Eventbrite vs Skiddle —
Fee Comparison 2026
Two of the most popular ticketing platforms in the UK, but one charges significantly more than the other. Here's the full breakdown — and how to avoid fees altogether.
Side-by-Side Fee Comparison
Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p per ticket. Skiddle charges 10% + 25p per ticket. Despite Skiddle's lower fixed fee (25p vs 59p), its higher percentage (10% vs 6.95%) makes it more expensive at every realistic UK ticket price. Here's the exact breakdown.
| Ticket Price | Eventbrite Fee | Skiddle Fee | Difference | Tickts Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £1.29 | £1.25 | £0.04 | £0 |
| £25 | £2.33 | £2.75 | £0.42 | £0 |
| £50 | £4.07 | £5.25 | £1.18 | £0 |
| £75 | £5.80 | £7.75 | £1.95 | £0 |
| £100 | £7.54 | £10.25 | £2.71 | £0 |
At £10, the two platforms are nearly identical (Skiddle is actually 4p cheaper due to its lower fixed fee). But from £25 upwards, Skiddle's 10% rate pulls ahead significantly. On a £100 ticket, Skiddle charges £2.71 more per ticket than Eventbrite.
At Scale: 500 Tickets at £25
For a typical event selling 500 tickets at £25 each:
- Eventbrite: £1,165 in total fees
- Skiddle: £1,375 in total fees
- Tickts: £0 — zero booking fees, zero commission
That's a £210 difference between the two platforms on a single event. Over a year with 10,000 tickets at £25, Eventbrite costs £23,300 in fees versus Skiddle's £27,500. Tickts would cost £0 for the same volume — a saving of over £23,000.
Feature Comparison
Eventbrite is a global, general-purpose ticketing platform. Skiddle is a UK-focused platform built primarily for the nightlife, club, and music scene. Their strengths reflect these different focuses. Here's how they compare on the features that matter.
| Feature | Eventbrite | Skiddle |
|---|---|---|
| Fee structure | 6.95% + 59p per ticket | 10% + 25p per ticket |
| Target market | General — all event types | Nightlife, clubs, festivals |
| Marketplace discovery | Large global marketplace | Strong UK nightlife audience |
| Self-service setup | Yes — instant, anyone can list | Yes — with approval process |
| Integrations | Hundreds (Zapier, Mailchimp, etc.) | Limited |
| Reserved seating | Available on paid plans | Not a core feature |
| Mobile app | Organiser + attendee apps | Consumer app for discovery |
| Payout speed | 5 business days post-event | 5-7 business days post-event |
| Free events | Yes — no charge | Limited support |
When to Choose Eventbrite
Eventbrite is the better choice for organisers who need a versatile, all-purpose platform with lower fees. It excels for:
- Non-nightlife events — conferences, workshops, food festivals, charity events, and community gatherings where Skiddle's audience doesn't help
- Events needing integrations — Eventbrite connects with Mailchimp, Salesforce, Zapier, and hundreds of other tools for marketing automation and CRM
- Reserved seating events — theatres, cinemas, and seated venues where Eventbrite offers proper seat mapping
- International events — Eventbrite operates in 180+ countries; Skiddle is UK-only
- Keeping costs lower — Eventbrite's 6.95% is meaningfully cheaper than Skiddle's 10%, especially on higher-priced tickets
When to Choose Skiddle
Skiddle has carved out a strong niche in the UK nightlife and music market. It makes sense when:
- Running club nights and DJ events — Skiddle's audience actively browses for nightlife. Listing your event on Skiddle puts it in front of people already looking for a night out
- Music festivals and live music — Skiddle has established itself as a go-to platform for the UK festival and gig circuit
- Maximising nightlife discovery — Skiddle's consumer app and website drive significant organic traffic from people searching for events near them
- Targeting the 18-35 nightlife demographic — Skiddle's audience skews young and nightlife-focused, which is valuable if that's your market
The trade-off is clear: Skiddle's marketplace reach in the nightlife space is excellent, but you pay for it with the highest percentage fee (10%) of any mainstream UK platform except Ticketmaster.
The Zero-Fee Alternative
Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p. Skiddle charges 10% + 25p. On 500 tickets at £25, that's between £1,165 and £1,375 in fees — money that could stay with your fans or fund your next event.
Tickts charges £0 — no booking fees, no commission, no hidden costs. You don't get Skiddle's marketplace discovery, but you keep every penny of ticket revenue. For organisers who drive their own traffic through social media and direct marketing, there's no reason to give away thousands in fees.
Eventbrite vs Skiddle FAQ
Yes, for most ticket prices. Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p versus Skiddle's 10% + 25p. At very low prices (under £12), Skiddle's lower fixed fee makes them nearly identical. But from £25 upwards, Eventbrite is meaningfully cheaper. On a £100 ticket, Eventbrite saves you £2.71 per ticket. However, Tickts charges nothing at all.
Skiddle is purpose-built for the UK nightlife and music scene. Its marketplace drives significant discovery traffic from people actively searching for club nights, live music, and festivals. Eventbrite is more general-purpose. For nightlife events specifically, Skiddle's targeted audience may justify the higher fees — but only if you need that discovery. If you drive your own traffic, use Tickts and keep the fees.
It depends on your event type. Eventbrite has a massive global marketplace with strong SEO across all event categories. Skiddle has excellent discovery specifically for nightlife, club nights, festivals, and live music in the UK. For general events (conferences, workshops, etc.), Eventbrite wins. For nightlife and music, Skiddle wins.
Yes, both charge fees per ticket. Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p per ticket. Skiddle charges 10% + 25p per ticket. Neither has a separate per-order fee in their standard pricing, so the total fee scales linearly with the number of tickets purchased.
Eventbrite, without question. It offers multi-session support, attendee management tools, reserved seating, and integrations with business tools like Salesforce and Mailchimp. Skiddle is built for nightlife and music events and has almost no conference-specific features. For conferences, Eventbrite or Tickts (zero fees) are both far better choices.
Skiddle has a strong reputation in the UK festival scene and its marketplace is heavily browsed by festival-goers looking for their next event. Eventbrite has better event management tools and lower fees. If your festival targets the nightlife and music crowd, Skiddle's discovery is valuable. For multi-genre or family-friendly festivals, Eventbrite is the better fit.
Yes. Tickts charges zero booking fees and zero commission. You keep 100% of your ticket revenue, and fans pay only the face value. You won't get Skiddle's nightlife marketplace, but if you drive your own traffic through social media and direct marketing, there's no need to pay 7-10% in platform fees.
Both typically pay out within 5-7 business days after your event ends. Eventbrite offers advance payouts on some plans, which can be helpful for cash flow. Tickts offers the fastest payouts of any UK platform — funds go directly to your Stripe account with standard 2-day rolling payouts, and you don't have to wait until after the event.
Switch to Tickts — 0% fees
Your attendees pay the ticket price. You keep 100%. No booking fees, no commission.
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Read the launch piece in Music Week