Universe vs Billetto

Billetto (3.99% + £0.90 + VAT) is cheaper than Universe (2% + £0.99) at every ticket price we checked. On a £30 ticket, with card processing included, Universe costs £2.19 and Billetto costs £2.10.

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

Universe and Billetto at a glance

Universe

Universe is a self-service ticketing platform owned by Ticketmaster. Organizers sell through hosted event pages, an embeddable widget and the Universe discovery site, and a custom-priced Pro plan adds Ticketmaster distribution.

Fee per paid ticket
2% + £0.99plus card processing
When you're paid
After the event with Universe Payments, 48 hours after it ends; on your Stripe schedule with Stripe Connect
Best for
Organizers who want self-service ticketing with a route into Ticketmaster
Based in
Toronto, Canada, founded 2011

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% + £0.45plus 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 Universe 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
Universe · 2% + £0.99£548

£397 platform fee + about £151 card processing.

Billetto · 3.99% + £0.90 + VAT£524

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

Universe vs Billetto, feature by feature

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

FeatureUniverseBillettoHi.Events
Platform fee per paid ticket2% + £0.993.99% + £0.90 + VAT1.25% + £0.45
Card processingCharged on topAssumed included (not stated)Charged on top
Free eventsFreeFree for the organizer; the buyer pays a platform feeFree
When you're paidAfter the event with Universe Payments, 48 hours after it ends; on your Stripe schedule with Stripe ConnectAfter the event, within five business days; prepayment before the event by separate agreementAs tickets sell, on your own Stripe payout schedule
Payment processorUniverse Payments by default, or your own Stripe accountBilletto collects the money and pays you outYour own Stripe account
Pass fees on to buyersYes, except in eight European countries Yes Yes
Your branding at checkoutNot statedWidget colors and fonts, with Billetto branding removable Yes
Embed checkout on your site Yes Yes Yes
Listed in a consumer marketplace Yes 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, BoxOffice YesYes, in any phone browser
Reserved seatingNot stated Yes Yes
Box office for door sales YesBilletto 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 webhooksGraphQL API and webhooks YesREST API and webhooks
Single sign-on (SSO) for your teamNot statedNot statedOIDC, on request (no SAML)
Official ticket resaleTicket transfers onlyFan resale through TicketSwap, capped at 20% above face valueNo
Open sourceNoNo Yes
Can be self-hostedNoNo Yes
§ 03 · Trade-offs

Strengths and limitations

Universe

Strengths

  • The service fee is capped per ticket in the US and UK
  • Choice of Universe Payments or your own Stripe account
  • Timed entry, waitlists, add-ons and custom questions on the entry plan
  • API, webhooks and an embeddable widget on every plan

Limitations

  • Funds are released 48 hours after the event on Universe Payments, then withdrawn on request
  • Fees vary a lot by country, and processing is charged on top
  • The built-in pass-fees-to-buyer option is missing in eight European countries
  • Pro plan pricing is not published

Starter plan rates. The Standard plan, which adds team permissions and payment plans, is 2.5% + $1.99 in the US and 5.5% + £0.99 in the UK. The service fee is capped at $19.95 or £9.95 a ticket; processing is not capped.

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

Universe vs Billetto: common questions

Is Universe cheaper than Billetto?
Billetto (3.99% + £0.90 + VAT) is cheaper than Universe (2% + £0.99) at every ticket price we checked. On a £30 ticket, with card processing included, Universe costs £2.19 and Billetto costs £2.10. Billetto's published fee includes card processing and Universe's does not, so the figures above add card processing to Universe to keep the comparison like for like.
Which pays out faster, Universe or Billetto?
Universe: after the event with Universe Payments, 48 hours after it ends; on your Stripe schedule with Stripe Connect. Billetto: after the event, within five business days; prepayment before the event by separate agreement. In practice the two are similar.
Do Universe and Billetto promote events in a marketplace?
Yes, both do. Universe and Billetto 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 Universe and Billetto?
Universe: free. Billetto: free for the organizer; the buyer pays a platform fee.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Universe and Billetto?
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

Universe vs

Billetto vs

See every comparison → · Universe 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 Universe 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 Universe and Billetto 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.