pretix vs Billetto

pretix (2.5% (max €15)) is cheaper than Billetto (3.99% + €0.90 + VAT) at every ticket price we checked. On a €30 ticket, with card processing included, pretix costs €1.45 and Billetto costs €2.10.

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

pretix and Billetto at a glance

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

Billetto

Billetto is a self-service ticketing platform and event marketplace from Denmark, selling in 14 European markets. Organizers list events on Billetto's consumer site and app, can switch on pay-per-sale advertising, and sell through an embeddable widget or a box office. Billetto collects the ticket money and pays it out after the event.

Fee per paid ticket
3.99% + €0.90 + VATincludes card processing
When you're paid
After the event, within five business days; prepayment before the event by separate agreement
Best for
European organizers who want marketplace exposure and pay-per-sale advertising
Based in
Copenhagen, Denmark, founded 2009

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, an embedded widget or a box office at the door, 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 pretix and Billetto 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
pretix · 2.5% (max €15)€363

€188 platform fee + about €175 card processing.

Billetto · 3.99% + €0.90 + VAT€524

Card processing is included in the fee.

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

pretix vs Billetto, feature by feature

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

FeaturepretixBillettoHi.Events
Platform fee per paid ticket2.5% (max €15)3.99% + €0.90 + VAT1.25% + €0.50
Card processingCharged on topAssumed included (not stated)Charged on top
Free eventsThe first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 eachFree for the organizer; the buyer pays a platform feeFree
When you're paidAs tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank accountAfter the event, within five business days; prepayment before the event by separate agreementAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Payment processorYour own payment provider, such as Stripe, Mollie or PayPalBilletto collects the money and pays you outYour own Stripe account
Pass fees on to buyersPayment provider fees only Yes Yes
Your branding at checkoutYour colors, logo and domainWidget colors and fonts, with Billetto branding removable Yes
Embed checkout on your site Yes Yes Yes
Listed in a consumer marketplaceNo YesNo
Tickets work without an app or account YesYes; tickets arrive as a PDF, and buyers get a Billetto account automatically Yes
QR check-in appYes, pretixSCAN YesYes, in any phone browser
Reserved seating Yes Yes Yes
Box office for door salespretixPOS Android appBilletto POS, with a €199 Adyen terminal Yes
Recurring events and time slots Yes Yes Yes
Promo codes Yes Yes Yes
Waitlist Yes Yes Yes
Custom checkout questions Yes Yes Yes
Agenda or lineup on the event pageNot statedNot statedLineup and agenda by room
API and webhooks Yes YesREST API and webhooks
Single sign-on (SSO) for your teamSelf-hosted only, via an auth pluginNot statedOIDC, on request (no SAML)
Official ticket resaleNot statedFan resale through TicketSwap, capped at 20% above face valueNo
Open source YesNo Yes
Can be self-hosted YesNo Yes
§ 03 · Trade-offs

Strengths and limitations

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.

Billetto

Strengths

  • Consumer marketplace and app, with advertising you pay for only when it sells a ticket
  • Local payment methods such as MobilePay, Vipps, Swish and Klarna
  • Seating charts, memberships, gift cards and a waiting list
  • Box office on your own device with an Adyen card terminal
  • Official fan resale through TicketSwap, capped at 20% above face value

Limitations

  • Payouts arrive after the event unless you agree prepayment
  • Billetto Advertising is on by default and takes 33% of the tickets it sells
  • Alternative payment methods carry extra fees the organizer must absorb
  • No US or Australian pricing

Rates exclude VAT and are rounded up to the nearest 10p or 10c. The euro rate is the same in every euro country Billetto publishes. Billetto's pages do not say whether card processing is inside the fee, so it is treated as included here. Alternative payment methods such as PayPal, Klarna, MobilePay and Swish carry extra organizer fees that cannot be passed to buyers, and tickets sold through Billetto Advertising carry a 33% fee. Organizers selling over 1,000 tickets a year can negotiate a lower rate.

§ 04 · Verdict

Which should you choose?

Choose Billetto if

you sell in the Nordics or elsewhere in Europe, want Billetto's marketplace and advertising to find buyers, and can wait until after the event for your money.

Switching from Billetto to Hi.Events →

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

pretix vs Billetto: common questions

Is pretix cheaper than Billetto?
pretix (2.5% (max €15)) is cheaper than Billetto (3.99% + €0.90 + VAT) at every ticket price we checked. On a €30 ticket, with card processing included, pretix costs €1.45 and Billetto costs €2.10. Billetto's published fee includes card processing and pretix's does not, so the figures above add card processing to pretix to keep the comparison like for like.
Which pays out faster, pretix or Billetto?
pretix: as tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account. Billetto: after the event, within five business days; prepayment before the event by separate agreement. pretix gets money to you sooner, which matters if you have deposits or suppliers to pay before the event.
Do pretix and Billetto promote events in a marketplace?
Billetto 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 pretix and Billetto?
pretix: the first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 each. Billetto: free for the organizer; the buyer pays a platform fee.
Is there a cheaper alternative to pretix and Billetto?
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

pretix vs

Billetto vs

See every comparison → · pretix fees explained → · Billetto 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 pretix or Billetto.

Switching platforms? We'll pay you €250.

Sell at least 50 tickets at €10 or more on your first Hi.Events event, and we send you €250 no later than 10 days after it. 20 places, for approved applicants.

See the switch fund →

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 pretix and Billetto 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.