Two platforms, two different philosophies. Here's what each one is actually built for — and how to choose.
CompleteEvent
A management platform for organizers who bring their own audience.
Eventbrite
A discovery marketplace for organizers who want new audience reach.
100 tickets at $25 each = $2,500 revenue. Platform fees only (Stripe processing excluded).
| Plan | Fee structure | Fees on $2,500 | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eventbrite | 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket | $272 | $2,228 |
| CompleteEvent Free | $0/mo + 3% platform fee | $75 | $2,425 |
| CompleteEvent Starter | $19/mo + 1% platform fee | $44 | $2,456 |
| CompleteEvent Pro | $49/mo + 0.5% platform fee | $61.50 | $2,438.50 |
Eventbrite fee: 3.7% service fee + $1.79/ticket (organizer absorbs). Stripe processing (2.9% + 30¢/ticket) applies on all platforms and is excluded above.
| Feature | CompleteEvent | Eventbrite |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan for free events | ✓ | ✓ |
| No per-ticket fees (paid plans) | ✓ | — |
| Revenue direct to your bank at sale(Eventbrite holds until after event) | ✓ | — |
| Multi-track session scheduling | ✓ | — |
| Attendee session signups & personal agenda | ✓ | — |
| Call for abstracts / speaker submissions | ✓ | — |
| QR check-in — any phone, no hardware | ✓ | — |
| Self-service kiosk check-in | ✓ | — |
| Waitlist with auto-promotion | ✓ | ✓ |
| Broadcast announcements to all attendees | ✓ | — |
| Certificates of attendance | ✓ | — |
| Post-event surveys & live session feedback | ✓ | — |
| Promo codes & discounts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Sponsor management | ✓ | — |
| Custom event domain (Pro) | ✓ | — |
| Your attendee data stays yours(Eventbrite uses data across its network) | ✓ | — |
| No algorithm-driven discovery feed(Eventbrite discovery can work for or against you) | ✓ | — |
| Discovery network / public event listing | — | ✓ |
The honest answer: it depends on what you need from a platform.
Choose CompleteEvent if…
Consider Eventbrite if…
Yes. The Free plan has no monthly cost. You can run unlimited free events at no charge. Paid events carry a 3% platform fee (on top of Stripe's processing fee), which is lower than Eventbrite's fee structure on most event sizes.
Eventbrite has a free tier for free events. For paid events, it charges 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket as a service fee, which the organizer typically absorbs. On 100 tickets at $25, that's $272 in platform fees before Stripe processing.
Yes. Export your attendee list from Eventbrite as a CSV and import it into CompleteEvent on any plan. Your event history and future events can all move over.
No. Eventbrite is a ticketing and discovery platform — it doesn't support multi-track session scheduling, session signups, or personal attendee agendas. CompleteEvent has all of these built in.
CompleteEvent is generally better for nonprofits because of lower fees (and a 20% nonprofit discount on paid plans), no per-ticket fees on paid plans, and purpose-built features like donation collection and attendee certificates. Eventbrite's discovery network is less useful when you have your own audience.
Eventbrite holds ticket revenue and pays out after the event. CompleteEvent uses Stripe Connect, so revenue flows directly into your own Stripe account at the moment of sale — you never have to wait for a payout.
Free plan forever. No credit card needed. Build your first event in under 5 minutes.
Questions? hello@completeevent.app