Brushfire vs SimpleTix (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SimpleTix grades higher than Brushfire: 2.8 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
SimpleTix grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Brushfire
Ticketing and registration for attractions, schools and churches
SimpleTix
Per-ticket event ticketing with reserved seating and season passes
Which one is for you
Pick Brushfire if
- Fits if you run an attraction or school and sell season passes or group tickets
- Works for churches that want ticketing tied to their church management system
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: card processing is charged on top, and Square online is 2.9% + $0.30
- Pricey if you are a church under 1,500 weekly attendance and sell few tickets, as the flat fee is $299 a month
- Tight if you sell lots of tickets, because fees are per ticket and rise with volume
- Not for you if you want one flat rate: the fee changes with the industry you pick
- Skip it if you need a trial, as none is listed
Pick SimpleTix if
- Fits if you run a theatre, farm or attraction and want fees only on tickets sold
- Works for nonprofits wanting the 71 cents + 2% rate
Look elsewhere if
- Watch out: your processor's fee is charged separately, 2.9% + 30 cents in the page's own example
- Watch out: processors other than Square, Stripe and PayPal are billed to your card monthly
- Tight if you sell reserved-seat free tickets, which cost 25 cents each
- Skip it if you want multi-day time tickets free, which need a quote
How we grade them
| 2.6GPABrushfireGood | 2.8GPASimpleTixGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$0.75 a ticket for attractions and schools, $1.50 + 1% for other events, plus 2.9% + $0.30 card fees. Churches under 1,500 weekly pay $299 a month. Per-ticket pricing can't be set against the monthly figures, so it sits in the middle. | BNo monthly fee: 79 cents + 2% per ticket, capped at $9.99, and 25 cents for in-person sales. That sits in the cheaper quarter for most ticket prices. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree tickets cost nothing on the Attractions and Education plans and there is no monthly fee to start. Paid tickets carry a fee, and no trial is listed. | BNo plan to pay for, and free general admission tickets carry no fee. Reserved free tickets cost 25 cents each. |
| Features | BTicketing, registration, season passes, group tickets, a box office app, embedded checkout, lead capture and reports. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job. | BGeneral admission, reserved seating, season passes, box office app, QR check-in and reporting. Nothing in the core job is missing. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You set up events and pick an industry plan, and a few plans come with a customer success manager. | CNo store rating on record. You build the event and, for seating, a chart. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, plus a mobile box office app, with Square, Stripe and church management links. No desktop app is listed. | BWeb with iOS and Android organizer apps, Square and Stripe readers, and PayPal and Authorize.net. |
| Best for | ticketing for attractions, schools and churches | per-ticket selling with reserved seating and season passes |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Brushfire and SimpleTix. How we grade
Where they differ
- Brushfire also covers forms.
- SimpleTix also covers qR codes.
At a glance
| Brushfire | SimpleTix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $299 per month for churches under 1,500 weekly attendance | Not published |
| Free plan | No charge for free tickets on the Attractions and Education plans; paid tickets carry a per-ticket fee plus card processing. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Brushfire | SimpleTix |
| Price read from | brushfire.com | simpletix.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Brushfire
- Card processing is charged on top of the Brushfire fee; Square online is 2.9% + $0.30.
- Fees depend on the industry you pick, so the same event can cost different amounts under each plan.
- Fees are listed per ticket, and total cost rises with ticket volume.
- A $299 monthly option applies only to churches under 1,500 weekly attendance.
SimpleTix
- Payment processing is charged separately by your processor (the page's example uses 2.9% + 30¢).
- Fees for non-Square, non-Stripe, non-PayPal processors are billed to your card on the 1st of the next month.
- Reserved seating free tickets cost 25¢ each; free general admission tickets are fee-free.
- Multi-day or multi-event time tickets cannot be made free without a quote.
Key features
Brushfire
- Ticketing and registration
- Sells tickets for attractions and performances and runs registration for conferences, camps and classes.
- Mobile box office app
- In-person sales are listed on every industry plan, alongside season passes and group ticketing.
- Fee options
- Organizers can pass fees to attendees, absorb them for all-in pricing, or set a custom fee structure.
- Payments through Square and Stripe
- Card processing runs on Square or Stripe; the page lists online rates of 2.9% + $0.30 on both.
- Integrations and revenue tools
- Event app and embedded checkout options, mobile lead capture and optional refund protection for attendees.
- Reporting
- Sales and attendance reporting across events.
SimpleTix
- General admission and reserved seating
- Sell either, with seating charts built for free and the same seat assignable across all dates of a season pass.
- Season and flex passes
- Bundle several dates or performances into one pass, priced per ticket in the pass.
- Box office app
- An organizer app for iOS and Android sells tickets in person with Square and Stripe readers, Tap to Pay and Star Bluetooth printers.
- QR code check-in
- Scan tickets for check-in, with email blasts, reminders and reporting included on every plan.
- Fee choices
- Pass all fees to buyers, add a custom fee for facility or fundraising charges, or absorb all fees.
- Several processors
- Works with Square, Stripe, PayPal and Authorize.net, with a currency picker for USD, GBP, CAD, AUD and EUR.
Plans
Brushfire
Attractions$0
to start; $0.75 per ticket plus card fees
Includes season pass, group ticketing and the mobile box office app; free tickets cost nothing.
Education$0
to start; $0.75 per ticket plus card fees
Same per-ticket fee as Attractions, with a dedicated customer success manager.
Churches under 1,500 weekly$299
per month, plus card processing fees
Flat fee for churches under 1,500 weekly attendance; covers ticketing, registration and ChMS integrations.
Churches over 1,500 weekly$0
to start; $1 + 1% per ticket plus card fees
Per-ticket pricing for churches and ministries over 1,500 weekly attendance.
Other Events$0
to start; $1.50 + 1% per ticket plus card fees
For events outside the other industries; includes a dedicated customer success manager.
SimpleTix
Online sales$0
No setup or monthly fee. 79¢ + 2% per ticket sold online, capped at $9.99 a ticket; tickets of $5 or less pay a flat 25¢.
In-person / box office$0
A flat 25¢ per ticket sold at the box office or gate; free general admission tickets cost nothing.
Season tickets$0
79¢ + 2% per ticket in the pass, charged on the total season pass value.
Ways to pay less
Brushfire
No public discounts listed.
SimpleTix
- Nonprofit
Reduced fee for 501(c)(3) nonprofits
Eligible nonprofits get 71¢ + 2% per online ticket after sending proof of status; an FAQ on the same page describes it as 10% off the platform fee.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Brushfire or SimpleTix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Brushfire starts at $299 per month for churches under 1,500 weekly attendance, and SimpleTix publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Brushfire or SimpleTix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Brushfire has a free plan. SimpleTix does not.
Which platforms do Brushfire and SimpleTix run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SimpleTix lists iOS and Android apps. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.