The best event ticketing platforms for creators with big plans (+ tips to sell out your event)

Whether in-person or online, a lot of time, energy, and resources go into event organization.

Schedules and timelines. Audio, video, or live streaming tech. Goodie bags. Email reminders. Taking payments. Catering.

I don’t think anyone would disagree that running a ticketed event is stressful.

And that’s before you run into problems with ticketing issues.

It’s down to your event ticketing software to ensure everyone who wants to buy a ticket can and that each customer receives it seamlessly and on time so they can show up.

Luckily, you don’t have to settle. In this guide, you’ll find powerful, inexpensive online ticketing options with pros, cons, and pricing for each—plus tips to sell out your event every time.

What to look for in an event ticketing system

How do you choose the right ticketing system for your event? Consider the type of events you’re putting on, like one-time vs. recurring and in-person vs. online, your budget, and the features that matter to you most.

Here are some factors to keep in mind as you go down our list of great event ticketing systems:

• Are you running events every month/regularly or on a one-off basis?
• Do you have a preference when it comes to payment processors (like Stripe, PayPal, Square, etc.)?
• How frequently do you want to receive payouts from the platform?
• How many attendees do you expect at your events?
• Is mobile access an essential feature?
• Which tools do you want to integrate with your online ticketing platform?

Whatever event you can dream up—concerts, retreats, conferences, virtual summits, online training, in-person workshops—you’ll find an option below.

Our favorite 7 affordable online ticketing platforms for creators

There are many event ticketing options, so we’ve done the hard work for you and narrowed your options down to these seven best event ticketing platforms.

The list starts with the lowest cost options and works its way up.

Here are the seven top online ticketing platforms:

1. Ticket Tailor
2. Purplepass
3. RegFox
4. ThunderTix
5. Eventbrite
6. Eventzilla
7. Bizzabo

1. Ticket Tailor

Ticket Tailor is a simple event ticketing system for events of all types, sizes, and formats. The company’s goal is to empower a diverse range of creators with flexible, fair pricing.

Ticket Tailor is best for workshops, courses, classes, webinars, and other online events, as well as in-person and seated events.

Ticket Tailor’s pros

• The option to pass on the booking fees to your customers
• 30-day money-back guarantee
• An option to choose between pay-as-you-go pricing and prepaying
• A calculator that shows you how much you can save by prepaying based on the number of tickets you sell
• Integrations available through Ticket Tailor API or with Zapier, so you can connect it to your email marketing platform and many others

Ticket Tailor’s cons

• No option for subscription-based events or memberships
• Limited options for customization, colors, branding, and banners
• Limited options for pre-event broadcast emails

Ticket Tailor’s pricing

Ticket Tailor charges upward of $0.26 per ticket if you buy credits in advance or $0.65 with the pay-as-you-go option. You’ll also incur payment processing fees from Stripe, Square, or PayPal.

2. Purplepass

Purplepass is a ticketing platform praised for its high-quality, high-touch customer service. It makes it easy for anyone to sell event tickets and suits businesses of all sizes.

Purplepass is best for recurring or multi-day events, as well as live-streaming events.

Purplepass’s pros

• Easy and convenient to use with a simple layout
• Highly praised and always available customer support
• Straightforward pricing so you always know what to expect
• Pre- and post-event tracking, including sales, attendance, and social media engagement
• Native integrations with several tools, plus a Zapier integration so you can connect it to your email marketing platform and other apps

Purplepass’s cons

• A somewhat outdated website and look to the ticketing system (though there’s a modern version available in beta)
• Higher per ticket fee compared to some other options
• Limited customization options, like fonts and graphics

Purplepass’s pricing

Purplepass charges 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket (online service fees), as well as 2.5% + $0.25 per transaction (payment processing fees).

3. RegFox

RegFox is a customizable event ticketing platform. Some of its biggest selling points are its affordability compared to Eventbrite and Cvent—there’s even a calculator on its pricing page that shows you potential savings—and the full branding control it gives you.

RegFox is best for virtual events, in-person conferences, courses, and retreats. Its sister company TicketSpice, offers a similar feature set optimized for in-person events only.

RegFox’s pros

• Branding features to match your website, fonts, colors, and overall look
• No contracts, set-up fees, or cancellation fees
• Access to real-time analytics to help you track your conversion rates
• Conditional logic that adjusts prices, options, and registrant paths based on conditions you define
• The option to get daily or weekly payouts
• Native integration with CRM, accounting, and email marketing tools, plus a Zapier integration

RegFox’s cons

• No option to integrate with payment methods that don’t require a credit card
• No recurring events or the ability to duplicate events
• Potentially confusing or less intuitive user experience on some features

RegFox’s pricing

RegFox charges a flat $0.99 + 1% fee per ticket plus 2.99% for credit card processing. Fees are capped at $4.99 per registrant.

