Showpass vs Ticket Fairy (2026): which should you pick?

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Showpass

No public discounts listed.

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.