AttendStar vs. EventSprout
Selecting the right ticketing software is essential to streamline ticket sales, enhance the attendee experience, and maximize revenue. If you’re selling tickets to an air show or outdoor event – where unique challenges like on-site support and scalability are crucial – finding the right ticketing platform could make or break your event!
AttendStar and EventSprout are two ticketing platforms you could consider. Let’s compare their features, pricing, ease of use, and overall value, so you can make the best decision for your event.
What to Look for in Event Ticketing Software
The event ticketing platform you select can significantly impact ticket sales, attendee satisfaction, word of mouth marketing, and overall revenue. To make the best choice for your event, you need to compare several key factors.
- 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 EventSprout.
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.
Futhermore, AttendStar’s expertise in air shows includes unique solutions like drone detection systems, parking management systems, and private network access for enhanced security.
Key Platform Features
Ticket Customization and Management: AttendStar empowers organizers with flexible ticketing options, including tickets, parking passes, tiered pricing, addons and bundles. The platform supports dynamic pricing and real-time ticket adjustments, making it ideal for events with complex ticketing needs. With extensive customization features, organizers can optimize pricing strategies to maximize revenue and enhance the attendee experience.
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 “do it for me” white glove service for event organizers, but for those clients who want to manage tasks within the software themselves, the platform prioritizes simplicity with an intuitive dashboard that streamlines ticket creation, marketing, and sales tracking. Ticket buyers also benefit from a straightforward purchasing process.
AttendStar's mobile app offers fast, reliable ticket scanning with audible feedback, offline sync, and customizable scanning rules—all with optimized battery life and an intuitive interface.
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 offers a dedicated phone system with customized event-specific information for ticket buyers at no extra charge. The system and the AttendStar team handle ticket buyer inquiries directly, which reduces the burden on organizers during the busy days leading up to an event.
In addition, the AttendStar system is set up to send ticket buyers day-of-event updates and alerts to address last-minute issues related to event changes, weather, traffic, and so on. The goal is to ensure attendee satisfaction is as high as possible while removing day-of-event tasks from the event organizer’s to-do list.
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% per ticket
Minimum Ticket Price: $1.50
Contract Required: No
Additional Hardware Fee: No
Additional Connectivity Fee: No
Payment Processing: Daily payouts via Stripe
Overview of EventSprout
EventSprout focuses on online and live stream events as well as air shows, fairs and festivals, and racing events that require custom ticketing for their event.
Key Platform Features
Customizable Tickets: The platform supports reserved seating, general admission, group tickets, and live-stream events.
User-Friendly Reporting Tools: EventSprout offers easy-to-use reporting tools that allow organizers to track ticket sales, attendee demographics, and marketing performance.
Mobile-Friendly App: EventSprout is mobile-optimized and offers a mobile app with built-in ticket scanning capabilities.
User Experience and Ease of Use
EventSprout's platform is intuitive, with a simple setup process for ticketing. The dashboard is well-organized and easy to navigate, allowing event managers to efficiently manage sales and track event performance.
The attendee purchase process is also smooth, with a mobile-friendly interface that accommodates quick purchases.
Client Support and On-Site Assistance
EventSprout provides customer support via email and phone, but on-site assistance is limited compared to AttendStar. On-site assistance is also only available at an added cost while AttendStar’s on-site support is included in its base fees.
EventSprout provides resources like a knowledge base and troubleshooting guides for online customer support. The company’s focus on providing resources allows organizers to self-manage many common issues, although it may be less ideal for those requiring extensive help or on-site support.
Ticket Buyer Support
EventSprout provides resources to assist ticket buyers through an online knowledge base, but events are ultimately responsible for handling ticket buyer issues.
Pricing & Payment Processing
EventSprout charges per ticket, with fees varying between self-service and full-service options. Their Full Service fees are significantly higher than AttendStar’s, especially since AttendStar includes hardware, connectivity, and ticket buyer support at no extra cost. EventSprout also adds fees for services that AttendStar includes upfront.
For larger events, EventSprout offers volume-based discounts on their ticket fees, giving organizers more budget flexibility.
Fee Percent: 4% – 13% per ticket
Minimum Ticket Price: N/A
Contract Required: Yes
Additional Hardware Fee: Yes
Additional Connectivity Fee: Yes
Payment Processing: Daily payouts via Stripe
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
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.
LIMITED
Delivers comprehensive presale & onsale campaigns, email and SMS marketing services to alleviate the marketing burden for event organizers.
INCLUDED
for qualifying events
EXTRA COST
uses 3rd Party Agency
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
EXTRA COST
Provides high-speed ticket scanners and handheld point-of-sale devices for efficient event entry and sales.
INCLUDED
EXTRA COST
Operates on a private network channel for events, ensuring prioritized and uninterrupted service even when cell towers experience peak usage.
INCLUDED
Private 5G Connection
EXTRA COST
Consumer 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
Daily Payouts via Stripe
Per-Ticket Percentage-Based Fee
(5% - 10% per-ticket)
Per-Ticket Percentage-Based Fee
(4% - 13% per-ticket)
Comparison Summary
Advantages
- Done-for-you, white-glove services to optimize your event's success
- Bundled hardware & connectivity with no rental fees.
- Strong focus on outdoor events and air shows with guarenteed private 5G connectivity, even when public cellular networks fail.
- Comprehensive marketing tools & services
- On-site event assistance
- Real-time data for improved decision-making
- More features & services included in base pricing than EventSprout
- Accessible help from a real person when you and your ticket buyers need it
- Mobile App Scanner, offers fast, reliable ticket scanning with audible feedback, offline sync, and customizable scanning rules—all with optimized battery life and an intuitive interface.
Downsides
- Primarily suited for air shows or medium-to-large outdoor events.
- Strong focus on handling everything for event organizers means it may not be a match for all events.
Advantages
- Well known for virtual / live-stream events.
- Easy to Use
- Mobile Friendly App
- DIY Focus for Self Service Tier
- Real-time data for improved decision-making
Downsides
- On-site support and many other tools and services require additional costs.
- No day-of support services.
- Less support and fewer marketing tools and services compared to AttendStar
- Higher per ticket fees.
- EventSprout’s hardware relies on unreliable consumer-grade 5G cellular connection or WiFi, which may impact event operations.
Which Ticketing Platform is Right for You?
Choose AttendStar if you want white glove service, extensive on-site support, robust marketing tools and services that are included in the pricing, or you want specialized solutions for air shows or medium to large-sized outdoor events. Also, if you want a team of experts onsite during your event to help you with logistics, ticket scanning + POS, parking, connectivity, guest flow optimization, and more, then AttendStar is the best choice.
For event managers seeking a straightforward, mobile-optimized platform with live-streaming tools, EventSprout may be an option to consider.
Selecting the right ticketing software can help you sell more tickets and boost your event’s profitability. Both AttendStar and EventSprout have strong offerings, so the choice ultimately depends on your event’s size, budget, and specific requirements. For a detailed comparison, request demos from both platforms to see their features firsthand and determine which aligns best with your event goals.
