# AnyEventTool vs Eventbrite: which is better for selling tickets?

> AET vs Eventbrite on fees, payouts, seat maps, check-in, discovery and refunds, with cost tables for 3 scenarios. Fees checked 1 October 2026.

Canonical URL: https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/aet-vs-eventbrite
Updated: 2026-10-15

## 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, paid by the buyer by default ([eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing](https://www.eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing/), checked 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 with processing included
- Eventbrite's fees are not refunded when the organizer refunds, except for cancelled or postponed events or duplicate charges reported within 7 days
- Eventbrite Premium, the main paid plan: 69 USD a month or 708 USD a year (US), with 20 USD a month in ad credits
- 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)
- 300 tickets at 50 USD: about 525 USD in fees on AET with Stripe vs about 1,560 USD on Eventbrite US
- Disclosure: written by the AnyEventTool team

### 1. AnyEventTool (AET)
- Best for: Organizers with their own audience who want to keep ticket revenue
- Pricing: Free 0 USD (3 events/month); Pro 29 USD/month (290 USD/year); 0% platform fee
- 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
- https://aet.events/en/events

### 2. Eventbrite
- Best for: Reaching new attendees and large-scale ticketing
- Pricing: Free events free; US paid tickets 3.7% + 1.79 USD per ticket + 2.9% processing; Premium 69 USD/month
- Pros: Large marketplace audience; No merchant account needed; Mature apps and integrations; Unlimited free events
- Cons: Per-ticket service fees, paid by buyers by default; Fees not refunded on organizer refunds; Seat maps restricted for recurring events and waitlists
- https://www.eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing/

## 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.

In practice the choice is less about features than about where your buyers come from. A theatre company selling to the general public, a touring act in a new city or a first-time organizer without a mailing list benefits from a marketplace. A community meetup, a studio with regular students, a company conference or a club with a loyal Telegram channel already has its buyers and mostly pays Eventbrite for collecting money it could collect directly.

**Disclosure:** this comparison is published by the AnyEventTool team. We list Eventbrite's strengths honestly and recommend it where it fits better.

## How do they compare feature by feature?

| | 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 | Eventbrite Premium: ad credits and up to 2,000 marketing emails a day |
| Live quiz | Yes, AI questions | No |
| Hide venue until a set time | Yes, revealed in tickets at a chosen moment | Not a core feature |
| Merch | Shop with 0% fee | Add-ons to tickets |
| Ukrainian payments | plata by mono | Check Eventbrite's country availability |
| Native apps, integrations | No | Yes, broad |

Sources: [eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing](https://www.eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing/), [Eventbrite UK help: organizer fees](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/help/en-gb/articles/755615/how-much-does-it-cost-for-organizers-to-use-eventbrite/), [Eventbrite help: is the fee refundable](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/548304/is-the-eventbrite-fee-refundable/), [Eventbrite help: reserved seating](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/683914/how-to-set-up-a-reserved-seating-event/), [Eventbrite help: pricing plans](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/193833/eventbrites-new-pricing-plans/) (checked 2026-10-01).

## How much does an event cost on each? Three scenarios

US cards, one ticket per order, processing calculated on the ticket price (for Eventbrite with its default buyer-paid fee, on the ticket plus that fee, as Eventbrite charges it). AET with Stripe: 2.9% + 0.30 USD per ticket. Eventbrite US: 3.7% + 1.79 USD service fee plus 2.9% processing per ticket.

| Scenario | AET + Stripe: total fees | Eventbrite: total fees | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 tickets × 20 USD (gross 2,000) | 88 USD | 318 USD | 230 USD |
| 300 tickets × 50 USD (gross 15,000) | 525 USD | 1,560 USD | 1,035 USD |
| 1,000 tickets × 10 USD (gross 10,000) | 590 USD | 2,513 USD | 1,923 USD |

The same numbers seen per ticket, depending on who carries Eventbrite's fee:

| Ticket price | AET: guest pays / you keep | Eventbrite, fee passed to buyer: guest pays / you keep | Eventbrite, fee absorbed: guest pays / you keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 USD | 20.00 / 19.12 | 23.18 / 20.00 | 20.00 / 16.89 |
| 50 USD | 50.00 / 48.25 | 55.20 / 50.00 | 50.00 / 44.91 |
| 10 USD | 10.00 / 9.41 | 12.51 / 10.00 | 10.00 / 7.55 |

Two things stand out. Eventbrite's fixed 1.79 USD makes cheap tickets expensive: on a 10 USD ticket fees reach about a quarter of the price. And "buyer pays" is not free for you — a 12.51 USD checkout total for a 10 USD ticket can cost you sales.

In the UK, Eventbrite's 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/plata-by-mono](https://www.monobank.ua/plata-by-mono), checked 2026-10-01). Sources for the rates: [eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing](https://www.eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing/), [stripe.com/pricing](https://stripe.com/pricing) (checked 2026-10-01). More tools side by side: [ticket fees compared](/en/learn/ticket-fee-comparison).

