Explara vs Ticket Tailor (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, we pick Ticket Tailor: it is first 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
Ticket Tailor grades higher on the free plan and features. They get the same grade on value for money, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Explara
Event ticketing and membership groups with a free starter plan
Ticket Tailor
Event ticketing for a flat fee per ticket, with prepaid credits
Which one is for you
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
Pick Ticket Tailor if
- Fits if you sell pricier tickets and want a flat fee rather than a percentage
- Works for venues and attractions with timed or recurring entry
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't want to open a Stripe, PayPal or Square account
- Pricey if you want your own branding, as white label costs $49 a month and a custom domain alone $8
- Tight if you sell lots of seated tickets, as each reserved seat uses an extra credit
- Watch out: tickets issued through the API or imported are charged even when free
- Watch out: HubSpot, ActiveCampaign and Constant Contact links carry a monthly fee
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAExplaraFair | 3.0GPATicket TailorVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | B$0.85 a ticket as you sell, so 200 tickets at $20 is $170 a month plus VAT, and prepaid credits from $0.30 a ticket bring that down. You pay it unless you pass it on as a booking fee. Card processing through your own Stripe, PayPal or Square isn't counted. Among the lower fees here. |
| Free plan and trial | CStarter is free for 1 event a month and 1 membership group, with only 5 free transactions on your own Stripe or PayPal. | ANo subscription and nothing to pay until you sell a paid ticket, and your first five are free. Free events cost nothing up to 5,000 tickets a year, a cap few people will reach, though seated free tickets still use a credit each. |
| Features | CBranded pages, membership groups, check-in, badges, forms and surveys. Higher plans mostly add event and group counts. | BEvent pages, embedded checkout, reserved seating, timed and recurring slots, memberships, gift vouchers, waitlists and a check-in app that works offline and takes Tap to Pay. It covers selling, the door and getting paid, since the money lands in your own account. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You set up event pages, forms and payments. | CNo App Store rating on record. You connect your own Stripe, PayPal or Square account before you can take money, then build your event pages, so there's a bit to set up first. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with Stripe, PayPal and WhatsApp connections. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Mailchimp, HubSpot, Zapier, WordPress, a public API and an MCP connector for AI assistants. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
| Best for | small paid events and membership groups on a cheap plan | a flat fee per ticket instead of a percentage |
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: Explara and Ticket Tailor. How we grade
Price against what you get
Explara starts at $9 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Ticket Tailor has no paid plan and scores 2.7.
Ticket Tailor scores higher and starts $9 a month lower. Of the other event ticketing platforms on the chart, 7 score higher than Explara for less, and none scores higher than Ticket Tailor 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
- Explara also covers forms and surveys.
- Ticket Tailor also covers email campaigns.
At a glance
| Explara | Ticket Tailor | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $9 per month | Free |
| Free plan | Starter plan at $0 a month: 1 event per month and 1 membership group, with a 4% fee on ticket value. | No subscription. Free tickets cost nothing up to 5,000 a year; paid tickets cost $0.85 each as you sell, or from $0.30 each with prepaid credits, plus VAT and card processing. |
| Free trial | Starter plan trial: 5 transactions free when using your own Stripe or PayPal. | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Signure Technologies Pvt. Ltd. | Zimma Ltd |
| Price read from | explara.com | tickettailor.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
Ticket Tailor
- Paid tickets cost $0.85 each as you sell or from $0.30 with prepaid credits, plus VAT and processing (2.9% + $0.30 with Stripe in the US); organizers may pass fees to buyers.
- Reserved seats use an extra credit each, and tickets issued through the API or imported are charged even when free.
- Removing Ticket Tailor branding (white label) costs $49 a month and a custom domain alone $8; HubSpot, ActiveCampaign and Constant Contact links carry a monthly fee.
- You need your own Stripe, PayPal or Square account to take payments; Ticket Tailor never holds the ticket money.
Key features
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.
Ticket Tailor
- Box office and event pages
- Branded event pages with themes, colors and layouts, checkout embedded on your own site, password-protected private events and a cart that covers several events.
- Reserved seating
- Build seating charts for theaters, stadiums or dinner layouts so buyers choose their own seats; each seat reserved costs one extra credit.
- Check-in app with Tap to Pay
- The free iOS and Android app scans ticket QR codes with the phone camera or an external scanner, works without signal, and takes card sales at the door.
- Recurring events and memberships
- Repeating dates and time slots with a busy-times heat map, memberships and season passes, gift vouchers, waitlists and fee-free donations at checkout.
- Attendee email and reminders
- Free scheduled or instant email broadcasts by ticket type, plus text and WhatsApp reminders; buyers can add text reminders at checkout for a small fee.
- Integrations, API and MCP
- Direct links to Mailchimp, HubSpot, Constant Contact and ActiveCampaign, Zapier for other apps, a public API and an MCP connector for AI assistants.
Plans
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.
Ticket Tailor
Free events$0
No fee for issuing up to 5,000 free tickets a year; larger free events get a quote. Seated free tickets still use one credit each.
Pay as you go$0
A flat $0.85 per paid ticket plus VAT, charged to the organizer, who can pass it to buyers as a booking fee. The first five tickets sold are free.
Pay upfront$0
Prepaid ticket credits from $0.30 per ticket plus VAT, in packs of at least 100, that never expire; the per-credit price falls as the pack grows.
Ways to pay less
Explara
No public discounts listed.
Ticket Tailor
- Nonprofit
50% off fees for registered charities
Registered charities get half off Ticket Tailor's fees for good, applied from the billing page with proof of status; discounts are also offered to B Corps, PTAs and other nonprofits.
- Other savings
Half fee on tickets under $5
Tickets and products under $5, including booking fees and taxes, count as half a usage on application, so low-priced events pay half the normal fee.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Explara or Ticket Tailor?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Ticket Tailor is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9 a month for Explara. Explara starts at $9 per month, and Ticket Tailor is free.
Which has a free plan, Explara or Ticket Tailor?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Explara and Ticket Tailor have a free plan.
Which platforms do Explara and Ticket Tailor run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Ticket Tailor 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.