Is Eventbrite Legit or Scam? Eventbrite is an online event management and ticketing platform that allows event organizers to plan, promote, and sell tickets to events of all sizes. With over 4 million events hosted annually and 500 million tickets sold since its founding in 2006, Eventbrite has become one of the most popular event technology platforms worldwide.
But like all online businesses, Eventbrite has faced questions around whether it can be trusted and if its services are truly worth the fees charged. This article provides an in-depth and unbiased review of Eventbrite, analyzing key factors like legitimacy, fees, customer service, and more to help you determine if Eventbrite is right for your next event.
Overview of Eventbrite (Is Eventbrite Legit or Scam?)
Eventbrite.com is based in San Francisco and was founded by Julia and Kevin Hartz after seeing a need for an easy-to-use self-service ticketing platform. The company has raised over $330 million in funding and processes billions of dollars in ticket sales annually.
Eventbrite aims to make event ticketing seamless for both event creators and attendees. Key features include:
- Online event pages and registration with customizable ticketing options
- Integrated payment processing to collect ticket fees directly
- Robust promotion and marketing tools including coupons and referral tracking
- Detailed sales and attendee reporting and analytics
- Mobile ticket scanning for seamless check-in
- 24/7 customer support via phone, chat, or email
Organizers can sign up for a free Eventbrite account to access basic features or upgrade to a paid plan for advanced functionality like custom registration questions, attendee management tools, and more. Paid plans start at $99 per month with additional fees charged per ticket sold.
For attendees, Eventbrite provides a marketplace to discover local events across music, food and drink, classes, conferences, fundraisers, and more. Users can browse events, purchase tickets, and manage their orders directly on the site or mobile app.
Now let’s take a closer look at whether Eventbrite delivers on its promises of easy event management—or if the many fees mean you’re better off looking elsewhere.
Is Eventbrite Legit? Reviewing Factors of Trustworthiness
When evaluating any online business, it’s important to look at factors like longevity, reputation, transparency, and compliance to determine if it’s legitimate and trustworthy. Here’s how Eventbrite stacks up:
Years in Business
As a company founded in 2006 that has grown consistently for over 15 years, Eventbrite has established itself as a mature, stable business in the event technology space. They have weathered major economic downturns and shifts in the industry while continuing to expand their market share. This long history helps validate that they are a legitimate company you can rely on.
Global Usage and Prominence
With over 500,000 events hosted in 179 countries, Eventbrite has a truly global presence. Such widespread adoption indicates that their systems and support deliver on promises to event organizers worldwide. Their prominence makes them accountable as any issues would be publicly visible and scrutinized.
Positive Reputation
While no business is perfect, Eventbrite maintains a largely positive reputation bolstered by several factors:
- 3.8 out of 5 stars across 29,000 Google reviews
- A rating averaging 4 out of 5 stars across thousands of user reviews on SiteJabber, Trustpilot, and more
- High marks for ease of use from organizations like PC Mag and Capterra
- A rating of “Excellent” from the Better Business Bureau
This predominantly favorable feedback from reviewers provides confidence in Eventbrite.
Transparent Pricing and Fees
Eventbrite clearly outlines pricing and fees on their website so event organizers know what to expect. There are no “hidden fees” and all charges are tied to usage and services utilized. Their fee structure is comparable with competitors like Ticket Tailor and Universe.
Security and Compliance
Eventbrite has obtained ISO 27001 certification and undergone SOC 2 Type 2 audits which indicate stringent security practices and controls. They are also compliant with major regulations like GDPR to ensure safe handling of data. Third party validation of security minimizes risks for users.
Taken together, these factors demonstrate that Eventbrite is a legitimate company that organizations and event creators of all sizes can trust with registration, promotion, and ticket sales for their events. Let’s now look at some of the key benefits and drawbacks of using the platform.
Eventbrite Pros
1. Easy Event Setup and Customization
Eventbrite makes it simple for organizers to create professional, customized event pages in just minutes. You can easily configure settings like:
- Event name, date, time, location, and description
- Registration options (free, paid, donations)
- Custom registration questions
- Order limits and promo code discounts
- Reporting and analytics access
Whether you’re planning a small community gathering or a major conference, Eventbrite provides extensive options without the need for coding or development skills.
2. Secure Integrated Payment Processing
Collecting registration fees and selling tickets can be headache for event planners. However, Eventbrite neatly integrates payment processing right into your event page and registration flows.
Key features include:
- Wide range of payment methods accepted including all major credit cards plus PayPal, Apple Pay, and more
- Ability to collect payment upfront during registration or allow attendees to pay later
- Automated tax and VAT calculation capabilities for global events
- Stripe integration to safely collect and store card details
- Fraud protection and built-in refund processing
Payment is seamless for both attendees and organizers—no need to go through third party systems.
3. Effective Marketing and Promotion Tools
Driving ticket sales for your event goes hand-in-hand with spreading the word. Eventbrite provides a number of promotional features to help you get the right messaging in front of your target audience:
- Customizable email invitations you can send directly to participants
- Social sharing options for Twitter, Facebook, and more
- Integration with MailChimp, Constant Contact, and other email marketing platforms
- Tracking referral sources and channels
- Discounting options like promo codes and group rates
- Waitlists and reminder emails to enable sales momentum
Organizers can deliver targeted, trackable promotions to boost registrations and meet attendance goals.
