Resident Advisor vs pretix

pretix (2.5% (max €15)) is cheaper than Resident Advisor (10%, last known rate) at every ticket price we checked. On a €30 ticket, with card processing included, Resident Advisor costs €3.00 and pretix costs €1.45.

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

Resident Advisor and pretix at a glance

Resident Advisor

Resident Advisor (RA) is an electronic music magazine, listings site and ticketing platform. Promoters list events and sell RA Tickets through RA Pro, reaching RA's audience through its listings and the RA Guide app. Fees are paid by the ticket buyer.

Fee per paid ticket
10%, last known rateincludes card processing
When you're paid
After the event, on the following Tuesday
Best for
Electronic music promoters, clubs and festivals who want RA's listings audience
Based in
London, UK, founded 2001

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 Resident Advisor 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
Resident Advisor · 10%, last known rate€750

Card processing is included in the fee.

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

Resident Advisor vs pretix, feature by feature

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

FeatureResident AdvisorpretixHi.Events
Platform fee per paid ticket10%, last known rate2.5% (max €15)1.25% + €0.50
Card processingIncluded in the feeCharged on topCharged on top
Free eventsFree tickets can be created; RA does not say whether a fee appliesThe first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 eachFree
When you're paidAfter the event, on the following TuesdayAs tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank accountAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Payment processorRA collects the money and pays you outYour own payment provider, such as Stripe, Mollie or PayPalYour own Stripe account
Pass fees on to buyersAlways; the buyer pays the feePayment provider fees only Yes
Your branding at checkoutNot statedYour colors, logo and domain Yes
Embed checkout on your siteListings widget Yes Yes
Listed in a consumer marketplace YesNoNo
Tickets work without an app or accountBuyers need an RA account Yes Yes
QR check-in app YesYes, pretixSCANYes, in any phone browser
Reserved seatingNot stated YesNo
Recurring events and time slotsNot stated Yes Yes
Promo codes Yes Yes Yes
Waitlist Yes Yes Yes
Custom checkout questionsNot stated Yes Yes
API and webhooksNot stated YesWebhooks
Official ticket resaleYes, RA Resale on sold-out eventsNot statedNo
Open sourceNo Yes Yes
Can be self-hostedNo Yes Yes
§ 03 · Trade-offs

Strengths and limitations

Resident Advisor

Strengths

  • The largest electronic music listings audience
  • Nothing to pay as a promoter; the buyer covers the fee
  • Official resale for sold-out events
  • Free promotion tools, rep links and a door-scanning app

Limitations

  • The fee rate is no longer published
  • Payouts arrive after the event, with advances only for exclusive partners
  • Buyers need an RA account, and tickets unlock 24 hours before the event
  • Built around electronic music rather than general events

RA no longer publishes its fee, so 10% is its last known rate. Its help centre gives one example, where the buyer pays £8.50 and the promoter receives £7.50. The fee is paid by the buyer and is included in the displayed price by default.

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

Resident Advisor vs pretix: common questions

Is Resident Advisor cheaper than pretix?
pretix (2.5% (max €15)) is cheaper than Resident Advisor (10%, last known rate) at every ticket price we checked. On a €30 ticket, with card processing included, Resident Advisor costs €3.00 and pretix costs €1.45. Resident Advisor'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, Resident Advisor or pretix?
Resident Advisor: after the event, on the following Tuesday. pretix: as tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account. pretix gets money to you sooner, which matters if you have deposits or suppliers to pay before the event.
Do Resident Advisor and pretix promote events in a marketplace?
Resident Advisor 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 Resident Advisor and pretix?
Resident Advisor: free tickets can be created; RA does not say whether a fee applies. pretix: the first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 each.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Resident Advisor 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

Resident Advisor vs

pretix vs

See every comparison → · Resident Advisor 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 Resident Advisor 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 Resident Advisor 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.