# Is Luma Plus worth it for paid events?

> When Luma Plus (69 USD a month, or 59 USD billed annually) beats the free plan's 5% fee, with worked examples for 30 and 100 tickets.

Canonical URL: https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/is-luma-plus-worth-it
Updated: 2026-10-15

## Short answer

Luma Plus pays for itself on fees once one calendar sells over about 1,380 USD of paid tickets a month on monthly billing (69 USD), or 1,180 USD a month on average billed annually (59 USD a month). Below that, the free plan's 5% costs less; Stripe fees apply either way. AnyEventTool charges 0% without a subscription but lacks Luma's discovery and SMS reminders. Prices checked 15 October 2026.

## Key facts

- Luma free plan: unlimited events and guests; 5% platform fee on paid tickets, plus Stripe processing (typically 2.9% + 0.30 USD)
- Luma Plus: 0% platform fee for 69 USD a month, or 59 USD a month billed annually (708 USD a year)
- Break-even on fees: about 1,380 USD of paid-ticket sales a month (monthly plan) or 14,160 USD a year (annual plan)
- Plus is bought per calendar and applies only to sales after activation; earlier platform fees are not refunded
- Plus also adds API and Zapier, a check-in manager role, 5 calendar admins (3 on free), 5,000 invites a week (500 on free) and sales tax collection
- Extra Plus admin seats: 12 USD a month, or 9 USD a month billed annually
- AET: 0% platform fee on every plan with no subscription; Free covers 3 new events a month, Pro is 29 USD a month for 30 events a month
- Disclosure: written by the AnyEventTool team; AET is included with its limitations

## What does Luma Plus cost and what does it remove?

Luma's free plan has unlimited events and guests, and charges a **5% platform fee on paid tickets**, added on top of Stripe's card fee. **Luma Plus** removes that platform fee (0%) for a subscription:

- **59 USD a month, billed annually** (708 USD a year), shown on [luma.com/pricing](https://luma.com/pricing) as "Save 14%";
- **69 USD a month** with monthly billing (the monthly option on the same page).

Stripe processing does not go away on either plan. Luma Plus prices are in US dollars.

Two rules from [Luma's help centre](https://help.luma.com/p/luma-plus) matter for the math:

- Plus is applied **per calendar**, not per account, and cannot be moved to another calendar.
- Plus affects **only sales after activation**; platform fees on earlier transactions are not refunded or credited.

All Luma facts checked on luma.com and help.luma.com on 15 October 2026. **Disclosure:** this page is published by the AnyEventTool team; AET is included with its limitations.

## When does Luma Plus pay for itself?

Because Stripe's fee is the same on both Luma plans, only the platform fee and the subscription differ. Plus is cheaper when:

**5% × your monthly paid-ticket sales > the subscription**

| Plan | Subscription | Break-even sales on one calendar |
|---|---|---|
| Plus, monthly billing | 69 USD a month | 1,380 USD a month |
| Plus, annual billing | 708 USD a year (59 USD a month) | 14,160 USD a year, or 1,180 USD a month on average |

If your sales are seasonal, the annual plan only pays off if the whole year passes 14,160 USD. A few busy months can be covered by switching to monthly Plus for those months, remembering it is not retroactive: activate it before the sales start.

## Worked examples: 10, 20 and 50 USD tickets

One calendar, sales in one month, platform fees only (Stripe processing is the same on every option and left out):

| Month's sales | Luma free: 5% fee | Luma Plus monthly | Luma Plus annual (per month) | Cheaper Luma option | AET platform cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × 10 USD = 300 USD | 15 USD | 69 USD | 59 USD | Free plan, by 44–54 USD | 0 USD |
| 100 × 10 USD = 1,000 USD | 50 USD | 69 USD | 59 USD | Free plan, by 9–19 USD | 0 USD |
| 30 × 20 USD = 600 USD | 30 USD | 69 USD | 59 USD | Free plan, by 29–39 USD | 0 USD |
| 100 × 20 USD = 2,000 USD | 100 USD | 69 USD | 59 USD | Plus, saves 31–41 USD | 0 USD |
| 30 × 50 USD = 1,500 USD | 75 USD | 69 USD | 59 USD | Plus, narrowly: saves 6–16 USD | 0 USD |
| 100 × 50 USD = 5,000 USD | 250 USD | 69 USD | 59 USD | Plus, saves 181–191 USD | 0 USD |

For scale, Stripe US processing (2.9% + 0.30 USD, [stripe.com/pricing](https://stripe.com/pricing), checked 2026-10-15) adds about 88 USD on 100 tickets at 20 USD, on Luma and on AET alike.