4. ThunderTix

ThunderTix is a web-based event ticketing solution for venues and creators who want to sell tickets online or in person. It’s known for its quality customer service and plenty of customization options.

ThunderTix is best for conferences and trade shows, venues like live music and performing arts, fundraisers, festivals, and sporting events.

ThunderTix’s pros

• Automated email reminders and post-event surveys
• A built-in CRM database so you can keep track of your customers
• A library of videos and how-to guides with detailed instructions
• The option to embed event calendars, a list of upcoming events, or individual events to your website
• Few native integrations, plus a Zapier integration to connect the platform with your email marketing tool and many others

ThunderTix’s cons

• Only the most expensive plan includes phone support
• Some features are less intuitive and can have a learning curve
• Fixed monthly minimum pricing, which is less flexible than some other options
• More expensive if you run a larger event and need a higher number of tickets

ThunderTix’s pricing

Thundertix offers three pricing tiers: $1 per ticket ($20 monthly minimum, includes 20 monthly tickets), $1.25 per ticket ($25 monthly minimum, includes 20 monthly tickets), and $1.75 per ticket ($175 monthly minimum, includes 100 monthly tickets), plus payment processing fees. There’s a 14-day free trial you can use.

5. Eventbrite

Eventbrite is one of the most popular online ticketing systems—it’s nearly impossible you haven’t heard of it or used it as an event goer. The platform has a discoverability factor as it makes it easy for visitors to browse events in their area or based on a topic.
Eventbrite is best for online events, conferences, workshops, festivals, and concerts.

It’s known for being easy to use, so you can set up your events in minutes. Simply add a description, title, cover photo, and set your price before hitting publish. Eventbrite takes care of the rest.

Eventbrite’s pros

• User-friendly interface with little to no learning curve
• Various ticket types and a waitlist feature
• Reaches an audience of 90 million people through ticket sales and serves 800,000 event creators
• Event tracking on the go from any device
• Integrates well with Facebook events so Facebook users can buy a ticket for a live event without clicking through to Eventbrite
• You have the option to avoid ticket fees by passing them on to attendees
• Integrations with dozens of apps, plus a Zapier integration so you can connect it to almost any tool, including your email marketing platform

Eventbrite’s cons

• A relatively rigid event page structure
• You might end up with multiple customer lists after you run multiple events, which can be confusing
• Fees and costs change relatively frequently, so it’s something to keep an eye on

Eventbrite’s pricing

Eventbrite offers a free plan for up to 25 tickets and paid options from $9.99 per event or $29 per month, plus ticketing fees (unless you pass them on to your customers). Eventbrite offers add-ons you can pay for larger numbers of attendees.

6. Eventzilla

Eventzilla is a robust event registration, marketing, and ticketing platform. It’s a full-suite solution and one of the most feature-rich options on our list, so you can tailor the event experience for your customers.

Eventzilla is best for conferences and conventions, online events, training sessions, and fundraisers.

Eventzilla’s pros

• Powerful self-service live streaming capabilities
• The option to pass on ticketing fees to your attendees
• A community feature so attendees can connect with each other through chat, polls, Q&A, and more
• Completely free for free events
• Several native integrations, plus a Zapier integration so you can connect it to your email marketing platform and many other tools

Eventzilla’s cons

• Some features and interfaces come with a learning curve
• Can be costly for events with low ticket cost
• Reaching customer support can take some time

Eventzilla’s pricing

Eventzilla offers three pricing plans: Basic at $1.50 per registration, Pro at 1.9% + $1.50 per registration, and Plus at 2.9% + $1.50 per registration. That doesn’t include payment processing fees.

7. Bizzabo

Bizzabo caters to medium and large companies that plan multiple events a year. Because of this, it can focus on providing great customer service, but it comes at a price.

Bizzabo is best for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events like conferences and internal events.

Bizzabo’s pros

• High-quality customer service and a curated onboarding experience
• Advanced event statistics and analytics
• Next-level real-time event data gathering and tracking
• Networking features that facilitate interactions between attendees
• The option to embed your event registration form inside your website
• Direct integrations with several tools, plus a Zapier integration so you can connect it to your email marketing platform and other systems

Bizzabo’s cons

• Limited customization options to match your event pages with your branding
• Potentially longer setup process for your registration page
• A larger investment as it’s built for bigger corporate events and conferences
• Not suitable for one-off events

Bizzabo’s pricing

Bizzabo offers four pricing plans but doesn’t publish the subscription cost publicly—you need to fill out a form to request it.

Want to consider a simpler alternative? Check out Kit Commerce

Let’s say you want to sell event tickets but don’t really need the full suite of event management features.

There’s a simpler, lower-cost alternative: Kit Commerce, a tool we created to help creators earn a living online.

Here’s why we think Kit Commerce could be the ideal option for you:

• It only costs you 3.5% + $0.3 per registrant, even on Kit’s free Newsletter plan, which makes it risk-free to start.
• You’d get paid out weekly, on Fridays.
• There’s no complicated setup, no self-serve portal for attendees you need to manage, and no learning curve.

