Event Espresso vs Tickera (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Event Espresso grades higher than Tickera: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Event Espresso grades higher on the free plan. Tickera grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
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
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 Tickera if
- Fits if you already run a WordPress site and want to keep every sale
- Works for organizers who want to skip per-ticket commissions
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't use WordPress, as it runs only inside it
- Watch out: payment gateway fees still apply, about 2.9% + $0.30 with Stripe
- Tight if you want seating charts: Standard doesn't have them
- Watch out: without an active license, app scanning stops and is limited to the WordPress admin
- Pricey if you count year one: the first year is $149 with a $50 activation fee
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAEvent EspressoFair | 2.0GPATickeraFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$99 a year at renewal is about $8 a month, under 60% of the cheaper quarter's $20, and Lifetime is $399 once. Year one is $149, which includes a $50 activation fee. |
| 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. | FNothing free: no free version and no trial are on record for this listing. |
| Features | CCalendar, registration forms, ticket types, direct payments and check-in apps. Discount codes, waitlists and the scanning app are add-ons. | CTicket sales, payments straight to you, check-in apps and add-ons. But Standard has no seating charts, which need Bundle or Lifetime. |
| Ease of use | DNo store rating on record. It needs a WordPress site you install and maintain yourself. | DNo store rating on record. You need a WordPress site of your own to run it, which means hosting and setup. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, through WordPress, with PayPal, Stripe, Square, Mailchimp, QuickBooks and Elementor connections. | BWordPress only, plus iPhone and Android scanning apps, with Stripe, PayPal, WooCommerce and Mollie. |
| Best for | WordPress sites that sell event tickets | WordPress ticketing plugin with no ticket commission |
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 Tickera. 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. Tickera starts at $8.25 a month when paid by the year and scores 2.0.
They score the same, and Tickera starts $2.50 a month lower. Of the other event ticketing platforms on the chart, 13 score higher than Event Espresso for less, and 12 score higher than Tickera 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
- Tickera can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Event Espresso also covers calendar.
- Tickera also covers barcode scanning and qR codes.
At a glance
| Event Espresso | Tickera | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | $129 per year for 1 live site | $99 per year at renewal, after a first year at $149 |
| 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. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Event Espresso | Tickera |
| Price read from | eventespresso.com | tickera.com |
| 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.
Tickera
- It runs only inside WordPress.
- Payment gateway fees still apply, typically about 2.9% + $0.30 with Stripe according to the vendor.
- Year-one prices include a $50 activation fee. Without an active license, Checkinera app scanning stops and scanning is limited to the WordPress admin.
- Standard has no seating charts or other premium add-ons; those need Bundle or Lifetime.
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.
Tickera
- Ticket sales on your own site
- A branded checkout runs on the organizer's WordPress domain, with PDF tickets and email receipts.
- Payments straight to your account
- 19 gateways are built in, including Stripe, PayPal, Authorize.net and Braintree. Bundle and Lifetime add Bridge for WooCommerce, which the page says unlocks Square, Klarna and more.
- Checkinera check-in apps
- Free iOS and Android apps scan QR codes and barcodes, with offline mode and multi-staff scanning. Any handheld barcode scanner also works.
- Seating charts
- Visual reserved seating is one of the 25 premium add-ons included in the Bundle and Lifetime plans.
- Add-ons for forms and discounts
- Add-ons include custom forms, bulk discount codes, a speakers add-on, an event calendar and CSV export.
- Integrations for payments and affiliates
- Mollie, Stripe Connect and AffiliateWP integrations are in the Bundle and Lifetime plans.
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.
Tickera
Standard$99
per year at renewal, after a first year at $149
Core plugin: unlimited sites, events and tickets, 19 payment gateways, Checkinera apps. Year one includes a $50 activation fee; add-ons are extra.
Bundle$149
per year at renewal, after a first year at $199
Everything in Standard plus all 25 add-ons, including Seating Charts and Bridge for WooCommerce. Year one includes a $50 activation fee.
Lifetime$399
one-time
Everything in Bundle with lifetime updates and priority support, future add-ons free, and the Checkinera iOS and Android source code.
Ways to pay less
Event Espresso
No public discounts listed.
Tickera
- Lifetime license
Lifetime license
A $399 one-time payment covers every add-on, lifetime updates and priority support, with no renewals.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Event Espresso or Tickera?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tickera is cheaper to start with: $8.25 a month when paid by the year, against $10.75 a month when paid by the year for Event Espresso. Event Espresso starts at $129 per year for 1 live site, and Tickera starts at $99 per year at renewal, after a first year at $149.
Which has a free plan, Event Espresso or Tickera?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Event Espresso has a free plan. Tickera does not.
Which platforms do Event Espresso and Tickera run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Tickera 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.