4. Detailed Reporting and Analytics
Understanding registration trends and attendee demographics is hugely valuable for planning and driving future ticket sales. Eventbrite equips organizers with real-time data and insights into:
- Total ticket sales and revenues
- Registrations and capacity tracking over time
- Breakdown of ticket types or package purchases
- Demographic data like location and referral sources
- Individual attendee details and order histories
Robust analytics and downloadable reports help inform marketing strategies and overall event planning for organizers.
5. Mobile Event Management Apps
Eventbrite offers mobile apps for both iPhone and Android to give organizers on-the-go access for managing events and tickets. Key features include:
- Respond to attendee questions and comments
- Monitor registrations and sales
- Check in attendees when doors open
- Accept on-site registrations and payments
- Issue refunds or exchange tickets
Mobile convenience makes event management easy whether you’re in the office or on-site on the day-of.
Eventbrite Cons
Despite the many positives, there are also drawbacks to weigh if considering using Eventbrite:
1. Service and Payment Processing Fees
Eventbrite charges fees on a per ticket basis rather than a flat monthly rate. Their pricing model is:
- Free listing (with Eventbrite payment processing): 2.9% + $0.99 per ticket
- Paid plans (with Eventbrite payment processing): 2.5% to 2.0% + $0.99 to $1.59 per ticket
- Custom pricing for high volume events
While these fees are comparable to competitors, they can add up quickly, especially for larger events. Eventbrite also encourages the use of their own payment processing which incurs a higher fee versus using an external provider like PayPal or Square. This may drive up costs.
2. Lack of All-In-One Event Management
While Eventbrite excels at the ticketing process, it lacks robust features for venue sourcing, scheduling, staffing, hotel blocks, travel, and other end-to-end event planning needs. You’ll likely need separate tools to manage tasks beyond ticketing and registration.
3. Limited Customization and Integrations
Eventbrite follows a rigid, templated approach to pages and flows. While you can tweak settings and options, there is little ability to customize pages or workflows at a granular level without coding knowledge. API and Zapier integrations help connect other tools but may require developer resources.
4. Higher Service Fees for Onsite Registration
For attendees who prefer to register on-site, Eventbrite charges a higher payment processing fee of 3.5% versus 2.9% for online orders. You may need a separate onsite solution if you want to avoid passing higher costs to attendees registering on event day.
5. Lack of 24/7 Emergency Support
While Eventbrite does provide phone, email, chat, and social media support, this is limited to business hours. If an urgent issue occurs outside these windows, you may be unable to reach their team to quickly troubleshoot.
Eventbrite Use Cases
Understanding how Eventbrite is commonly used can help you assess if it’s a fit for your specific event needs. Here are some of the most popular Eventbrite use cases:
Conferences
For multi-day conferences with sessions, speakers, and breakouts, Eventbrite provides robust registration management, scheduling, and promotion capabilities to drive ticket sales and attendance.
Seminars & Workshops
Eventbrite enables creating paid or free ticketing for seminars, trainings, and workshops while tracking precise attendee counts for planning.
Performing Arts & Comedy Shows
From school productions to professional theatre and comedy, Eventbrite facilitates multi-date event scheduling, promotions, and selling reserved seating tickets.
Festivals & Concerts
Eventbrite handles time-sensitive high-volume ticket sales for festivals, concerts, and live entertainment events both small and large.
Fundraisers & Nonprofit Events
For fundraising galas, charity races, and other nonprofit community events, Eventbrite enables easy ticketing integrated with cause-based outreach and promotions.
Networking & Social Events
Eventbrite allows creating open guest lists and RSVP management for networking meetups, social events, and holiday parties.
Classes & Training Programs
For ongoing classes, camps, courses, and paid training programs, Eventbrite can handle registration management, schedule coordination, and payment collection across multiple dates.
Sports & Wellness Events
From youth leagues to marathons and cycling races, Eventbrite provides registration and waiver management, team and age group coordination, promo codes, and attendance tracking.
As you can see, Eventbrite accommodates an extremely wide range of use cases. The platform is versatile enough for events large and small across industries.
Eventbrite Customer Service Review
Another important factor when choosing an event technology platform is assessing the level of customer service and support provided. Here is an overview of what to expect from Eventbrite’s customer service:
Support Channels
Eventbrite provides the following ways to contact their customer support team:
- Phone support available Monday to Friday from 4 AM to 10 PM PST
- Email and chat support available via the Eventbrite Help Center portal
- Eventbrite Help Center containing extensive resources including step-by-step tutorials, FAQs, and webinars
- Active user forum for crowdsourcing questions and feedback from fellow organizers
- Eventbrite social media accounts providing support on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram
Responsiveness
Users note somewhat mixed experiences when it comes to Eventbrite’s responsiveness. During business hours, inquiries may be answered relatively quickly via phone, chat, or social media. However, emails often have a turnaround time of 24-48 hours which could cause delays for time-sensitive issues. After hours urgent matters may go unaddressed until the next day.
