Overview

Eventbrite is a ticketing and event-management platform for organizers running everything from classes to concerts and festivals. It is strongest for teams that want event discovery, promotion, ticket sales and on-site check-in in one service, especially when publishing free events. Paid ticket fees are the key trade-off for organizers selling tickets.

Key features

Publishing and promotion

Organizers can create event pages, sell tickets and promote events through marketplace visibility, email campaigns, Facebook and Instagram ad tools, promo codes and smart audiences. Reporting helps review results, and AI event creation is among the listed ticketing tools. Advanced form customization is useful when registration needs more than a basic checkout, while the range of promotion options suits organizers who want to reach attendees through several channels.

Attendee and on-site tools

The iPhone and Android attendee app supports event discovery, registration and ticket access. The separate Eventbrite Organizer app runs on iOS and Android and supports QR ticket scanning, attendee check-in and on-site ticket sales. Check-in and badge printing extend the service beyond online ticket checkout to event-day operations.

Integrations, security and support

The app marketplace lists more than 100 apps, and documented integrations include Mailchimp and Zoom. Zoom has a notable constraint: its integration requires an online, non-recurring event and does not support government Zoom accounts. Eventbrite states that it complies with PCI DSS 4.0.1 Level 1 as both merchant and service provider; organizers can enable authenticator-app multi-factor authentication. Support includes a Help Center and email, with 24/7 chat for paid events.

Pricing

Eventbrite uses a freemium model. Free event publishing costs 0.00 USD per free, with unlimited event publishing, no ticketing fees for free tickets, and no event-size limit for free events. That makes it an unusually straightforward fit for organizers whose events are free; the free offer does not remove fees from paid ticket sales.

Eventbrite Premium costs 69.00 USD per month, billed at $69 per month or $708 per year (save $120). It is an optional subscription with up to 2,000 marketing emails per day and $20/month in EB Ads credits; availability varies by country. It suits organizers who can use those marketing allowances, but the daily email ceiling matters for larger campaigns.

Eventbrite Pro starts at $15/month and is no longer available to new subscribers. Existing subscribers keep their current plan and email limits; the pricing page describes up to 10,000 daily marketing emails. It is relevant only to existing subscribers, not a current sign-up option.

Paid ticketing has no listed subscription price. US fees are 3.7% + $1.79 service fee per paid ticket, plus a 2.9% payment processing fee per order. Free tickets carry no fees. Buyers pay by default, though organizers can absorb the charges instead, so paid-event budgets should account for both the per-ticket and per-order components.

Platforms

Eventbrite supports web, Android, iOS and an API. The mobile apps divide attendee tasks—discovery, registration and ticket access—from organizer tasks such as scanning and check-in.

Who it's for

Eventbrite suits organizers who need public event promotion, ticketing and attendee operations across event types, particularly those publishing free events or selling tickets with fees passed to buyers. Teams relying on Zoom integration should confirm that their event is online and non-recurring and that they do not use a government Zoom account. Organizers seeking an alternative setup should compare its paid-ticket charges and Premium email allowance with their expected volume.

Pros and cons

Pro: Unlimited free event publishing and free tickets without ticketing fees support events of any size without per-ticket charges.
Pro: Promotion tools, reporting, attendee and organizer apps, check-in and badge printing cover both outreach and event-day needs.
Pro: More than 100 marketplace apps and documented Mailchimp and Zoom integrations provide routes into other tools, with the Zoom conditions noted above.
Con: Paid US tickets incur a percentage and fixed service fee, plus payment processing per order; organizers absorbing fees take on that cost.
Con: Premium includes up to 2,000 marketing emails per day, while Pro's higher described allowance is unavailable to new subscribers.

Alternatives

For a different event-management fit, compare Event Management Software and Event Registration Software; organizers focused on charitable events can review Nonprofit Event Management Software. Teams prioritizing a dedicated event site or printed credentials can also compare Event Website Builders and Event Badge Printing Software.

Zoho Backstage is worth comparing when free-event caps are acceptable: its free plan limits events to 100 attendees, 300 RSVP invites, three sessions, three speakers and one event day per event. Humanitix offers free events without ticket fees and a Standard plan billed per paid ticket at 0.99 USD per month, with a 2.1% booking fee. Eventzilla may suit organizers needing unlimited events and free registration types on its Basic plan, which costs 1.50 USD per month per registration and permits one paid ticket/registration type.

Accelevents is another event platform to compare. Ticketbud offers complete access to all features for free events and charges attendees 2% +99c per ticket sold for paid events, plus payment processing. Explara has a free Starter plan with one group and one event per month, 200 members and fees on domestic ticket value and Stripe transactions. SignUpGenius is an alternative to consider for sign-ups. Momentus is an alternative for teams comparing enterprise plans with unlimited users.

Verdict

Choose Eventbrite if you need event discovery, promotion, ticket sales and mobile check-in together, or publish free events without ticketing fees. Look elsewhere if paid-ticket charges undermine your economics, Premium's email allowance is too low for your campaigns, or your Zoom setup falls outside the integration's supported conditions.

	Event Smart	Eventbrite
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	Yes	No
Paid from	$50/mo	$15/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, api, iOS, Web	Android, api, iOS, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Check-in app	Yes	Yes
Ticketing	Yes	Yes
Payment processing	Yes	Yes
Form customization	advanced	advanced
Badge printing	—	Yes

Event Smart vs Eventbrite

Event Smart

Eventbrite