Cheapest Ticketing Platform 2026: Real Fee Comparison
One honest carve-out first: if you are a registered nonprofit, Zeffy is genuinely $0 — funded by optional tips your buyers are asked for at checkout. For everyone else, at community ticket prices ($5–$25) the cheapest platform fee in 2026 is Who's In at 2.7% flat — $0.14 on a $5 ticket, $0.68 on a $25 ticket — and it is the only one of them that is a full event platform, bundling free RSVPs, waitlists, reminders, QR check-in, wallet tickets and recurring events. At higher prices a flat-fee ticketing tool like Ticket Tailor($0.85) edges ahead on raw fee, but sells only the ticket. Eventbrite is the most expensive for small events.
The headline number
On a $25 ticket, Who's In's platform fee is $0.68 versus Eventbrite's $2.72 — exactly 4x less, for the same ticket, on a platform with the full event toolkit built in.
Figures are PLATFORM fee only, from each platform's published 2026 rate card. Card processing (~2.9% + $0.30) is universal and separate. Full open dataset at /data/ticketing-fees-2026.json.
The full comparison: 8 platforms × 5 ticket prices
Each cell is the platform fee on a single ticket at that price — the platform's own cut, before card processing. Lower is cheaper. The Who's In row is highlighted; the rightmost column flags whether each tool is a full event platform or ticketing only. Zeffy's $0 row is real but conditional — registered nonprofits only, funded by an optional buyer tip at checkout (details below the table).
| Platform | Fee structure | $5.00 | $15.00 | $25.00 | $50.00 | $100.00 | Full event platform? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeffy | $0 — nonprofits only (optional buyer tip at checkout) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | Partial |
| Who's In | 2.7% flat | $0.14 | $0.41 | $0.68 | $1.35 | $2.70 | Yes |
| Ticket Tailor | $0.85 flat / ticket (PAYG) | $0.85 | $0.85 | $0.85 | $0.85 | $0.85 | No |
| TicketSpice | $0.99 flat / ticket | $0.99 | $0.99 | $0.99 | $0.99 | $0.99 | No |
| SimpleTix | $0.79 + 2% / ticket | $0.89 | $1.09 | $1.29 | $1.79 | $2.79 | Partial |
| TicketLeap | $1.00 + 2% / ticket ($0.49 ≤ $5) | $0.49 | $1.30 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $3.00 | Partial |
| Luma | 7% | $0.35 | $1.05 | $1.75 | $3.50 | $7.00 | Partial |
| Eventbrite | 3.7% + $1.79 / ticket | $1.98 | $2.35 | $2.72 | $3.64 | $5.49 | Yes |
Figures are PLATFORM fee only. Card processing (~2.9% + $0.30) is universal and separate — on Stripe-Connect platforms (Who's In, Ticket Tailor) payments route through your own account, so processing is paid to the processor, not the platform. Computed from each platform's published 2026 rate card; see the methodology and dataset below.
Zeffy is genuinely $0 — if you're a registered nonprofit
The $0.00 row deserves a straight explanation rather than a footnote. Per Zeffy's published pricing (retrieved July 2026), registered nonprofits pay no platform fee and no card-processing fee — Zeffy covers processing and funds itself through an optional, adjustable "contribution to Zeffy" suggested to your buyers at checkout. That is a real $0 model, not a teaser plan.
The condition is eligibility, not hidden fees: Zeffy's payout onboarding requires a nonprofit registration number (US EIN, Canadian CRA number, or UK charity number) and a bank account in the nonprofit's name, and the toolkit is fundraising-first — donations, tax receipts, raffles, auctions. If you're a registered charity focused on fundraising, use it. If you're a community organiser, club, studio or business — or you'd rather your buyers never see a tip ask — see our honest Zeffy vs Who's In comparison and the Zeffy alternative breakdown.
