Buyers pay on top by default
Eventbrite adds its service fee and its processing fee to the ticket price. A $25 ticket costs the buyer $28.52, and a $10 ticket costs $12.51.
The free Eventbrite alternative
Sell tickets without Eventbrite's fees
Payly adds no fee to a ticket and has no monthly plan. Guests get a QR code, and payments go straight to your own PayPal or Stripe account.
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Payly and Eventbrite at a glance
$0
No fee on each ticket
Eventbrite's fee is 3.7% of the price + $1.79 per paid ticket, plus 2.9% for processing, and buyers pay it by default. Payly adds no ticket fee, though PayPal or Stripe still charges its standard processing fee.
$28.52
A $25 ticket, as the buyer pays it
Eventbrite adds its fees to the price by default, and you can tick Absorb fees to pay them yourself. On Payly the buyer pays the price you set.
$26.06
To keep $25 when buyers pay the fees
Price a ticket at $26.06 on Payly to cover Stripe's fee ($26.41 with PayPal). On Eventbrite, the same $25 costs buyers $28.52.
Why organizers move from Eventbrite
Eventbrite needs no monthly plan, is free for free events and has features Payly lacks, so organizers move for the fees on paid tickets.
Or the fees come out of your sales
Tick Absorb fees and buyers pay your price, but a $25 ticket then leaves you $21.55. On Payly it leaves $23.64 with PayPal Checkout or $23.97 with Stripe.
Cheap tickets feel it most
Eventbrite's $1.79 per ticket weighs most on small prices. On a $10 ticket its fees come to $2.51. On Payly they come to $0.84 with PayPal Checkout or $0.59 with Stripe.
Paid after the event
Eventbrite collects the money, and by default your payout starts 3 days after the event ends. On Payly each payment goes straight to your own PayPal or Stripe account.
What you actually pay
A real event: 100 tickets at $25 each, one ticket per order, with card processing counted on both sides.
| Cost | Payly$0/mo | Eventbriteno monthly plan |
|---|---|---|
| Plan to sell tickets | $0 | None needed. Premium is optional, $69 a month |
| Fee on each paid ticket | $0 | 3.7% of the price + $1.79 |
| Card processing | PayPal 3.49% + $0.49, or Stripe 2.9% + 30 cents, per payment | 2.9% of the whole order |
| A $25 ticket costs the buyer | $25.00 | $28.52 by default, because the buyer pays the fees |
| You keep from a $25 ticket when you pay the fees | $23.64 with PayPal Checkout, $23.97 with Stripe | $21.55 with Absorb fees ticked |
| Fees on 100 tickets at $25 | $136 with PayPal Checkout, $103 with Stripe, paid by you | $352 by default, paid by buyers, or $345 if you absorb them |
Eventbrite's service fee is 3.7% of the ticket price + $1.79 per paid ticket, and its processing fee is 2.9% of the order including that fee. By default the buyer pays both. Tick Absorb fees and you pay them. Payly adds no ticket fee, and you pay PayPal 3.49% + $0.49 at checkout or Stripe 2.9% + 30 cents for US cards. Payly has no fee line to add, so to keep the full $25 and have buyers pay the fees you would raise the price to $26.41 (PayPal Checkout) or $26.06 (Stripe). Totals use one ticket per order, with each fee rounded to the cent. Sales tax, international cards, disputes, instant payouts and optional extras such as Premium are not counted. Eventbrite pricing as published November 2026.
What you get
- Ticket types with their own prices, free tickets included
- A quantity for each type, a capacity for the event and a most-per-order limit
- Sale dates for each ticket type, for early bird prices
- A code and QR code for every ticket, emailed with the receipt
- Check-in by camera, a USB scanner or the code, with Undo
- A guest list to search, download as CSV and resend tickets from
- Payment by PayPal or card, at once or in monthly payments
- Any other questions you need, such as your guests' names
- Tickets back on sale after a full refund
How event tickets work in Payly
You set the tickets and prices. PayPal or Stripe collects each payment.
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Create an event
In Your sites, click New and choose Event tickets. Start from a template or from scratch.
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Add your tickets
Name each ticket type and set its price, how many there are and when it is on sale. A ticket can be free.
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Connect PayPal or Stripe, then publish
Your event page runs on your own free Cloudflare account. Buyers get their tickets by email, and you check them in on the Check in screen.
Honest answers
Is Payly really free?
Yes. There is no monthly fee, no transaction fee and no paid tier. PayPal and Stripe charge their standard processing fees, as they would on any platform. How can this possibly be free?
Who pays Eventbrite's fees, the buyer or me?
By default, the buyer. Eventbrite adds a service fee (3.7% of the price + $1.79 per paid ticket) and a 2.9% processing fee, so a $25 ticket costs the buyer $28.52 and you keep the full $25. You can tick Absorb fees on a ticket type to pay them yourself, and then a $25 ticket leaves you $21.55. On Payly the buyer pays the price you set, and PayPal's or Stripe's processing fee comes out of the payment: $1.36 with PayPal Checkout or $1.03 with Stripe on a $25 ticket. Payly has no setting that adds that fee for you, so to have buyers pay it you raise your price.
Is Eventbrite free for free events?
Yes. Eventbrite charges no fees on free tickets, and Payly charges nothing for free tickets either, with no processing fee because no payment is made. If your events are free RSVPs, cost is not a reason to move. Free events and RSVPs shows how Payly handles them.
What does Eventbrite do that Payly does not?
Several things. Eventbrite has reserved seating, promo codes, waitlists and automatic event reminders, a free Organizer app for iOS and Android, and a marketplace with its own audience of ticket buyers. Payly does not support assigned seats, promo codes, waitlists or reminder emails, and it has no native app: its check-in runs in your browser, so there is nothing to install, but it needs an internet connection. Payly also does not bring you buyers, so you share your event's link or QR code yourself.
When do I get my money?
Eventbrite collects the payments and pays you later. By default its payout starts 3 days after the event ends, and it says to expect the money 6 to 8 business days after the event ends. Payouts before the event open only after you have hosted a paid event and been paid, and Eventbrite holds back 20% of net sales until the event ends. On Payly each payment goes through PayPal or Stripe straight to your own account. Payly never holds the money, and PayPal and Stripe set the payout timing.
How do I move an event from Eventbrite?
Payly has no importer for events. Moving means setting up the event again in Payly: add your ticket types, prices and limits, connect PayPal or Stripe, publish, and share the new link. Tickets already sold on Eventbrite stay there, so the easiest time to switch is between events. Sell tickets to an event walks through it.
Thinking about another platform?
Sell your next event's tickets, free
Your event, your payment account, your guests. The only thing you pay is normal PayPal and Stripe processing fees.
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