For most small organisers, the right Eventzilla replacement comes down to one choice: list your event on a hosted ticketing platform that brings its own buyers, or sell from your own storefront or website. Open-source and WordPress options give you control but hand you the upkeep. Test one ticket sale and one refund before announcing anything.
Running a meetup, a workshop or a fundraiser and finding Eventzilla isn't the right fit any more? You've got good options, and they split more cleanly than you'd expect. Here are eight registration and ticketing tools, in no particular order, grouped by how they sell your tickets.
Listed on a discovery site, or sold from your own storefront?
This is the decision that shapes everything else. Some ticketing tools put your event on a public discovery page where people browsing for something to do can find it. That can bring in buyers who'd never have heard of you, but their first contact is with the platform's brand, not yours.
Others give you a storefront on your own domain, or a snippet you drop into your own website, so the buyer stays with you from start to finish. And a few go further still: open-source software you run yourself, or a WordPress plugin on your own site. That means you own the setup and the maintenance as well as the customer.
Neither route is wrong. A public comedy night may sell better on a discovery site. A members' workshop or a charity's annual dinner usually doesn't need strangers finding it, and looks more trustworthy on the organiser's own pages.
Three ways to sell tickets
Hosted ticketing platforms. Fienta lets you create event pages with registration forms, ticketing and payment processing. Billetto is a UK discovery and ticketing site where organisers can list and sell tickets for their own events. Tito is event registration software aimed at technology, developer and B2B conferences. Eventcube gives you one ticketing system with a branded storefront on your own domain, and the Universe snippet lets buyers check out without leaving your site.
Open-source or self-hosted options. Attendize is open-source ticket-selling and event management software you run on your own server. Event Espresso is a WordPress plugin that adds event calendars, registration, ticket sales and ticket scanning to a site you already run.
Tools that add an event app. Eventleaf covers event planning, registration and attendee engagement, with an attendee app for in-person, hybrid or virtual events. It's the one to look at if attendees need an agenda in their pocket on the day, not only a ticket.
What running it yourself really involves
Open source means you host it. You'll need a server, someone to install updates and security patches, and a plan for when something breaks the night before your event. In return you get full control of the data and the look of every page.
A WordPress plugin sits in the middle. You don't run a separate system, but your ticketing is now only as reliable as your site, its hosting and every other plugin on it. If you've got a developer friend or an in-house web person, that control is worth having. If you haven't, a hosted platform will save you a late-night panic.
Ticketing options compared
| Tool | Model | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Attendize | Open-source, self-hosted | Running ticketing on your own server |
| Billetto | Ticketing with discovery | UK events wanting a public listing |
| Event Espresso | WordPress plugin | Selling tickets inside a WordPress site |
| Eventcube | Branded ticket storefront | Several events under your own domain |
| Eventleaf | Event management with app | Registration plus an attendee app |
| Fienta | Hosted ticketing | Quick event pages with payments |
| Tito | Registration and check-in | Tech and B2B conferences |
| Universe | Ticketing with website snippet | Timed-entry and general admission sales |
Registration and ticketing tools, A to Z
Attendize
Best for: Organisers with a server and some technical help who want an open-source ticket-selling and event management platform they run and maintain themselves.
Billetto
Best for: UK organisers who'd like their events to appear on a discovery and ticketing site, where the vendor says you can start selling tickets in minutes.
Event Espresso
Best for: WordPress site owners wanting event calendars, registration and ticket sales with ticket scanning, all running as a plugin on a site they already manage.
Eventcube
Best for: Anyone running several events who wants one ticketing system with a branded storefront on their own domain, as the vendor describes it.
Eventleaf
Best for: Planners of in-person, hybrid or virtual events who need registration and attendee engagement as well, including an attendee app.
Fienta
Best for: Small organisers who want quick event pages with registration forms, ticketing and payment processing built in.
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Tito
Best for: Technology, developer and B2B conference teams; the vendor calls it the easiest to use and easiest to integrate event platform.
Universe
Best for: Events selling general admission or timed-entry tickets that want buyers to check out on the organiser's own website through a code snippet.
My advice for small organisers
Match the tool to the event, not the other way round. A community meetup needs a sign-up form and a reminder email. A ticketed workshop needs card payments, refunds and a clean attendee list. A conference needs check-in on the door and, often, an agenda attendees can carry on their phones. Buy for the event you run most often, not the one you dream of running.
Rules on refunds, VAT and charity fundraising vary by country, so check with your regulator or accountant before you set ticket terms. For the wider field, my Eventbrite alternatives and my event ticketing platforms guide cover bigger names too.
Rehearse one sale and one refund
- Create a test event with a single ticket type.
- Buy a ticket yourself with a real card and check the confirmation email your buyer would see.
- Look at the order from the organiser's side and export the attendee list.
- Refund the ticket and note how long it takes to reach the card.
- Check the ticket in on your phone, as you would at the door.
If any step confuses you, it'll confuse your buyers too.
Do you make event registration or ticketing software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
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Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between hosted and self-hosted ticketing?
Hosted ticketing runs on the vendor's servers, and they handle updates and uptime. Self-hosted software runs on your own server or website, so you control it and you look after it.
Is open-source ticketing software free to run?
The software itself can be downloaded free, but you'll need hosting, updates and someone to look after it. Count your own time as part of the deal.
Can I sell tickets from my own website?
Yes. Some tools give you a branded storefront on your own domain, some give you a snippet to embed in your site, and WordPress plugins put ticketing straight into your pages.
Do I need an event app for a small event?
Usually not. For a meetup or a single-room workshop, a good confirmation email and a clear check-in are enough. An attendee app earns its keep at conferences with several sessions.
Do discovery sites help sell tickets?
They can bring buyers who wouldn't otherwise find you, especially for public events. For private or members-only events, a discovery listing adds little.
How do I move upcoming events from Eventzilla?
Let events already on sale finish where they are and launch new ones on the new tool. Export your past attendee lists, with consent in mind, so you can invite them to the next one.
