Luma alternatives: when to switch and to what
Updated: · Oleksandr Rykovtsev, founder of AnyEventTool
Short answer
Stay on Luma for free community events: unlimited events, reminders by SMS and WhatsApp and discovery on the free plan. Switch when its limits cost you: for paid tickets without the 5% fee or a subscription, seat maps, a live quiz or Ukrainian payments, use AnyEventTool; for marketplace reach, Eventbrite; for casual invites, Partiful; for recurring groups, Meetup; for conferences, Tito. Luma Plus removes the fee for 59 USD a month billed annually (checked 1 October 2026).
Key facts
- Luma free plan: free events cost nothing; 5% platform fee on paid tickets plus Stripe (luma.com/pricing, checked 2026-10-01)
- Luma Plus: 59 USD a month billed annually (69 USD monthly); 0% platform fee, check-in manager role, API and Zapier
- Break-even: Luma Plus beats the free plan above roughly 1,180 USD of paid tickets a month (59 ÷ 5%)
- Luma has no reserved seating and no live quiz; AET has both on its free plan
- Luma can hide the exact address from people who are not approved guests; AET can also reveal the venue at a set time
- Stripe does not support businesses registered in Ukraine, so Luma's paid tickets are not an option there
- Disclosure: written by the AnyEventTool team
| # | Tool | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AnyEventTool (AET) | Paid, seated or sensitive events without a platform fee | 0% platform fee; Free 0 USD (3 events/month); Pro 19 USD/month |
| 2 | Eventbrite | Reaching buyers who do not know you | Free events free; US: 3.7% + 1.79 USD per ticket + 2.9% processing |
| 3 | Partiful | Casual social invitations | Free tickets no fees; paid ticket fees depend on event size and price |
| 4 | Meetup | Recurring interest groups | Starter free for first-time organizers (10 attendees per event); paid from 29.99 USD/month |
| 5 | Tito | Tech conferences | 3% per paid ticket, capped at 25 EUR; processing separate |
| 6 | Ticket Tailor | Expensive tickets | 0.60 GBP + VAT per ticket; from 0.22 GBP prepaid |
| 7 | Hi.Events | Self-hosting and open source | Hosted 1.25% + 0.60 USD per ticket; self-host free (AGPL-3.0) |
AnyEventTool (AET)
Pros
- 0% without a subscription
- Seat maps, quiz and QR check-in on Free
- Timed venue reveal; plata by mono for Ukraine
Cons
- Email reminders only
- No discovery or native apps
- 3 new events a month on Free
Eventbrite
Pros
- Large marketplace
- No merchant account needed
Cons
- Higher fees than Luma's free plan on most tickets
- Fees not refunded on organizer refunds
Partiful
Pros
- Built for social invites
- No fees on free events
Cons
- Paid fee rate not published
- Service fees non-refundable
Meetup
Pros
- Group discovery
- Members notified of new events
Cons
- Very limited free plan
- Subscription for organizers
Tito
Pros
- Conference-grade checkout
- Check-in and badge apps
Cons
- No reserved seating
- No discovery
Ticket Tailor
Pros
- Flat fee
- Free check-in app
Cons
- Flat fee hurts cheap tickets
- Seating costs extra credits
Hi.Events
Pros
- Self-host option
- Low hosted fee
Cons
- No reserved seating
- No native check-in app
When should I stay on Luma?
Luma is excellent at what it is built for. Stay if:
- Your events are free. Luma's free plan has no event cap, and free events cost nothing.
- No-shows hurt you. Reminders by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp are on the free plan.
- You want discovery. People browse Luma for events, and calendars are a core strength.
- Your audience already lives there. Moving a community has a cost in attention.
Source: luma.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-01). Head-to-head comparison: AET vs Luma.
What are the signals it is time to switch?
| Signal | Why it matters | What to switch to |
|---|---|---|
| You sell paid tickets and 5% is a real amount | On 2,000 USD of monthly sales the fee is 100 USD, on top of Stripe | AET (0% without a subscription) or Luma Plus |
| You need specific seats or tables | Luma has no seat maps | AET (hall designer on Free), Ticket Tailor, Humanitix |
| You want a quiz in the room | Luma has no live quiz | AET, or a separate quiz tool |
| You organize in Ukraine | Luma uses Stripe, which does not support Ukrainian businesses | AET with plata by mono |
| You need strangers to buy tickets | Luma's discovery is smaller than a ticketing marketplace | Eventbrite |
| You run a recurring interest group | Group discovery is Meetup's core product | Meetup |
| You send casual invites to friends | A lighter, social invite flow | Partiful |
| You run a multi-day tech conference | Ticket types, discount codes, badges | Tito |
| You want to self-host | Data and branding under your control | Hi.Events |
Sources (checked 2026-10-01): luma.com/pricing, stripe.com/global.
Luma free, Luma Plus or a 0% tool: where is the break-even?
