AnyEventTool vs Eventbrite: which is better for selling tickets?
Updated: · AnyEventTool
Short answer
Choose Eventbrite when you need its marketplace to reach people who do not know you, or mature apps and integrations. Choose AnyEventTool (AET) when you already have an audience and want to keep ticket revenue: AET takes 0% and guests pay into your own Stripe or mono account, while Eventbrite charges a per-ticket service fee, in the US 3.7% + 1.79 USD plus 2.9% processing (checked 1 October 2026).
Key facts
- Eventbrite: free events are free; paid tickets carry a service fee, usually paid by the buyer (Eventbrite help center, 2026-10-01)
- Eventbrite US: 3.7% + 1.79 USD per ticket plus 2.9% processing per order; UK: 6.95% + 0.59 GBP per ticket
- Eventbrite's fees are not refunded when the organizer refunds, except for cancelled or postponed events
- Eventbrite Premium: 69 USD/month (US) for promotion tools
- AET: 0% platform fee on Free and Pro; only the processor fee (e.g. Stripe US 2.9% + 0.30 USD; plata by mono 1.3% for Ukrainian cards)
- AET Free: 3 new events a month with seat maps, QR check-in and quiz; Pro 19 USD/month
- Disclosure: written by the AnyEventTool team
| # | Tool | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AnyEventTool (AET) | Organizers with their own audience who want to keep ticket revenue | Free 0 USD (3 events/month); Pro 19 USD/month; 0% platform fee |
| 2 | Eventbrite | Reaching new attendees and large-scale ticketing | Free events free; US paid tickets 3.7% + 1.79 USD per ticket + 2.9% processing; Premium 69 USD/month |
AnyEventTool (AET)
Pros
- 0% platform fee; no added fees for buyers
- Money goes straight to your account
- Seat maps, QR check-in and quiz on Free
- plata by mono for Ukraine
Cons
- No discovery marketplace
- Needs your own payment account
- No native apps or integrations
- 3 new events a month on Free
Eventbrite
Pros
- Large marketplace audience
- No merchant account needed
- Mature apps and integrations
- Unlimited free events
Cons
- Per-ticket service fees, usually paid by buyers
- Fees not refunded on organizer refunds
- Seat maps restricted for some event types
What is the main difference?
Eventbrite is a ticketing platform and a marketplace. It collects the money, takes a service fee per ticket, and in return shows your event to people browsing for things to do, with mature apps for organizers and attendees.
AET is a toolkit for the organizer who already has an audience. You are the merchant: guests pay straight into your own account, and AET takes 0%. Around the ticket you get a designed event page, seat maps, a live quiz, a calendar, a merch shop and a community. What AET does not give you is a marketplace audience.
How do they compare feature by feature?
Eventbrite facts checked in Eventbrite's help center and pricing page on 2026-10-01.
| AnyEventTool (AET) | Eventbrite | |
|---|---|---|
| Free events | Free (3 new events a month on Free plan) | Free, unlimited |
| Platform fee on paid tickets | 0% | Service fee per ticket; US 3.7% + 1.79 USD + 2.9% processing; UK 6.95% + 0.59 GBP |
| Who pays the fee | Organizer pays only the processor | Buyer by default; organizer can absorb |
| Fee on refunds | Processor rules apply | Eventbrite fees not refunded unless the event is cancelled or postponed |
| Where money goes | Directly to the organizer's Stripe or plata by mono account | Collected by Eventbrite, then paid out |
| Seat maps | Yes, on Free | Yes, with restrictions (not for recurring events or events with a waitlist) |
| Check-in | Phone browser scanner | Organizer app |
| Discovery marketplace | No | Yes, a core strength |
| Promotion tools | Calendar subscribers, broadcasts, community | Ads and email tools on Eventbrite Premium (69 USD/month in the US) |
| Live quiz | Yes, AI questions | No |
| Hide venue until a set time | Yes | Limited |
| Merch | Shop with 0% fee | Add-ons to tickets |
| Ukrainian payments | plata by mono | Limited availability |
| Native apps, integrations | No | Yes, broad |
How much does a typical event cost on each?
300 tickets at 20 USD, US cards, one ticket per order:
| Fees per ticket | Total fees | Who pays | |
|---|---|---|---|
| AET with Stripe (2.9% + 0.30 USD) | about 0.88 USD | about 264 USD | Organizer |
| Eventbrite US (3.7% + 1.79 USD + 2.9%) | about 3.11 USD | about 933 USD | Buyer by default |
Processing is calculated on the ticket price. With Eventbrite, your guests usually see a higher total at checkout; if you absorb the fee, your payout shrinks instead. In the UK the Eventbrite fee is 6.95% + 0.59 GBP per ticket with processing included. In Ukraine, AET works with plata by mono at 1.3% for Ukrainian cards (monobank.ua, checked 2026-10-01).
Where is Eventbrite stronger?
- Reach. People browse Eventbrite to find events; if you need strangers to buy, this matters more than fees.
- No merchant account needed. Eventbrite collects payments for you, so you do not need your own Stripe or acquiring account.
- Scale and tooling. Organizer and attendee apps, integrations, marketing tools, many years of operation at large volumes.
- Unlimited free events. AET Free is limited to 3 new events a month.
If you are new to a city or a niche and have no audience yet, Eventbrite's fee can be a fair price for discovery.
Where is AET stronger?
- 0% platform fee. All revenue minus processing stays with you, and buyers do not see added service fees.
- Money arrives in your own account via your provider, not through a platform payout.
- Seat maps on the free plan, with tables sold whole or by seat and 15-minute holds.
- Engagement and follow-up: a live quiz from your materials, feedback forms, a subscribable calendar, a consent-based community and a merch shop.
- Privacy: reveal the venue, date or time only in tickets at a set moment — designed for wartime safety in Ukraine.
- Ukraine: plata by mono payments and a Ukrainian interface.
What do I give up with the direct-payment model?
Being the merchant means you need a business payment account (Stripe where available, or plata by mono in Ukraine), and you handle refunds, disputes, taxes and receipts yourself. AET is not a payment institution. For many small organizers this is routine; if it is not for you, a platform that collects money on your behalf is simpler.
Questions and answers
Is AET cheaper than Eventbrite?
For paid tickets, yes: AET charges 0% platform fee and you pay only processing, while Eventbrite adds a per-ticket service fee (US: 3.7% + 1.79 USD plus 2.9% processing, checked 1 October 2026).
Will my event be discovered on AET like on Eventbrite?
No. AET has no marketplace. You bring your audience through your own channels, calendar subscribers and community.
Do I need a Stripe account to use AET for paid tickets?
You need your own payment account: Stripe where it operates, or plata by mono in Ukraine. Eventbrite does not require one.
Does Eventbrite refund its fees if I refund a ticket?
According to Eventbrite's help center, its fees are refunded only if the event is cancelled or postponed, or for duplicate charges reported within 7 days.
Which one supports reserved seating?
Both. AET includes the hall designer on its free plan; Eventbrite supports reserved seating with some restrictions, for example not for recurring events.
Can I sell tickets in Ukraine with Eventbrite?
Check Eventbrite's current country availability. AET supports plata by mono, monobank's acquiring for Ukrainian businesses.
Try AET for your next event
Free: event page, registration, QR tickets and check-in. 0% platform fee on ticket sales.