Eventbrite is a ticketing and event promotion tool that suits small organisers who run free events or want built-in discovery for paid ones. The catch, as of Oct 2026: free events cost nothing, but paid tickets carry a 3.7 percent plus 1.79 dollars service fee per ticket and a 2.9 percent payment processing fee per order, paid by buyers by default or absorbed by you.
Free events on Eventbrite cost nothing to publish, and that's where a lot of people's research stops. If you're about to charge for tickets, the fee lines are what you need to read, so I read Eventbrite's own organiser pricing page and set out what it says about who pays what, and what sits outside the fees.
Eventbrite fees and paid extras in one table
| Item | Price on the page (dollar view) | What it covers | The limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free events | No fees | Publish unlimited free events at no cost | Applies to events with free tickets |
| Service fee | 3.7 percent plus 1.79 dollars per ticket | Paid tickets only | Paid by your buyers by default, unless you choose to absorb it |
| Payment processing | 2.9 percent per order | Secure payment handling for every purchase | Charged per order, on top of the service fee |
| Eventbrite Pro | Starting at 15 dollars a month | Send up to 10,000 emails daily | A starting figure only; higher tiers aren't priced in the text I read |
| Eventbrite Ads | Not priced on the page | Promoted listings in top spots across Eventbrite | Only in select markets, and ad spend isn't included |
| Sales partnership | Custom | Solutions for complex or high-volume events | Contact sales for a figure |
These are the dollar figures on Eventbrite's organiser pricing page as of Oct 2026. Check the vendor's pricing page for your own country before you buy.
Two fees, one per ticket and another per purchase
Eventbrite's paid-ticket pricing has two parts, and they work differently. The service fee is 3.7 percent plus 1.79 dollars, charged on every paid ticket. The payment processing fee is 2.9 percent, charged per order. So a buyer who picks up four tickets in one checkout triggers four service fees and one processing fee.
The flat 1.79 dollars is the part to watch. A percentage grows and shrinks with the ticket price, but a flat amount per ticket doesn't, so it takes a bigger share of a low-priced ticket than a high-priced one. I'm not going to do the sums for you here, because the right answer depends on your own ticket price, but put your real ticket price next to both fee lines before you publish.
Then decide who carries the fees. The page says event ticket fees are paid by your buyers by default, or you can choose to absorb them when you set up your ticket types. Passing them on keeps your face value intact but raises what the buyer sees at checkout. Absorbing them keeps the price clean but comes out of your takings. Neither is wrong; it's a choice you make per ticket type, so make it on purpose.
Two more things sit outside those fee lines. Eventbrite Pro, which lets you send up to 10,000 emails a day, starts at 15 dollars a month. And Eventbrite Ads, the promoted listings in top spots across the site, are only available in select markets, with the page stating that ad spend for advertising tools isn't included. So the fees cover the tools, but any money you put into ads is on top.
Last, the currency. Eventbrite says its pricing plans are available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland, but the page I read shows dollar figures only. If you're organising in the UK or Australia, check your own country's view of the pricing page before you rely on these numbers.
What the Eventbrite fee pays for
The page groups what you get into three areas, and all of it comes with the platform rather than as a separate plan:
- Getting found: a listing in Eventbrite's discovery section that connects local ticket buyers to your events, email campaigns, Facebook and Instagram ad tools, promo codes, smart audiences, and data insights and reporting.
- Selling tickets: custom event pages and multiple ticket types, AI event creation, secure payment processing, pre-event payouts, embedded checkout, custom registration forms and the option to sell add-ons.
- Running the day: automated event reminders, an organiser app, mobile check-in, waitlists, a help centre, email support, and 24/7 chat support for paid events.
Notice that last line. Round-the-clock chat support is listed for paid events, so if you only run free events you're working with the help centre and email support. Pre-event payouts are worth a look too if cash flow matters to you, since they mean money from ticket sales can reach you before the event happens.
A ticketing tool only sells what you've planned, so it helps to have the programme sorted first. This community event programming template is a good starting point if you're building a series rather than a one-off, and if you're booking talent, here's how to book the right speaker for your event.
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Organisers Eventbrite fits, and organisers who'll feel the fees
Eventbrite fits:
- First-time and small organisers running classes, meetups, charity nights or local shows.
- Anyone publishing free events, because those carry no fee at all.
- Organisers who value the built-in discovery listing and promo tools more than the lowest possible per-ticket fee.
You'll feel the fees if:
- You sell lots of low-priced tickets, where the flat 1.79 dollars per ticket adds up.
- You need the fee quoted in pounds, euros or Australian dollars from this page.
- You don't want email sending or ad spend as extras on top of your ticket fees.
Eventbrite verdict for small organisers
I'd use Eventbrite without a second thought for free events: there's no fee, you get the discovery listing and the check-in tools, and it costs you nothing to try. For paid events I'd decide who carries the fees before building the ticket types, and I'd skip it if you sell lots of low-priced tickets where every flat 1.79 dollars stings, or if you need the fee shown in pounds or Australian dollars before you commit.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Eventbrite free for free events?
Yes. Eventbrite's pricing page says you can publish unlimited free events at no cost, with no ticketing platform fees for events with free tickets.
Who pays the Eventbrite fees, the organiser or the buyer?
Buyers pay by default. When you set up your ticket types, you can choose to absorb the fees yourself instead. The service fee is 3.7 percent plus 1.79 dollars per paid ticket, and the payment processing fee is 2.9 percent per order.
How much is Eventbrite Pro?
Eventbrite Pro starts at 15 dollars a month and lets you send up to 10,000 emails daily. Ad spend for Eventbrite Ads isn't included in any fee.
Can I use Eventbrite outside the US?
The page says its pricing plans are available in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Ireland. The version I read shows dollar figures, so check your own country's pricing view.
