Events · Promoters
Ticketing platform fee comparison.
Same event, same crowd, different fee schedules. Eventbrite is prefilled; type the fee schedule of any other platform from its own pricing page and see the payout side by side.
180 tickets at $20.00, fees absorbed: Eventbrite (3.7% + $1.79 plus 2.9%) leaves $3,040.20; a made-up schedule of 5% + $0.50 plus 2.5% would leave $3,240.00. The second schedule is an illustration, not a real platform.
Results vary. Not affiliated with Eventbrite.
This is planning arithmetic on numbers you enter. It does not predict sales or promise any outcome. Eventbrite rates were read from its public pages on 19 October 2026 and can change; the platform's own statement is the authority.
Inputs
Your result
Fill the form and press Calculate.
Compare fee schedules, not brand names
Why only Eventbrite is prefilled. Fee schedules change and often depend on plan, country, ticket price band or volume. We prefilled only the schedule we read on a primary page. For anything else, copy the numbers from that platform's own pricing page into a blank row; empty rows are ignored rather than treated as zero.
What to look at. Compare the "You receive" column for your actual price and crowd, not the headline percentage. A low percentage with a large flat per-ticket fee can cost more on a cheap ticket and less on an expensive one, and a platform that adds fees on top for buyers changes what your crowd sees at checkout.
What numbers cannot tell you. Payout timing, reserves, support, discoverability and refund handling can matter more than a point of fee. Treat the comparison as one input.
Worked example
180 tickets at $20.00, you absorb the fees. Eventbrite's listed schedule: $559.80 in fees (15.55%), you receive $3,040.20. A hypothetical schedule of 5% + $0.50 per ticket and 2.5% processing: $360.00 in fees, you receive $3,240.00. The ranking flips as the price moves because one schedule has a bigger flat part and the other a bigger percentage; try $60.00 tickets to see it.
Methodology
Each filled row runs through the same fee model as the Eventbrite calculator: service fee = tickets x (percent x price + flat), processing = percent x base + flat x orders, with orders = tickets / average tickets per order. Rows are ranked by what you receive. Buyers pay: you receive the face price less refunds, and the buyer's extra shows in the buyer column. Rows with every field blank are skipped. The platform's name is only a label you type.
What this page does not cover
- Any platform other than Eventbrite: no other fee schedule is built in because none was verified on a primary page at build time.
- Tiered, volume or enterprise pricing. Enter the schedule that applies to your event size.
- Sales tax or VAT added to tickets, local amusement or entertainment taxes, and any tax on your own profit. For US self-employment tax see IRS Topic 554; this is general information, not tax advice.
- Prices in other currencies, currency conversion, and any platform fee schedule that is not typed into the rate boxes. Rates change, so check the platform before you publish tickets.
- Chargebacks, no-shows, door sales, bar or merchandise income, and unsold comps. Add them to costs or sponsorship yourself if you want them in the answer.
Sources
- Eventbrite organizer pricing page: 3.7% + $1.79 service fee per paid ticket, 2.9% payment processing per order, no fees for free events, fees paid by buyers by default, retrieved 19 October 2026.
Break-even and reverse-price arithmetic is standard cost-volume-profit maths worked from first principles, not copied from any single write-up.
Frequently asked questions
Which ticketing platform has the lowest fees?
It depends on ticket price, quantity and who pays. Enter each platform's published schedule in a row and read the You receive column for your event.
Why are only Eventbrite fees filled in?
It is the one schedule read from a primary page for this build. Other fees vary by plan and country and change, so you enter them from the platform's own page.
Why is a row missing from the table?
A row with all four fee boxes empty is skipped. Fill at least one box.
Does a low percentage always win?
No. A flat fee per ticket weighs more on cheap tickets, so the ranking can flip as the price changes.
How is this different from the resale fee comparison?
That page compares seller fees for secondhand items. This one compares ticketing fee stacks with per-ticket and per-order parts for an event you run.
Estimate only
Everything runs in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere. Not tax, legal or financial advice. Results vary with your real sales, costs and the platform's current terms.