How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Tessitura is the top pick for large performing arts organisations that need ticketing, fundraising and membership in one patron record and can fund a long implementation. Spektrix is the best alternative for mid-size theatres and arts centres that want a cloud system with strong marketing tools and no upgrade projects.
Key takeaways
- Tessitura suits large venues with complex seasons and a dedicated team, while Spektrix suits mid-size arts centres that want cloud software.
- Arts People and ThunderTix publish clear per-ticket prices, so small theatres can budget without a sales call.
- Five of the eight tools in this guide are quote-only, so ask for a written total that covers implementation, training and card processing.
- Season subscriptions, reserved seating and exchanges matter more than a low headline fee for most arts venues.
What should an arts venue look for in ticketing software
An arts venue should look for reserved seating with a clear seat map, season subscriptions with same-seat renewal, flexible exchanges, and a single patron record that links tickets, donations and memberships. A general event tool can sell a single show, but it often struggles with a season of 20 productions and donor history. Ask how the tool handles comp tickets, group sales and rush tickets, because those cases fill a real box office week. Check the checkout flow on a phone, since many patrons now buy on mobile.
How much does arts ticketing software cost
Arts ticketing software falls into three models, and the model matters more than the headline number. Per-ticket tools charge a fixed amount on each ticket sold, so cost rises with sales and falls in a quiet month. Subscription and licence tools charge a fixed annual amount, so a busy season costs the same as a quiet one. Percentage tools charge a share of gross ticket revenue, so a higher ticket price means a higher fee. Implementation, migration and training can cost as much as the first year of software on the large systems, so ask for the total first-year cost in writing.
A small theatre should not buy the same tool as a large orchestra unless it has the same budget, staff and season complexity. A 200-seat community theatre with one part-time box office worker needs simple setup, clear per-ticket pricing and support that answers the phone. A large orchestra with 10,000 subscribers needs deep fundraising tools, complex seating, multi-venue scheduling and a team that can run a long project. The small tool will fail the large orchestra when it cannot handle subscription renewals at scale or donor reporting, so match the tool to your ticket volume and staff.
A ticketing-only tool sells tickets and records who bought them, while a CRM keeps the full patron story in one place and uses it to guide marketing and fundraising. In a CRM, a ticket buyer, a donor, a member and a subscriber are the same person, so the box office can see that a patron gave 500 dollars last year and has held the same seats for five seasons. A ticketing-only tool can still work well for a venue that sells single shows and does not run a fundraising program. The risk comes when a venue buys a ticketing tool and later adds a separate donor database, because the two systems then hold different versions of the same patron.
Arts ticketing software compared
| Tool |
Best for |
Starting price |
Free plan |
| Tessitura |
Large arts organisations with fundraising and membership |
Quote |
No |
| Spektrix |
Mid-size theatres and arts centres |
Quote |
No |
| AudienceView |
Multi-venue live event organisations |
Quote |
No |
| PatronManager |
Salesforce-based arts organisations |
Quote, third-party reported from 15,000 dollars per year |
No |
| OvationTix |
Nonprofit theatres and arts centres |
Quote |
No |
| Arts People |
Community theatres and performing arts nonprofits |
0.99 dollars per ticket plus transaction fees |
No |
| Vendini |
Venues moving to AudienceView Professional |
Quote, third-party reported from 100 dollars per user per month |
No |
| ThunderTix |
Small to mid-size performing arts venues |
1 dollar per ticket plus 20 dollars per month |
Free trial |
This worked example uses a 500-seat theatre that sells 10,000 tickets a year at an average price of 40 dollars, giving 400,000 dollars in ticket revenue. Arts People charges 0.99 dollars per ticket, so the platform fee is 9,900 dollars before transaction fees. ThunderTix Reserved Seating charges 1.25 dollars per ticket plus 25 dollars a month, so the cost is 12,500 dollars plus 300 dollars, or 12,800 dollars before card processing. ThunderTix General Admission charges 1 dollar per ticket plus 20 dollars a month, or 10,240 dollars in total. Tessitura, Spektrix, AudienceView, PatronManager, OvationTix and Vendini do not publish a price, so no exact figure can be given for them here. A Spektrix service charge of about 2.8 percent on 400,000 dollars of sales would be about 11,200 dollars, as a guide only, with card processing on top.
