Eventbrite alternatives in Canada
On a C$50 ticket, an Eventbrite buyer in Canada pays C$54.58 once the service and processing fees are added. The main alternatives for Canadian organizers are Tickify, Showpass, Universe, Humanitix, Ticket Tailor, Luma and Zeffy. Here's what each charges in CAD, who pays, and which suits which events.
Eventbrite competitors compared on a C$50 ticket
| Platform | Fee | Who pays | Buyer pays | Organizer nets | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eventbrite | 3.5% + C$1.29/ticket, plus 2.9% processing | Buyer (default) | C$54.58 | C$50.00 | Reach via Eventbrite's marketplace |
| Tickify | 5% flat, processing included | Buyer, always | C$52.50 | C$50.00 | Paid music, comedy, festival and sports events |
| Showpass Essential | 1% + C$0.59/ticket, plus 2.9% + C$0.30 processing | Organizer chooses | ~C$52.84 | C$50.00 | Low fees for general admission events |
| Showpass Professional | 2.5% + C$1.69/ticket, plus 2.9% + C$0.30 processing | Organizer chooses | ~C$54.69 | C$50.00 | Seating maps, packages, waitlists |
| Universe (Starter) | 2% + C$0.59/ticket (C$14.95 cap), plus 3% processing | Organizer chooses | ~C$53.09 | C$50.00 | Ticketmaster-owned, fee cap on pricey tickets |
| Humanitix | 2.1% + C$0.99/ticket, plus Stripe card fees | Buyer pays booking fee (default) | C$52.04 | ~C$48.19 | Charities, schools, community events |
| Ticket Tailor | C$1.00/ticket (from C$0.38 with credits), plus Stripe processing | Organizer (default) | C$50.00 | ~C$47.25 | Organizers happy to pay fees themselves |
| Luma | 5% (free plan) or 0% (Plus, US$59/mo), plus Stripe processing | Organizer (no option to add fees) | C$50.00 | ~C$45.75 (free plan) | Free and low-cost community events |
| Zeffy | $0, optional buyer tip | No fees | C$50.00 + optional tip | C$50.00 | Nonprofits and charities only |
One C$50 ticket per order, before GST/HST. Where the organizer chooses who pays, the figures assume fees are passed to the buyer. Stripe's Canadian rate is 2.9% + C$0.30; for Humanitix, Ticket Tailor and Luma it's assumed to be paid by the organizer, on the amount the buyer pays. Showpass and Universe processing is applied to the ticket price, so those totals are approximate. Try your own numbers in the Canadian fee calculator.
Why Canadian organizers look beyond Eventbrite
Eventbrite charges Canadian organizers two fees on every paid ticket: a 3.5% + C$1.29 service fee and a 2.9% payment processing fee on the whole order. On a C$10 ticket that adds C$1.98, about a fifth of the ticket price. Its strengths are reach and scale: a large marketplace where people browse for events, and wide integrations.
If most of your buyers come from your own audience, social media and promoters rather than Eventbrite's marketplace, a lower fee and more control over your attendee data may matter more. See the full breakdown in Eventbrite fees in Canada.
The alternatives
Tickify
Fees: A flat 5% booking fee paid by the buyer, with payment processing included. The organizer keeps 100% of the ticket price.
- +Free for organizers, with no setup or monthly fees and no fees on free events
- +Full attendee list export from your dashboard at any time
- +Dynamic QR codes that refresh every 60 seconds, so screenshots and copies don't scan
- +Resale coming soon that pays the organizer up to 5% every time a ticket resells, capped to follow provincial rules
- +Paid in CAD through Stripe to your own bank account
Worth knowing: Built for paid events of 200 to 10,000+ people. No reserved seating plans yet, and no large consumer marketplace like Eventbrite's. On a C$50 ticket, buyers pay slightly more than on Humanitix.
Start selling free →Showpass
Fees: Essential plan 1% + C$0.59 per ticket, Professional 2.5% + C$1.69, plus card processing of 2.9% + C$0.30 per paid item. The organizer can pass fees on, absorb them or split them.
