AttendStar vs. Eventbrite
Choosing the ideal ticketing platform is one of the most critical decisions event organizers have to make. Whether you’re hosting an air show, festival, or concert, the ticketing software you choose impacts everything from ticket sales and marketing to attendee satisfaction and on-site operations.
This detailed comparison guide will help you choose the right ticketing platform for your event. Let’s get started!
What to Look for in Event Ticketing Software
When evaluating ticketing platforms, following are some of the key features and services that are essential for your event’s smooth operations and profitability:
- Ease of Use: A user-friendly interface for both event organizers and ticket buyers
- Customization Options: The ability to create custom ticket types, seating arrangements, and branding
- Marketing Tools: Features like email marketing, social media integrations, and analytics to optimize ticket sales
- Support Services: On-site assistance, technical support, and customer service options
- Pricing Transparency: Clear and fair pricing structures that match your budget
- Specialized Features and Services: Capabilities tailored to specific event needs at no extra cost, such as parking management, ticket scanning hardware, wireless connectivity, and dedicated event phone numbers
With these considerations in mind, let’s dive into a detailed comparison of AttendStar and Eventbrite.
Quick Reference
Overview of AttendStar
AttendStar is a specialized platform originally designed for air shows. Today, AttendStar supports a wide range of small and medium outdoor events, from festivals to monster truck shows. As the leader in the air show market, the company’s main focus is civilian and military air shows.
AttendStar offers white glove service to its event organizer clients, which means they do everything for their clients. However, clients who want to handle some or all aspects of the ticketing, management, and marketing process themselves can do so using the tools and features built into the AttendStar platform.
Key Platform Features
Ticket Customization and Management: AttendStar allows organizers to create various ticket types, including general admission, VIP passes, and tiered pricing. The platform also supports bundling, dynamic pricing, and real-time editing of tickets, making it ideal for events with complex ticketing needs.
Marketing Tools: AttendStar offers an impressive suite of marketing tools, including email and SMS marketing, retargeting campaigns, and abandoned cart reminders. These tools can be used independently or with guidance from AttendStar’s expert marketing team.
Real-Time Data Tracking: Organizers can monitor ticket sales and marketing performance through detailed real-time and historical analytics available in the AttendStar dashboard, helping them make data-driven decisions.
User Experience and Ease of Use
AttendStar offers a clean, user-friendly interface designed specifically for event managers. The AttendStar team will take care of the entire setup process, so it’s straightforward, with step-by-step guidance to create and promote events. Attendees also benefit from a seamless purchase experience, optimized for mobile and desktop devices.
Client Support and On-Site Assistance
Unlike most ticketing software providers, AttendStar client support is available by phone, email, and online chat, so it’s easy for event organizers to get help when they need it. On the day of a client’s event, real-time support is always available.
One of the many ways AttendStar sets itself apart from its competitors is by providing robust on-site assistance for large events. The team can be on-the ground at events to help with ticket scanning, parking logistics, crowd management, and even traffic flow. For air shows, AttendStar even includes a specialized parking pass solution and Private 5G connectivity for reliable on-site operations, even in areas with heavy cell tower usage.
Ticket Buyer Support
AttendStar sets itself apart from other ticketing providers by offering support to ticket buyers. AttendStar offers a specialized phone system equipped with a tailored phone tree, delivering event-specific information to callers. This setup ensures that customer inquiries are efficiently managed by AttendStar’s support team, reducing the workload for event organizers.
In addition, AttendStar provides ticket buyer support for last-minute event-day updates, including announcements and alerts, to keep attendees informed. The team also assists with marketing efforts and handles day-of-event ticket buyer concerns, such as unexpected issues or questions, ensuring a smooth experience for both organizers and attendees.
Pricing & Payment Processing
AttendStar uses a straightforward percentage-based pricing model, charging between 5% and 10% per ticket. There are no hidden fees for setup, hardware, or connectivity, making it a cost-effective solution for event organizers.
Fee Percent: 5% – 10%
Minimum Ticket Price: $1.50
Contract Required: No
Additional Hardware Fee: No
Additional Connectivity Fee: No
Payment Processing: Daily payouts, Stripe/Authorize.net integrations
Overview of Eventbrite
Eventbrite is a popular general purpose event ticketing platform that supports a wide variety of events – both free and with paid tickets. The platform is a do-it-yourself (DIY) option for ticket sales with a primary focus on small to medium events.
Eventbrite promotes itself as a global self-service ticketing platform. According to its website, tickets to more than five million events were offered on the site in 180 countries by 850,000 organizers in 2023 – for everything from marathons and community fundraisers to conferences and air guitar contests.
Key Platform Features
Ticket Customization and Management: Eventbrite allows for various ticket types, reserved seating, free registration, donations, and customizable checkout forms, and more. This flexibility makes it suitable for many types and sizes of events.
Marketing Tools: Eventbrite provides integrated marketing features such as email campaigns, social media ads, and Eventbrite Ads. It also includes tools for audience targeting based on user behavior and demographics.
Real-Time Data Tracking: The software provides real-time reporting and analytics, including sales trends and audience demographics and attendee behaviors. Pixel tracking further enhances ad performance optimization.