| Decision |
Pick this tool |
| Large venue, fundraising and memberships in one record |
Tessitura or PatronManager |
| Mid-size theatre, cloud software, strong marketing |
Spektrix |
| Multi-venue operation with discovery and media reach |
AudienceView |
| Small theatre, clear per-ticket cost, no monthly bill |
Arts People |
| Small to mid-size venue, reserved seating, simple budget |
ThunderTix |
| Nonprofit theatre that wants dynamic pricing and CRM |
OvationTix |
| Venue already moving to AudienceView Professional |
Vendini |
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Tessitura | Large performing arts organisations, orchestras, opera companies and museums with complex seasons | quote | No free plan |
 Spektrix | Mid-size theatres, arts centres and museums that want cloud ticketing with marketing and fundraising | quote | No free plan |
 AudienceView | Multi-venue live event organisations, performing arts centres, festivals and campuses | quote | No free plan |
 PatronManager | Performing arts organisations already on Salesforce or planning to move to Salesforce | quote, third-party reported from 15,000 dollars per year | No free plan |
 OvationTix | Nonprofit theatres, arts centres and museums that want ticketing with dynamic pricing and CRM | quote | No free plan |
 Arts People | Community theatres, dance companies, symphonies and opera groups that want simple per-ticket pricing | 0.99 dollars per ticket plus transaction fees, checked on the vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026 | No free plan |
 Vendini | Venues that already use Vendini and are moving to AudienceView Professional | quote, third-party reported from 100 dollars per user per month | No free plan |
 ThunderTix | Small to mid-size performing arts venues, live music venues and dinner theatres that want reserved seating | 1 dollar per ticket plus 20 dollars per month for General Admission, checked on the vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026 | Free trial, no free plan |
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Best arts ticketing software
#1
Tessitura
Best for: Large performing arts organisations, orchestras, opera companies and museums with complex seasons
Visit tessitura.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo free plan
Tessitura is the long-standing system for large arts organisations, built around one database for the whole patron relationship. A ticket buyer, a donor and a member are the same record, so development staff can see giving history next to attendance history without switching systems. Season subscriptions, same-seat renewals, exchanges and payment plans are core features, not add-ons. The platform also covers education programs, classes and museum admissions. Tessitura charges no transaction fees, and the organisation keeps any fees it chooses to charge. Third-party industry analyses report licences at about 1,000 to 3,000 dollars per user per year, with implementation reported at 20,000 to 100,000 dollars or more, but Tessitura does not publish a price, so treat those figures as third-party reported estimates only.
What we like- One patron record covers ticketing, fundraising and membership, with no per-ticket fees
Watch out for- Implementation can take 6 to 12 months and needs dedicated staff
#2
Spektrix
Best for: Mid-size theatres, arts centres and museums that want cloud ticketing with marketing and fundraising
Visit spektrix.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo free plan
Spektrix is a cloud ticketing, marketing and fundraising platform built for cultural organisations, and it suits venues that want modern software without running their own servers. The system covers reserved seating, season tickets, memberships, merchandise and donations in one place, with email marketing tools included. Its pricing model is a single service charge based on the gross value of tickets, memberships and merchandise processed through the system, and Spektrix does not charge on donations. A UK government pricing document lists typical levels of 3.3 percent at 600,000 pounds of annual revenue, 2.8 percent at 1,000,000 pounds and 2.3 percent at 2,000,000 pounds. Spektrix does not publish a fixed rate, so ask for your rate in writing.
What we like- One inclusive charge covers hosting, unlimited users, upgrades and support, with no charge on donations
Watch out for- The charge is a percentage of gross sales, so a higher ticket price raises the fee, and card processing is extra
#3
AudienceView
Best for: Multi-venue live event organisations, performing arts centres, festivals and campuses
Visit audienceview.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo free plan
AudienceView is a broad live event platform that covers ticketing, marketing, fundraising and CRM for theatres, music venues, festivals, museums and higher education. It handles assigned seating, season tickets, group sales, donations at checkout and multi-venue scheduling, with real-time inventory across online, phone and box office sales. The vendor offers two payment models, and both include the full platform, onboarding, data migration, unlimited users and support. Per-ticket pricing charges a flat fee based on expected annual volume, with a light minimum, while subscription pricing lets a venue pre-purchase a set number of tickets for the year. The vendor does not publish either price, so ask for both options in writing.
