Running a small event in the UK -- whether it's a village fete, a local comedy night, or a community fundraiser -- means every pound counts. The ticketing platform you choose can make a real difference to your bottom line, so it's worth understanding what's available before you commit.
What makes a ticketing platform good for small events?
Small events have different needs from arena tours or festivals. You probably don't need complex multi-day scheduling or tiered VIP packages. What you do need is something that's quick to set up, easy for your audience to use, and doesn't eat into your revenue with fees.
Here are the key factors to consider:
- Fees -- The biggest variable. Some platforms charge per ticket, some take a percentage, and some charge both. For a 100-person event at £10 a ticket, fees can range from nothing to over £100.
- Ease of setup -- You don't want to spend three hours configuring your event page. Look for platforms where you can go from sign-up to live event in under 15 minutes.
- Payment speed -- Some platforms hold your money for days or weeks after the event. Others pay you directly and immediately through Stripe Connect.
- Scanning and door management -- Even small events benefit from QR code scanning. It's faster than paper lists and prevents duplicate entries.
- No minimum requirements -- Some platforms require a minimum number of events or ticket sales. That's not practical for one-off community events.
Platform-by-platform comparison
Tickts
Tickts charges zero booking fees to both organisers and ticket buyers. The price you set is the price your audience pays. Revenue goes directly to your Stripe account, so there's no waiting for payouts. It includes QR code scanning via a free mobile app, and you can set up an event in under ten minutes. It's particularly well-suited to small and medium events where margins are tight.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is the most well-known platform in the UK. It charges 6.95% plus 59p per paid ticket (or you can pass fees to buyers). Free events are free to list. The platform offers strong discovery features -- your event appears in Eventbrite's search results and recommendation emails, which can help with promotion. However, the fees add up quickly for small events. On 100 tickets at £10, you'd lose roughly £128 to fees.
Ticket Tailor
Ticket Tailor charges per issued ticket rather than a percentage: pay-as-you-go is 60p + VAT per paid ticket, or prepaid credit bundles bring that down to around 22p. The cost is predictable, though on a busy run of paid events it adds up. The platform is clean and straightforward, with good customisation options for event pages.
TicketCo
TicketCo is a Norwegian platform with a growing UK presence. It charges around 3-5% per ticket depending on your agreement. It's popular with cultural venues and arts organisations. The platform includes features like merchandise sales and donation add-ons, which can be useful for community events.
WeGotTickets
WeGotTickets has been around since 2002 and has a loyal following among grassroots music promoters. It charges 10% on each ticket sold, which is higher than most competitors. However, it's very simple to use and has a strong reputation in the live music community. For very small events with low ticket prices, the 10% can be manageable.
Skiddle
Skiddle focuses on music and nightlife events. It charges around £1.10 per ticket to buyers. The platform has strong discovery features, particularly for club nights and dance music events. For non-music small events, it may not be the best fit as the audience skews heavily towards nightlife.
Fatsoma
Fatsoma is popular with student promoters and club-night organisers. It typically charges a booking fee in the region of 10% plus around £1 per ticket, usually passed to the buyer. Its strength is a built-in network of student reps and ambassadors that can help push tickets through social channels — useful if your audience skews young and your event is nightlife-led, less so for a daytime community event.
Fixr
Fixr is another nightlife- and student-focused platform. Its buyer booking fee is usually around 5% plus roughly 49p per ticket, lower than several rivals. Setup is quick and the app is well-regarded by younger audiences, but discovery is concentrated around bars, clubs and university towns rather than general community events.
Outsavvy
Outsavvy positions itself around independent and grassroots events, with a strong community and LGBTQ+ following. Booking fees are typically up to around 10% plus a small fixed amount per ticket, charged to the buyer. It's a credible independent alternative to Eventbrite for culture-led small events.
Fee comparison table
For a typical small event -- 100 tickets at £10 each, generating £1,000 in gross sales:
- Tickts -- £0 in platform fees (Stripe processing fees of around 1.5% + 20p still apply)
- Eventbrite -- approximately £128 (6.95% + 59p per ticket)
- Ticket Tailor -- £19+ monthly subscription (no per-ticket fees)
- TicketCo -- approximately £30-50 (3-5%)
- WeGotTickets -- £100 (10%)
- Skiddle -- approximately £110 (passed to buyers as booking fee)
Which platform should you choose?
For most small event organisers in the UK, the decision comes down to whether you need discovery features or want to maximise revenue. If your event sells primarily through your own marketing -- social media, email lists, word of mouth -- then a zero-fee platform like Tickts will save you the most money. If you're relying on the platform itself to bring you an audience, Eventbrite's discovery features may justify the higher fees.
The good news is that most platforms are free to try, so you can test a couple before committing. Set up a free event or a small test listing to see which interface you prefer and which checkout process your audience finds easiest.
Whatever you choose, make sure you understand the full fee structure before you start selling. Hidden charges, minimum payouts, and delayed payment terms can all catch small event organisers off guard.
Curious how tickts compares? See our side-by-side comparison of tickts vs Eventbrite: fees, payouts, and features for UK organisers.
FAQs about ticketing for small events
What counts as a small event?
For ticketing purposes, "small" usually means under 500 attendees. That covers most community fairs, comedy nights, charity dinners, supper clubs, fitness classes, workshops, club nights, theatre fringe, art openings and amateur sport. Most platforms in this guide handle 50 to 5,000 capacity comfortably.
Are there free ticketing platforms for small events?
Yes. Tickts charges 0% to organisers and 0% to attendees for free events. For paid events, the buyer pays a small handling fee or you can absorb it. Eventbrite, Ticket Tailor and Skiddle each have a free tier with caveats — usually free events only or capped capacity.
What features matter most for a small event?
Five things in priority order: low fees (you keep more revenue), fast setup (you can publish in 10 minutes), QR scanning (no door queues), payouts directly to your bank (no waiting weeks), and clear refund handling. Anything beyond that is nice-to-have.
How quickly do payouts arrive for small events?
It depends on the platform and the payment processor. Most modern platforms pay out via Stripe Connect, where funds clear within 2 to 7 working days after the sale. Some legacy platforms hold funds until after the event, which can mean a 4 to 6 week wait — worth checking before signing up.
Can I sell tickets without a Stripe account?
If your event is paid, you need a payment processor and Stripe is the universal default. For free events you can use Tickts and most platforms without any payment integration — fans just register and get a QR ticket.
Do I need a physical card reader for door sales?
Not for most small events. Tickts has a Box Office tab that lets you record cash, comp, or card payments at the door without needing extra hardware. If you do want a physical reader, Stripe Terminal and SumUp work alongside most ticketing platforms.
Is Tickts really free for small events?
Tickts charges no booking fee to buyers and takes 0% commission from organisers, so the face value you set is exactly what your audience pays and what you keep. The only deduction is Stripe's standard card-processing rate (around 1.5% + 20p on UK cards), which every platform pays — it's the cost of accepting a card, not a tickts charge. Free events cost nothing at all.
What's the cheapest way to sell tickets for a community event?
For a community event you market through your own channels — Facebook groups, a mailing list, posters, word of mouth — a zero-booking-fee platform like Tickts is the cheapest option, because you aren't paying a percentage to a marketplace for an audience you brought yourself. If you genuinely rely on a platform to find buyers, paid discovery may earn its fee, but most local events don't need it.
Related reading: the best Eventbrite alternatives in the UK and a detailed ticketing fees comparison.
Ready to try the fee-free option? tickts charges organisers 0% commission and buyers £0 booking fees. See exactly how pricing works or create your first event free.