Subscription & special-case pricing
Two platforms do not fit the per-ticket model. They can be cheaper in specific situations — high paid volume or enterprise brand events — but they are not directly comparable on a per-ticket basis.
| Platform | Pricing | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout Page | $29/mo + $0 per ticket | Flat subscription; cheapest at high paid volume |
| Splash | $999/year flat | Enterprise / brand events |
Checkout Page's $29/mo flat (with $0 per ticket) only beats a percentage model once paid volume is high enough; Splash's $999/year targets enterprise.
At community ticket prices, Who's In has the lowest raw fee
On raw per-ticket cost at the prices most community organisers actually charge, Who's In is the cheapest generally-available platform in this comparison (Zeffy's $0 applies only to registered nonprofits): $0.14 on a $5 ticket, $0.41 at $15 and $0.68 at $25 — lower than every flat-fee ticketing tool and every percentage model at those prices. And unlike the budget ticketing tools, the 2.7% is not a stripped-back checkout: it bundles RSVPs, waitlists, reminders, QR check-in and recurring events. The only place a flat-fee tool pulls ahead is at higher ticket prices — see below.
The lowest-fee full event platform is Who's In at 2.7%
Among platforms that are a complete event tool, Who's Inhas the lowest fee at 2.7% flat — $0.14 on a $5 ticket, $0.41 at $15, $0.68 at $25, $1.35 at $50 and $2.70 at $100. It beats Eventbrite, Luma, SimpleTix and TicketLeap at every community price point in the table, and the 2.7% buys more than a checkout: free RSVPs, automatic waitlists, reminders, QR check-in, wallet tickets and recurring events are all included. For an organiser who wants the lowest fee and the full toolkit in one place, this is the best total value. See full pricing.
Eventbrite is the most expensive for small events
Eventbrite charges 3.7% + a fixed $1.79 per ticket. The fixed component dominates low prices: on a $5 ticket the platform fee is $1.98 — about 40% of the ticket value before card processing is added. At $15 it is $2.35 and at $25 it is $2.72. For community organisers running $5 drop-ins or $10 socials, that fixed fee makes Eventbrite the costliest option in this comparison — which is exactly why micro-priced community events often are not viable there.
On a $25 ticket, Who's In is exactly 4x cheaper than Eventbrite
Take the most common community ticket price, $25. Who's In's platform fee is $0.68 (2.7%). Eventbrite's is $2.72(3.7% + $1.79). That is exactly 4x less. Across a 100-ticket event the difference is $68 versus $272 — $204 that stays with the organiser. Card processing (~2.9% + $0.30) applies on both and is not part of this gap; the difference is purely the platform's own cut. See the side-by-side in our Who's In vs Eventbrite breakdown.
At $75+, flat-fee tools win on raw cost — honestly
A percentage fee is not always the cheapest. At high ticket prices the flat-per-ticket tools pull ahead on raw cost: at $100, Ticket Tailor is $0.85 and TicketSpice $0.99, versus Who's In's $2.70 (2.7%) and Luma's $7.00 (7%). If you are selling a single $100+ ticket and need nothing beyond checkout, a flat-fee ticketing tool is genuinely cheaper on fee. The honest framing is total value, not "cheapest at everything": flat-fee tools win the raw-fee race at high prices, while Who's In wins on the combination of low fee and a full event platform at the community prices most organisers actually charge. Use the fee calculator to check your own numbers.
How we calculated this
- Platform fee = the platform's own per-ticket charge, taken directly from each platform's published 2026 rate card. We report the platform's cut only — not the universal card-processing cost.
- For Stripe-Connect platforms (Who's In, Ticket Tailor), card processing (~2.9% + $0.30) is separate and paid to the processor, not the platform, because payments route through your own account. For bundled platforms the figure shown is the platform / service portion.
- Figures are computed in integer cents to avoid floating-point drift, then rounded to the nearest cent for display.
- Prices compared are five common community ticket prices: $5, $15, $25, $50 and $100. Sources include each platform's pricing page — Who's In, Eventbrite, Ticket Tailor, TicketLeap, SimpleTix, Luma, TicketSpice and Zeffy (zeffy.com/pricing, retrieved July 2026 — the source for the $0 tip-funded, nonprofit-only model).