## What about Eventbrite Premium?

Eventbrite Premium is Eventbrite's main paid plan: 69 USD a month or 708 USD a year in the US. It adds promotion rather than lower ticket fees — 20 USD a month in Eventbrite Ads credits, up to 2,000 marketing emails a day and a discount on instant payout fees ([Eventbrite help: pricing plans](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/193833/eventbrites-new-pricing-plans/), checked 2026-10-01). It makes sense if you actively market on Eventbrite. AET Pro (29 USD a month or 290 USD a year) is a different kind of upgrade: more events, AI generations and co-admins, a custom address and a storefront; it does not change the 0% fee, which is already 0% on Free.

## How do payouts and cash flow differ?

With Eventbrite, the platform collects ticket money and pays it out to you later; Premium even advertises a discount on instant payout fees, which tells you that faster access to your own money can cost extra. With AET, the money never passes through AET: the guest pays your payment provider, and your provider's schedule applies. For example, plata by mono transfers acquiring payments to the business account the next day ([monobank knowledge base](https://monobank.ua/en/knowledge-base/acquiring/signup), checked 2026-10-01); Stripe pays out on the schedule set in your Stripe account.

Why it matters: for organizers who pay the venue, the sound engineer or the caterer before the event, having ticket revenue in the account a day after each sale is often worth as much as the fee difference itself.

## How do the day-of operations compare?

| Task on the day | AET | Eventbrite |
|---|---|---|
| Scanning tickets | Browser scanner at aet.events/qr on any phone; owner plus co-admins (1 on Free, up to 10 on Pro) | Organizer app |
| Problem tickets | Scanner shows already checked, not this event, not paid, refunded | Handled in the organizer app |
| Engaging the room | Built-in live quiz with AI questions from your materials | Not included; use a separate quiz tool |
| After the event | Feedback form, calendar subscription, community, merch shop | Follow-up emails and marketing tools, more on Premium |

If you already use separate tools for the quiz and the follow-up, Eventbrite's app-based check-in is a solid choice. If you want the day and the time after it in one place, AET covers more of it without extra subscriptions. Door planning in detail: [how to run QR code check-in](/en/learn/how-to-run-qr-code-check-in-at-an-event).

## 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 a 15-minute hold by default (10–60 configurable). See [how to sell reserved seats with a seating chart](/en/learn/how-to-sell-reserved-seats-with-a-seating-chart).
- **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. The full picture is in [how to sell event tickets without platform fees](/en/learn/how-to-sell-event-tickets-without-platform-fees).

## What mistakes do people make when comparing the two?

- **Comparing percentages only.** Eventbrite's fixed 1.79 USD per ticket matters more than its 3.7% on cheap tickets. Always compute a full ticket.
- **Treating buyer-paid fees as free.** Guests see the total at checkout. A higher total can lower conversion, especially for low-priced community events.
- **Forgetting refund rules.** On Eventbrite, refunding a ticket yourself does not return Eventbrite's fee unless the event is cancelled or postponed.
- **Ignoring discovery value.** If half your buyers would find you through the marketplace, fees are a marketing cost, not waste.
- **Forgetting the merchant account.** AET needs your own Stripe or mono account; open it before you plan sales.

## How do I move an event from Eventbrite to AET?

1. Open https://aet.events/en/events and use **Create event from source**: paste the text of your event or a public link, and AET builds a page from it for 1 AI generation, leaving missing details empty rather than inventing them.
2. Recreate ticket types as tiers in Paid participation, or as price categories on a seat map.
3. Connect your plata by mono or Stripe account.
4. Point your existing channels to the new short link.

Guest lists are not imported automatically. If people already bought on Eventbrite, keep that event there and move the next one.

## Which one should I choose? A quick checklist

Choose **Eventbrite** if most of these are true:

- you need buyers who do not know you yet;
- you cannot or do not want to open a merchant account;
- you need native apps or integrations;
- you run many free events every month.

Choose **AET** if most of these are true:

- you already have an audience (a chat, a list, a community);
- tickets are low or mid-priced and fees would be a large share;
- you want seat maps, a quiz or a hidden venue without paying extra;
- you sell in Ukraine with plata by mono.

Neither fits? See [Eventbrite alternatives with lower fees](/en/learn/eventbrite-alternatives).

## 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). For 100 tickets at 20 USD that is about 88 USD versus about 318 USD.

**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](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/548304/is-the-eventbrite-fee-refundable/) (checked 2026-10-01), 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 restrictions, for example not for recurring events or events with a waitlist.

**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; local services are compared in [ticket-selling services in Ukraine](/en/learn/best-ticketing-platforms-ukraine).

**Who pays Eventbrite's fee, me or my guests?**

By default the buyer, on top of the ticket price. You can choose to absorb it, in which case it is deducted from your payout.

**Who wrote this comparison?**

The AnyEventTool team. We include Eventbrite's real strengths and recommend it when discovery or apps matter most.

## Related answers

- [9 Eventbrite alternatives with lower fees (2026)](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/eventbrite-alternatives.md)
- [Ticket fees compared: Eventbrite vs Luma vs Tito vs Ticket Tailor vs AET](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/ticket-fee-comparison.md)
- [Best ticket-selling services in Ukraine in 2026: fees and conditions](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/best-ticketing-platforms-ukraine.md)
- [How can I sell event tickets without platform fees?](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/how-to-sell-event-tickets-without-platform-fees.md)
- [How do I sell reserved seats with a seating chart?](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/how-to-sell-reserved-seats-with-a-seating-chart.md)
- [AnyEventTool vs Luma: which should I use for my events?](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/aet-vs-luma.md)