How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Rankite is independent; if a vendor ever pays for a featured spot, that listing is clearly labeled Partner.
Key takeaways
- Eventbrite is free for free events (3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket), which makes it the default for public events under 500 attendees.
- RegFox charges a flat $0.99 + 1% per registrant (capped at $4.99), the cheapest per-registrant pricing for paid events here.
- Whova (3.0% + $0.99 per paid ticket) bundles registration with its conference app: check-in, badges, agenda and networking in one platform.
- Enterprise platforms (Cvent, Bizzabo, Swoogo) cost $11,800 to $25,000+ per year; budget for per-registrant fees and setup on top of the license.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 Eventbrite | Public events, classes and gatherings under 500 attendees | Free for free events; 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket | Yes (free events are free) |
 RegFox | Paid events where per-ticket fees would eat the budget | $0.99 + 1% per paid registrant (capped at $4.99) | No |
 Whova | Conferences that want registration plus a full event app | 3.0% + $0.99 per paid ticket (no fee for free tickets) | No (free tickets carry no fee) |
 Ticketleap | Simple online ticketing without platform complexity | 2% + $1 per paid ticket (plus 3% processing) | No |
 Brushfire | Nonprofit, ministry and church events | $1.50 + 1% per paid attendee; $1.00 per free attendee | No |
 Splash | Brand-focused corporate and marketing events | Free plan; Pro and Enterprise quoted (service fees 1.6% + $0.49) | Yes (free plan) |
 Swoogo | Organizations with complex, conditional registration logic | $11,800/year | No |
 Bizzabo | B2B marketing teams tying events to pipeline | $17,999/year | No |
 Cvent | Enterprise events with venue sourcing and global scale | See website (quoted; $15,000+/year reported) | No |
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We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Event registration platforms sell tickets, collect attendee data and check people in. The pricing models split three ways: per-ticket fees (Eventbrite, Whova), flat per-registrant fees (RegFox), and annual licenses (Cvent, Bizzabo, Swoogo). These nine cover the 2026 market from free to enterprise.
#1
Eventbrite
Best for: Public events, classes and gatherings under 500 attendees
Visit eventbrite.com
Starting priceFree for free events; 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket
Free planYes (free events are free)
Eventbrite is the default for public events because free events cost nothing and setup takes minutes. Paid events pay 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket plus 2.9% payment processing, with no monthly fee. The discovery marketplace puts your event in front of people browsing for things to do, which is real marketing value for public gatherings.
The fee math turns against you as events grow: a 1,000-person event at $50 tickets pays over $5,000 in fees. Customization is limited and the brand experience is Eventbrite's, not yours. For free community events and small paid gatherings, it is unbeatable; for large paid conferences, the flat-fee platforms below cost less.
What we like- Free for free events with no subscription
- Massive public event discovery brings attendees
- Simple setup with ticket scanning built in
Watch out for- 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket gets expensive at scale (over $5,000 in fees on a 1,000-person paid event)
- 20% revenue hold reported
- Limited customization
#2
RegFox
Best for: Paid events where per-ticket fees would eat the budget
Visit regfox.com
Starting price$0.99 + 1% per paid registrant (capped at $4.99)
Free planNo
RegFox's pricing is the story: $0.99 plus 1% per paid registrant, capped at $4.99, with no platform subscription. On a $200 conference ticket, you pay $2.99 versus Eventbrite's $9.19. For nonprofits, schools and small businesses running paid events, the savings are immediate and large.
The platform is registration-focused rather than a full event app: check-in and badging exist, but the attendee engagement features of Whova or Bizzabo do not. If your event is paid and your priority is keeping more of each ticket, RegFox is the value pick.
What we like- Flat $0.99 + 1% per registrant with a $4.99 cap, far cheaper than percentage-based competitors at scale
- No upfront or licensing fees
- Simple customizable registration pages
Watch out for- No free tier for free events
- Fewer event-app features than Whova
- Add-ons (SMS, email automation) cost extra
#3
Whova
Best for: Conferences that want registration plus a full event app
Visit whova.com
Starting price3.0% + $0.99 per paid ticket (no fee for free tickets)
Free planNo (free tickets carry no fee)
Whova combines ticketing with the conference experience: attendees register, get QR check-in, printed badges, the agenda, networking and session analytics in one app. The 3.0% + $0.99 per paid ticket fee sits below Eventbrite's, and free tickets carry no fee. Associations and academic conferences rate it 4.8 out of 5, the strongest satisfaction score in this list.
