Pros and Cons of the Top Online Event Ticketing Systems

Selling tickets is one of the biggest parts of event planning so it’s important to use the best event ticketing system. Using a system helps you keep your attendee information and event data organized in one convenient location. There are a lot of options online so we are going to take a look at the top ones and discuss the pros and cons so you can determine which one is right for your organization’s event.

Things to Consider Prior to Selecting an Online Event Ticketing System

Narrow down the many options for event ticketing systems by taking the following things into consideration:

Budget

Most online ticketing systems do come with a fee, so you need to account for that in your event planning budget. Some fees are smaller than others, and several online ticketing systems offer the option to have the event attendee pay the fee. You can determine which ticketing system is right for your organization by taking your budget into consideration.

Event Size

Hosting a huge event? Most online ticketing systems can help keep you all of your event records organized and even provide you with metrics. If you are hosting a big event, search for a ticketing system that has a lot of perks to help keep you on track.

If you're hosting a smaller event, you may be able to simplify your options by selecting a more straightforward system.

Event Type

While most of the online event ticketing systems are generic, there some that are tailored for fundraisers and nonprofit events. So, if one of your top event goals is to raise money for your cause, narrow down your list of systems to use with ones that specifically support fundraisers.

Now that you know what to look for in online ticketing systems, we’ll go through the benefits and drawbacks of 6 popular ones. Keep in mind the factors above when deciding which one to use.

Pros and Cons of Top Online Event Ticketing Systems

Eventbrite

Let’s start with perhaps the most popular online ticketing system, Eventbrite. Eventbrite is well-known for good reasons, it’s easy-to-use and actively works on reaching event seekers. Additionally, it’s social media friendly and provides an organized view of your event information.

Pros:

• User-friendly for You and Your Audience

Setting your event page up won’t be complicated and your event attendees won’t have a hard time trying to find information either. Eventbrite’s user interface is simple to use for everyone. They event have an event planning page just for nonprofits!

• One of the Most Mainstream Systems

Eventbrite claims on the homepages of their website that they power “more than 3 million live experiences a year.” With that said, chances are that most of your audience has heard of it and will know that it is a reliable, trustworthy source. They promote your event to people who are in your local area or those who may be interested in your type of event through email marketing.

Cons:

• Not a One-Stop Shop

Eventbrite doesn’t provide any additional marketing tools; it’s strictly an online ticketing system. If you were hoping to use one system for event registration and event promotion, this may not be for you. However, you can integrate Eventbrite with MailChimp to send invites and keep track of responses through MailChimp’s reporting.

Accelevents

Accelevents is an online event ticketing system that also offers mobile fundraising options. It also has an email marketing tool and can integrate with external platforms such as Stripe and Zapier. This would be a great selection for nonprofits looking to make the most of event promotion.

Pros:

• 24/7 Online Customer Service

One of the unique perks of this system is that they have around-the-clock customer service that replies to messages within minutes. That means, if you are live at your event and have a question about the system, they can help you on the spot!

• Streamlined Event Check-In

Accelevents’ ticketing has a lot of mobile device capabilities for back-end use. You can scan both physical and digital tickets using your camera on your mobile device. You can also sell last minute tickets at door and do a manual check-in for guests all via your smartphone.  

Blackbaud’s eTapestry

eTapestry is a software offered by Blackbaud, a nonprofit software, that specializes in donor management, event management, and fundraising. It’s a viable option if your organization already uses Blackbaud products and hosts frequent events. It includes email marketing tools, data analytic reporting, payment processing tools, and more.

Pros:

• Plenty of Tracking Options

With eTapestry’s DIY event registration forms, you can create fields for any metrics you wish to track for your event. Since this software is accompanied with data analytic reporting, you’ll be able to receive accurate results for how your event marketing tactics performed.

• Comprehensive Event Management Solution

Through this software your nonprofit can sell online event tickets, send e-invites, and manage event attendance. All eTapestry functions have data encryption to ensure data security.

Cons:

• Not the Most Cost-Effective Solution

If Blackbaud’s products are in your organization’s budget, then we encourage you to give eTapestry a try for donor and event management. The software price is steep but it comes with many convenient features for event management that could simplify the event marketing process for you.

Brown Paper Tickets

Brown Paper Tickets is an online ticketing and event registration software. Its system allows for donation collections at the point of sale for tickets with no service fee for either party. They even offer free ticket printing and shipping to your event ticket buyers. You also have the option to integrate BPT with MailChimp to send out promotion emails and track the results.

Pros:

• No Fees to Sell Tickets

It’s free to create an event page and to sell online tickets. In turn, your ticket buyers pay for the fees. They use their own credit card processor, but allow you the options of using your own. If you do this, they will adjust the ticket buyer fee accordingly to lower the cost for your event attendees.

• Great Selection of Ticket Options

Everyone has a preference of how they like to keep up with their tickets, whether it’s on their mobile device or a tangible ticket. Some would prefer to receive their tickets via postal service while others would like to print it directly at home. Whatever your ticket buyers prefer, Brown Paper Tickets gives them that option. And at just a dime a piece, you can purchase pre-printed tickets to sell at door of your event.

Cons:

• Visually Uninteresting Pages

Yes, they have a great deal on ticket fees and donation collections, but you sacrifice a visually appealing event page in return. The bright side to this is that they have an option to sell tickets from your own website. This means that you can create an attractive landing page for your event on your website and your users can begin the purchasing process there. You can even enable a two-step checkout process for your ticket buyers.

Bizzabo

Bizzabo is an event system that offers event registration tools along with event marketing and management software. The company strives to deliver a consistent on-brand interaction that delights attendees.

Pros:

• All-in-One Platform

Bizzabo offers an event registration system that provides real time event analytics. You can keep all of your event data organized in one, central location and not have to use multiple platforms. You can create your event registration page, email workflows, and attendee surveys with their software.

• Modern Event Website Page

Their claim-to-fame is offering event tools to modern marketers. They live up to that by providing their users with visually appealing, contemporary event landing pages that grasps visitors’ attention in a positive way.

Cons:

• Subscription Fee

On top of a percentage of your tickets, there is an additional subscription fee. There are other systems that don’t charge this. Bizzabo is an all-inclusive event software which is why it is pricier than regular ticketing systems.

Eventgrid

Eventgrid is also an all-in-one event platform that allows you to create event registration pages and receive analytics about your event. There is an option to have users make a donation in lieu of purchasing a ticket. What makes it stand out is that it creates mobile-friendly pages and has other advanced features.

Pros:

• Great User Experience on Desktop and Mobile Event Website Pages

Eventgrid puts a lot of focus into making sure their websites are responsive when used on mobile devices. This is essential since 49.7% of web pages are viewed on mobile devices worldwide.

• Email Marketing Tool and Social Media Integrations

You have the option of using Eventgrid’s email marketing tool and receiving analytics reports from them, instead of integrating it with a separate email marketing platform. There is also an option to promote your event directly to your social media accounts through Eventgrid.

Cons:

• Mobile App is Only Available for iOS

Eventgrid’s app lets you sell tickets at the door of your event via your mobile phone, but it has to be on an iPhone. Their app is not currently available on the Google Play Store. This can be inconvenient if your team only has Android phones.

Every online event ticketing system has their pros and cons, that’s why you need to establish what’s important for you and your organization prior to selecting one. Using an online ticketing system will simplify the planning process for you and provide your audience with all of the information they need.