AET's 0 USD holds on the free plan for up to 3 new events a month; a fourth event in the same month needs Pro at 29 USD a month (290 USD a year).

## What else does Luma Plus include?

Fees are not the only reason to upgrade. According to [luma.com/pricing](https://luma.com/pricing) and [Luma's help centre](https://help.luma.com/p/luma-plus), Plus adds:

- full API and Zapier access;
- a check-in manager role for staff who should only scan tickets;
- 5 calendar admins instead of 3 (extra seats 12 USD a month, or 9 USD billed annually);
- 5,000 invites and newsletters a week instead of 500 (larger send add-ons from 50 USD a month);
- automatic sales tax collection on tickets;
- custom event URLs, separate first and last name fields and priority support.

If you depend on an integration or on check-in-only staff, Plus can be worth it even below the fee break-even. If you only want to stop paying 5%, the table above is the whole decision.

## Where Luma is strong, and when to look elsewhere

**Luma's free plan is hard to beat for free events.** It has unlimited events and guests and sends reminders by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp ([luma.com/pricing](https://luma.com/pricing)), and people browse Luma to discover events. For a community that runs many free meetups, there is often nothing to pay.

**For paid events below the break-even**, the alternative to paying 5% or a subscription is a tool without a platform fee. AnyEventTool (AET) charges 0% on tickets on every plan: guests pay into your own Stripe (or plata by mono in Ukraine) and you are the merchant. It also has seat maps and a live quiz, which Luma does not. Its limits, honestly: email reminders only, no discovery audience, no native apps, no REST API or Zapier yet, 3 new events a month on Free, and a young product with a small team.

Full side-by-side: [AET vs Luma](/en/learn/aet-vs-luma). Other options: [Luma alternatives](/en/learn/luma-alternatives).

## Quick decision

1. **Free events only:** stay on Luma's free plan; Plus saves you nothing on fees.
2. **Paid tickets under about 1,180 USD a month:** the free plan's 5% is cheaper than Plus; compare with a 0% tool if the 5% still hurts.
3. **Over 1,380 USD a month, steadily:** Plus pays for itself; annual billing saves a further 120 USD a year.
4. **Several calendars:** each needs its own Plus subscription, so check break-even per calendar.
5. **Recompute with your prices** in the [ticket fee calculator](https://anyeventtool.com/en/tools/ticket-fee-calculator) or the formulas in [ticket fees compared](/en/learn/ticket-fee-comparison).

## Questions and answers

**How much does Luma Plus cost?**

59 USD a month billed annually (708 USD a year) or 69 USD a month with monthly billing, per calendar. Extra admin seats cost 12 USD a month, or 9 USD billed annually. Prices checked on luma.com on 15 October 2026.

**How many tickets do I need to sell for Luma Plus to be worth it?**

Enough that 5% of your monthly paid-ticket sales exceeds the subscription: about 1,380 USD a month on monthly billing, or 14,160 USD a year on annual billing. That is, for example, 69 tickets at 20 USD a month, or 28 tickets at 50 USD.

**Does Luma Plus remove Stripe fees?**

No. Plus removes only Luma's 5% platform fee. Stripe's card processing, typically 2.9% + 0.30 USD in the US, still applies on every Luma plan.

**If I upgrade before a big event, are past fees refunded?**

No. Luma Plus affects only sales made after activation, and platform fees on earlier transactions are not refunded or credited. Upgrade before ticket sales open.

**Does one Luma Plus subscription cover all my calendars?**

No. Plus is applied at the calendar level and stays on the calendar it was bought for, so each calendar that sells tickets needs its own subscription.

**Is there a way to avoid both the 5% fee and a subscription?**

Yes, with a tool that charges no platform fee. AnyEventTool takes 0% of ticket sales on its free plan (3 new events a month) and on Pro (29 USD a month, 30 events); you pay only your own card processing. You give up Luma's discovery, SMS/WhatsApp reminders and integrations. This page was written by the AnyEventTool team.

## Related answers

- [AnyEventTool vs Luma: which should I use for my events?](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/aet-vs-luma.md)
- [Luma alternatives: when to switch and to what](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/luma-alternatives.md)
- [Ticket fees compared: Eventbrite vs Luma vs Tito vs Ticket Tailor vs AET](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/ticket-fee-comparison.md)
- [How can I sell event tickets without platform fees?](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/how-to-sell-event-tickets-without-platform-fees.md)
- [Which ticketing platform takes the lowest total fees? 2026 ranking across 14 scenarios in USD, EUR and GBP](https://anyeventtool.com/en/learn/lowest-total-ticket-fees-ranking.md)