Event Espresso vs pretix (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, pretix grades higher than Event Espresso: 3.0 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
pretix grades higher on features, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and the free plan.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Event Espresso
WordPress plugin for event calendars, registration and tickets
pretix
Open-source ticket shop, hosted or on your own server
Which one is for you
Pick Event Espresso if
- Fits if you already run a WordPress site and can look after it
- Works for organisers who want to keep card payments on their own gateway
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you do not run WordPress, as it works only inside it
- Tight if you stay on Decaf, which takes a 3% fee and has no add-ons
- Pricey if you want the extras, since All Access is $399 a year
- Watch out: gateway fees still apply, and Core covers one live site only
Pick pretix if
- Fits if you run a business or non-profit and want a ticket shop you control
- Works for teams with a server who want the free Community edition
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you are an individual: hosted is for businesses and similar bodies
- Tight if you sell many free tickets, as those past 500 a year cost €0.50 each
- Watch out: fees are in euros, billed monthly and quoted without VAT
- Pricey if you want paid modules on hosted, such as €25 per exhibitor for lead scanning
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAEvent EspressoFair | 3.0GPApretixVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BCore is $129 a year, about $10.75 a month, inside the category's cheaper quarter ($15), though add-ons are sold separately and All Access is $399. | BHosted has no monthly fee and the first 500 free tickets a year cost nothing. Self-hosted paid tiers start at €499 a year. Hosted per-ticket rates aren't on the listing. |
| Free plan and trial | BDecaf is free with unlimited events and ticket sales, but it takes a 3% fee, takes PayPal only and cannot use add-ons. | BHosted has no monthly fee, and the Community edition is free to run on your own server. But the hosted service refuses personal users. |
| Features | CCalendar, registration forms, ticket types, direct payments and check-in apps. Discount codes, waitlists and the scanning app are add-ons. | BCustomisable shop, check-in, box office and kiosks, exhibitor lead scanning, reports and a REST API. Some extras, such as lead scanning, cost €25 per exhibitor. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It needs a WordPress site you install and maintain yourself. | CNo store rating on record. A shop has to be built, and the Community edition needs your own server. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, through WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Square, Mailchimp, QuickBooks and Elementor connections. | AWeb, iPhone, Android, Windows and Linux, with PayPal, Stripe, Mollie, HubSpot and a REST API. |
| Best for | WordPress sites that sell event tickets | open-source ticket shop, hosted or your own |
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: Event Espresso and pretix. How we grade
Price against what you get
Event Espresso starts at $10.75 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. pretix starts at about $46.46 a month and scores 3.0.
pretix scores higher, and starts $35.71 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other event ticketing platforms on the chart, 13 score higher than Event Espresso for less, and 1 scores higher than pretix for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- pretix is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Event Espresso also covers calendar.
- pretix also covers reports.
At a glance
| Event Espresso | pretix | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $129 per year for 1 live site | €499 per year, self-hosted, up to 10,000 orders a year |
| Free plan | Decaf: free plugin with unlimited events, registrations and ticket sales, PayPal payments and community support, with a 3% pay-as-you-go fee. | The hosted service has no monthly fee and no charge for the first 500 free tickets per calendar year; the Community edition is free open-source software you host yourself. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Event Espresso | pretix GmbH |
| Price read from | eventespresso.com | pretix.eu |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Event Espresso
- It runs only inside WordPress, which you install and maintain yourself.
- The free Decaf edition charges a 3% pay-as-you-go fee and cannot use add-ons.
- Core covers one live site and sells add-ons separately; All Access bundles them for $399 per year.
- Payment processing fees from your chosen gateway still apply.
pretix
- The hosted service is for businesses and similar entities such as non-profits and associations; the pricing page says personal users cannot use it.
- Free tickets beyond the 500-a-year quota cost €0.50 each on hosted, and the quota grows with every paid ticket.
- Hosted fees are billed monthly by invoice and are quoted excluding VAT; fees are in euros, and other currencies are converted.
- Paid modules on hosted: Peppol and Italy or Portugal e-invoicing at €0.20 per invoice, and lead scanning at €25 per exhibitor.
Key features
Event Espresso
- Event calendar
- Publishes events on your WordPress site in month, week, day, agenda and list views, with category colors and filters. Calendar+ is a separate add-on.
- Registration forms
- Custom forms per event with text, radio, dropdown and multi-select questions, plus group registrations for several attendees at once.
- Ticket types and dates
- Unlimited ticket types with sale start and end dates, capacity limits, and events or tickets that span several dates.
- Direct payments
- Payments go into your own gateway account such as PayPal, Stripe or Square, with no per-ticket commission on paid licenses, per the vendor.
- Check-in apps
- A mobile app scans tickets and tracks attendance in real time. It is listed among the add-on features of the All Access plan.
- Developer hooks
- A REST API, hooks, filters and logging let developers extend the plugin; the site lists 25+ translations.
pretix
- Customizable ticket shop
- A hosted or self-run shop with individual tickets, discount and voucher options and a choice of payment providers such as PayPal, Stripe and Mollie.
- Check-in and access control
- The pretixSCAN app runs on Android and iOS and works both online and offline, so scanning continues without a connection.
- Box office and kiosks
- pretixPOS is a cash register app for on-site sales and pretixKIOSK turns a device into a ticket vending machine.
- Exhibitor lead scanning
- pretixLEAD lets exhibitors scan attendees' badges for leads. The hosted service bills €25 per exhibitor who scans at least one lead.
- Reports and REST API
- Exports and full API access are included in every edition, and the company publishes REST API documentation.
- Hardware rental
- The company also rents event hardware for scanning and point of sale.
Plans
Event Espresso
Decaf$0
Unlimited events and ticket sales, PayPal payments, basic forms; community support, not compatible with add-ons, 3% pay-as-you-go fee.
Core$129
per year for 1 live site, plus staging sites
Decaf features plus custom forms, taxes, email support and no app fees; works with 30+ add-ons sold separately; 0% pay-as-you-go.
All Access$399
per year
Core plus every add-on (discount codes, recurring events, waitlists, mobile scanning app, gateways) and premium support.
pretix
pretix Hosted€0
No monthly fee. 2.5% of the ticket price excl. taxes, at most €15 per ticket, plus payment provider fees. Free tickets: first 500 a year are free.
Community€0
Free open-source edition under AGPLv3 with additional terms. You host it yourself, with unlimited ticket volume and email support.
Enterprise Starter€499
per year, self-hosted, up to 10,000 orders and €30,000 revenue
Self-hosted license with 3 plugin license points. Price rises with volume: €2,000 for up to 50,000 orders and €150,000 revenue.
Enterprise Professional€750
per year, self-hosted, up to 10,000 orders and €30,000 revenue
Self-hosted license with 10 plugin license points.
Enterprise Ultimate€950
per year, self-hosted, up to 10,000 orders and €30,000 revenue
Self-hosted license with 20 plugin license points.
Ways to pay less
Event Espresso
No public discounts listed.
pretix
- Nonprofit
Lower hosted fees for non-profits
Non-profit and charity organizations pay 2.0% of the ticket price (maximum €15) and €0.10 per free ticket on pretix Hosted, after contacting the company.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Event Espresso or pretix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Event Espresso is cheaper to start with: $10.75 a month when paid by the year, against about $46.46 a month for pretix. Event Espresso starts at $129 per year for 1 live site, and pretix starts at €499 per year, self-hosted, up to 10,000 orders a year.
Which has a free plan, Event Espresso or pretix?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Event Espresso and pretix have a free plan.
Which platforms do Event Espresso and pretix run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only pretix lists Windows, Linux, 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.