Larger events also pay platform fees reported from $2,000 to $15,000, so model both. It is the pick when the event needs an app anyway: buying registration and the attendee app from one vendor beats integrating two.
What we like- Registration integrated with check-in, badges, agenda, networking and analytics
- 4.8/5 rating, the highest here
- Strong for association and academic events
Watch out for- Custom platform pricing ($2,000-$15,000 reported) on top of ticket fees
- Per-ticket fees add up at scale
- Enterprise features need quotes
Starting price2% + $1 per paid ticket (plus 3% processing)
Free planNo
Ticketleap keeps ticketing simple: 2% + $1 per paid ticket plus 3% credit card processing, with a reduced $0.49 fee for tickets under $5. Event pages, multiple ticket price levels and templates cover the basics without the complexity of enterprise platforms.
It lacks the registration workflows, apps and analytics of the bigger tools. For straightforward ticket sales where you just need a page and a checkout, the simple fee structure and low cost work well.
What we like- Simple 2% + $1 per ticket pricing
- Event pages and ticket templates included
- Cheap $0.49 fee for sub-$5 tickets
Watch out for- Fewer event management features than full platforms
- No free tier
- Limited customization for complex events
Starting price$1.50 + 1% per paid attendee; $1.00 per free attendee
Free planNo
Brushfire serves churches, ministries and nonprofits with event patterns other platforms handle poorly: multi-day conferences, group and family registrations, volunteer tracking. Pricing at $1.50 + 1% per paid attendee ($1.00 per free attendee) is straightforward, with subscription options for frequent organizers.
Corporate event planners will find the feature set narrow. For the nonprofit and faith-based events it targets, the tailored workflows beat generic platforms.
What we like- Built for nonprofit and ministry event patterns (multi-day, group registrations)
- Subscription-style pricing options
- Tiered ticketing included
Watch out for- Niche focus means fewer corporate event features
- Per-attendee fees apply even to free attendees
- Smaller ecosystem
Starting priceFree plan; Pro and Enterprise quoted (service fees 1.6% + $0.49)
Free planYes (free plan)
Splash is the marketing team's registration tool: gorgeous branded event pages, email campaigns and check-in for product launches, networking events and corporate gatherings. The free plan covers basic events; paid Pro and Enterprise tiers are quoted. Paid tickets carry 1.6% + $0.49 service fees plus Stripe processing.
It is not a conference platform: multi-track agendas, abstract management and exhibitor tools belong elsewhere. For brand-centric events where the page design matters as much as the registration, it is the design leader.
What we like- Free plan for getting started
- Beautiful branded event pages for marketing events
- Integrates with marketing stacks
Watch out for- Paid tiers are quote-based
- Ticket service fees (1.6% + $0.49) plus Stripe processing on paid events
- Best suited to corporate events, not conferences
#7
Swoogo
Best for: Organizations with complex, conditional registration logic
Visit swoogo.events
Starting price$11,800/year
Free planNo
Swoogo's published $11,800/year price buys the most flexible registration builder here: unlimited conditional logic, reusable paths for recurring events, and bulk applicant screening. Organizations running many events with complex registration rules (member types, session prerequisites, approval workflows) get value the per-ticket tools cannot match.
For a single simple event, the annual price makes no sense. It fits associations, enterprises and event agencies running registration-heavy programs year-round, where the per-event cost amortizes quickly.
What we like- Unlimited conditional logic and reusable registration paths
- Drag-and-drop form builder
- Screens applicants individually or in bulk
Watch out for- $11,800/year is steep for simple events
- No per-ticket option for small organizers
- Implementation effort for complex builds
Starting price$17,999/year
Free planNo
Bizzabo treats events as a demand-generation channel: registration flows into the CRM, abandoned registrations get retargeted, referrals are incentivized, and pipeline attribution shows what the event produced. The $17,999/year starting price reflects the marketing-platform positioning.
Non-marketing events (community gatherings, internal meetings) should not pay for pipeline features they will not use. For B2B marketers running event programs tied to revenue, the CRM integration justifies the price.
