Platform comparison

Why ticketing platforms are hard to compare

Comparing ticketing platforms is not trivial, because every platform offers very different models, has different cost structures, and covers very different services within those cost structures.

Our criteria catalogue: the factors that matter most

That is why we built a criteria catalogue covering the factors we consider most important.

Based on public information, conversations with users, and our own research, we checked for each platform which features are part of the platform fee and which are not available or only available for an extra charge.

Empirical end-price comparison: hundreds of ticket prices reviewed

We also ran an empirical end-price comparison. To do so, we looked at several hundred final ticket prices across different platforms. Whenever tickets for the same event were sold on multiple platforms, we compared the final prices and calculated a difference factor.

How meaningful this value is depends not only on the number of data points (n) but also on how many distinct platforms were compared (k). 100 comparisons against a single platform say less than 100 comparisons spread across many platforms. We therefore weight the empirical price score by this evidence: with weak data, the value regresses toward a neutral midpoint.

The result can help you get a sense of which platforms add further costs and which do not. But: the results should be treated with caution and can really only offer an estimate. After all, differences in final ticket prices can also stem from organisers setting different prices.

A database in progress – help us make it better

Our database is still being built, and you can help make it even better. Let us know if criteria are missing from the catalogue, if you think we hold incorrect or faulty information, if you have datasets for our empirical end-price comparison, or if we should add more platforms to the comparison. Our database is continuously revised and kept up to date.

Cost calculation

Per ticket we sum platform fees (fixed and percent, including payment processing) and additional checkout fees. End price = base price + all known fees.

• One-off or monthly costs (setup, subscription, hardware) are excluded from the core comparison but listed separately.
• Payment-provider transaction costs are included in the platform fee, not as a separate line item.

Feature score

Based on your inputs in the tool, we check which platform best matches your requirements. Unanswered categories are not included in the weighting.

• Depending on the platform, some features may be available but only for an extra charge. In the results we therefore indicate whether features are included in the platform fee or incur additional costs.
• When features are not included or we have no information about them, that is indicated accordingly.

Sorting & price-performance

“Price-performance” is a weighted mix of cost, feature, and empirical price scores. “Best price” sorts by estimated total ticketing cost only. “Best features” uses the feature score only.

• The three sort modes can produce different orders — by design.
• Default price-performance weights: roughly 45% cost, 40% features, 15% empirical price reference.

Data quality

We work hard to keep our data up to date and continuously expand our database. Nevertheless, depending on the platform, more or less data may be available. We therefore indicate data quality to show you where additional research may be worthwhile.

• Incomplete or outdated datasets are flagged in the results.
• Data versions are shown below the results.

Good Tix in the comparison

Good Tix runs this tool and is one of the compared platforms. The information on this page is meant to help you understand the comparison results.

• The goal is not to present ourselves in a favourable light.
• We aim to provide as informative and objective a comparison as possible between ticketing platforms, so you can form a well-founded view of which platform best fits your requirements.

Sources

Fees and features are based on public information, conversations with users and platform operators, and further research. The results list shows which information comes from which sources and what the data situation looks like for each platform.