What we like- Ticketing, marketing, fundraising and CRM sit in one platform, and events can reach TheaterMania and WhatsOnStage audiences
Watch out for- Pricing is not published, and the platform can be more than a single small venue needs
#4
PatronManager
Best for: Performing arts organisations already on Salesforce or planning to move to Salesforce
Visit patronmanager.com
Starting pricequote, third-party reported from 15,000 dollars per year
Free planNo free plan
PatronManager, now sold as Leap Patron Management, is a patron CRM built entirely on Salesforce, and it is the natural pick for an arts organisation that already runs on Salesforce. Ticketing, fundraising, email marketing and donor management share one database, so a patron record shows ticket history, gifts, memberships and campaign responses together. The system covers reserved and general admission seating, season tickets, subscriptions and online sales, with reporting that draws on Salesforce tools. The vendor does not publish a price, so the starting figure of 15,000 dollars per year comes from third-party directories such as Capterra and GetApp and should be treated as third-party reported. Salesforce licences are a separate cost.
What we like- Built natively on Salesforce, so ticketing, fundraising and reporting share one CRM
Watch out for- Salesforce licensing and admin time sit on top of the PatronManager cost
#5
OvationTix
Best for: Nonprofit theatres, arts centres and museums that want ticketing with dynamic pricing and CRM
Visit audienceview.com
Starting pricequote
Free planNo free plan
OvationTix is a cloud ticketing system for nonprofits, arts centres, museums and theatres, and it is now an AudienceView product after AudienceView acquired it with TheaterMania. The platform lets a venue set ticket prices by individual seat or by section, offer free and discounted tickets, and use dynamic pricing to adjust prices as demand changes. Fundraising, member segmentation and marketing sit in the same CRM as ticketing, with patron history, tasks and notes for development staff. OvationTix does not publish a price, and no reliable per-ticket figure is available from the vendor, so buyers need a custom quote. Ask whether the quote covers OvationTix as a standalone system or the wider AudienceView platform, since the scope and the price can differ.
What we like- Combines ticketing, dynamic pricing, fundraising and member segmentation in one CRM
Watch out for- Now sold through AudienceView, so confirm which product you are buying
#6
Arts People
Best for: Community theatres, dance companies, symphonies and opera groups that want simple per-ticket pricing
Visit neonone.com
Starting price0.99 dollars per ticket plus transaction fees, checked on the vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026
Free planNo free plan
Arts People is ticketing and patron management software built only for performing arts organisations, and it is now part of the Neon One platform. The vendor pricing page, opened on 11 November 2026, states a simple price of 0.99 dollars per ticket plus transaction fees, with no monthly subscription dues. That model suits a community theatre with a short season, because cost follows ticket sales and there is no fixed bill in a quiet month. The system covers online sales, box office sales, reserved seating with a seat map builder, subscriptions, flex passes, packages, donations and memberships. Support is included, with a US-based team and a median ticket resolution time of 4.5 hours stated on the vendor page. The main cost to check is the transaction fee, since the vendor page does not state the processing rate in the same line.
What we like- One simple price per ticket with no monthly subscription
Watch out for- Transaction fees sit on top of the 0.99 dollar fee
#7
Vendini
Best for: Venues that already use Vendini and are moving to AudienceView Professional
Visit audienceview.com
Starting pricequote, third-party reported from 100 dollars per user per month
Free planNo free plan
Vendini was a long-standing ticketing and patron management system for live events, and it is now known as AudienceView Professional after AudienceView acquired the company. The platform covers online, mobile and onsite ticketing, reserved seating, season tickets, fundraising, marketing and patron management, with barcode scanning and print-at-home tickets. The vendor does not publish a price for AudienceView Professional, so the figure of 100 dollars per user per month comes from third-party directories such as ITQlick and should be treated as third-party reported, not as a vendor price. New buyers should ask AudienceView for a quote under the current product name and confirm what migration, training and support are included.