User Experience and Ease of Use
Eventbrite’s platform is easy to navigate, which is important since it’s a DIY tool. Creating an event is streamlined, with plenty of templates and customization options. The mobile app makes it easy for event organizers to manage events on the go and scan tickets at their events. Attendees benefit from quick checkout option for a hassle-free buying experience.
The Eventbrite platform supports a variety of third-party integrations – everything from hybrid and virtual event tools to marketing, customer relationship management, accounting, sales, and more. Examples of popular integrations include Zoom, Vimeo, YouTube, HubSpot, Mailchimp, and Salesforce.
Client Support and On-Site Assistance
Eventbrite provides help to event organizers and ticket buyers through online chat and an online knowledge base. Its tools are designed for organizers to self-manage, with no dedicated staff to help you set up, optimize, or market your event or to provide on-site event support, event-day troubleshooting, ticket buyer phone support, and so on.
Ticket Buyer Support
Eventbrite does not offer support to ticket buyers other than its online chat and online knowledge base. Email support is available for some issues.
Pricing & Payment Processing
Eventbrite charges a percentage of the ticket price plus $1.79 per ticket. Higher rates apply for premium plans that include marketing tools and additional services.
Fee Percent: 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket
Minimum Ticket Price: None
Contract Required: No
Additional Hardware Fee: Not Available
Additional Connectivity Fee: Not Available
Payment Processing: 3 days after event or for qualifying accounts – weekly or twice a month, Eventbrite Payment Processing or PayPal
Comparison Stack Up
Specializes in ticketing solutions tailored specifically for both military and civilian airshows, with proven expertise and leadership in the air show market.
Built for Air Shows
LIMITED
Optimize ticket sales and event management with a responsive, intuitive interface designed for any device. Provide a frictionless checkout for buyers and empower organizers with real-time access to crucial tools, ensuring hassle-free operations from anywhere.
Optimize ticket sales with data-driven insights, including Location Sales Reports, Event Comparison Reports, alongside real-time tracking. Leverage features like Discounts & Unlock Codes, Social Proof Notifications, and Tickets Remaining to boost engagement and conversions.
Keep buyers engaged with re-engagement email campaigns, and abandoned cart recovery to maximize event success.
BASIC
without integrations
Delivers comprehensive presale & onsale campaigns, email and SMS marketing services to alleviate the marketing burden for event organizers.
INCLUDED
for qualifying events
LIMITED
added charge
Supports events with last-minute announcements, alerts or updates, offering marketing assistance even on the day of the event.
INCLUDED
for qualifying events
INCLUDED
for qualifying events
Provides high-speed ticket scanners and handheld point-of-sale devices for efficient event entry and sales.
INCLUDED
Operates on a private network channel for events, ensuring prioritized and uninterrupted service even when cell towers experience peak usage.
INCLUDED
Private 5G Connection
ADDED COST
Gain instant access to critical event data with real-time visibility, allowing you to monitor ticket sales, scanned tickets, page traffic, conversion funnels, and revenue-driving campaigns. Additionally, generate unsold seat reports to streamline inventory management and optimize event planning.
Daily Payouts via Stripe
3 Days After Event,
For Qualified Accounts: Weekly or Twice a Month
Eventbrite Payment Processing, or PayPal
Per-Ticket Percentage-Based Fee
(5% - 10% per-ticket)
Per-Ticket Percentage-Based + Flat Fee
(3.7% +$1.79 per-ticket)
Comparison Summary
Advantages
- Done-for-you, white-glove services to optimize your event's success
- Comprehensive marketing tools & services
- Top-quality client and ticket buyer support
- On-site event assistance
- Real-time data for improved decision-making
- Transparent pricing with daily payouts
- More features & services included in base pricing than Eventbrite
- Accessible help from a real person when you and your ticket buyers need it
Downsides
- Strong focus on air shows and small-to-medium outdoor events as well as handling everything for event organizers means it may not be a match for all events.
Advantages
- Easy to use
- Mobile friendly
- Well-known brand
- Great for free events & small events
- Many integrations with third-party applications
Downsides
- DIY focus
- Limited support services
- Longer wait for payments
- Poor reputation for inaccessibility and unresponsiveness when event organizers and event attendees need help
Which Ticketing Platform is Right for You?
If you know you want help setting up, managing, and marketing tickets for your event, then AttendStar is a better ticketing platform for you. Also, if you want a team of experts onsite during your event to help you with logistics, ticket scanning, parking, connectivity, guest flow optimization, and more, then AttendStar is the best choice. Finally, if you’re organizing an air show, AttendStar should be the ticketing platform you use.
On the other hand, if you’re holding a free event or you know you want to self-manage the entire process of setting up, managing, and marketing your event tickets, then Eventbrite could be a good option to consider. It’s also a good option if you want to hold a virtual or hybrid event and/or need to use software integrations or sell tickets globally, since it’s a brand recognized in many countries.
AttendStar and Eventbrite are both excellent ticketing software providers, but they each cater to different needs. Consider your event’s unique requirements, request a demo of each software, and choose the platform and team that will help you reach the goals you set for your event.
