margins. This unique heritage means PromoTix combines marketing capabilities with fair pricing structures.

PromoTix serves various event types including youth sports events, music festivals, religious gatherings, beauty pageants, and competitions. The platform has demonstrated its scale by managing major events including large cheerleading competitions and multi-venue festivals.

PromoTix Ticketing + Marketing: 3% + $1.49 Per Ticket

PromoTix's standard plan charges 3% plus $1.49 per ticket, paid by attendees, which is approximately 15-20% lower than Eventbrite's fees. The platform allows organizers to add their own service fee on top, creating an additional revenue stream. The standard plan includes viral contest pages to help drive ticket sales, with additional features like ambassador programs and GPS tracking available in professional tiers.

The Bottom Line 👉 Delivers strong value with integrated marketing tools and lower base fees than Eventbrite.

PromoTix Professional Enterprise: Custom Annual Pricing

The Professional Enterprise plan eliminates ticketing fees entirely through a custom annual subscription model. This tier includes everything from the standard plan plus reserved seating, branded mobile apps, RFID capabilities, GPS tracking, ambassador program management, and access to PromoTix's network of over 8,000 existing promoters. Organizations can finally predict their ticketing costs without worrying about per-ticket calculations.

The Bottom Line 👉 Ideal for professional venues, large festivals, and organizations running multiple events throughout the year where eliminating per-ticket fees provides significant savings.

PromoTix Integrated Features

Beyond pricing advantages, PromoTix includes features that would require multiple third-party integrations with Eventbrite:

Viral Marketing Tools: The platform's viral contest registration pages can generate substantial leads before tickets go on sale. Participants earn points for social shares and referrals, building buzz organically. This feature came from the founder's experience understanding that effective marketing drives ticket sales.

Ambassador Program: Professional plans include ambassador management that lets organizers recruit fans to promote events, with GPS tracking for physical promotions and automatic commission payments. The system includes access to over 8,000 existing ambassadors ready to promote events. This comprehensive approach to grassroots marketing goes beyond basic affiliate links.

Secure Streaming: PromoTix provides integrated ticketed streaming for virtual and hybrid events, eliminating the need for separate platforms. The system prevents unauthorized sharing with unique, single-session URLs for each ticket. This is particularly valuable for youth sports events and performances where family members want to watch remotely.

Spotify Insights: For music events, PromoTix includes a Spotify insights module that analyzes what attendees are listening to, helping organizers make data-driven artist booking decisions to increase ticket sales.

Event Branded Mobile Apps: PromoTix can launch iOS and Android applications for your event attendees under your event’s custom brand, completely white-labeled. These custom branded event mobile apps allow you to own the relationship with your attendees, send them push notifications to announce events, add coupons inside the application to drive concession and merchandise sales on-site, and even sell sponsorships inside the app to sponsors. Attendees can buy tickets, see upcoming lineups and event schedules, and even build their own custom schedule inside the app.

Eventbrite Feature Value Breakdown (vs PromoTix)

Fee Structure and Revenue Impact

Eventbrite's Approach: Eventbrite's 3.7% plus $1.79 service fee, combined with 2.9% payment processing, creates a significant cost that grows with success. While organizers can absorb fees, doing so reduces profit margins. The platform focuses on providing marketplace value rather than fee flexibility.

PromoTix's Approach: PromoTix starts with lower base fees (3% + $1.49) and allows organizers to add custom service fees on top, turning ticketing into a potential revenue center. The Professional Enterprise plan eliminates per-ticket fees entirely, providing predictable costs regardless of sales volume, giving the upside back to the event organizer.

Value Verdict: PromoTix offers advantages for maximizing revenue through both lower base fees and the flexibility to generate additional income through custom service charges.

Marketing and Promotion Capabilities

Eventbrite's Approach: Eventbrite provides email campaigns, social sharing tools, and Eventbrite Boost for automated social advertising at additional costs that add up quickly. Pro plans increase email limits up to 10,000 daily. The platform leverages its marketplace for discovery and offers various marketing features, though some specialized tools like viral contests require third-party integrations.

