Eventbrite vs Purplepass (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 2.6.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Eventbrite grades higher on ease of use. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and 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
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 Purplepass if
- Fits if you run a venue with assigned seating and a box office
- Works for events that sell printed tickets or wristbands
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell online: 3.0% card processing sits on top of the service fee
- Watch out: preprinted stock costs $0.06 to $0.12 a piece
- Tight if you sell at the door by card, at 2.5% + $0.25 a sale
- Not for you if you want the fee up front: the pricing page lists no tiers
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAEventbriteVery good | 2.6GPAPurplepassGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CNo subscription. Online card processing is 3.0% on top of a service fee we could not see a figure for, and box-office card sales cost 2.5% + $0.25. |
| 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. | BNo sign-up fee, free events cost nothing and there is no cap on events or ticket types. Paid tickets carry a per-ticket fee. |
| 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. | BAssigned seating, a phone app and box-office terminals, reservations, recurring events and printed tickets. Nothing core is missing on the listing. |
| 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. Seating maps and box-office setup take work. |
| 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, iPhone and Android, with Mailchimp, Constant Contact, WordPress and a few more. |
| Best for | getting found by buyers on a big marketplace | per-ticket ticketing with box-office apps |
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 Purplepass. How we grade
Where they differ
- Eventbrite also covers email campaigns.
At a glance
| Eventbrite | Purplepass | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $15 per month and up, for Eventbrite Pro email sends | Not published |
| 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. | No sign-up fee, no fee for free events, and no limit on events or ticket types. Paid tickets carry a per-ticket service fee instead of a subscription. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Eventbrite, Inc. | Purplepass.com |
| Price read from | eventbrite.com | purplepass.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Purplepass
- Online card processing is 3.0% on top of the service fee, and box-office card sales are 2.5% + $0.25 per transaction.
- Bulk preprinted ticket stock is extra: $0.10 per thermal ticket, $0.12 per full-color custom ticket, $0.06 per Tyvek wristband and $0.12 per vinyl wristband.
- The pricing page lists no tiers or contract terms; box-office, comp-ticket, map-building and free-event fees are all stated as none.
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.
Purplepass
- Assigned seating maps
- Seat maps are built to scale with color-coded price sections, partial-view flags, custom notes on seats and venue photos from a seat. Rows, tables and vendor booths can all be sold.
- Phone app and box-office terminals
- A smartphone app for iOS and Android scans tickets with the camera, looks up orders and shows live admission counts. Wireless iPad terminals add a card reader and a ticket scanner.
- Reservations and add-ons
- Reservations mode lets guests hold tickets and pay at the event. An advanced-selling mode sells merchandise, food and drink tickets alongside admission.
- Recurring and multi-day events
- One event page can cover a weekend or a repeating schedule, such as every Friday or a custom list of dates.
- Printed tickets and wristbands
- Purplepass sells preprinted thermal ticket stock and wristbands in bulk, priced per piece on its pricing page.
- Email and survey syncing
- Buyer contacts can be synced to Mailchimp, Constant Contact and SurveyMonkey, and a WordPress plugin and widget put ticket sales on an organizer's own site.
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.
Purplepass
Non-profit$0
No subscription. Online service fee of 2.0% + $0.99 per ticket, plus 3.0% card processing online. By default the buyer pays the fees; the organizer can absorb them or split them.
For-profit$0
No subscription. Online service fee of 2.5% + $0.99 per ticket, plus 3.0% card processing online. By default the buyer pays the fees; the organizer can absorb them or split them.
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.
Purplepass
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Eventbrite or Purplepass?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Eventbrite starts at $15 per month and up, for Eventbrite Pro email sends, and Purplepass publishes no starting price.
Which has a free plan, Eventbrite or Purplepass?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Eventbrite and Purplepass have a free plan.
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.