TicketSpice vs Universe
We give TicketSpice and Universe the same GPA: 2.6 out of 4.0. TicketSpice grades higher on features. Universe grades higher on the free plan. 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.
TicketSpice
Ticketing for events and attractions at a flat 99¢ per ticket
Universe
Self-service ticketing from the Live Nation and Ticketmaster group
How we grade them
| 2.6GPATicketSpiceGood | 2.6GPAUniverseGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CA flat 99¢ a ticket, so 200 tickets at $20 costs $198 a month, plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing that we haven't counted. You pay it unless you pass it on to buyers. Middle of the pack here, and email at $9 a month + 2¢ a recipient and text messages are extra. | 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 | BNo subscription, setup or support fees, so nothing to pay until you sell. But free events are free only if you also run paid ones, otherwise free tickets cost 99¢ each, and email and text marketing are paid add-ons. | 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 | BA drag-and-drop page builder, reserved seating, timed entry, an offline scanning app, a box office with cash drawer reports, iPad kiosks, merch and upgrades, and weekly payouts before the event. It covers the whole job. | 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. The page builder has conditional logic and custom CSS, which is powerful but means a fair bit of building before you sell. | 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 Stripe, Authorize.net, NMI, Cybersource and Paya as payment gateways, plus an API and webhooks. 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 | festivals and attractions selling online and at the gate | 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: TicketSpice and Universe. How we grade
Where they differ
- TicketSpice also covers email campaigns and sMS marketing.
At a glance
| TicketSpice | Universe | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | Not published |
| Free plan | No subscription, setup or support fees. Each paid ticket costs 99¢ (49¢ under $5 or at the box office) plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing, which the organizer can pass to buyers. | 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 | Webconnex | Universe Experiences Inc. |
| Price read from | ticketspice.com | universe.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
TicketSpice
- Festivals, fairs and attractions selling both online and at the gate
- Venues with seating charts or timed entry slots
- Organizers who want a flat fee and weekly payouts before the event
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
TicketSpice
- Each paid ticket costs 99¢ (49¢ under $5 or on site) plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing; organizers can absorb it, pass it on or add their own fee.
- Free events are free only for organizers who also run paid events; otherwise free tickets cost 99¢ each.
- Email marketing ($9 a month + 2¢ per recipient), text messaging ($19 a month + 2¢) and a custom domain ($150 a year) are paid add-ons.
- Using your own gateway, such as Stripe or Authorize.net, instead of Webconnex Payments adds 1% + 25¢ per transaction.
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
TicketSpice
- Ticketing page builder
- A drag-and-drop builder for branded ticketing pages with custom CSS, conditional logic for workflows and dynamic pricing, donations and social sharing incentives.
- Reserved seating and timed entry
- Seating charts, layouts and pods, plus recurring, daily and timed-entry tickets for attractions, tours and venues.
- Scanning app that works offline
- iOS and Android apps scan QR codes from phones or printouts, check in groups at once, sync across devices within 60 seconds and keep scanning offline.
- Box office and kiosks
- Sell at the gate by card, mobile wallet or cash with cashier tracking and cash drawer reports, or turn an iPad into a self-service kiosk.
- Add-ons, upgrades and merch
- Sell merchandise and experiences with tickets, upgrade existing orders, and send tickets by text message.
- Weekly payouts and reports
- Ticket money is paid out weekly before the event, with bank reconciliation reports, an attendee CRM, conversion tracking, exports, an API and webhooks.
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
TicketSpice
Online tickets$0
99¢ per paid ticket (49¢ for tickets of $5 or less) plus 2.9% + 30¢ processing, deducted from payouts; the organizer absorbs it or passes it to buyers.
On-site box office$0
Tickets sold on site through the box office app cost 49¢ each plus processing, by card, mobile wallet or cash.
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
TicketSpice
- Other savings
49¢ fee on tickets of $5 or less
Tickets priced at $5 or less, and tickets sold on site through the box office app, cost 49¢ each instead of 99¢.
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.
