- Event ticketing platforms compared
- Ten event ticketing platforms to compare
- Where to start for your event
- The US rule on showing the full total up front
- Discovery platforms versus your own branded ticketing
- Questions to ask before you choose a ticketing platform
- Signs your ticketing needs an upgrade
- My plain advice on choosing an event ticketing platform
- Frequently asked questions
The best event ticketing platforms let you create an event page, sell tickets online, collect attendee details and check people in at the door. Some include a discovery audience, others focus on conferences, venues or charities. Ten options follow in no particular order.
Selling tickets should be the easy part of running an event. When the checkout is clunky or the fees surprise people, it quietly puts buyers off before you've sold a single place.
The ten platforms below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the platform's own website, read this week. If you're still shaping the programme, my guide on booking the right speaker for your event comes first.
Event ticketing platforms compared
I checked the free plan column on each tool's own website, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the site names a free plan, a free account, a free tier or an open source version. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the pages I read named neither, even where there's a button inviting you to start for free, so check the vendor's page before you sign up.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billetto | Event discovery and ticketing | UK city events and discovery | Not stated |
| Eventbrite | Ticketing and event discovery platform | Reaching new attendees | Not stated |
| Eventzilla | All-in-one event management platform | Conferences with agendas and speakers | Not stated |
| Humanitix | Ticketing that funds charitable impact | Events with a social purpose | Not stated |
| Ticket Tailor | Online ticket selling platform | Independent organisers of any size | Not stated |
| TicketLeap | Event ticketing platform | Getting started with a free account | Yes |
| Tito | Ticketing for tech and B2B conferences | Developer and B2B conferences | Not stated |
| TryBooking | Event ticketing service | Clear, simple booking fees | Not stated |
| Universe | Ticket selling and event creation | Clubs and attractions | Not stated |
| Yapsody | Event ticketing software | Reserved seating and box office | Not stated |
Ten event ticketing platforms to compare
Billetto
Best for: Organisers of UK events who want ticket sales plus a discovery site that lists what's on in their city.
Eventbrite
Best for: Organisers who want an all-in-one ticketing platform with a large discovery audience and scheduled payouts.
Eventzilla
Best for: Conference organisers who want registration and ticketing alongside agenda building, speaker calls and badge printing.
Humanitix
Best for: Charities, schools and community groups who like that booking fee profits from their tickets fund real-world impact.
Ticket Tailor
Best for: Independent organisers, from dance classes to festivals, who want to sell tickets online and connect the apps they already use.
TicketLeap
Best for: Smaller organisers who want to open a free account and start selling tickets for their next event quickly.
Tito
Best for: Technology and B2B conference teams that want a ticketing experience their attendees and developers enjoy using.
TryBooking
Best for: Schools, clubs and community organisers who want straightforward ticketing for their events with fair, transparent fees and no fuss.
Universe
Best for: Clubs, attractions and event hosts that want to create events and sell tickets with a built-in discovery page.
Yapsody
Best for: Theatres and venues that need reserved seating, a box office app and white label ticketing for their own brand.
Where to start for your event
- Reaching new attendees through discovery: Eventbrite or Billetto.
- Charity and community events: Humanitix.
- Tech and B2B conferences: Tito.
- Theatres with reserved seating: Yapsody.
- Conferences with agendas and speakers: Eventzilla.
The US rule on showing the full total up front
The Federal Trade Commission's rule on unfair or deceptive fees covers live-event tickets. It requires sellers to show the all-in total up front and more prominently than other details, and to clearly disclose any fees they leave out before people agree to pay.
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Even if you're not in the US, it's a good standard. Buyers hate surprise booking fees at the last step, so choose a platform that lets you show the full amount clearly from the start.
Discovery platforms versus your own branded ticketing
Discovery platforms list your event alongside thousands of others, which can bring in people who'd never have found you. The trade-off is that the experience carries their brand as much as yours.
Branded or white label ticketing keeps buyers on pages that look like your own. It suits venues, conferences and organisers with an existing audience who want the relationship to stay with them.
Questions to ask before you choose a ticketing platform
- Who pays the booking fee, me or the buyer?
- How soon do ticket sales reach my bank account?
- Does it support reserved seating or timed slots?
- Is there an app for scanning tickets at the door?
- Can I collect custom details from attendees?
- Can I embed tickets on my own website?
Signs your ticketing needs an upgrade
- Buyers email to ask how to book. Simplify the event page.
- You track attendees in a spreadsheet. Use built-in lists.
- Check-in queues stretch outside. Scan tickets on phones.
- Fees surprise people at checkout. Show the full amount early.
Do you make an event ticketing platform? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on choosing an event ticketing platform
Buy a ticket to your own event before you share the link. Go through it on your phone as a stranger would, and fix anything confusing, slow or surprising. It's ten minutes that can save you dozens of abandoned bookings.
Then think beyond the first event. A platform that keeps your attendee list, emails past buyers and makes repeat events easy is worth more than one that's slightly simpler on day one. My community event programming template helps you plan a whole season, not just one night.
Frequently asked questions
What is an event ticketing platform?
An event ticketing platform lets you create an event page, sell tickets online, collect attendee details and manage check-in.
Are event ticketing platforms free to use?
Terms vary. Some charge booking fees per ticket, some pass them to buyers, and the free plan column above shows what each platform's own site says.
Who pays the ticket fees?
Many platforms let you choose whether to pass booking fees to buyers or absorb them yourself.
Can I sell tickets on my own website?
Many platforms offer embeddable checkouts or white label pages, so buyers can purchase without leaving your site.
Do I need an app to scan tickets?
Many platforms offer a scanning app or a check-in list, so you can check people in from a phone.
What does showing the all-in total mean?
It means showing buyers the full total, including mandatory fees, from the start rather than adding fees at the last step.
