Eventbrite is a global platform providing event creators with tools for planning, promoting, and executing live events. It offers self-service tools for tasks like email invitation creation, RSVP tracking, and ticket selling, which can be managed online or integrated with social media sites for real-time sales data.
That said, Eventbrite isn't a perfect platform and can leave a lot to be desired when it comes to design and other touchpoints in the attendee journey. Some users complain about Eventbrite's reporting features, the clunkiness of ticket sales for selected seating, and issues with the display when integrating with other websites, among other things. For those reasons, event organizers might want to consider Eventbrite alternatives.
This guide explores how Eventbrite stacks up compared to competitive event platform options.
If you're evaluating Eventbrite, ticket sales are likely essential to your business. Since purchasing a ticket is often one of the first touchpoints a guest experiences, getting ticketing right is critical. A user-friendly ticketing system and platform should be at the top of your list when evaluating Eventbrite alternatives.
Here are some key features to consider for online ticketing and in-person ticket sales:
A critical part of any event management platform is how tickets are purchased and how you get paid after ticket sales. As you're evaluating Eventbrite alternatives, something to look out for is pricing and how each platform handles ticket fees – the price you pay for each ticket sale.
You'll also want to know which payment options attendees can use when buying their tickets and how payouts happen.
Efficient event registration and check-in systems are vital for solid attendee management for both in-person and virtual events. They improve user experience and reduce the burden on your team. A good event management software will have features like online registration, ticketing, guest tracking, and analytics, among other things.
It enables digital registrations, interactive tools, and behavior analytics for virtual events.
It streamlines physical check-ins, ticketing, and provides real-time attendance updates for onsite events.
If in-person events is part of your strategy, you understand the importance of getting folks checked in and through the door fast. We highly recommend you use an event management platform that includes a mobile app that lets hosts quickly check-in guests as they arrive in-person.
As event organizers know, your event page is one of the first touchpoints an attendee will experience. And for that reason, it has to be on-brand, customizable, and easy for your team to design. Customizable landing pages are for event promotion as they reinforce your brand, encourage registrations, and educate attendees on what they can expect at your event.
A good event management platform will include event templates. A great event management platform will also simplify those templates for your team to customize, reducing a common headache for event organizers and allowing your team to create a white-labeled experience for your guests.
When all your event data is siloed in a single tool, it makes every part of your event less impactful. That's where integrations come in. A great event management platform will include integrations to your CRM, like Salesforce, Marketo, MailChimp, and webinar platforms like Zoom.
When your event management software integrates with your martech stack, the result is streamlined processes where attendee data is actionable by sales, and you can easily report on your event's impact on revenue and pipeline.
As a top-tier event management solution, Splash helps event organizers create and execute beautifully on-brand and repeatable events. Splash's suite of tools efficiently streamlines the event planning process, resulting in a stellar attendee experience and valuable data and insights for future event success. With Splash, customers are typically up and running in only a few hours.
Cvent is a common name you'll see when researching Eventbrite alternatives. Although this event management platform does include features like a ticketing system, event registration, and integrations, Cvent has some drawbacks, like pricing complexity and event pages that are less customizable than other Eventbrite alternatives.
Cvent's pricing is substantially higher than Eventbrite, making it only a suitable choice for large businesses running complex events and conferences. Although Cvent's core license may look reasonably priced at first glance, it costs extra to obtain essential add-ons like integrations, advanced badge printing, and event check-in options.
Ticketbud is an event registration and ticketing system designed to handle many aspects of event management. Ticketbud allows organizers to tailor their event pages, although some users report a less-than-perfect user experience. This platform simplifies the process of ticket sales and registrations but has few resources for virtual event management.
Regarding pricing, some folks may choose Ticketbud for the savings on ticket fees compared to Eventbrite. Ticketbud is an Eventbrite alternative worth looking into if your team has limited financial resources or headcount or only needs the most basic event and ticketing features.
Eventbee is an event registration and ticketing system known for its straightforward, flat-rate pricing structure. Users have reported that Eventbee's event pages aren't user-friendly, and when purchasing tickets with a credit card, there's an additional fee. Another concern users cite is the lack of timely payouts from their ticket sales.
Nonprofits like the Sundance Institute use Splash for various reasons, namely the email marketing features and simple check-in process at events, among other things. Here's what they had to say about Splash:
"One of the most appealing things about Splash is its invitation capabilities. The user experience is essential for us, and Splash makes it easy for invitees and attendees to navigate. We also like that it's customizable for all of the different types of events we have and that it easily integrates with other platforms we use, like our email automation software."
Splash is an excellent choice for nonprofits focused on creating an engaging, on-brand experience – whether a fundraiser or a different type of ticketed event.
Small businesses with budget constraints might find Eventbrite, Eventbee, or Ticketbud acceptable solutions - until they are ready to invest in and scale their event programs. And sometimes, an upfront investment for a more powerful tool like Splash is worth it. The right tool could unlock operational efficiency for your team in places that used to be a headache through integrations and user-friendly page creation.
Two contenders worth mentioning when managing large-scale events, but one is the clear winner. Although both Splash and Cvent support large-scale events, Splash is typically considered much easier to use.
Splash's real-time bidirectional data flow between integrations keeps things organized and up-to-date on the event day, while guest list management features ensure that you and your sales team have real-time data on the day of an event. Splash's ticketing features make ticketing simple and transactions secure.
For example, Sharp Electronics was able to get 57 branches up and running while they launched a large-scale events program using Splash. This is what they had to say:
"Splash has been a game-changer for us. The platform has made it really easy for us to maintain brand consistency for all our event communications, while the backend capabilities give us better control and knowledge of event data before and after an event. What I love about Splash is that you don't need to be a tech wizard to use it."
Related: How ThoughtSpot Scaled Their Virtual and In-Person Field Marketing Events
Among the top Eventbrite alternatives in the market, Splash stands out with its comprehensive, user-friendly, and integration-friendly features, making it suitable for businesses of all sizes.
Other options like Cvent, Ticketbud, and Eventbee also have their strengths and weaknesses, and the best choice depends on event planners' specific needs, such as budget constraints, event size, and desired level of customization.
