Eventbrite vs Showpass (2026): which should you pick?

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 Showpass if

• Fits if you sell tickets in Canada and want no monthly fee
• Works for venues that need seating and packages on a per-ticket basis

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if you need Professional, with fees of 2.5% + $1.69 CAD per paid item
• Not for you if you want a trial, as there isn't one
• Watch out: prices are in Canadian dollars, and card processing is charged on top
• Watch out: switching tiers is done by contacting support

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.

Showpass

• Prices are shown in Canadian dollars; tickets can be sold in CAD, USD or EUR.
• Showpass's service fee (1% + $0.59 CAD on Essential) is charged per paid item, on top of card processing.
• Assigned seating, ticket packages and waitlists need Professional; group sales and memberships need Premium.
• There is no free trial, and moving between tiers is done by contacting support.

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.

Showpass

Branded event pages and embeds

Each event gets a customizable page, and tickets can also be sold from an embedded widget on the organizer's own website.

Assigned seating and packages

On the Professional tier, organizers can build seating maps, bundle tickets into packages, and sell add-ons such as food tokens.

Group sales and memberships

The Premium tier adds a group sales portal and member-only packages with perks.

Check-in and on-site sales

Guests can be checked in from a smartphone, and at the door Showpass connects to Square for tap and debit payments.

Fee controls

Organizers choose whether to pass the service fee to buyers in full, in part, or absorb it, and fees are shown upfront at checkout.

Discovery and distribution

Events can be listed on Showpass Discovery at no extra charge, and the site mentions Meta and Google partnerships for promotion.

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.

Showpass

• Essential$0

  Fee of 1% + $0.59 CAD per paid item, plus 2.9% + $0.30 CAD card processing. Unlimited events, branded pages and data.

• Professional$0

  Fee of 2.5% + $1.69 CAD per paid item. Adds ticket packages, assigned seating, tracking links, add-ons and waitlists.

• PremiumCustom

  Adds group sales, memberships, buy now pay later, on-site hardware and dedicated support. Priced per redeemable item.

Eventbrite

• Nonprofit

  50% off Pro for qualifying nonprofits

  Qualifying nonprofits get half off Eventbrite's Pro plans, and donation tickets carry discounted ticketing fees.

Showpass

No public discounts listed.