Fatsoma vs TicketSource
Two fee structures, computed side by side at real UK price points — with the crossover maths the marketing pages leave out.
The contenders
Fatsoma
Manchester-born platform big in student nights and nightlife. Its commonly published fan-side fee is 5% + 49p per ticket; Fatsoma's own pages don't state a standard public rate, so confirm before relying on it.
PAYOUT: TYPICALLY WITHIN DAYS OF THE EVENT
TicketSource
A community-events stalwart, big in amateur theatre and village halls. Two routes: 7% including VAT (minimum 25p) with TicketSource processing, or 4.5% + VAT if you plug in your own Stripe.
PAYOUT: WITHIN DAYS OF THE EVENT (OWN-STRIPE ROUTE PAYS AS YOU SELL)
Fees at real price points
| Ticket price | Fatsoma fee | TicketSource fee | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £0.99 | £0.70 | TicketSource |
| £15 | £1.24 | £1.05 | TicketSource |
| £20 | £1.49 | £1.40 | TicketSource |
| £35 | £2.24 | £2.45 | Fatsoma |
| £50 | £2.99 | £3.50 | Fatsoma |
The structures cross over around £25: below it one platform's fixed fees weigh more, above it the other's percentage takes over. At a typical £20 ticket, TicketSource is cheaper (£1.40 vs £1.49 per ticket).
Your event, your numbers
TicketSource wins on fees — but check the audience question
On pure cost TicketSource takes it at typical prices. The honest caveat: fee tables can't price discovery. If one platform's marketplace genuinely fills your room, its percentage is a marketing spend; if your audience comes from your own channels, the cheaper structure — and ultimately zero-fee rails like Tickts — keeps the difference in the event.
The wider market
Both platforms in context — the whole UK market on identical numbers.
Figures computed from each platform's stated rate (2026-07-26 data review). Where a rate excludes VAT it is shown grossed-up at 20%. Card processing paid to Stripe/PayPal applies similarly on most platforms and is excluded. Quote-only platforms can't be computed — their rates are negotiated.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Fatsoma or TicketSource?
The structures cross over around £25: below it one platform's fixed fees weigh more, above it the other's percentage takes over. At a typical £20 ticket, TicketSource is cheaper (£1.40 vs £1.49 per ticket).
Can I use both Fatsoma and TicketSource?
Yes — allocating separate ticket blocks to each platform is common, and it reveals which one actually sells for you. Keep one source of truth for total capacity so you can't oversell.
What about the platform neither of you mentions?
Zero-fee (Tickts) and flat-fee (Ticket Tailor) platforms exist outside this head-to-head — if your audience is your own, they beat both Fatsoma and TicketSource on cost by construction. See the full table on this page.
Keep comparing
See what £0 booking fees look like
Tickts charges fans nothing on top of face value. Organisers keep 100% of the ticket price, paid straight to their own Stripe account.
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