Luma vs pretix

pretix (2.5% (max €15)) is cheaper than Luma (5%) at every ticket price we checked. On a €30 ticket, with card processing included, Luma costs €2.20 and pretix costs €1.45.

Fees and features from each platform's public pricing pages, checked September 2026.

Luma and pretix at a glance

Luma

Luma is an event page, registration and community calendar tool, popular for meetups and tech events. It is free to use with a 5% fee on paid tickets, or 0% on the Luma Plus subscription, and payments run through the organizer's own Stripe account. Guest messaging by email, SMS and WhatsApp is built in.

Fee per paid ticket
5%plus card processing
When you're paid
As tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Best for
Community meetups and tech events with free or simple paid registration
Based in
San Francisco, USA, founded 2020

pretix

pretix is an open-source ticketing system from Germany, offered as a hosted service and as a free self-hosted Community edition. Conferences, festivals, exhibitions and museums use it. Attendees pay the organizer directly through the organizer's own payment provider, and pretix invoices its fee separately.

Fee per paid ticket
2.5% (max €15)plus card processing
When you're paid
As tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account
Best for
European conferences and organizers who want open-source or self-hosted ticketing
Based in
Heidelberg, Germany, founded 2014

Hi.Events

Also worth a look

Hi.Events is an open-source ticketing platform with a hosted cloud version. Organizers sell from their own branded event pages or an embedded widget, and card payments settle straight into their own Stripe account as tickets sell.

Fee per paid ticket
1.25% + €0.50plus card processing
When you're paid
As tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Best for
Organizers who want low published fees, their own branding and their money as tickets sell
Based in
Ireland
Start selling for free
§ 01 · Fees

What Luma and pretix cost

The all-in cost of selling 250 tickets at €30 each: platform fee plus card processing. Move the sliders to match your event.

Ticket price€30
Tickets sold250
Luma · 5%€550

€375 platform fee + about €175 card processing.

pretix · 2.5% (max €15)€363

€188 platform fee + about €175 card processing.

Hi.Events · 1.25% + €0.50€394

€219 platform fee + about €175 card processing.

Illustrative, from each platform's published standard rate. Where a platform charges card processing on top, we add its own stated rate or a standard 1.5% + €0.25 per ticket, so every total is like for like. Your actual card rate depends on your processor and the cards your buyers use.

§ 02 · Features

Luma vs pretix, feature by feature

Where the two differ, and where they don't.

FeatureLumapretixHi.Events
Platform fee per paid ticket5%2.5% (max €15)1.25% + €0.50
Card processingCharged on topCharged on topCharged on top
Free eventsFreeThe first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 eachFree
When you're paidAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout scheduleAs tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank accountAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Payment processorYour own Stripe accountYour own payment provider, such as Stripe, Mollie or PayPalYour own Stripe account
Pass fees on to buyersNoPayment provider fees only Yes
Your branding at checkoutCustom event URLs on Luma PlusYour colors, logo and domain Yes
Embed checkout on your site Yes Yes Yes
Listed in a consumer marketplace YesNoNo
Tickets work without an app or account Yes Yes Yes
QR check-in app YesYes, pretixSCANYes, in any phone browser
Reserved seatingNot stated YesNo
Recurring events and time slotsNo Yes Yes
Promo codes Yes Yes Yes
Waitlist Yes Yes Yes
Custom checkout questions Yes Yes Yes
API and webhooksOn Luma Plus only YesWebhooks
Official ticket resaleNoNot statedNo
Open sourceNo Yes Yes
Can be self-hostedNo Yes Yes
§ 03 · Trade-offs

Strengths and limitations

Luma

Strengths

  • Free plan with unlimited events and guests
  • Luma Plus removes the platform fee entirely
  • Money goes to your own Stripe account as tickets sell
  • Email, SMS and WhatsApp guest messaging built in

Limitations

  • Fees cannot be passed to the buyer
  • No recurring events or time slots; you clone events instead
  • API, webhooks and Zapier need the paid plan
  • Built for registration more than box-office ticketing

Luma Plus, at $59 a month billed annually, removes the 5% fee and adds API access, Zapier and tax collection. Fees cannot be added on top of the ticket price, so the organizer always absorbs them.

pretix

Strengths

  • Open source, with a free self-hosted edition
  • Hosted fee of 2.5% capped at €15 a ticket, with no monthly fee
  • Payments go directly to your own provider or bank, with 40+ providers supported
  • Seating plans, event series, vouchers, waiting list, API and point-of-sale apps

Limitations

  • Hosted pricing is published in EUR only
  • Free tickets cost €0.50 each beyond the first 500 a year
  • Seating and point of sale need a paid licence when self-hosting
  • No consumer marketplace

The self-hosted Community edition is free. When self-hosting, seating plans and the point-of-sale app need a paid Enterprise licence.

§ 04 · Verdict

Which should you choose?

Choose Hi.Events if

you want a low published fee, your own branding at checkout and card payments in your own Stripe account as tickets sell.

Start selling for free →
§ 05 · FAQ

Luma vs pretix: common questions

Is Luma cheaper than pretix?
pretix (2.5% (max €15)) is cheaper than Luma (5%) at every ticket price we checked. On a €30 ticket, with card processing included, Luma costs €2.20 and pretix costs €1.45. Card processing is charged on top by both.
Which pays out faster, Luma or pretix?
Luma: as tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule. pretix: as tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account. In practice the two are similar.
Do Luma and pretix promote events in a marketplace?
Luma lists events in its own consumer marketplace, which can bring you buyers you would not otherwise reach. pretix does not, so you bring your own audience.
Are free events free on Luma and pretix?
Luma: free. pretix: the first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 each.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Luma and pretix?
Hi.Events charges 1.25% + €0.50 per paid ticket, the same for every organizer, with no monthly fee. On a €30 ticket that is €1.58 including Stripe's card processing. Card payments settle into your own Stripe account as tickets sell, and free events are free. It has no consumer marketplace, so it suits organizers who bring their own audience.See pricing →
§ 06 · More comparisons

Compare with something else

Luma vs

pretix vs

See every comparison → · Luma fees explained → · pretix fees explained →

Sources and corrections

Every figure on this page comes from the platform's own pricing and help pages, checked September 2026. Platforms change their pricing, so confirm with the vendor before you decide. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it. Product names are trademarks of their owners; Hi.Events is not affiliated with Luma or pretix.

Or skip both

Hi.Events gives you a low published fee, your own branding and your money as tickets sell. Create an event and see how it compares with Luma and pretix for yourself.

Get started free

Free events cost nothing. Paid tickets are 1.25% + €0.50, with no monthly fee and no contract — see the full pricing.