There are a few options when it comes to free online ticketing systems. While completely free options are limited, there are some very affordable systems that provide a lot of functionality for managing online ticket sales for events. When evaluating the different options, it’s important to consider factors like features, ease of use, scalability, and costs. Some key questions to ask are:
- Is there a free tier available or just a free trial?
- What features are included in the free vs paid tiers?
- How easy is it to set up and manage events/tickets?
- Can the system handle a large volume of ticket sales?
- What additional fees are charged per ticket sold?
Some popular free and freemium online ticketing platforms to consider include Eventbrite, TicketTailor, Ticketbud, and certain packages from universe.com. While these systems don’t offer a completely free forever option, they do have free tiers or free trials available. Let’s take a closer look at some of these options.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is arguably the most well-known free online event ticketing platform. They offer a forever free plan that allows you to create and manage events with no ticket fees charged. Some key details on Eventbrite’s free plan:
- Unlimited free events and tickets
- Customizable event pages
- Basic event management and reporting
- Manual ticket PDF or print-at-home tickets
- Access to their mobile app
- Standard payment processing fees apply
So with Eventbrite’s free plan you can create events, customize pages, sell tickets, and track attendance. However, features like customizable attendee registration forms, automated and integrated email/text notifications, and more robust reporting and analytics would require upgrading to a paid plan. Their paid plans start at $199 per month.
Overall, Eventbrite is a great option for simple online ticketing needs. The forever free plan has all the core features needed to sell tickets online and manage registration. But for larger and more complex events, the limitations of the free plan mean you’ll likely need to upgrade.
TicketTailor
TicketTailor is another popular free online ticketing system. Some key details on their free plan:
- Free for events under 100 tickets
- Unlimited free events
- Customizable ticketing pages
- Basic event management and reporting
- Digital or printable tickets
- 1.5% + $0.50 payment processing fees per ticket
TicketTailor’s free plan is similarly basic like Eventbrite. You can create an unlimited number of events and sell up to 100 tickets per event with no additional platform fees. They offer easy customization and management of ticketing pages. However, features like automated email/text reminders, custom registration questions, advanced reporting, and support for add-ons/discounts require a paid plan.
One advantage over Eventbrite is lower payment processing fees on the free plan. But overall capabilities are limited for more complex events. TicketTailor’s paid plans start at $19 per month for up to 500 ticket sales.
Ticketbud
Ticketbud offers a very generous and fully featured free plan. With their free tier you get:
- Unlimited free events
- Unlimited free tickets
- Full event customization
- Basic registration forms
- Customizable tickets
- Promotion via custom URLs
- Basic event management and reporting
- 4.5% + $0.49 payment processing fees per ticket
Ticketbud really differentiates itself from other platforms with its free plan. You get unlimited tickets and full customization without the limitations seen on Eventbrite and TicketTailor. The downside is the higher payment processing fees.
For truly free ticketing from start to finish, Ticketbud has the most fully-featured free platform. Their paid plans offer registration form building, advanced promos and discounts, and lower payment fees.
Universe
Universe.com takes a slightly different approach with tiered package plans for events rather than a specific free plan. Their Starter package could be a cost-effective option for small events:
- $0 monthly cost
- 1.5% + $0.30 payment processing fees per ticket
- Up to 500 tickets per event
- Basic customization and event management
- Digital tickets
- Basic reporting
There are no platform fees or monthly costs on this entry-level package. You pay only the per-ticket payment processing fees. All the core features needed for simple online ticketing are included.
The next level up is the Base plan at $49 per month. This unlocks features like custom registration forms, advanced customization, and email/text capabilities.
For small free events, Universe’s Starter plan is competitive with the other options in terms of upfront costs. The upgrade path is a bit pricier for more capabilities however.
Key Considerations
When choosing a free online event ticketing system, keep these key considerations in mind:
- Features – Evaluate which core features are needed for your events. Do you need custom registration forms? Automated emails/texts? Flexible ticket types? Know what’s included in free vs paid plans.
- Scalability – Will your events stay small or do you plan to grow? Make sure the platform can scale up easily if needed.
- Processing fees – This is where hidden costs can add up. Compare fee structures across platforms.
- Ease of use – The system should make managing tickets and registrations simple for you and attendees.
- Trial options – Some paid platforms offer free trials. This allows testing capabilities with no risk.
Keeping these factors in mind will help find the best free or low-cost platform tailored to your specific ticketing needs.
Top Free Platform Recommendations
Based on the core features, capabilities, and costs, here are my top recommendations on free online ticketing systems:
Best Overall Free Platform – Ticketbud
Ticketbud has the most fully featured and flexible free plan. Unlimited free events, tickets, and full customization make it the best no-compromise free option.
Best Free Trial – Universe
Universe’s Starter plan competes well with other free options. And paid plans offer a 30-day free trial to test out higher-tier features.
Most Popular – Eventbrite
Eventbrite is the most widely used free ticketing platform. Their forever free plan covers the basics well despite some limitations.
Most Affordable Upgrade – TicketTailor
TicketTailor’s free plan is solid and their paid plan pricing starts at just $19 per month for additional capabilities.
Here is a comparison table of the key details on these top free platform recommendations:
| Platform | Free Plan Details | Paid Plan Details |
|---|---|---|
| Ticketbud |
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| Universe |
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| Eventbrite |
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| TicketTailor |
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Conclusion
In summary, there are viable free online ticketing solutions available to handle basic event registration and ticket sales at no upfront costs. Platforms like Ticketbud, Universe, Eventbrite, and TicketTailor allow creating, customizing, managing, and selling tickets with no monthly fees.
Limitations on features and number of tickets allowed for free plans should be considered. But overall these platforms empower anyone to sell tickets online and effectively manage events on a budget. For larger and more complex events, affordable paid plan upgrades provide customizable forms, promotions, robust analytics, and more.
Carefully evaluating features, scalability, fees, and ease of use will ensure finding the right free or freemium online ticketing system tailored exactly to your event needs. With modern platforms, selling tickets and managing registrations online is accessible and cost-effective even on the most modest budget.