- The full table is published as open data under the CC-BY-4.0 licence — cite it, fork it, or build your own analysis on top.
Licence: CC-BY-4.0. Attribute to Who's In and link back to this page.
Refresh cadence: platform rate cards change. We re-check each published rate and refresh this dataset periodically; the article'sdateModifiedreflects each refresh. If you spot a stale figure, the open CSV and JSON let you verify against the current rate card directly.
Keep reading
- How to sell tickets online in 2026 — the full setup walkthrough.
- Real Stripe fees organisers pay in 2026 — the processing-cost side of the equation.
- Sell tickets with Who's In — start in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What's the cheapest ticketing platform in 2026?
It depends on one question: are you a registered nonprofit? If yes, Zeffy is genuinely $0 — no platform fee and card processing covered, funded by an optional tip your buyers are asked for at checkout (registered nonprofits only; a US EIN, Canadian CRA number or UK charity number is required for payouts). For everyone else, at community ticket prices ($5–$25) the cheapest platform fee is Who's In at 2.7% flat — $0.14 on a $5 ticket, $0.41 at $15, $0.68 at $25 — lower than every other generally-available platform in this comparison, with the full event toolkit (RSVPs, waitlists, reminders, check-in) included. At higher prices ($50+), a flat-fee ticketing tool like Ticket Tailor ($0.85 per ticket) edges ahead on raw fee, but sells only the ticket transaction.
Is Zeffy really free?
Yes — genuinely, for registered nonprofits. Zeffy's published pricing (checked July 2026) charges no platform fee and covers card processing; it funds itself through an optional, adjustable 'contribution to Zeffy' suggested to your buyers at checkout. The condition is eligibility, not hidden fees: payouts require a nonprofit registration number (US EIN, Canadian CRA number, or UK charity number) and a bank account in the nonprofit's name. If you're a community organiser, club, studio or business rather than a registered charity, Zeffy isn't available to you — see our full Zeffy vs Who's In comparison.
What's the cheapest platform that ISN'T just ticketing?
Among full event platforms, Who's In has the lowest fee at 2.7% flat — $0.14 on a $5 ticket, $0.68 on a $25 ticket, $2.70 on a $100 ticket. It beats Eventbrite, Luma, SimpleTix and TicketLeap at every community price point in this table, and includes free RSVPs, automatic waitlists, reminders, QR check-in, wallet tickets and recurring events at no extra cost.
Why is Eventbrite so expensive for small events?
Eventbrite charges 3.7% + a $1.79 fixed fee per ticket. The fixed $1.79 dominates low prices: on a $5 ticket the platform fee is $1.98 — roughly 40% of the ticket value before card processing is even added. That fixed component makes Eventbrite the most expensive option in this comparison for small community events.
Do cheap flat-fee platforms include event management?
Mostly no. Ticket Tailor ($0.85) and TicketSpice ($0.99) are low-fee ticketing tools — they sell tickets but do not bundle full event management. They are listed as 'No' or 'Partial' under full event platform in the table. If you only need checkout at a high ticket price they're cheap on raw fee; if you need waitlists, reminders, check-in and recurring events in one place, a full platform like Who's In is the better total value — and it's also the cheapest on raw fee at community ticket prices.
Is a percentage fee or a flat fee better?
It depends on ticket price. A flat-per-ticket fee (Ticket Tailor, TicketSpice) is cheaper at high prices — at $75+ a $0.85 flat fee beats any percentage model on raw cost. A low percentage fee (Who's In at 2.7%) is cheaper at community prices and stays proportional as the ticket scales. For most community organisers selling $5–$50 tickets, a low flat percentage plus a full feature set is the best total value; for one-off high-price tickets with no management needs, a flat-fee ticketing tool is cheaper on fee alone.
The lowest-fee full event platform, free to start
Create your first event free — paid or unpaid, recurring or one-off, public or invite-only. The 2.7% flat platform fee applies the moment you take a payment, with the full event toolkit included.
