How is Zeffy free?
How is Zeffy free?
Zeffy relies entirely on optional contributions from donors. At the payment confirmation step - we ask donors to leave an optional contribution to Zeffy.
Learn more >
Templates

8 best Eventbrite alternatives (Free and paid)

July 16, 2024
|

Eventbrite is a well-known tool in the event management space. The ticketing platform helps event organizers sell tickets online, from sporting to Zoom events.

However, the number of organizations that reach out to Zeffy looking for an alternative site like Eventbrite got us wondering if Eventbrite is the best option for successful event management.

Sure, Eventbrite is a no-brainer: it’s big, people know what it is, and it’s an obvious first choice if you don’t know that Eventbrite alternatives exist. 

That’s where this blog comes in. Once you can explore less expensive, easier-to-use, friendlier options, you might find that one of the many Eventbrite alternatives better suits your needs (and saves you money). 

Since we started Zeffy, we’ve learned about a few ticketing platforms and alternatives to Eventbrite. The organizations that use our platform share their favorites with us, and we’ve done our research (competitor analysis) to compile a list of Eventbrite alternatives.

In this article, we’ll explore eight websites like Eventbrite and explore the pricing and features of each one.

The 8 best Eventbrite alternatives and competitors

What kind of platform is Eventbrite?

Eventbrite is a self-service ticket sales platform for events and other experiences. The platform allows people to create and share events that others can find and choose to attend.

Nonprofits often turn to Eventbrite to host fundraising events, from auctions and raffles to endurance events and Galas. However, the cost and attendee management of these activities are disparate from those of other fundraising activities. 

That can leave charitable organizations seeking Eventbrite alternatives and competitors with more functionality catered to their needs without the hefty price tag attached.

Key features of Eventbrite 

Eventbrite offers functionality like:

  • Creation of engaging events and registration forms
  • Event marketing tools to boost reach
  • Auto-generated event listings
  • An event hub to reach more attendees
  • Custom ticket sales
  • Payment processing capabilities 
  • Event management in a recognizable user interface

How much does it cost to use Eventbrite?

Eventbrite’s pricing structure has 3 main plans that all come with a cost as you need advanced ticketing key features:

  • Flex: Pay as you go after 25 tickets (including free events)
  • Pro: $29/month
  • Partner: Customized pricing

In addition to the plan you choose, Eventbrite charges a service fee of 3.7% + $1.79 per sold ticket and a payment processing fee equal to 2.9% of the total order.

Take a look at the 8 best payment processing platforms for nonprofits

Pricing is based on:

  • The number of attendees you have per event
  • How many events you plan to organize per month
  • The total number of events you host in a year

For example, we used the Eventbrite pricing calculator to find that hosting a single event with 100 tickets and a maximum of 250 emails per day would cost around $9 monthly with a Flex 100 plan. This cost increases as you host more events and lean into more consistent email touchpoints.

Use Eventbrite’s pricing calculator to see what it may cost you now and as you scale.

While Eventbrite will cost you, other event management alternatives are priced less, including those listed in this article and Zeffy, the only entirely free event management software for nonprofits.

Why do you need an Eventbrite alternative?

Honestly, you might not need an alternative to Eventbrite. But if you’re looking to have more flexibility, save money, host a webinar, explore various forms, or expand your brand presence, you might just benefit from giving one of the Eventbrite competitors a try.

Reasons to look for Eventbrite similar websites:

  • Avoid Eventbrite's payment processing fees.  
  • Save your nonprofit money to allocate more of the money you raise to your projects and mission-driving activities.
  • Explore more nonprofit-specific functionality that supports events as part of your greater fundraising strategy.
  • Build consistency in the look and feel of your ticketing forms and the rest of your fundraising campaigns.
  • Incorporate more engagement opportunities into your events to build relationships with attendees.
  • Host in person events and online events with the same great experience.
  • Present creative event marketing and event promotion to expand past local events.
  • Measure performance based on reliable event data.

What makes the best Eventbrite alternative?

The best Eventbrite alternative depends on your organization's needs. Before choosing Eventbrite as your default ticket sales platform, consider your budget, the size of your event, and the type of event you are hosting.

Less expensive, easier to use, and more brand-friendly Eventbrite alternatives exist, and we’re here to share them with you in detail.

