Best Free Event Ticketing Software 2026: 6 Options Compared

The cost of ticketing software rarely shows up as a subscription. It shows up as a fee on each paid ticket, so free events are usually free and paid events are where tools differ. Eventbrite charges nothing for free events and, for paid tickets, a 3.7 percent plus $1.79 service fee per ticket and 2.9 percent processing per order. Luma takes a 5 percent platform fee on paid events plus Stripe fees, and Tito charges 3 percent per paid ticket, capped at 25 euros, with nothing for free events. Zeffy is aimed at nonprofits and takes no platform fee, funded by optional tips. If you prefer to run the software yourself, pretix and Hi.Events are open source: pretix's hosted service stays free up to 500 free tickets a year, and Hi.Events Cloud charges 1.25 percent plus $0.60 per paid ticket or you can self-host under AGPL-3.0. Work out your typical ticket price, because a fixed per-ticket amount hurts cheap tickets most while a percentage hurts expensive ones. Also check who pays the fee, since most tools let you pass it to the buyer. For a community meetup with free entry, almost any tool works; for a paid workshop, compare the fee on your actual price.

Eventbrite

No fees for free events. Paid tickets cost 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket plus 2.9% processing; the best-known marketplace but not the cheapest on paid events.

Price: Free (No fees for free events; unlimited free events) (Eventbrite pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Public events that need discovery.

Luma

Free plan has unlimited events and guests, with a 5% platform fee on paid events plus Stripe fees. Luma Plus is $59 a month billed annually.

Price: Free (Free plan: unlimited events and guests; paid events carry a 5% platform fee plus Stripe card fees); paid from $59 per month, billed annually (Plus; the page says annual saves 14% versus monthly) (Luma pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Community meetups and invite-style events.

Tito

Free events cost $0 and paid events are 3% per ticket, 2.5% for charity events, capped at 25 euros each, plus gateway fees. No monthly subscription.

Price: Free (Free events cost nothing; no credit card needed to try all features) (Tito pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Conferences and workshops with pricier tickets.

Worth knowing: Paid events: 3% per ticket (2.5% for charity and non-profit events), capped at 25 EUR per ticket, plus payment gateway fees. No monthly subscription.

pretix

Open source under AGPL-3.0 with additional terms. Hosted use is free up to 500 free tickets a year; paid tickets cost 2.5%, never more than 15 euros each.

Price: Free (Self-hosted code is free. Hosted: free if you distribute up to 500 free tickets per calendar year; each paid ticket adds one to that quota) (pretix pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser, Self-hosted. AGPL-3.0 with additional terms (open source).

Project activity: 2.6k GitHub stars · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Teams that want control over data.

Worth knowing: Hosted fees: 2.5% of ticket price (never more than 15 EUR per ticket) plus payment provider fees; free tickets beyond the quota cost 0.50 EUR.

Hi.Events

Self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0 with a required Powered by Hi.Events link. Cloud charges 1.25% + $0.60 per paid ticket with no monthly fee.

Price: Free (Self-hosting is free under AGPL-3.0 (must keep the Powered by Hi.Events link); free events cost nothing on Cloud) (Hi.Events pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser, Self-hosted. AGPL-3.0 with additional terms (open source).

Project activity: 4.1k GitHub stars · latest release v2.0.0 (Oct 23, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026

Best for: Developers who want a modern self-hosted option.

Worth knowing: Cloud paid tickets: 1.25% + $0.60 per ticket, no monthly fee. Reserved seating and box office need a separate enterprise licence for self-hosters.

Zeffy

No platform fee for nonprofits, funded by optional donor tips, so ticket sales for fundraisers keep the full payment. Not meant for commercial organizers.

Price: Free (Free for nonprofits: no platform or card fees on donations; funded by optional donor tips) (Zeffy pricing, checked 2026-10-24).

Platforms and license: Web browser. Proprietary SaaS.

Best for: Charity galas and fundraising events.

Which one to pick

• You run a free community meetup: Luma
• You sell a few hundred tickets at a higher price: Tito
• You must keep attendee data on your own server: pretix
• You are a charity selling tickets: Zeffy