Resident Advisor vs TicketSource

It depends on the ticket price. Resident Advisor (10%, last known rate) is cheaper on lower-priced tickets and TicketSource (3.5% + $0.99) is cheaper from around $20. On a $30 ticket, with card processing included, Resident Advisor costs $3.00 and TicketSource costs $2.04.

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

Resident Advisor and TicketSource 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

TicketSource

TicketSource is a UK box office platform that started with amateur theatre and now covers community, school, charity, arts and sports events. There is no subscription: a booking fee applies only to online sales of paid tickets, and it includes a seating plan designer.

Fee per paid ticket
3.5% + $0.99includes card processing
When you're paid
After the event, sent the following Monday; as tickets sell with your own Stripe account
Best for
Community theatre, schools, charities and venues that need reserved seating
Based in
Penarth, Wales, founded 2004

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% + $0.60plus 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 TicketSource 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.

TicketSource · 3.5% + $0.99$510

Card processing is included in the fee.

Hi.Events · 1.25% + $0.60$536

$244 platform fee + about $292 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 2.9% + $0.30 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 TicketSource, feature by feature

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

FeatureResident AdvisorTicketSourceHi.Events
Platform fee per paid ticket10%, last known rate3.5% + $0.991.25% + $0.60
Card processingIncluded in the feeIncluded in the feeCharged on top
Free eventsFree tickets can be created; RA does not say whether a fee appliesFreeFree
When you're paidAfter the event, on the following TuesdayAfter the event, sent the following Monday; as tickets sell with your own Stripe accountAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Payment processorRA collects the money and pays you outTicketSource, or your own Stripe accountYour own Stripe account
Pass fees on to buyersAlways; the buyer pays the fee Yes Yes
Your branding at checkoutNot statedNot stated Yes
Embed checkout on your siteListings widget Yes Yes
Listed in a consumer marketplace YesWhat's On listingsNo
Tickets work without an app or accountBuyers need an RA accountNot stated Yes
QR check-in app Yes YesYes, in any phone browser
Reserved seatingNot stated YesNo
Recurring events and time slotsNot statedNot stated Yes
Promo codes YesNot stated Yes
Waitlist Yes Yes Yes
Custom checkout questionsNot statedNot stated Yes
API and webhooksNot statedAPIWebhooks
Official ticket resaleYes, RA Resale on sold-out eventsNot statedNo
Open sourceNoNo Yes
Can be self-hostedNoNo 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.

TicketSource

Strengths

  • No fees for free events or in-person bookings
  • Seating plan designer shared by online and box office sales
  • Lower fee and earlier payouts if you connect your own Stripe account
  • Discounted fee for registered charities

Limitations

  • Payouts arrive after the event unless you connect Stripe
  • A percentage fee gets expensive on higher-priced tickets
  • The payout bank account must be in the same territory as the account

Registered charities get a discount. Fees apply to online bookings only; in-person bookings recorded in the dashboard are free.

§ 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 TicketSource: common questions

Is Resident Advisor cheaper than TicketSource?
It depends on the ticket price. Resident Advisor (10%, last known rate) is cheaper on lower-priced tickets and TicketSource (3.5% + $0.99) is cheaper from around $20. On a $30 ticket, with card processing included, Resident Advisor costs $3.00 and TicketSource costs $2.04. Both fees include card processing.
Which pays out faster, Resident Advisor or TicketSource?
Resident Advisor: after the event, on the following Tuesday. TicketSource: after the event, sent the following Monday; as tickets sell with your own Stripe account. In practice the two are similar.
Do Resident Advisor and TicketSource promote events in a marketplace?
Yes, both do. Resident Advisor and TicketSource each list events in their own consumer marketplace, which can bring you buyers you would not otherwise reach. The trade-off is that your event sits next to other organizers' events.
Are free events free on Resident Advisor and TicketSource?
Resident Advisor: free tickets can be created; RA does not say whether a fee applies. TicketSource: free.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Resident Advisor and TicketSource?
Hi.Events charges 1.25% + $0.60 per paid ticket, the same for every organizer, with no monthly fee. On a $30 ticket that is $2.15 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

TicketSource vs

See every comparison → · Resident Advisor fees explained → · TicketSource 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 TicketSource.

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 TicketSource for yourself.

Get started free

Free events cost nothing. Paid tickets are 1.25% + $0.60, with no monthly fee and no contract — see the full pricing.