The Luma Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Luma in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Luma
The Insider’s Guide
Event pages and calendars for community events, free or paid
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among event ticketing platforms, read from Luma’s own pages.
Made by Luma Labs, Inc. · checked Oct 18, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Luma’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Luma’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 18, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 10 of the 11 other event ticketing platforms we grade
Luma is an event platform built around event pages and calendars that people can subscribe to, used mostly for community events such as meetups, run clubs and launch parties. It is free for unlimited events and guests, with registration, approvals, ticket types, reminders and door check-in. Paid tickets carry a 5% platform fee on the free plan, which the Luma Plus subscription removes along with raising send limits and adding the API.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Luma, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Putting up an event page is quick, and guests get tickets in Apple or Google Wallet without needing the app.
- 1
Best for community events and calendars people follow
It's thin on seating and on events with several sessions.
- 2
Paid plans start at $59 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $59 per month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly).
- 3
There is a free plan
Unlimited events and guests, check-in, ticket types and coupons, reminders by email, text and WhatsApp, 500 invites or newsletters a week and 3 calendar admins. Paid tickets carry a 5% platform fee.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Event pages and calendars
Themed event pages and calendars that people subscribe to, with event discovery on Luma, referrals that show who shared the event, and hidden locations for approved guests.
- 6
Registration and tickets
Paid, free and sliding-scale ticket types, approval or token-gated registration, group purchases, coupons and unlock codes, waitlists and custom registration questions.
- 7
Reminders and newsletters
Blasts and automatic reminders by email, text, push notification and WhatsApp, plus newsletters to calendar subscribers within the weekly send limit.
- 8
A 3.2 GPA, above 10 of 11
That is against the other event ticketing platforms we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Luma you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Luma at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $59 per month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Luma Labs, Inc.
- Category
- Event Ticketing
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
- Store rating
- 4.9 on the App Store, 19,103 ratings
The report card
Best for community events and calendars people follow
Luma is where a lot of meetups, run clubs and launch parties live now: a good-looking event page, a calendar people subscribe to, and check-in at the door, all free for unlimited events. Paid tickets cost 5% on the free plan, and Luma Plus at $59 a month takes that to nothing. It's thin on seating and on events with several sessions.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | The free plan keeps 5% of each paid ticket, $200 on 200 $20 tickets. Luma Plus cuts that to 0% for $59 a month billed yearly ($69 monthly), the smallest fee here at this size bar Zeffy's for nonprofits. You pay either way, as fees can't go on buyers, and Stripe's fee isn't counted. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free for unlimited events and guests, with check-in, ticket types, coupons and reminders by email, text and WhatsApp. The caps are 500 invites or newsletters a week and 3 calendar admins, and the API and Zapier need Plus. |
| Features | C | Approval and token-gated sign-ups, sliding-scale tickets, wallet passes, Zoom and hybrid events, even crypto payments. But there's no multi-session event type, so recurring sessions mean cloning events, and no seating or door sales on record. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.9 from 19,103 App Store ratings. Putting up an event page is quick, and guests get tickets in Apple or Google Wallet without needing the app. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, with Stripe, Zoom, Google Meet, Apple and Google Wallet, plus Zapier and an API on Plus. No desktop app, which an A needs. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Luma is for
- Great if you run a meetup or club and want people to follow your calendar
- Handy when you sell enough tickets that $59 a month beats a 5% cut
- Good for free community events with approvals or a guest list
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want buyers to pay the fees on top of the ticket
- Skip it if you need reserved seating or one event with several sessions
- Tight if you email a big list, as free calendars send 500 invites a week
Good to know
Good for
- Community organizers running meetups, clubs and free events
- Groups that want a calendar people can subscribe to
- Hosts of paid events who sell enough to cover Luma Plus
Worth knowing
- On the free plan Luma keeps 5% of each paid ticket on top of Stripe's fee; fees cannot be added at checkout, so organizers build them into the price.
- Free calendars send 500 invites or newsletters a week; Plus sends 5,000, and more costs $50 to $800 a month. Extra admins cost $12 a month ($9 billed yearly).
- The API and Zapier need Luma Plus, which applies to one calendar and cannot be moved to another.
- There is no multi-session event type; Luma suggests cloning an event, up to 30 copies at a time, for recurring sessions.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$59
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Luma has a free plan. Paid plans start at $59 per month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly).
You pay either way, as fees can't go on buyers, and Stripe's fee isn't counted.
Free
$0
Unlimited events and guests. Luma keeps 5% of each paid ticket on top of Stripe's fee (typically 2.9% + 30¢), taken from the organizer's sales.
Luma Plus
$59
per month, billed annually ($69 billed monthly)
0% platform fee, 5,000 invite and newsletter sends a week, 5 admins, tax collection, custom URLs, a check-in manager role, Zapier and the API.
Enterprise
Custom
Organization accounts with single sign-on, security restrictions, more integrations and APIs, and custom-built features.
The free plan
Unlimited events and guests, check-in, ticket types and coupons, reminders by email, text and WhatsApp, 500 invites or newsletters a week and 3 calendar admins. Paid tickets carry a 5% platform fee.
Read from luma.com on Oct 18, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 14% on Luma Plus with yearly billing
Luma Plus costs $59 a month billed yearly instead of $69 billed monthly, which the pricing page shows as a 14% saving; send add-ons save up to 11% yearly.
Stated on luma.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
Event pages and calendars for community events, free or paid. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, email campaigns, ticketing.
