Eventbrite vs KwikTix: The UK Organiser’s Upgrade
Eventbrite is the biggest name in ticketing. But biggest doesn’t mean cheapest — or best.
If you’re an event organiser in the UK, you’ve probably defaulted to Eventbrite at some point. It’s familiar. It works. But familiarity has a cost — and that cost is climbing.
Here’s an honest, side-by-side comparison across the things that actually matter to UK organisers: fees, checkout experience, cash flow, and conversion.
Fees: The Numbers That Matter
Eventbrite (UK): 6.95% + £0.59 per ticket — combined service and payment processing, no cap.
KwikTix: 3.5% + 75p per ticket — payment processing included, no hidden extras.
Here’s what that looks like on real tickets:
| Ticket Price | Eventbrite Fee | KwikTix Fee | You Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| £10 | £1.29 (12.9%) | £1.10 (11.0%) | £0.19 |
| £25 | £2.33 (9.3%) | £1.63 (6.5%) | £0.70 |
| £50 | £4.07 (8.1%) | £2.50 (5.0%) | £1.57 |
| £100 | £7.54 (7.5%) | £4.25 (4.3%) | £3.29 |
The gap widens as ticket prices go up — and Eventbrite removed their fee cap entirely, so there’s no ceiling on what you’ll pay.
At scale, it adds up fast. Sell 500 tickets at £50 each and you’d save £785 with KwikTix. That’s enough to cover your marketing spend, upgrade your venue setup, or just keep more of what you earned.
Sources: eventbrite.co.uk/organizer/pricing, eventcube.io/blog/eventbrite-fees-pricing-explained
Checkout Experience: Trust vs. Tricks
Eventbrite
Eventbrite uses a multi-step, account-first checkout where fees are revealed late in the flow. It’s classic drip pricing: a low headline price up front, with fees stacked on at the end.
This matters legally, too. The UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA) is moving to ban drip pricing, requiring full costs to be shown upfront. Eventbrite’s current checkout sits on the wrong side of that direction of travel.
And it matters commercially. Platforms using drip pricing see 60–70% cart abandonment, with surprise fees consistently cited as a top reason buyers bail (Baymard Institute).
KwikTix
KwikTix shows the total price — ticket plus fees — upfront. No surprises at payment. No tricks.
Fewer surprises = more completed orders. It really is that simple.
Getting Paid: Cash Flow That Actually Works
Eventbrite
Eventbrite’s standard policy holds your payouts until after your event ends. Sell tickets in March for an August festival? Your revenue sits in Eventbrite’s account for months, not yours.
That’s a serious problem when you need to cover venue deposits, equipment hire, artist fees, staff wages, and marketing — all before the doors open. For organisers, cash flow isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s operational survival.
KwikTix
KwikTix pays out within 2–5 business days after each ticket purchase, directly to your bank via Stripe.
Sell on Monday, money by Friday. Your revenue, in your account, when you actually need it.
Guest Checkout: Fewer Steps, More Sales
Eventbrite
Every buyer is forced to create an account — name, email, password, often email verification — before they can pay.
Every extra step is a chance to lose a buyer. Forced account creation is one of the biggest conversion killers in e-commerce, causing 26% of cart abandonments (Baymard Institute).
KwikTix
KwikTix supports guest checkout. Buyers enter their details and pay — no account required, no friction, no drop-off.
The Bottom Line
Eventbrite built the category. But the category has moved on.
If you’re a UK organiser looking for lower fees, faster payouts, transparent pricing, and a checkout that doesn’t lose you sales — KwikTix is the upgrade.