What we like- Covers ticketing, fundraising, marketing and patron management in one system
Watch out for- Now sold as AudienceView Professional, so confirm the current product name and price
#8ThunderTix
Best for: Small to mid-size performing arts venues, live music venues and dinner theatres that want reserved seating4.6/5 on
G2 (48 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit thundertix.com
Starting price1 dollar per ticket plus 20 dollars per month for General Admission, checked on the vendor pricing page on 12 November 2026
Free planFree trial, no free plan
ThunderTix is ticketing, box office and venue management software built for performing arts organisations, theatres and live music venues. The vendor pricing page, opened on 11 November 2026, lists General Admission at 1 dollar per ticket plus 20 dollars a month, Reserved Seating at 1.25 dollars per ticket plus 25 dollars a month, and White Glove at 1.95 dollars per ticket plus 195 dollars a month. A K12 Schools plan is listed at 0.65 dollars per ticket plus 3.65 percent including processing, although a footnote on the same page states 3.5 percent, so confirm the school rate in writing. Other ThunderTix comparison pages state a different model of 89 cents plus 4.85 percent per ticket, which conflicts with the pricing page figures above, so use the pricing page as the current source and ask the vendor which model applies to a new account.
What we like- Flat per-ticket fees do not rise with ticket price
Watch out for- Card processing is extra, and custom seating charts carry a setup fee of 0.55 dollars per seat with a 250 dollar minimum
Frequently asked questions
How much does arts ticketing software cost for a small theatre
A small theatre can expect to pay from about 1 dollar per ticket on a flat-fee tool such as ThunderTix, or 0.99 dollars per ticket on Arts People, plus card processing. A quote-only system such as Tessitura or Spektrix will cost far more in the first year once implementation and training are added. Ask each vendor for a total first-year figure based on your real ticket count.
Which arts ticketing software is best for season subscriptions
Tessitura and Spektrix are strong for season subscriptions because same-seat renewal, exchanges and payment plans are core features. Arts People also handles subscriptions, flex passes and packages well for smaller organisations. ThunderTix covers season and flex passes too, with multi-venue passes on its plans. The right pick depends on your subscriber count and whether you need fundraising in the same record.
Does Tessitura charge per-ticket fees
Tessitura charges no transaction fees to the organisation or its buyers, and the organisation keeps 100 percent of any fees it chooses to charge. The cost sits in the licence and implementation instead, and Tessitura does not publish a price. Third-party analyses report licences at about 1,000 to 3,000 dollars per user per year. Ask for a custom quote that states the licence, implementation and support costs.
Can a small theatre use Spektrix
A small theatre can use Spektrix, but it should check the service charge maths first. Spektrix charges a single service charge based on gross sales, with no charge on donations, and card processing sits on top. A venue with low sales may find the minimum charge high relative to its income. Ask for the rate and the minimum in writing, and compare the total with a per-ticket tool.
What should a venue ask before signing a ticketing contract
Ask for the total first-year cost in writing, including implementation, migration, training, support and card processing. Ask who owns the patron data, how exports work, and what happens to season ticket data if you leave. Ask whether fees apply to free, comp or donated tickets, and what support hours cover show nights.
How we picked
We picked tools that serve performing arts venues, theatres, orchestras, dance companies and museums. Prices were checked on vendor pricing pages where a price is published, and labelled quote or third-party reported where it is not. Research and price checks were done on 11 and 12 November 2026. Vendor pages opened were ThunderTix pricing and the Neon One Arts People page.
Last verified: 12 November 2026
Sources we checked (12)
- https://www.tessitura.com
- https://www.spektrix.com
- https://www.audienceview.com
- https://www.patronmanager.com
- https://www.neonone.com/products/arts-people/
- https://www.thundertix.com/online-ticketing-software-pricing/
- https://www.thundertix.com/thundertix-vs-tessitura/
- https://kurums.com/museum-ticketing-crm-software-compared/?v=653f5ac96a69
- https://www.capterra.ca/software/118188/patronmanager-crm
- https://www.itqlick.com/vendini/pricing
- https://audienceview.com/faq/
- https://assets.applytosupply.digitalmarketplace.service.gov.uk/g-cloud-14/documents/92833/310640378015414-pricing-document-2025-06-20-0728.pdf
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.