What we like- Registration integrated with marketing automation and CRM pipelines
- Group ticketing and referral incentives
- Abandoned registration targeting recovers signups
Watch out for- $17,999/year entry is enterprise pricing
- Per-user pricing ($499/user/month reported) adds up
- Overkill for non-marketing events
#9
Cvent
Best for: Enterprise events with venue sourcing and global scale
Visit cvent.com
Starting priceSee website (quoted; $15,000+/year reported)
Free planNo
Cvent is the enterprise event platform: registration, venue sourcing, travel management, mobile apps and reporting for global event programs. Reported pricing starts around $15,000/year with setup fees from $5,000 to $50,000 and per-registrant fees around $7, putting real deployments at $25,000 to $100,000+.
The cost and complexity only make sense at enterprise scale: multiple large events per year, global attendees, procurement requirements. Smaller organizations get better value from every other tool on this list. When the event program is a corporate function with compliance needs, Cvent is the safe enterprise choice.
What we like- The enterprise standard with the deepest feature set: venue sourcing, travel, registration, mobile app
- Handles global multi-event programs
- Extensive integrations
Watch out for- $15,000+/year with $5,000-$50,000 setup fees reported
- $7/registrant fees on top
- Long implementation and complex contracts
How we chose
We shortlisted event registration platforms with real 2026 market presence, from free ticketing to enterprise suites. We verified fee structures from vendor pages and recent third-party comparisons (InEvent's 2026 pricing overview, Whova's ticketing comparison, Eventify's total-cost analysis). We modeled a 1,000-person event to compare true costs and read public reviews for reliability on event day.
The fee math: model your event before you choose
Per-ticket fees look small until you multiply: Eventbrite's 3.7% + $1.79 on a $100 ticket is $5.49 per attendee, or $5,490 on 1,000 attendees. RegFox's capped $0.99 + 1% on the same ticket is $1.99, or $1,990. Whova's 3.0% + $0.99 is $3.99, or $3,990. The flat-fee platforms (Swoogo, Bizzabo, Cvent) cost more upfront but nothing per ticket, which wins for large paid events.
Always add payment processing (around 2.9% + $0.30) to the platform fee, and ask who absorbs it: some platforms let you pass fees to attendees, others do not. The fee-passing choice changes the real cost by thousands on large events.
Free events versus paid events
Free events should cost nothing: Eventbrite charges no fee for free tickets, and Whova, Splash and several others offer free tiers. Never pay a platform subscription for a free community event. Paid events are where the fee models diverge: percentage-based (Eventbrite, Whova, Ticketleap) versus flat per-registrant (RegFox, Brushfire) versus annual license (Swoogo, Bizzabo, Cvent). Match the model to your ticket price and volume.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free event registration platform?
Eventbrite is free for free events with no subscription. Splash has a free plan. Whova charges no fee for free tickets. For free community events, never pay a platform fee.
How much does Eventbrite cost?
Eventbrite is free for free events. Paid events pay 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket plus 2.9% payment processing. A $50 ticket costs about $3.64 in fees; fees scale with ticket price and volume.
What is the cheapest way to sell paid event tickets?
RegFox at $0.99 + 1% per registrant (capped at $4.99) is the cheapest per-registrant option here. For large paid events, flat-fee annual platforms can cost less per attendee than any per-ticket fee.
Do I need an event app or just registration?
Registration alone suffices for simple ticketed events. Conferences with agendas, networking and sessions benefit from an event app (Whova bundles both). Do not pay for an app your attendees will not open.
How far in advance should we choose a platform?
For simple events, 4 to 6 weeks is enough (Eventbrite, RegFox, Ticketleap set up in days). Enterprise platforms (Cvent, Bizzabo) need 2 to 4 months including integration, branding and staff training. Start procurement early for large conferences.
Can attendees pay by invoice or check?
Most platforms support offline payment tracking alongside online checkout. Confirm during evaluation if your audience (government, education, associations) commonly pays by purchase order or check.
Sources we checked (13)
- https://www.eventbrite.com/pricing/
- https://www.regfox.com/pricing/
- https://whova.com/pricing/
- https://www.cvent.com/pricing/
- https://www.bizzabo.com/pricing/
- https://swoogo.events/pricing/
- https://www.ticketleap.com/pricing/
- https://www.splashthat.com/pricing/
- https://www.brushfire.com/pricing/
- https://inevent.com/blog/event-registration-software/the-best-event-registration-software-in-2026.html
- https://whova.com/blog/event-ticketing-software/
- https://eventify.io/blog/event-management-software
- https://whova.com/blog/event-registration-software-price-comparison
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 spent more than a decade helping SaaS and e-commerce brands grow through search. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.