5,000+ organizers trust Hi.EventsSwitch from pretix.
Switch from pretix.
Open source, without the setup.
pretix charges 2.5% (max €15) per paid ticket on its hosted service, in euros only, and invoices the fee separately. Hi.Events charges 1.25% + €0.50 per paid ticket in dollars, euros, pounds or Australian dollars, deducted as you sell, with card payments in your own Stripe account. Both are AGPL and self-hostable.
Selling 250 tickets at €30? Your platform fees come to €219 in total.
§ 01 · Organizers
Why organizers move to Hi.Events
We’ve used Hi.Events now for a few events and really love it. It’s also been fun to see improvements roll out as we go. We’re definitely never going back to Eventbrite.
Co-op bookstore & event spaceAs our exclusive ticketing and event management partner, JuliaCon Global 2026 would literally not be possible without their support. If you have bought your ticket, you have already got a taste of the smooth registration experience.
The Julia programming language conference§ 02 · Fees
Keep more of every ticket you sell
€0 for organizers. Pass the 1.25% + €0.50 fee to buyers or absorb it yourself. No monthly fee, no contract.
ADMIT ONE
Hi.Events · 1.25% + €0.50€219
pretix · 2.5% (max €15)€188
pretix costs less here€31on 250 tickets at €30 each. Raise the ticket price and the gap turns our way.Start selling for free →
Illustrative comparison of platform fees only; payment processing is charged on top by both platforms. Self-hosted Hi.Events has no platform fees.
§ 03 · Compared
Hi.Events vs pretix
Where the two differ, and where they don't.
| Feature | pretix | Hi.Events |
|---|---|---|
| Platform fee per paid ticket | 2.5% (max €15) | 1.25% + €0.50 |
| Hosted pricing currencies | EUR only | USD, EUR, GBP and AUD |
| Free tickets on the hosted service | First 500 a year free, then €0.50 each | Free, without limit |
| How the fee is collected | Invoiced separately by pretix | Deducted per ticket, or paid by the buyer |
| Card processing | Your own payment provider charges its fees on top | Stripe's standard rate, on top |
| Free events | The first 500 free tickets a year are free, then €0.50 each | Free |
| When you're paid | As tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account | As tickets sell, on your Stripe payout schedule |
| Payment processor | Your own payment provider, such as Stripe, Mollie or PayPal | Your own Stripe account |
| Fee can be passed to the buyer | Payment provider fees only | Yes |
| Your branding at checkout | Your colors, logo and domain | Yes |
| Embed checkout on your site | Yes | Yes |
| Tickets work without an app | Yes | Yes |
| Promo codes | Yes | Yes |
| Waitlists | Yes | Yes |
| Registration questions | Yes | Yes |
| Reserved seating | Yes | No |
| Listed in a consumer marketplace | No | No |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
§ 04 · FAQ
Before you switch
How do the fees compare?
pretix charges 2.5% (max $16.30)* in the US, 2.5% (max €15) in the EU, 2.5% (max £12.72)* in the UK, 2.5% (max A$25.27)* in Australia. The self-hosted Community edition is free. When self-hosting, seating plans and the point-of-sale app need a paid Enterprise licence. Hi.Events charges 1.25% plus a small fixed amount per paid ticket: 1.25% + $0.60 in the US, 1.25% + €0.50 in the EU, 1.25% + £0.45 in the UK, 1.25% + A$0.85 in Australia, with Stripe's card rate paid separately. Both platforms leave card processing to your own payment account, so the comparison is platform fee against platform fee. On Hi.Events you can pass the fee to the buyer at checkout or absorb it.pretix fees explained →
Is Hi.Events cheaper than pretix?
On the hosted services, pretix's 2.5% is the smaller fee on tickets under about €41 and ours is smaller above that, until pretix's €15 cap takes over past €600. For free events Hi.Events is free without limit, where pretix charges €0.50 a ticket after the first 500 a year. Self-hosted, neither charges a platform fee.
Both are open source. What is the difference?
pretix is a Python application with seating plans, dozens of payment providers and a point-of-sale app, some of which need a paid licence when self-hosted. Hi.Events is a Laravel and React application built around Stripe, with every feature in the public repository and no licence key. pretix is the more configurable tool; Hi.Events is the quicker one to put in front of a buyer.
What do I lose by leaving pretix?
Reserved seating, the choice of payment provider (Hi.Events is Stripe only), pretix's public API (Hi.Events has webhooks), and its point-of-sale apps. If your events need any of those, pretix is the better fit.
When do I get paid?
On pretix: as tickets sell, directly into your own payment provider or bank account. On Hi.Events you connect your own Stripe account and card payments settle into it as tickets sell, on your Stripe payout schedule. We never hold your money.Connecting Stripe →
Can I move my events over from pretix?
Yes, and the usual time to do it is between events. Recreating an event takes a few minutes, then you point your ticket links at the new page. Existing orders stay on pretix while new sales run through Hi.Events.
Do attendees need an account or an app?
No. They check out on your event page or in the widget on your own site, get their ticket by email with a link to the ticket page where the QR code is, and you scan it at the door from any phone.
Is Hi.Events really open source?
Yes, under the AGPL licence. Most organizers use the hosted version so they never touch a server, but the code is public and you can self-host it if you prefer.View on GitHub →
Start selling today
Create your next event on Hi.Events Cloud and share the link. The code is public and your data is exportable, so you can take it in-house whenever you like.
Free events cost nothing. Paid tickets are 1.25% + €0.50, with no monthly fee and no contract — see the full pricing.