Source: Eventbrite

PromoTix's Approach: PromoTix includes viral contest pages in its base offering, with professional tiers adding ambassador program management with GPS tracking and Spotify artist insights for music events. These features were the foundation of the platform, originally built as marketing software before adding ticketing capabilities. The best part is, professional tiers tend to cost less per ticket than standard tiers with a multi-year agreement, meaning you’ll get more features for even less money.

Value Verdict: PromoTix provides easier and less costly access to custom branded attendee apps, while Eventbrite's marketplace app offers broader event discovery.

Eventbrite Pricing FAQ

Is Eventbrite really free to use?

Yes, Eventbrite is free for organizers hosting free events. The platform charges no fees when tickets are free. For paid events, fees of 3.7% plus $1.79 per ticket apply, plus 2.9% payment processing, which can be absorbed by organizers or passed to buyers.

How do Eventbrite fees compare to PromoTix?

PromoTix is also free for free events, and charges 3% plus $1.49 per ticket for its standard paid plan, compared to Eventbrite's 3.7% plus $1.79. This represents approximately 15-20% savings on service fees. Organizers on pro plans see an additional 30% savings. For 1,000 tickets at $50 each, PromoTix saves approximately $650 in service fees. PromoTix's Professional Enterprise plan eliminates per-ticket fees entirely with a custom annual subscription.

Can I add my own service fee on Eventbrite?

No, Eventbrite doesn't allow organizers to add custom service fees above the platform's charges. PromoTix enables organizers to add their own service fees, creating potential additional revenue.

Does Eventbrite offer streaming for virtual events?

Eventbrite supports virtual events through integrations with platforms like Zoom, Vimeo, and YouTube. While not providing native streaming, these integrations offer automated features like meeting sync. PromoTix includes its own streaming platform, an integrated streaming solution with single-session URLs that prevent unauthorized sharing and viewership.

Which platform is better for marketing events?

Both platforms offer marketing capabilities with different strengths. Eventbrite provides marketplace exposure to 93 million buyers, email marketing, and Eventbrite Boost for social advertising. PromoTix includes viral contest pages, and professional tiers add ambassador programs with GPS tracking. The best choice depends on whether you prioritize marketplace discovery or specialized viral marketing tools.

Can I use both platforms simultaneously?

Yes, PromoTix explicitly states they don't require exclusive ticketing agreements. Many organizers use multiple platforms to maximize reach while optimizing for different audiences and revenue goals. Given PromoTix’s lower fee structure, using PromoTix as your main ticketing provider, driving all marketing and advertising to the PromoTix event page, as well as including PromoTix’s website integration on your event’s website, is the most cost-effective way to go. 

You can then list your event on Eventbrite for the sole purpose of reaching some of their marketplace tends to be a great combination strategy. The only downside of this strategy is that you will need to run both PromoTix and Eventbrite check-in apps at the gate on your event day, or you’ll need to import the Eventbrite ticket buyers into PromoTix ahead of time so you only have to use PromoTix’s check-in application on the day of your event.

Final Verdict: Eventbrite vs PromoTix

The choice between Eventbrite and PromoTix depends on your priorities as an event creator.

👍 Eventbrite is a marketplace-driven ticketing platform designed for organizers who value brand recognition and built-in audience reach. With its per-ticket pricing starting at 3.7% plus $1.79, it offers access to a large marketplace audience through its established platform, though this typically serves as a supplemental source of visibility rather than a primary driver of ticket sales. This fee-based model works well for occasional event organizers who benefit from marketplace exposure, established organizations that can absorb higher fees, and events where Eventbrite's brand credibility justifies the cost.

Get started with Eventbrite here.

👉 PromoTix is a creator-focused platform built on the principle that event organizers should keep more of their revenue while having powerful tools to grow their events. By offering lower fees starting at 3% plus $1.49 (or zero fees with Professional subscription plans, which tend to save up to 30% more), integrated viral marketing tools, and features like custom mobile apps and secure streaming, it provides comprehensive event management capabilities. This approach makes it particularly suitable for youth sports events and competitions, music festivals and venues needing professional features, and creators focused on maximizing profit margins.

Get started with PromoTix here.

The fundamental difference lies in each platform's priorities. While Eventbrite focuses on connecting organizers with its marketplace audience, PromoTix emphasizes helping creators sell more tickets while keeping more revenue through lower fees and integrated marketing tools.