A festival sells a high-priced ticket months ahead, so the questions are what the fee comes to on a weekend pass, whether the money arrives before the deposits are due, whether the platform brings an audience, and what happens to tickets people can no longer use. These are the platforms festival organizers shortlist, with each one's published fee and what it is good at.
Fees and features from each platform's own pricing pages, checked September 2026. We make Hi.Events, so it is listed first and labelled. Every figure for the others is sourced on its comparison page.
A low percentage fee that stays small on a high-priced pass, card payments in your own Stripe account as tickets sell, a capacity for each day shared across day tickets and passes, add-ons for camping and parking, and a check-in list per gate.
Worth knowing: No cashless or RFID wristbands, no offline scanning, no payment plans, no consumer marketplace and no official resale.
A large consumer marketplace and app that can bring new buyers, with timed entry, waitlists and a free organizer check-in app.
Worth knowing: Payouts arrive after the event by default.
A discovery app used by music festivals, with app-held tickets and an official Wait List that keep tickets off resale sites.
Worth knowing: Payouts arrive after the event.
One of the UK's busiest festival and gig guides, with face-value resale, waiting lists and payment plans.
Worth knowing: Payouts arrive after the event by default.
A service fee capped per ticket in the US and UK, timed entry and add-ons, and payment plans on its Standard plan.
Worth knowing: Funds are released 48 hours after the event on Universe Payments, then withdrawn on request.
Open source, with a free self-hosted edition, a hosted fee of 2.5% capped at €15 a ticket and payments going directly to your own provider.
Worth knowing: Hosted pricing is published in EUR only.
A not-for-profit platform that gives its booking fee profits to charity, with every feature on every plan and a public discovery site.
Worth knowing: Payouts arrive after the event on the default gateway.
Published standard fees, cheapest first on a $30 ticket once card processing is counted.
| Platform | Published fee | Card processing | All-in on $30 | When you're paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| pretix | 2.5% (max $16.30)* | Charged on top | $1.92 | As tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account |
| Hi.Events | 1.25% + $0.60 | Charged on top | $2.15 | As tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule |
| Universe | 2% + $0.79 | Charged on top | $2.29 | After the event with Universe Payments, 48 hours after it ends; on your Stripe schedule with Stripe Connect |
| Humanitix | 2.1% + $0.99 | Charged on top | $2.79 | After the event, within about five business days; earlier by request or with your own Stripe account |
| Skiddle | 10% + $0.35 (min $1.28)* | Included in the fee | $3.35 | After the event, on twice-weekly remittance runs; at the time of sale with your own Stripe account |
| Eventbrite | 3.7% + $1.79 | Charged on top | $3.77 | After the event by default, sent three business days after it ends |
| DICE | 13% | Included in the fee | $3.90 | After the event, within five business days |
Standard published rates, excluding negotiated, nonprofit and subscription pricing. Where card processing is charged on top, the all-in figure adds the platform's own stated rate or a standard 2.9% + $0.30. * No published rate in this currency. Converted from the platform's published rate at approximate exchange rates (1 USD ≈ €0.92, £0.78 and A$1.55); the vendor may price differently, or not sell, in this currency.
The features that tend to decide it for this kind of event, platform by platform.
| Platform | Pass fees on to buyers | Embed checkout on your site | Listed in a consumer marketplace | QR check-in app | Waitlist | Official ticket resale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi.Events | Yes | Yes | No | Yes, in any phone browser | Yes | No |
| Eventbrite | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| DICE | Always; fees are built into one all-in price | Event list widget | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, through the official Wait List |
| Skiddle | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, RapidScan | Yes | Yes, Re:Sell at face value |
| Universe | Yes, except in eight European countries | Yes | Yes | Yes, BoxOffice | Yes | Ticket transfers only |
| pretix | Payment provider fees only | Yes | No | Yes, pretixSCAN | Yes | Not stated |
| Humanitix | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Via Tixel integration |
Shortlists for other kinds of event
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