Eventbrite vs Ticket Fairy (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 Ticket Fairy if

• Fits if you run club nights or festivals and want to start on a free plan
• Works for promoters who want referral rewards and an AI assistant

Look elsewhere if

• Pricey if buyers see fees: the default is 10% under $100, 9% from $100 and 8% from $250
• Watch out: the 30-day Plus trial needs a card
• Tight if you want more AI usage, as paid plans are mostly prepaid usage
• Watch out: the pages read do not say which phones its door app runs on

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.

Ticket Fairy

• Buyers pay the ticketing fee by default; the US schedule is 10% under $100, 9% from $100 and 8% from $250.
• Paid plans are mostly prepaid Fai usage; ticketing fees reduce that bill rather than replacing it.
• The pages read name the Entry Fairy app, but do not say which phone platforms it runs on.

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.

Ticket Fairy

Ticketing and checkout

General admission, reserved seats, timed entry, payment plans, add-ons and merchandise sell from one checkout that can sit on your own site.

Referral rewards

Buyers get a personal link and earn cash back when friends buy through it. The vendor cites a 20% average lift in sales.

Door check-in and box office

Door staff scan tickets with the Entry Fairy app, and the platform covers box office sales and wallet passes.

Payouts through your Stripe account

Connect your own Stripe account and ticket money is paid out daily while the event is still on sale.

Fai AI assistant

Builds events, changes ticket types, answers questions about sales and drafts campaigns. Heavier usage is prepaid on a plan.

Marketing integrations

Buyers who opt in at checkout can join a Mailchimp or Klaviyo audience, and paid orders can be sent to Laylo and Hive.

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.

Ticket Fairy

• Free$0

  Whole platform with no monthly fee; buyers pay a fee on each paid ticket (US: 10% under $100, $2 minimum under $20).

• Plus$17

  per month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)

  Adds $20 of Fai usage a month, your own domains and your own ticketing fee on top of Ticket Fairy's.

• Pro$85

  per month, billed yearly ($100 billed monthly)

  Everything in Plus with $100 of Fai usage a month; a $200 a month usage tier is also offered.

• Business$425

  per month, billed yearly ($500 billed monthly)

  Three brands sharing $500 of Fai usage a month; extra brands are $100 a month each.

Eventbrite

• Nonprofit

  50% off Pro for qualifying nonprofits

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

Ticket Fairy

• Annual discount

  Save about 15% on paid plans billed yearly

  Plus is $17 a month billed yearly against $20 monthly; Pro $85 against $100; Business $425 against $500.