Approval and token-gated sign-ups, sliding-scale tickets, wallet passes, Zoom and hybrid events, even crypto payments.
- Event pages and calendars
- Themed event pages and calendars that people subscribe to, with event discovery on Luma, referrals that show who shared the event, and hidden locations for approved guests.
- Registration and tickets
- Paid, free and sliding-scale ticket types, approval or token-gated registration, group purchases, coupons and unlock codes, waitlists and custom registration questions.
- Reminders and newsletters
- Blasts and automatic reminders by email, text, push notification and WhatsApp, plus newsletters to calendar subscribers within the weekly send limit.
- Check-in and wallet passes
- Scan guests' QR codes at the door or check them in by name; tickets go into Apple Wallet or Google Wallet and work without the Luma app.
- Online and hybrid events
- Luma can create Zoom meetings or webinars for an event and track who attended, and supports Google Meet and hybrid events with both kinds of location.
- Payments
- Cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay and regional methods such as iDEAL, Konbini and PayNow through Stripe, plus crypto payments in SOL and USDC.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Stripe
- Zoom
- Google Meet
- Zapier
- Apple Wallet
- Google Wallet
Luma is made by Luma Labs, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
10/11
Other event ticketing platforms it is graded above
Luma's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 10 of the 11 other event ticketing platforms we grade, and level with 1.
It stands best on value for money (A, above 10 of 11) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $59 a month, against a middle price of $59 for the category: 1 of the 2 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 3.0 out of 4. 1 tool scores higher and costs less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 12 event ticketing platforms we grade, cut by the letter each got. Luma’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 10 of 11
- BFree plan and trialAbove 1 of 11
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 11
- AEase of useAbove 10 of 11
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 10 event ticketing platforms. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Luma is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Luma you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 10 of the 11 other event ticketing platforms we grade. It costs $708 a year.
What you could not
- Newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
- Selling tickets and checking them at the door.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It plugs into other products, Stripe, Zoom and Google Meet among them, and has an API.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Luma’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Eventbrite, Tito, Ticket Tailor, Accelevents and Humanitix
The 5 tools Luma is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.0GPA
Eventbrite
Free plan · from $15/mo
Ticketing and event marketplace, with fees usually paid by buyers.
- Eventbrite also covers reports.
- 2.8GPA
Tito
Free
Ticketing for conferences and meetups, for 3% of each ticket.
- Luma also covers email campaigns.
- Tito also covers reports.
- 3.0GPA
Ticket Tailor
Free
Event ticketing for a flat fee per ticket, with prepaid credits.
- Ticket Tailor also covers reports.
- 2.4GPA
Accelevents
Free trial · from $7,500
Event management platform for conferences, with ticketing built in.
- Luma has a free plan. Accelevents does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Luma lists an Android app.
- Luma also covers email campaigns.
- 3.0GPA
Humanitix
Free
Event ticketing run as a charity that gives its profits away.
- Humanitix also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Luma free?
Luma has a free plan. Unlimited events and guests, check-in, ticket types and coupons, reminders by email, text and WhatsApp, 500 invites or newsletters a week and 3 calendar admins.
How much does Luma cost?
Luma lists 3 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Luma work on?
Luma is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Luma offer any discounts?
Luma publicly lists the following: Save 14% on Luma Plus with yearly billing.
How is Luma rated?
Luma's iPhone and iPad app averages 4.9 out of 5 from 19,103 ratings on the App Store in the United States, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Luma have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Luma is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Luma have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 18, 2026. Luma is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Luma open source?
Luma is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 18, 2026.
Does Luma have an API?
Yes. Luma offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Luma integrate with?
Luma's listing names Stripe, Zoom, Google Meet, Zapier, Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
Who makes Luma?
Luma is made by Luma Labs, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Luma?
The closest alternatives to Luma in our directory are Eventbrite, Tito, Ticket Tailor, Accelevents and Humanitix.
How does Luma compare with other event ticketing platforms?
Luma's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 10 of the 11 other event ticketing platforms we grade, and level with 1.
Is Luma good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Luma A for value for money. Its paid plans start at $59 a month, against a middle price of $59 for the category: 1 of the 2 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Luma?
To replace Luma you would be making newsletters sent to thousands of people that still reach the inbox.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Luma’s own pages on Oct 18, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 18, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Luma's own pages on 18 October 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Luma Labs, Inc. Prices change, so check luma.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
2,281
Tools graded, in 73 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
ToolGPA is free to read. It may earn a commission from affiliate links and it works with sponsors, but anything paid for is labelled and no one can pay for a grade. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
2,281
tools graded
73
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Luma, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/luma
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Luma: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 18, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/luma
Know someone choosing between event ticketing platforms?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/luma/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded event ticketing platforms after Luma, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Event Ticketing Insider's GuideEvery one of the 12 event ticketing platforms we grade, compared
- Zeffy Insider's GuideFree event ticketing and fundraising for nonprofits3.2 GPA
- Billetto Insider's GuideEuropean ticketing marketplace with ads you pay for per sale3.0 GPA
- Eventbrite Insider's GuideTicketing and event marketplace, with fees usually paid by buyers3.0 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Luma’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. ToolGPA uses affiliate links and may earn a commission from them, and it works with sponsors; anything paid for is labelled, and no one can pay for a grade. Luma is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Luma Labs, Inc. Prices and plans change: check luma.com before you buy.