Top Eventbrite alternatives you should consider:

Responsive Table
Eventbrite alternative Great if… What sets it apart Pricing
Zeffy You’re a nonprofit looking for a free ticketing and event management platform that can support your fundraising efforts from start to finish. It’s amazingly helpful Customer Success team and zero-fee model. 100% free and always will be. (Zeffy even covers third-party credit-card transaction fees.)
Ticketspice You’re on a tight budget and need an event management platform without any hidden fees. It’s surprise-free, transparent pricing. 99¢ per attendee + 2.99% credit card processing. For tickets under $5: 49¢ per ticket + 2.99% credit card processing.
Whova You’re a larger organization looking to offer participants a way to interact and connect during your events. Whova’s app encourages attendees to participate in your event and it’s technology has been developed to save you time and deliver trackable results. Whova’s pricing is not transparent. You need to request a personalized quote.
Splash You’re an event planner (or host a lot of events). Their user-friendly templates are design-forward and built to showoff your brand. Splash is a modern platform in every sense of the term: powerful forms, beautiful design, plenty of resources to help you learn—it’s an event management platform for people who love planning events. Free option: $0—but limited in terms of features and number of attendees.  Pro: pricing available upon request. Enterprise: pricing available upon request.
Wild Apricot Your nonprofit needs to manage memberships and event registration. Wild Apricot’s drag and drop website builder can help nonprofits get up and running online. Wild Apricot’s pricing is based on the number of members your nonprofit has. So, it’s monthly fees range from $60 per month for 100 members to $900 per month for 50,000 members. + 2.9% + $.30 per credit-card transaction.
GoTo You host, manage registrations, and promote a webinars, live streams, and other virtual events. GoTo was designed with the realities of hosting online webinars and events in mind and have specialized solutions for a variety of fields and online-event tpyes. GoTo’s pricing depends on the product(s) you need, but their webinar-specific tools cost:
Lite: $59 for 250 participants..
Standard: $129 for 500 participants.
Pro: $249 for 1,000 participants.
Enterprise: $499 for up to 3,000 participants.
RegFox You’re on a budget and need to save money wherever you can. RegFox is loved by users for its simplicity and affordability. $4.99 per transaction OR $0.99 cents + 1% per paid attendee. + 2.99% per credit card transaction. (Regfox charges whichever is lower.)
Jotform You’re looking for an innovative ticketing and event management platform that prides itself on simplicity and innovation. Jotform has attentive support and a huge variety of forms and templates to make sure you find one that fits the needs of your event. Starter: $0 with limited features and participants.
Bronze: $39/month for 25 forms and 1,000 participants.
Silver: $49/month for 50 forms and 2,500 participants.
Gold: $129/month for 100 forms and 10,000 participants. Enterprise: Upon request

1. Zeffy:  the only 100% free Eventbrite alternative for nonprofits to crush online, hybrid, and in person events

We know what you’re thinking: a free Eventbrite alternative? Like, actually free? With no limitations to set up an event page built to impress the modern donor? A free custom website to host your event with no hidden fees? No way. There’s gotta be a catch.

We understand your skepticism. Most alternatives to Eventbrite claim to be free but end up charging hidden fees (like credit card transaction fees) to access all of their products and tools. Zeffy is actually free

How? Zeffy is funded through voluntary contributions. When donors give using the Zeffy platform, they can choose to make an additional contribution. Not every donor gives every time, and that's okay. Collectively, we make it work.

We’re not saying there aren’t other great Eventbrite alternatives for nonprofits out there, but Zeffy is the only ticketing and event management platform that is 100% free for nonprofits to host in person and virtual events.

> Zeffy VS Eventbrite: read the full comparison!

What Zeffy does well:

  • There are no limits to the number of campaigns and events you can host, the number of transactions you can process, or the number of members you can sign up.
  • Every Zeffy ticket, form, and event page is entirely customizable. You can even add questions to help specialize your event.
  • Zeffy’s Customer Success team is ready and willing to answer any questions and help you learn the ins and outs of everything Zeffy’s 100% free platform can do for you.
  • In-person attendee check-in is easier with a quick scan of e-tickets.
  • Zeffy gives you post-event analytics to strengthen your strategy.
  • Automated emails make event marketing easier with limited time and resources.

What Zeffy is working to improve:

  • Zeffy doesn’t allow you to upload interactive seating plans—yet. However, their Customer Success team has developed a few clever workarounds for seating charts.
  • If you have more questions, sign up for one of our demos! (We know… this isn’t something we need to improve on. We just love answering your questions.)

2. Ticketspice: A transparent event management alternative to Eventbrite

When it comes to Eventbrite alternatives for nonprofits, few can claim to be built on transparency. Ticketspice is different.

Ticketspice screenshot for selling tickets for a non profit organization

What Ticketspice does well:

  • Their transparent pricing makes it easy for nonprofits to stay on budget.
  • Their ticket sales and event management tool is one of the simplest platforms to set up your event pages.

What Ticketspice doesn’t do super well:

  • Ticketspice is not free and doesn’t offer reduced pricing for nonprofits. Additional monthly fees apply for functionality like:some text
    • Automated email marketing
    • Text messages
    • Cashless on-site payments
    • 3rd party payment processing
    • White label domain name
  • Ticketspice is an event management platform, not a complete fundraising event platform.