This option is ideal if you’re running an online event through a live streaming platform like Zoom (think virtual workshop) or a small in-person event (think a retreat or in-person workshop).

Setup in Kit is simple and quick:

Step 1: After clicking Earn > Products > New product, you’ll name your product and choose a ‘pay once, have access forever’ option.

Step 2: Choose between a fixed one-time payment, a pay-what-you-want option, and a payment plan. Then, enter your price.

Step 3: Choose how you’ll fulfill your product. In this case, choose ‘A Digital Download’ to add a PDF with event instructions and links or the ‘Something Else’ option, which you can later connect with automated emails.

Step 4: Confirm or tweak your event URL, then click ‘Create Product.’

Step 5: Write the title, description, and a call-to-action for your event, and upload an image. Kit’s editor makes it easy to tweak colors and fonts to match your branding. When you’re done, click ‘Publish.’

Step 6: If you chose the ‘Something Else’ option in the fulfillment step, here’s how you’ll set up an automatic delivery of your event details.

Head to Send > Sequences > New sequence. Replace the placeholder text with an email you want your event attendees to receive right after purchasing, such as details about the date and time, location, how to prepare for the event, and any necessary links.

Make sure to name your sequence something you can recognize, add a subject line, toggle the ‘Published’ option, and set it to be delivered immediately. You can also add multiple emails and space them over several days if you want to.

Step 7: Go to Automate > Visual Automations > New automation, and click Start from scratch.

First part is setting up the trigger for your automation—that’s the event purchase. To do that, click ‘Purchase,’ select your event name from the list, and click ‘Add Event.’

Second part is what the purchase will trigger—that’s the sequence you created in the previous step. Click ‘Action,’ then ‘Email sequence,’ and select the name of your email sequence from the list. Click ‘Add Action.’

After that, toggle the ‘Live’ option at the top right corner, and you’re all set.

6 great tips to help you sell out every event faster

Finally, use these tips to drive more event sales every single time:

Tip #1: Build a dedicated landing page

Your event sales will benefit from a dedicated landing page. This can be a detailed one with plenty of event-specific information or an invitation to join the waitlist for an upcoming event announcement.

You can then send customized emails to subscribers who joined through that landing page, nurturing them towards the purchase. And the best part? You can create a landing page even without a website.

Tip #2: Use your website to make people aware of your event

Whether you promote your event on social media or through your email list, there will always be people who’ll miss your message about it.

Tweak your website to capture as many potential eventgoers as you can. Some ways to do it? An exit intent pop-up, a call-to-action (CTA) in a blog post, and a notification bar at the top of your website.

Tip #3: Craft a customized event experience with email marketing

Email plays a tremendous role in your event marketing plan because it lets you get specific, precisely time your messages, and track how each email impacted your event sales.

On top of that, essentially, no marketing channel can match sending personalized emails as a creator at scale.

Here are the emails you’ll need to create a customized event experience:

• Invitation emails: These are your initial emails that hype up your event. Start promoting early enough so you can stagger multiple invitation emails and include different types and depth of information in each. You can also follow up with subscribers who opened them but haven’t purchased.
• Confirmation emails: These are the “You’re in!” emails. Your subscribers are at peak excitement right after they join, so lean into this email to encourage an email reply and a share on social media to maximize your event success.
• Follow-up emails: After the event, check in with your attendees with a thank you note and, ideally, a survey. This will make them feel heard, and it will help you run even better events in the future.

Tip #4: Promote to your newsletter subscribers + encourage them to share

If you’ve already built a newsletter audience, don’t forget to tap into it!

Embed your event into a section of your newsletter and make the link to register easy to spot, even for those subscribers who are quickly scrolling to it.

Take it a step further and entice your subscribers to share your event with their friends and followers. You can even offer incentives, like custom discounts for the event or bonus resources for those who send you a screenshot of the share.

Tip #5: Take advantage of your social media channels

During event season, make sure all your social media points to your event landing page. That includes your profile links and pinned posts or tweets—anything a first-time visitor or a follower browsing your profiles can easily find.

Tip #6: Consider running paid ads

If your event budget allows, run paid ads to promote your event. You can use ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Google.
The reason this approach works? You can get super specific with your targeting using locations, interests, past visits to your website, and much more. This will maximize your return on investment, and ad metrics allow you to reflect on what worked and double down on that.

Be the creator that runs events everyone knows and loves

A successful event feels seamless, smooth, and immersive for attendees. And this starts with choosing the right event ticketing platform and embedding it into other systems you use to run your creative business.

Email is a big one to integrate. Want to make sure all your event emails—invitations, reminders, and follow-ups—go out on time, get opened, and drive engagement? You’ll love Kit and how it works in sync with any ticketing system you choose.

Grab your own Kit account and see just how easy it is.