Skiddle vs TicketSource

TicketSource (7% + VAT) is cheaper than Skiddle (10% + 27p (min £1)) at every ticket price we checked. On a £30 ticket, with card processing included, Skiddle costs £3.27 and TicketSource costs £2.10.

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

Skiddle and TicketSource at a glance

Skiddle

Skiddle is a UK ticket outlet and what's-on guide. Promoters manage events in the Skiddle Promotion Centre and tickets sell through Skiddle's consumer site and app as well as embeddable widgets. It is used mainly for club nights, festivals and gigs.

Fee per paid ticket
10% + 27p (min £1)includes card processing
When you're paid
After the event, on twice-weekly remittance runs; at the time of sale with your own Stripe account
Best for
UK club nights, gigs and festivals that want marketplace exposure
Based in
Preston, 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
7% + VATincludes 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% + £0.45plus 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 Skiddle 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
Skiddle · 10% + 27p (min £1)£818

Card processing is included in the fee.

TicketSource · 7% + VAT£525

Card processing is included in the fee.

Hi.Events · 1.25% + £0.45£369

£206 platform fee + about £163 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% + £0.20 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

Skiddle vs TicketSource, feature by feature

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

FeatureSkiddleTicketSourceHi.Events
Platform fee per paid ticket10% + 27p (min £1)7% + VAT1.25% + £0.45
Card processingIncluded in the feeIncluded in the feeCharged on top
Free eventsListing is free; Skiddle does not say whether free tickets carry a feeFreeFree
When you're paidAfter the event, on twice-weekly remittance runs; at the time of sale with your own Stripe accountAfter the event, sent the following Monday; as tickets sell with your own Stripe accountAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Payment processorSkiddle by default, or your own Stripe account with DirectPayTicketSource, or your own Stripe accountYour own Stripe account
Pass fees on to buyers Yes Yes Yes
Your branding at checkoutWidget colors onlyNot stated Yes
Embed checkout on your site Yes Yes Yes
Listed in a consumer marketplace YesWhat's On listingsNo
Tickets work without an app or account YesNot stated Yes
QR check-in appYes, RapidScan YesYes, in any phone browser
Reserved seating Yes YesNo
Recurring events and time slots YesNot stated Yes
Promo codes YesNot stated Yes
Waitlist Yes Yes Yes
Custom checkout questions YesNot stated Yes
API and webhooksEvents API; no webhooks documentedAPIWebhooks
Official ticket resaleYes, Re:Sell at face valueNot statedNo
Open sourceNoNo Yes
Can be self-hostedNoNo Yes
§ 03 · Trade-offs

Strengths and limitations

Skiddle

Strengths

  • One of the UK's busiest what's-on guides and apps
  • The booking fee includes card processing and VAT
  • Official face-value resale, waiting lists and payment plans
  • Allocated seating and session-based ticketing

Limitations

  • Payouts arrive after the event by default
  • Sells in GBP and EUR only
  • Buyers also pay a per-order delivery fee
  • No white-label checkout

Buyers pay the booking fee by default, plus a per-order delivery fee of £0.50 to £3. Promoters can absorb the booking fee instead.

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

Skiddle vs TicketSource: common questions

Is Skiddle cheaper than TicketSource?
TicketSource (7% + VAT) is cheaper than Skiddle (10% + 27p (min £1)) at every ticket price we checked. On a £30 ticket, with card processing included, Skiddle costs £3.27 and TicketSource costs £2.10. Both fees include card processing.
Which pays out faster, Skiddle or TicketSource?
Skiddle: after the event, on twice-weekly remittance runs; at the time of sale with your own Stripe account. TicketSource: after the event, sent the following Monday; as tickets sell with your own Stripe account. In practice the two are similar.
Do Skiddle and TicketSource promote events in a marketplace?
Yes, both do. Skiddle 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 Skiddle and TicketSource?
Skiddle: listing is free; Skiddle does not say whether free tickets carry a fee. TicketSource: free.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Skiddle and TicketSource?
Hi.Events charges 1.25% + £0.45 per paid ticket, the same for every organizer, with no monthly fee. On a £30 ticket that is £1.48 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

Skiddle vs

TicketSource vs

See every comparison → · Skiddle 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 Skiddle 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 Skiddle and TicketSource for yourself.

Get started free

Free events cost nothing. Paid tickets are 1.25% + £0.45, with no monthly fee and no contract — see the full pricing.