Eventbrite vs Ticketmaster —
Fee Comparison 2026
Two of the biggest ticketing platforms in the UK, but their fees couldn't be more different. Here's exactly what each charges — and how to pay nothing.
Side-by-Side Fee Comparison
Eventbrite charges a flat 6.95% + 59p per ticket. Ticketmaster's fees are more opaque, but typically work out to around 13.5% per ticket plus a £2.50 order processing fee (split across the number of tickets in the order — we've divided across 2 tickets below for a realistic average). Here's how they compare at common UK ticket prices.
| Ticket Price | Eventbrite Fee | Ticketmaster Fee | Difference | Tickts Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £1.29 | £2.60 | £1.31 | £0 |
| £25 | £2.33 | £4.63 | £2.30 | £0 |
| £50 | £4.07 | £8.00 | £3.93 | £0 |
| £75 | £5.80 | £11.38 | £5.58 | £0 |
| £100 | £7.54 | £14.75 | £7.21 | £0 |
At every price point, Ticketmaster fees are roughly double what Eventbrite charges. On a £100 ticket, the difference is over £7 per ticket — money that could stay with your fans or in your pocket.
At Scale: 500 Tickets at £25
The gap becomes dramatic when you scale up. For a typical event selling 500 tickets at £25 each:
- Eventbrite: £1,165 in total fees (6.95% + 59p per ticket)
- Ticketmaster: ~£2,938 in total fees (~13.5% per ticket + order fees)
- Tickts: £0 — zero booking fees, zero commission
That's a £1,773 difference between the two platforms on a single event. Over a year running 20 events at the same scale (10,000 tickets total), Eventbrite would cost you £23,300 in fees versus Ticketmaster's ~£58,750. Tickts would cost £0 for the same 10,000 tickets.
Feature Comparison
Fees are only part of the equation. Eventbrite and Ticketmaster serve fundamentally different markets, and their feature sets reflect that. Here's how they stack up across the capabilities that matter most to UK event organisers.
| Feature | Eventbrite | Ticketmaster |
|---|---|---|
| Fee structure | 6.95% + 59p per ticket | ~13.5% + £2.50 order fee |
| Marketplace discovery | Good — popular event listings | Excellent — massive consumer traffic |
| Self-service setup | Yes — instant, anyone can list | No — requires venue partnership |
| Reserved seating | Available on paid plans | Industry-leading seat maps |
| Mobile tickets | Yes — app and mobile web | Yes — app-only for many events |
| Data ownership | Good — export attendee data | Limited — data stays with TM |
| Payout speed | 5 business days post-event | Varies — often longer |
| Best for | Conferences, workshops, mid-size | Arenas, stadiums, large tours |
| Free events | Yes — no charge | Not typically supported |
When to Choose Eventbrite
Eventbrite is the stronger choice for self-service event organisers who want to maintain control over their ticketing. It's particularly well-suited to:
- Conferences and workshops — multiple ticket types, early-bird pricing, and attendee management tools are built in
- Mid-size events (100-2,000 capacity) — the sweet spot where Eventbrite's features match the scale without paying arena-level fees
- Events needing integrations — Eventbrite connects with Mailchimp, Salesforce, Zapier, and hundreds of other tools
- Community and recurring events — series management and repeat event templates save time
Eventbrite's self-service model means you can have tickets on sale within minutes, with no gatekeepers or venue contracts to negotiate. The fees are lower than Ticketmaster, and you retain more control over your attendee data and checkout experience.
When to Choose Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster dominates a different segment of the market entirely. It makes sense when:
- Your venue requires it — most major arenas and stadiums in the UK have exclusive contracts with Ticketmaster. If you're playing the O2, you're using Ticketmaster
- Large-scale touring shows — Ticketmaster's infrastructure handles massive on-sale surges that would overwhelm smaller platforms
- Maximum marketplace reach — Ticketmaster.co.uk receives millions of monthly visitors actively searching for events. No other platform matches this consumer traffic
- Reserved seating at scale — their seat mapping technology is the industry standard for complex venue layouts
The trade-off is clear: Ticketmaster offers unmatched reach and venue access, but charges the highest fees of any major UK platform. For most independent organisers, those premium fees aren't justified by the benefits.
The Zero-Fee Alternative
Both Eventbrite and Ticketmaster charge significant fees that add up fast. On 500 tickets at £25, you're looking at £1,165 to £2,938 in fees depending on which platform you choose.
Tickts charges £0 — no booking fees, no commission, no hidden costs. The price you set is the price your fans pay. If you're an independent organiser running events at your own venue, there's no reason to give away thousands in fees to either platform.
Eventbrite vs Ticketmaster FAQ
Yes, significantly. Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p per ticket, while Ticketmaster charges around 13.5% per ticket plus a £2.50 order fee. On a £50 ticket, Eventbrite costs £4.07 versus Ticketmaster's roughly £8.00. However, both are far more expensive than zero-fee platforms like Tickts.
It depends on your venue. If you're booking a major arena or stadium, Ticketmaster often has exclusive venue contracts you can't avoid. For self-promoted events at independent venues, pubs, and community spaces, Eventbrite is a viable and cheaper alternative — or better still, use Tickts for zero fees.
They serve different markets. Eventbrite offers better self-service tools, integrations (Zapier, Mailchimp, etc.), and is easier to set up. Ticketmaster provides superior reserved seating, venue-scale infrastructure, and marketplace discovery for large events. For most independent UK organisers, Eventbrite's feature set is more accessible and practical.
Yes, both charge percentage-based fees per ticket. Eventbrite's 6.95% + 59p is per ticket. Ticketmaster's percentage fee (~13.5%) is also per ticket, though their order fee (around £2.50) is per order. This means buying multiple tickets on Ticketmaster spreads the order fee but not the percentage.
Eventbrite is far better for small events. It's self-service with no minimum event size, has lower fees, and offers tools designed for independent organisers. Ticketmaster is built for large-scale events and typically requires venue partnerships. For small events, a zero-fee platform like Tickts is the most cost-effective option.
For large festivals (5,000+ capacity), Ticketmaster's marketplace reach and brand recognition can drive significant discovery traffic. Eventbrite works well for mid-size festivals and offers better self-service management tools. The trade-off is cost — Ticketmaster's fees are roughly double Eventbrite's, so you need to weigh the extra reach against the extra cost.
Yes. Tickts charges zero booking fees and zero commission. You keep 100% of your ticket revenue, and fans pay only the face value. It's the most cost-effective alternative to both Eventbrite and Ticketmaster for UK event organisers who want to eliminate platform fees entirely.
Eventbrite typically pays out within 5 business days after your event ends, with some plans offering advance payouts. Ticketmaster's payout terms vary by contract but can take considerably longer, especially for larger events. Tickts offers the fastest payouts — funds go directly to your Stripe account with standard 2-day rolling payouts.
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