- +Essential is one of the lowest-fee options in Canada
- +Professional adds seating maps, packages and waitlists
- +Free events are free
Worth knowing: Processing is charged on top of the plan fee, so the Professional plan costs buyers about as much as Eventbrite on a C$50 ticket.
Universe
Fees: Universe's help centre lists 2% + C$0.59 per ticket on the Starter plan (capped at C$14.95) or 4.5% + C$0.59 on Standard (capped at C$39.95), plus a 3% payment processing fee that isn't capped. The organizer chooses who pays.
- +Per-ticket service fee is capped, which helps on expensive tickets
- +Owned by Ticketmaster
- +Free events are free
Worth knowing: Universe's pricing page doesn't show Canadian rates, and the fee table in its help centre is about a year old, so confirm the rate in your account.
Humanitix
Fees: 2.1% + C$0.99 per paid ticket, or 1% + C$0.99 for not-for-profits, plus credit card fees charged by Stripe. The booking fee is added for the buyer by default.
- +Nonprofit: booking fee profits go to charitable causes
- +Lower rate for not-for-profits
- +Lowest buyer price in this list among platforms that add a fee for the buyer
Worth knowing: Card fees are charged on top of the booking fee; Humanitix doesn't say who pays them in Canada. If you do, you net about C$48.19 on a C$50 ticket.
Ticket Tailor
Fees: C$1.00 per ticket pay-as-you-go (from C$0.38 with prepaid credits), paid by the organizer, plus card processing from your payment provider, for example Stripe at 2.9% + C$0.30.
- +Money goes straight to your own payment account
- +You can add your own booking fee to cover costs
- +Free tickets are free up to 5,000 a year
Worth knowing: By default the organizer pays both fees, so you net about C$47.25 on a C$50 ticket unless you add a booking fee.
Luma
Fees: A 5% platform fee on paid tickets on the free plan, or 0% on Luma Plus (US$59 a month), plus Stripe processing. Luma has no option to add fees on top, so the organizer pays them or raises the ticket price.
- +Polished event and RSVP pages, popular for community, meetup and tech events
- +Sells in CAD
- +Free events cost nothing, with unlimited guests
Worth knowing: On the free plan you net about C$45.75 on a C$50 ticket. Built more for registrations and community events than for high-volume ticketing.
Zeffy
Fees: No platform or card fees. Zeffy earns from optional tips that buyers can choose to leave.
- +Free for the organization
- +Ticketing, donations and forms in one place
Worth knowing: Only for nonprofits and charities.
Which one suits your events
| Paid music, comedy, festival or sports events, 200 to 10,000+ people | Tickify |
| Low fees on general admission events | Showpass Essential |
| Reserved seating, packages or waitlists | Showpass Professional |
| Expensive tickets where a fee cap helps | Universe |
| Charity, school or community events | Humanitix |
| You'd rather pay small fees yourself than charge buyers | Ticket Tailor |
| Free or low-cost community, meetup and tech events | Luma |
| Registered nonprofit or charity that wants no fees | Zeffy |
| You rely on Eventbrite's marketplace to find buyers | Stay on Eventbrite |
Reselling tickets? Ontario caps resale at the original price and Quebec needs the producer's consent to resell above it. See ticket scalping laws by province.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
Fees checked 26 October 2026on each platform's own website. Prices are in CAD, before GST/HST or other sales tax. Fees change, so check the platform before you sell.
- Eventbrite Help Center (Canada): Eventbrite's Ticketing Fees
- Eventbrite: Organizer pricing (Canada)
- Showpass: Plans and pricing
- Ticket Tailor: Pricing (CAD selected)
- Zeffy: Pricing
- Universe Help Center: Payment processing preferences (fee table by country; checked 28 October 2026)
- Humanitix: What are the Humanitix booking fees? (checked 28 October 2026)
- Luma: Pricing (checked 28 October 2026)
- Luma Help: Creating a paid event (checked 28 October 2026)
- Stripe Canada: Pricing (2.9% + C$0.30 domestic cards)
Selling in the US? See Eventbrite alternatives in the US. In Australia, see Eventbrite alternatives in Australia.
Try Tickify for your next event
Free for organizers. Buyers pay a flat 5%, processing included. Set up your first event in under 10 minutes.