For paid tickets the comparison is simple arithmetic. Stripe's processing is the same in all three cases; what differs is the platform's share.
| Monthly paid-ticket sales | Luma free (5%) | Luma Plus (59 USD billed annually) | AET (0%, no subscription) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 USD | 25 USD | 59 USD | 0 USD |
| 1,180 USD | 59 USD | 59 USD | 0 USD |
| 5,000 USD | 250 USD | 59 USD | 0 USD |
| 20,000 USD | 1,000 USD | 59 USD | 0 USD |
Processing is excluded because it applies to all three. If you pay Luma Plus monthly (69 USD), the break-even moves to 1,380 USD a month. Above the break-even, Luma Plus is a reasonable choice if you also value its reminders and discovery; AET is cheaper at every volume but has no discovery and sends email reminders only. More scenarios: ticket fees compared.
1. AnyEventTool (AET) — for paid, seated or sensitive events
AET takes 0% of ticket sales on every plan, with guests paying straight into your own Stripe or plata by mono account. On the free plan you also get seat maps with a hall designer, QR check-in in the phone browser, a live quiz with AI questions from your materials, and a timed venue reveal in tickets — useful for private or safety-sensitive events. Calendars with subscriptions and a consent-based community cover what Luma's calendars do for keeping people together.
Trade-offs: 3 new events a month on Free (Pro 19 USD a month for 30), email reminders only, no discovery and no native apps. Source: anyeventtool.com/en/pricing (checked 2026-10-01). Guide: how to sell event tickets without platform fees.
2. Eventbrite — for marketplace reach
Eventbrite's marketplace brings buyers who do not know you. Free events are free; paid tickets in the US carry 3.7% + 1.79 USD per ticket plus 2.9% processing, paid by the buyer by default. It is more expensive than Luma's free plan on most tickets, so switch only if reach matters more than fees. Source: eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing (checked 2026-10-01). See AET vs Eventbrite.
3. Partiful — for casual invites
Partiful is built for social invitations. Free tickets carry no fees for anyone. For paid tickets, Partiful says its fees depend on event size and ticket price, the host can pass them to guests or absorb them, and service fees are non-refundable; it does not publish a fixed rate. Source: Partiful help: fees (checked 2026-10-01).
4. Meetup — for recurring interest groups
Meetup is organized around groups that strangers find by interest and city. The free Starter plan is for first-time organizers only: 1 group, up to 2 in-person events a month and up to 10 attendees per event. Paid plans start at 29.99 USD a month and vary by location. Sources: meetup.com: Meetup Starter, Meetup help: subscription prices (checked 2026-10-01).
5. Tito — for tech conferences
Tito charges 3% per paid ticket (2.5% for charity and community events), capped at 25 EUR, with Stripe or PayPal fees on top; free events are free. It has check-in apps and badge printing but no reserved seating. Source: ti.to/pricing (checked 2026-10-01).
6. Ticket Tailor — for expensive tickets
A flat 0.60 GBP + VAT per ticket (from 0.22 GBP prepaid) instead of a percentage, a free check-in app and up to 5,000 free tickets a year without fees. Seating is available for an extra credit per reserved seat. Source: tickettailor.com/pricing (checked 2026-10-01).
7. Hi.Events — for self-hosting
Open-source ticketing: hosted at 1.25% + 0.60 USD per paid ticket (buyer pays by default), or self-hosted for free under AGPL-3.0. No reserved seating; check-in from a link on any phone. Source: hi.events/pricing (checked 2026-10-01).
How do I move from Luma without losing people?
- Do not move mid-sale. Finish events already selling on Luma and switch from the next one.
- Recreate the page from the old one. In AET, paste the Luma event text or link into Create event from source; it builds a page for 1 AI generation and leaves missing details empty.
- Tell your calendar subscribers where you are going. Guest lists and subscribers are not imported automatically; announce the new calendar link in your last Luma event and your channels.
- Keep both for a while if needed. Some organizers keep Luma for free events and reminders and use AET for paid, seated or sensitive events.
- Set up payments first. Connect your own Stripe or plata by mono account before you announce sales.
Questions and answers
What is the best free alternative to Luma?
For free events Luma itself is hard to beat. For paid tickets without a platform fee or subscription, AnyEventTool takes 0% and adds seat maps and a quiz on its free plan.
Is Luma Plus worth it?
When your paid-ticket sales exceed roughly 1,180 USD a month (59 USD billed annually ÷ 5%), Plus is cheaper than the free plan's fee, and it adds a check-in manager role, API and Zapier.
Does Luma have seat maps?
No. Use AET (hall designer on Free), Ticket Tailor (extra credit per reserved seat) or Humanitix if you sell specific seats.
Can I use Luma in Ukraine?
For free events, yes. For paid tickets Luma relies on Stripe, which does not support businesses registered in Ukraine. AET works with plata by mono; see ticket-selling services in Ukraine.
Can I import my Luma guests into another tool?
Not automatically into AET. Recreate the event with Create event from source and invite your audience to the new calendar through your own channels.
Who wrote this guide?
The AnyEventTool team. We recommend staying on Luma where it fits better, and every alternative's limits are listed.
Try AET for your next event
Free: event page, registration, QR tickets and check-in. 0% platform fee on ticket sales.