What Free Really Means
Most platforms that claim to be free actually mean free for free events. Once you charge for tickets, fees appear. True fee-free means no platform commission on paid tickets — the only cost is payment processing.
Platform Comparison
- Tickts — Zero platform fees on all tickets. Only Stripe processing costs. Built for grassroots sports.
- Eventbrite — Free for free events. Percentage fee on paid tickets.
- Humanitix — Booking fees donated to charity.
- Google Forms + manual tracking — Truly free but no scanning, payment processing, or ticket delivery.
Our Recommendation
For grassroots sports and community events, Tickts offers the best combination of zero fees and professional features. For large-scale commercial events needing marketplace discovery, a larger platform may make sense despite the fees.
What Does "Free" Actually Mean?
When ticketing platforms advertise themselves as "free," they usually mean one of three things:
- Free for free events only: The platform does not charge when tickets are £0, but applies fees to paid events. Most platforms work this way.
- Free tier with limitations: A basic plan is free but essential features are locked behind a paywall. You pay through feature restrictions rather than direct fees.
- Genuinely free platform fees: The platform charges nothing — you only pay the unavoidable payment processing fees (Stripe/PayPal). This is the Tickts model.
Understanding these distinctions is critical. A platform that is "free" for free events but charges 8% on paid tickets is not free for most organisers.
UK Free Ticketing Platforms Compared
Here is an honest breakdown of what "free" means on the most popular UK platforms:
- Tickts: Zero platform fees on all events. You pay only Stripe processing (1.5% + 20p). Free events cost nothing. This is the closest to truly free ticketing available in the UK.
- Luma: Free for free events and basic paid events up to a threshold. Premium features require a paid plan.
What to Look For in a Free Platform
Beyond the price tag, evaluate these factors:
- Feature completeness: Does the free tier include everything you need? QR scanning, multiple ticket types, analytics, email confirmations?
- Scalability: Will you hit limits as your events grow? Some free tiers cap the number of tickets or events per month.
- Payout timing: How quickly do you receive your money? Faster payouts are better for cash flow.
- Data ownership: Do you get access to your attendee data, or is it locked behind the platform?
- Support: What level of support is available on the free tier? Some platforms only offer email support for free users.
The Real Cost of "Free"
Some platforms offset free pricing by monetising your data, showing ads to your attendees, or upselling premium features aggressively. Before committing, check the terms of service and understand how the platform makes money. If the product is free, you might be the product.
Tickts generates revenue through optional premium features for large enterprise clients while keeping the core platform free for all organisers. This model aligns the platform incentives with organiser success.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there really a completely free ticketing platform?
No ticketing platform can eliminate payment processing fees — Stripe or PayPal always take a cut of card transactions. Tickts is the closest to truly free: zero platform fees, zero monthly charges, with only the unavoidable Stripe processing cost of 1.5% plus 20p per transaction.
Should I use a free platform or a paid one?
For most grassroots organisers, independent venues, and community events, a genuinely free platform like Tickts provides all the features you need. Paid platforms mainly add value through discovery marketplaces or enterprise features that smaller organisers do not require.
Can I switch platforms later without losing data?
Yes. Most platforms let you export attendee data. Switching platforms between events is straightforward — your fans simply buy tickets on your new platform for your next event.
Curious how tickts compares? See our side-by-side comparison of tickts vs Eventbrite: fees, payouts, and features for UK organisers.
