Ticket Tailor vs Universe
We give Ticket Tailor a 3.0 GPA and Universe a 2.6, out of 4.0. Ticket Tailor grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Ticket Tailor
Event ticketing for a flat fee per ticket, with prepaid credits
Universe
Self-service ticketing from the Live Nation and Ticketmaster group
How we grade them
| 3.0GPATicket TailorVery good | 2.6GPAUniverseGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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 cheaper ones here. | C2% + $0.79 a ticket on Starter, $238 on 200 $20 tickets, with processing on top that we haven't counted. You absorb it or pass it to buyers. Standard's 2.5% + $1.99 makes the same month $498. Middle of the pack here. |
| Free plan and trial | 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. | ANo setup fee, free events cost nothing, and Starter and Standard have no subscription: you only pay per paid ticket. Only the custom Pro plan costs more, and most organizers won't need it. |
| Features | 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. | CTicket types, add-ons, presales, payment plans, tiered tickets, a waiting room for busy onsales and a door app. But it's built for general admission and timed entry, with no reserved seating on record, and selling on Ticketmaster needs Pro. |
| Ease of use | 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. | CNo App Store rating on record. Setting up tickets and add-ons is self-service, but sales tax is yours to handle, since Universe doesn't remit it. |
| Platforms and integrations | 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. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, Mailchimp, Zapier, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel and a GraphQL API. Ticketmaster's marketplace needs Pro, and there's no desktop app. |
| Best for | a flat fee per ticket instead of a percentage | general admission nights and timed-entry attractions |
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: Ticket Tailor and Universe. How we grade
Where they differ
- Ticket Tailor also covers email campaigns.
At a glance
| Ticket Tailor | Universe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | 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. | No setup fee and free events cost nothing. Paid tickets carry a service fee of 2% + $0.79 on Starter, capped at $19.95 a ticket, plus processing; organizers can pass it to buyers. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Zimma Ltd | Universe Experiences Inc. |
| Price read from | tickettailor.com | universe.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Ticket Tailor
- Organizers who want a flat per-ticket fee instead of a percentage
- Venues and attractions selling timed or recurring entry
- Charities and free events, which pay little or nothing
Universe
- Clubs, attractions and other general admission or timed-entry events
- Organizers who may later want to sell through Ticketmaster
- Free events, which carry no fees
Worth knowing
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.
Universe
- Paid tickets cost 2% + $0.79 on Starter or 2.5% + $1.99 on Standard, capped at $19.95 a ticket, plus processing; buyers can be made to pay both.
- Selling on Ticketmaster, dynamic pricing, RFID and account management come only with the custom-priced Pro plan.
- There is no free trial of paid plans, though accounts and event pages are free to create.
- Universe does not remit taxes: organizers who add sales tax at checkout must handle it themselves.
Key features
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.
Universe
- Ticket types and add-ons
- Unlimited ticket types including password-protected, discounted and donation tickets, add-ons with pictures, custom checkout questions and ticket transfers.
- Sales channels
- Sell on your own website, on Facebook and on Universe's own event listings; Pro adds Ticketmaster's marketplace and partner affiliate channels.
- Presales and payment plans
- Standard adds cardholder presales, payment plans (not offered in Europe), tiered tickets that open when another type sells out, and team permissions.
- BoxOffice app
- The BoxOffice app for iOS and Android scans tickets and sells at the door; RFID access control, paper tickets and badges cost extra.
- High-demand onsales
- A waiting room queues buyers during busy onsales, and Universe submits chargeback evidence for disputes on Universe Payments.
- API and integrations
- A GraphQL API and webhooks for event and sales data, plus Mailchimp, Zapier, Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel.
Plans
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.
Universe
Starter$0
2% + $0.79 per paid ticket, capped at $19.95, plus VAT and processing; absorbed or passed to buyers. Ticket types, add-ons, door sales and analytics.
Standard$0
2.5% + $1.99 per paid ticket, capped at $19.95, plus processing. Adds team permissions, cardholder presales, payment plans and tiered tickets.
ProCustom
An a la carte plan with selling on Ticketmaster, dynamic pricing, RFID access control, an account manager, onsite and contact center support.
Ways to pay less
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.
Universe
- Nonprofit
Special pricing for registered nonprofits
Registered nonprofits and charities can request special pricing; once approved they get a referral code to enter on each event page.