Resolution Rate
According to reviewers, a majority of issues end up resolved to the customer’s satisfaction through Eventbrite support channels. However, some users note occurrences of being bounced between departments or the issue going repeatedly unresolved. For complex issues, persistence is often required for resolution.
Technical Expertise
Agent knowledge of Eventbrite functionality and troubleshooting appears to be good overall. Support specialists typically have the expertise to address platform questions and issues. Though for highly technical development or API issues, escalation may be required.
Customer Service Ratings
On third-party review sites like Trustpilot, Eventbrite customer service reviews average around a 3.5 out of 5 star rating. The most common positive feedback is praise for knowledgeable, friendly agents. Negative critiques primarily cite slow email response times and difficulties getting resolution on complex issues.
Comparing Eventbrite vs. Alternatives
For those exploring options, it can be helpful to directly compare Eventbrite against some of the top competing platforms. Here is an overview of how Eventbrite stacks up versus key alternatives.
Eventbrite vs. Ticket Tailor
Founded in 2011 in the UK, Ticket Tailor is Eventbrite’s top competitor worldwide.
Eventbrite | Ticket Tailor | |
---|---|---|
Fees | 2.0% – 2.9% + $0.99 – $1.59 per ticket | 1.9% + $0.49 per ticket |
Payment Processing | Integrated (Stripe) | External providers like PayPal, GoCardless |
Events per Year | 500,000+ | 75,000+ |
Key Regions | Worldwide including US, UK, Australia | UK, Europe, US |
Key Features | Robust promotion tools, custom registration, mobile apps | Lower fees, onsite badge printing |
Eventbrite offers a larger global footprint and more features while Ticket Tailor focuses on keeping fees lower. Both are highly capable platforms.
Eventbrite vs. Universe
Founded in 2008 in the US, Universe is Eventbrite’s closest competitor in the American market.
Eventbrite | Universe | |
---|---|---|
Fees | 2.0% – 2.9% + $0.99 – $1.59 per ticket | 2.9% + $0.30 per ticket |
Payment Processing | Integrated (Stripe) | Integrated (Stripe, PayPal) |
Events per Year | 500,000+ | 180,000+ |
Key Regions | Worldwide including US, UK, Australia | United States |
Key Features | Mobile apps, custom questions, robust promotions | Lower fees, unique domains, tools for recurring events |
Universe competes heavily on price while Eventbrite offers a more mobile-centric experience. For US event organizers, both present great options.
Eventbrite vs. TicketSource
Popular primarily in the UK, TicketSource is an Eventbrite alternative to consider for European event planners.
Eventbrite | TicketSource | |
---|---|---|
Fees | 2.0% – 2.9% + $0.99 – $1.59 per ticket | 1.9% + $0.51 per ticket |
Payment Processing | Integrated (Stripe) | Integrated (SagePay) |
Events per Year | 500,000+ | 120,000+ |
Key Regions | Worldwide including US, UK, Australia | United Kingdom, Ireland |
Key Features | Custom registration questions, robust reporting | Lower fees, integrated charity fundraising |
With its focus on UK-based events and lower costs, TicketSource can be a good local fit versus Eventbrite.
Is Eventbrite Legit or Scam?
Whether Eventbrite is the right event management solution for your needs depends on several factors:
Type of Event
For multi-date events like conferences, festivals, and ongoing classes, Eventbrite’s scheduling and series capabilities excel. For one-time events with simple ticketing needs, the expanded features may be overkill.
Expected Number of Attendees
High-volume events with 500+ attendees benefit most from Eventbrite’s real-time dashboard and robust reporting to monitor sales. Smaller gatherings under 100 may not need these insights.
Budget and Cost Sensitivity
With its per-ticket fee structure, Eventbrite can get costly for high-attendance events. For organizers highly sensitive to platform costs, a flat-fee provider may better control expenses.
Desired Feature Set
Eventbrite shines for ease of use, promotions, and mobile apps. If you instead prioritize extensive customization, global currencies, or on-site badge printing, other platforms may be preferable.
Technical Skills
Eventbrite requires very little technical know-how for organizers to use the platform effectively. But if you require deep integrations or API customization, Eventbrite is less customizable than some competitors.
Consider your specific needs in these areas to determine if Eventbrite offers the right blend of features and capabilities needed for your event.
Conclusion: Is Eventbrite Legit or Scam?
In my impartial assessment, Eventbrite is undoubtedly a legitimate platform that provides significant value in managing ticketing, registrations, and promotion for events of all types and sizes. They have a long-proven track record of success powering millions of events around the world.
While no platform is perfect, the majority of Eventbrite users report positive experiences and satisfaction using their solutions. Their fees are reasonable relative to competitors and the robust feature set makes organizing events streamlined for both new and experienced event planners.
However, Eventbrite may not be the best fit for 100% of event scenarios given drawbacks like:
- Complex customization needs
- Extreme cost sensitivity
- Require 24/7 emergency support
- Onsite badge printing
It’s important
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