Eventbrite charges 3.5% + $1.59 per ticket on their Standard plan. That sounds small on a single ticket — but it compounds fast. For a broader feature comparison, see our Ticket Spot vs. Eventbrite guide.
If you sell $50,000 in tickets per year, Eventbrite takes roughly $1,750+ in platform fees alone. At $100,000 in annual sales, you're paying over $3,500 just for the privilege of using their platform.
Ticket Spot charges 0% platform fees on Business plan and above. You pay a flat monthly rate and keep every dollar of ticket revenue.
Let's break down the math.
How Eventbrite's Fees Work
Eventbrite uses a per-ticket pricing model:
- Standard plan: 3.5% + $1.59 per paid ticket
- Professional plan: 3.5% + $1.79 per paid ticket (adds more features)
- Free events: No fee (but limited features)
On top of this, Eventbrite charges payment processing (typically 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction), which is standard across most platforms.
The platform fee is the differentiator — that's the cut Eventbrite takes for hosting your event. This is what Ticket Spot eliminates.
The Calculator: Fee Breakdown at Every Level
Here's what you'd pay in platform fees alone (not including payment processing) across different annual ticket sales volumes:
Annual Ticket Sales vs. Platform Fees
| Annual Sales | Eventbrite (3.5% + $1.59/ticket) | Ticket Spot (0% + $99/mo) | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10,000 | ~$350+ | $1,188/yr | Eventbrite cheaper at this volume |
| $25,000 | ~$875+ | $1,188/yr | ~$300 saved with Ticket Spot |
| $50,000 | ~$1,750+ | $1,188/yr | ~$560+ saved |
| $100,000 | ~$3,500+ | $1,188/yr | ~$2,300+ saved |
| $250,000 | ~$8,750+ | $1,188/yr | ~$7,560+ saved |
| $500,000 | ~$17,500+ | $1,188/yr | ~$16,300+ saved |
Note: Eventbrite fee estimates assume an average ticket price of ~$40. Actual fees vary based on ticket price and volume. Ticket Spot pricing reflects the Business plan at $99/mo ($1,188/yr).
The Breakeven Point
At roughly $34,000 in annual ticket sales, Ticket Spot's flat pricing becomes cheaper than Eventbrite's per-ticket model. Everything above that is pure savings.
For most serious event organizers, $34,000 in annual sales is a low bar. If you're running multiple events or selling more than 850 tickets at $40 each, you're already past breakeven.
What You Get for the Money
The fee comparison only tells half the story. Here's what each platform includes at the price points above:
Eventbrite Standard ($1,750+/yr at $50K sales)
- Eventbrite-branded pages
- No custom domain
- Basic email tools
- Limited design customization
- Standard analytics
- Eventbrite Payments (not your own Stripe/PayPal account)
Ticket Spot Business ($99/mo = $1,188/yr)
- 0% platform fees
- Custom domain with full white-label
- Klaviyo integration for CRM and email automation
- Interactive seating charts
- 23 professional event page layouts
- PDF tickets + Apple Wallet passes
- Check-in app (iOS and Android)
- Stripe, PayPal, or Square — your payment accounts
- Automated reminders and follow-ups
- Full attendee management
Ticket Spot includes far more features at a lower total cost once you pass the breakeven point.
Real-World Scenarios
Scenario 1: A Venue Selling 1,200 Tickets/Month at $35
- Monthly revenue: $42,000
- Annual revenue: $504,000
- Eventbrite fees: ~$17,640/yr
- Ticket Spot: $1,188/yr
- Annual savings: ~$16,450
That's a new hire, a venue upgrade, or pure profit.
Scenario 2: A Conference with 500 Attendees at $299
- Total revenue: $149,500
- Eventbrite fees: ~$5,232/yr
- Ticket Spot: $1,188/yr
- Annual savings: ~$4,045
Plus Ticket Spot includes badge printing and kiosk check-in that Eventbrite charges extra for.
Scenario 3: A Weekly Yoga Studio with 30 Students at $20
- Weekly revenue: $600
- Annual revenue: $31,200
- Eventbrite fees: ~$1,092/yr
- Ticket Spot: $1,188/yr
- Difference: Ticket Spot costs ~$96 more/yr — but you get seating charts, white-label, Klaviyo, and no third-party branding
At this volume, Eventbrite is slightly cheaper in raw fees. But the feature gap and brand control often justify the small difference.
The Hidden Costs of Per-Ticket Pricing
The fee calculator above shows the direct costs. But per-ticket pricing has indirect consequences:
1. You're Penalized for Success
The more tickets you sell, the more you pay. Your reward for a great event? A bigger bill from your ticketing platform. This creates a perverse incentive — organizers sometimes limit ticket sales or avoid marketing pushes to avoid fee spikes.
2. Pricing Complexity
Per-ticket fees make it harder to predict costs. A sold-out event is great — until you see the platform fee invoice. Flat pricing means you know your costs upfront, every month, regardless of how many tickets you sell.
3. Fee Pass-Through Dilemma
Many organizers pass platform fees onto attendees by adding them to the ticket price. This makes your tickets 3.5% + $1.59 more expensive than they need to be — and higher prices reduce conversion rates.
With 0% platform fees, you don't have to choose between absorbing costs or inflating prices.
Try the Fee Savings Calculator
Want to see your exact savings? Use our fee savings calculator to plug in your specific ticket prices, volumes, and event frequency.
Most organizers discover they're overpaying by $2,000-$10,000+ per year when they switch from per-ticket to flat pricing.
Compare Ticket Spot to Other Platforms
- Ticket Spot vs. Eventbrite — Full feature and pricing comparison
- Ticket Spot vs. Ticket Tailor — UK and community event comparison
- Ticket Spot vs. Luma — Free and small event comparison
- Best Shopify Ticketing Apps — Shopify-specific comparison
Make the Switch
Stop paying more as you grow. Switch to flat pricing with 0% platform fees.
Questions about pricing? Email support@ticketspotapp.com.