Eventbrite vs Explara (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Eventbrite: it is second in our ranking of event ticketing platforms, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.4.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Eventbrite grades higher on the free plan, features and ease of use. Explara grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Eventbrite
Ticketing and event marketplace, with fees usually paid by buyers
Explara
Event ticketing and membership groups with a free starter plan
Which one is for you
Pick Eventbrite if
- Fits if you want people browsing a marketplace to find your event
- Works for free community events, which pay no fees at all
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if your buyers balk at fees, as 3.7% + $1.79 a ticket plus 2.9% processing is the most here
- Not for you if you email a big list, since free sends stop at 250 a day and Pro starts at $15 a month
- Skip it if you're outside the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK or Ireland, where its plans aren't offered
- Watch out: ad spend on Eventbrite Ads, Facebook and Instagram is extra, and Ads run only in select markets
- Watch out: phone support needs a sales partnership, and 24/7 chat covers paid events only
Pick Explara if
- Fits if you run about one event a month
- Makes sense if you want a paid membership group next to your events
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run more than 1 event a month on Starter
- Pricey if you expect upgrading to cut fees, since the 4% fee stays on Growth and Pro
- Watch out: the 4% fee is stated as domestic only, and Stripe adds 1% a transaction
- Watch out: there is no annual billing option on the page
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAEventbriteVery good | 2.4GPAExplaraFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CBuyers pay by default, so you keep the ticket price, but the fee is the dearest here: 3.7% + $1.79 a ticket is $506 on 200 $20 tickets, with 2.9% processing per order on top that we haven't counted. Absorb it and it's yours. More than 250 emails a day needs Pro from $15 a month. | BGrowth is $9 a month, at the edge of the category's $15 cheaper quarter, but the 4% ticket fee is charged on every plan. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree to publish as many events as you like, and free events carry no fees at all. The free account sends 250 marketing emails a day, and more needs Pro from $15 a month. A small series could run on it for good. | CStarter is free for 1 event a month and 1 membership group, with only 5 free transactions on your own Stripe or PayPal. |
| Features | BMarketplace listing, ticket types, add-ons, waitlists, reserved seating, timed entry, email campaigns, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok promotion, a check-in app with Tap to Pay, and payouts before the event. It covers the whole job. | CBranded pages, membership groups, check-in, badges, forms and surveys. Higher plans mostly add event and group counts. |
| Ease of use | A4.79 from 32,637 App Store ratings, and that's for the Eventbrite Organizer app, the one you use to run the door. Making an event is guided, with AI help to write it up. | CNo store rating on record. You set up event pages, forms and payments. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Mailchimp, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and a public API. No desktop app, which an A needs, and its pricing plans are offered only in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland. | BWeb, with Stripe, PayPal and WhatsApp connections. |
| Best for | getting found by buyers on a big marketplace | small paid events and membership groups on a cheap plan |
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: Eventbrite and Explara. How we grade
Price against what you get
Eventbrite starts at $15 a month and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Explara starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3.
Eventbrite scores higher, and starts $6 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other event ticketing platforms on the chart, none scores higher than Eventbrite for less, and 7 score higher than Explara 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
- Eventbrite also covers email campaigns.
- Explara also covers forms and surveys.
At a glance
| Eventbrite | Explara | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $15 per month and up, for Eventbrite Pro email sends | $9 per month |
| Free plan | Free to publish unlimited events. Free tickets carry no fees; paid tickets carry a 3.7% + $1.79 service fee and 2.9% processing per order, paid by buyers by default. Up to 250 marketing emails a day. | Starter plan at $0 a month: 1 event per month and 1 membership group, with a 4% fee on ticket value. |
| Free trial | None listed | Starter plan trial: 5 transactions free when using your own Stripe or PayPal. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Eventbrite, Inc. | Signure Technologies Pvt. Ltd. |
| Price read from | eventbrite.com | explara.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Eventbrite
- Paid tickets carry a 3.7% + $1.79 service fee and 2.9% processing per order; buyers pay them by default, or the organizer can absorb them.
- The free account sends up to 250 marketing emails a day; more needs Pro from $15 a month, and ad spend for Eventbrite Ads, Facebook and Instagram is extra.
- Eventbrite says its pricing plans are offered in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Ireland, and Eventbrite Ads only in select markets.
- 24/7 chat support covers paid events; phone support and a strategic advisor come with the sales partnership.
Explara
- The 4% fee applies on every plan, so the monthly plans only raise limits on events and groups.
- The 4% fee is stated as domestic only, and a further 1% applies per Stripe transaction.
- Starter allows 1 event a month; extra capacity needs Growth or Pro.
- Prices are shown in US dollars with no annual billing option on the page.
Key features
Eventbrite
- Events marketplace
- Events are listed on Eventbrite's own discovery marketplace, where buyers browse local events, so organizers can reach people beyond their own following.
- Ticketing and registration
- Custom event pages, several ticket types, add-ons, custom registration forms, waitlists, promo codes, embedded checkout and AI-assisted event creation.
- Reserved seating and timed entry
- Seat maps that let buyers pick seats, and timed-entry ticketing for attractions and exhibitions that admit people in time slots.
- Marketing tools
- Email campaigns to segmented lists of past buyers, Facebook and Instagram ad tools, TikTok promotion and paid Eventbrite Ads placements on the marketplace.
- Organizer app and Tap to Pay
- The iOS and Android Organizer app scans QR-code tickets, tracks live attendance and sales, and takes payment for tickets and merchandise at the door.
- Payouts before the event
- Eventbrite Payment Processing pays out before the event, with Instant Payouts in minutes or a custom schedule, and sales and fee reports.
Explara
- Branded event pages
- Organizers can go live with a branded ticketing page and accept payments in multiple gateways and currencies.
- Membership groups
- Attendees can be turned into members of a group or club; the vendor says membership software is free for 1 group and 50 members.
- Check-in and badges
- QR-based or manual check-in, badge scanning and walk-in registration are listed for event day.
- Add-ons and forms
- Merchandise, stay options and custom data forms can be added to registration.
- Surveys and reports
- Post-event surveys, attendee data export and reports are built in, plus automated email sequences.
Plans
Eventbrite
Free$0
No subscription. Each paid ticket carries 3.7% + $1.79 plus 2.9% processing per order, paid by the buyer unless the organizer absorbs it; free events cost nothing.
Pro$15
per month and up
A subscription add-on for marketing email that raises the daily limit from 250 sends to between 2,000 and 10,000. Ticket fees still apply.
Sales partnershipCustom
For large or complex events: a strategic advisor, Eventbrite-sponsored marketing, and priority phone and 24/7 chat support.
Explara
Starter$0
per month
1 event per month and 1 membership group. 4% fee on ticket value (domestic only); 1% extra per transaction on Stripe.
Growth$9
per month
5 events per month and 2 membership chat groups. Same 4% ticket fee, with 3 admins.
Pro$25
per month
10 events per month and 5 membership groups. Same 4% ticket fee.
Ways to pay less
Eventbrite
- Nonprofit
50% off Pro for qualifying nonprofits
Qualifying nonprofits get half off Eventbrite's Pro plans, and donation tickets carry discounted ticketing fees.
Explara
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Eventbrite or Explara?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Explara is cheaper to start with: $9 a month, against $15 a month for Eventbrite. Eventbrite starts at $15 per month and up, for Eventbrite Pro email sends, and Explara starts at $9 per month.
Which has a free plan, Eventbrite or Explara?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Eventbrite and Explara have a free plan.
Which platforms do Eventbrite and Explara run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Eventbrite 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.