3. Whova: An Eventbrite alternative that specializes in attendee participation.

Whova has an impressive roster of organizations that trust it to help them deliver an unforgettable on various event pages.

Whova features screenshot

What Whova does well:

  • Whova specializes in interactive large-scale events.
  • Their all-in-one event management software is great for experienced event organizers looking for a more robust option.

What Whova doesn’t do super well:

  • Their pricing model is not visible to everyone and may differ based on a custom event strategy per organization (you need to request a demo to see their prices).
  • Whova’s platform isn’t designed for beginners.

4. Splash: An Eventbrite competitor that makes you look good.

Splash is an event registration and marketing platform that can help manage your event pages—offline or online.

Few screenshots of splash's product for event ticketing

What Splash does well:

  • Their virtual and hybrid event planning solutions are designed to help make your events look as good as they are with powerful customization tools and a library of modern templates.
  • Splash can help you promote your event and track its results with design-forward emails.

What Splash doesn’t do super well:

  • Their pricing model is not visible to everyone (you need to request a demo to see their prices).
  • Their free option is super limited—making it a less-than-ideal choice for smaller organizations.

5. Wild Apricot: An event platform like Eventbrite that focuses on membership.

Wild Apricot is, first and foremost, donor membership software. So, even though it has event management features, it isn’t quite as complete or user-friendly as some of the other Eventbrite alternatives we’ve mentioned.

Wil apricot main features for organizing an event

What Wild Apricot does well:

  • Wild Apricot’s member database tools help make inviting and managing your donors easy using real-time event data.
  • They have a completely transparent pricing model.

What Wild Apricot doesn’t do super well:

  • Wild Apricot isn’t as simple as other ticket sales and event management platforms.
  • The pricing of their plans is based on the number of members your nonprofit has.

6. GoTo Webinar: An Eventbrite competitor that specializes in virtual events.

GoTo Webinar is a huge online event and communication company specializing in webinar planning and hosting software.

goto webinar screenshot for managing virtual events

What GoTo Webinar does well:

  • GoTo Webinar helps organizations make the most of their online events with key features for interaction and customizable modes.
  • They’re a secure option with enterprise-grade security that goes beyond Zoom events.

What GoTo Webinar doesn’t do super well:

  • GoTo Webinar’s pricing model depends on how many attendees your virtual event will attract.
  • Some users claim the platform and event page look and feel are outdated.

7. RegFox: The alternative to Eventbrite with upfront, transparent pricing.

RegFox has become known for its affordable, powerful event registration software. Like Zeffy, the organizations that use it consistently rate it highly.

regfox's solution for event ticketing and scanning

What RegFox does well:

  • RegFox’s pricing is affordable and transparent.
  • Their platform is loved by the organizations that use it for its simplicity and effectiveness.
  • Their tech support is ready and willing to help.

What RegFox doesn’t do super well:

  • Some users find RegFox’s tools are a bit buggy.
  • Their platform and event page don’t allow for a ton of flexibility.

8. Jotform: The ticket sales Eventbrite alternative that uses their profits for good.

Jotform is a great “out-of-the-box solution” and prides itself on having an incredibly easy user interface that integrates into your existing business platforms and apps.

Screenshot of jotform app

What Jotform does well:

  • Jotform has over 10,000 event form templates to ensure you find one that fits your organization and event.
  • Their pricing is transparent and easy to understand.

What Jotform doesn’t do super well:

  • Jotform may have many event form templates, but its customization features aren’t quite as robust as some users would like.
  • They only allow a single login or user per account (unless you sign up for their Enterprise package).

A few other Eventbrite alternatives.

If the above list doesn’t tickle your fancy, there are always other Eventbrite alternatives for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events:

Eventbrite: Frequently asked questions

Eventbrite is an online marketplace for event organizers and attendees. Event organizers can create events, promote them broadly, and sell e-tickets.
Eventbrite profits by taking a cut of any paid events hosted through the platform. It also offers free events.

Eventbrite and Ticketmaster are similar event management tools, with key differences from cost to functionality.
Ticketmaster is a platform that allows you to buy verified tickets for everything from concerts and sporting events to theater and other live events. Ticketmaster tends to favor larger-scale events, whereas Eventbrite can accommodate large and small events.

Key features that bring people to Ticketmaster:

  • 100% real tickets and transparent ticketing details on each event page
  • Smart Queue for new ticket drops that can eliminate the risk of bots purchasing tickets over humans
  • Reliable refunds for cancellations
  • Fan support to boost the attendee experience
  • Reusable event templates
  • Custom pre-sale and offer configurations
  • Event virtual assistants
  • In-app collaboration and real-time interactions with promoters, agents, and other stakeholders for the event
  • Inventory and revenue management
  • Both Ticketmaster and Eventbrite charge costly fees for using their services. Eventbrite’s fees may be slightly lower due to Ticketmaster’s proven reach and value for those using its platform for more extravagant events.
    It’s also important to note that both platforms have seen controversy in the past few years that may impact attendee trust. Ticketmaster has been circling in headlines over a massive Taylor Swift concert ticket issue, while Eventbrite is being called out for canceling specific events based on topic.

    You cannot create a free event on Eventbrite without incurring fees for each of its plans. Even the basic plan will begin charging you after 25 tickets are sold, even if those are free tickets.
    Many event planners will need additional features to enhance attendees' experiences, which will require upgrading to a paid plan.

    Many ticketing platforms are available, but not many are specialized for nonprofit organizations.
    YWCA Lethbridge succeeded when it traded in Eventbrite’s high fees and confusing reporting by using PayPal as a payment processor for an alternative solution in Zeffy. The nonprofit has saved over $1,000 in platform and transaction fees, and it will have even more success as it makes the most of the 100% free intuitive event platform.

    "The fees associated with other platforms like Eventbrite and PayPal are a big hit for us (almost 10%). The fact that it’s free is crazy to me, but excellent." -Catherine Champagne, External Relations Director at YWCA Lethbridge

    "With all the work you put into these events, you never know if it is going to be successful. The unknown is hard to deal with. Zeffy was helpful because it always worked." -Catherine Champagne, External Relations Director at YWCA Lethbridge

    Start saving with Zeffy

    Eventbrite works for many event planners, while others encounter challenges that prompt them to find a cheaper option. Comparing other sites like Eventbrite can help you make the best choice.

    Here’s a glimpse at what Eventbrite users have to say about the platform:

  • Eventbrite has a 1.1/5 rating on Trustpilot, with some concerns from event planners and attendees who use the platform to register for experiences that interest them.
  • On G2, Eventbrite has a 4.3/ 5 rating, and accolades for ease of use and event management, some notes of poor sales team and customer service experiences, and limited customization.
  • Capterra grants Eventbrite a 4.6 /5 rating, highlighting event planning functionality and an easy application with some mixed reviews about customer service experiences.
  • We suggest using the information you learn in this article and deep dives into both organization and attendee reviews to determine if Eventbrite is worth it for your unique needs. With attendee experience top of mind for nonprofit donor retention especially, knowing how people view the event tool you use will support you in maintaining a strong reputation and relationships.

    Eventbrite is a huge event management company with relatively high platform and transaction fees. That means finding alternatives that will save your nonprofit money is easy.

    Questions to help determine your event management requirements:

  • Does the tool support my custom event needs?
  • Will I be able to scale larger events?
  • Is there a process for smooth attendee check-in for live events and on-site event management?
  • What event-related tasks do I want to automate?
  • Is there event promotion functionality to expand my reach past local events?
  • Do I need to consider sub-event management or secondary events?
  • Can I see enough actionable data from the available reporting tools to inform future events?
  • Can I appeal to ticket buyers with flexible payment processing?
  • Are there time-saving features for attendee engagement, from online event registration to relationship building at a physical event?
  • What is the best event fundraising software for your nonprofit?

    The best Eventbrite alternative for nonprofits will depend on your event management requirements. Zeffy’s event management software is unlike other event management platforms because it offers specialized functionality for nonprofits, including:

  • Scannable e-tickets that automatically generate
  • Customized questions for simpler event registration
  • Customizable event pages
  • Group and individual event tickets
  • An option to add a donation on event registration forms
  • Mobile-friendly event forms
  • Payment processing that includes all major payment methods
  • Attendee management
  • Consistent branding and easy setup for recurring events
  • Automatic tax receipts
  • Automated event promotion reminder emails for attendees
  • Discount codes for ticket sales
  • Outstanding customer support
  • We think Zeffy meets all the criteria for the entire event lifecycle, but we understand we’re not for everyone. So, we encourage you to compare as many ticketing platforms as possible before deciding. But, if your decision is made (and you’re a nonprofit), you can sign up for free events on Zeffy and get started today.

    Keep reading :

    Nonprofit software
    8 Best Event Registration Software for Nonprofits (free and paid)

    Find the best event management software for creating event pages, selling tickets, checking in attendees and raising more money. Explore our 8 best options.

    Read more
    Nonprofit guides
    How to Organize a Fundraising Event: 8 Steps for Nonprofits

    Learn how to plan a successful fundraiser event from start to finish! Check out our step-by-step guide to raise funds for your nonprofit organization.

    Read more
    Nonprofit software
    11 Best Online Ticketing Software for Nonprofits (free and paid)

    Find the best online event ticketing software for nonprofits. Compare the top options for selling tickets and managing registration for fundraising events.

    Read more