shouldiuse.io

VERDICT

Should I use Eventbrite?

Eventbrite - Discover the Best Local Events & Things to Do - eventbrite.com

Depends. Fine for small organizers running public events who want built-in discovery, if stacked per-ticket fees don't sting. Avoid it if you're fee-sensitive, running complex conferences, or a nonprofit — cheaper, better-fit ticketing tools exist.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 13 public sources including official pricing, review sites, Reddit threads, and security databases

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Basic / Free

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly fees~3.7% + fee
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes
Professional~3.7% + per-ticket fee
PremiumCustom

Best for

  • One-off public events
  • Local concerts, classes, workshops
  • Organizers wanting discovery traffic
  • Casual community events

Not for

  • Nonprofits — Zeffy is 100% free
  • Complex conferences needing seating and badge control
  • High-volume organizers bleeding money to fees
  • Private/internal events that need zero discovery

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Fees stack: percentage plus per-ticket charge, passed to buyers. Paid events are never free

medium

Post-acquisition staff cuts mean roadmap, pricing, and support could shift unpredictably

medium

Privacy law firm is investigating account practices

medium

Account-takeover and money-laundering abuse reports exist; secure your organizer account

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free to publish free events
  • Large built-in marketplace helps events get discovered
  • PCI-compliant payments and public bug bounty program
  • Mature attendee and organizer mobile apps
  • Generally positive ratings on G2 and Capterra

Cons

  • Per-ticket fees stack; organizers call it increasingly costly
  • Plenty of 'do not use Eventbrite' threads from organizers
  • New owner Bending Spoons cut staff after the $500M acquisition
  • Customer support complaints dominate Trustpilot and BBB pages
  • Signup system reportedly abused for fake events and spam

Sources & method

Analyzed 9/24/2026 - 13 sources - PCI compliant with a bug bounty; CVEs found are in third-party WordPress plugins, not Eventbrite core. Privacy probe noted.

official x2review x6security x2news x3
  • CVE-2026-39535 — third-party WordPress plugin, Missing authorization in the 'Display Eventbrite Events' WordPress plugin (≤6.5.6), not Eventbrite itself.
  • CVE-2025-58623 — third-party WordPress plugin, DOM-XSS in the 'Event Feed for Eventbrite' WordPress plugin, not Eventbrite itself.
  • Privacy investigation, Law firm investigating account privacy practices.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 2/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 13

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 2/5. Fee stacking repeatedly called costly by organizers
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Fast setup; reviewers praise simplicity
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Guess: strong ticketing, weaker complex-event tooling
  • Support quality: 2/5. Common complaints; company working to improve
  • Security posture: 3/5. PCI compliant, bug bounty; third-party plugin CVEs
  • 913 G2 reviews across Eventbrite products
  • ~3.7% + fee Paid-ticket fees 2026 organizer fees
  • Yes Free tier free events cost nothing
  • $500M Acquired by Bending Spoons

Pricing

Basic / Free

$0

  • Free events publish free
  • Standard fees apply on paid tickets

Professional

~3.7% + per-ticket fee

  • Full ticketing and payouts
  • Promotion and marketing tools

Premium

Not disclosed

  • Advanced marketing
  • Nonprofit discount rates available

Security

PCI compliant with a bug bounty; CVEs found are in third-party WordPress plugins, not Eventbrite core.

  • CVE-2026-39535 — third-party WordPress pluginMissing authorization in the 'Display Eventbrite Events' WordPress plugin (≤6.5.6), not Eventbrite itself.⁹
  • CVE-2025-58623 — third-party WordPress pluginDOM-XSS in the 'Event Feed for Eventbrite' WordPress plugin, not Eventbrite itself.

Privacy probe noted.

  • Privacy investigationLaw firm investigating account privacy practices.11

What users say

Organizers credit Eventbrite with reach and simplicity but flood forums with complaints about rising fees, support, and post-acquisition changes.

“Warning do not use EventBrite”
Reddit, r/Eventbrite
“Eventbrite is cumbersome and becoming costly to use”
TechSoup Forums
“Is anyone mad at Eventbrite too?”
Reddit, r/smallbusiness

Companies that use it

  • Uncorked Wine Festival
Full analysis

Based on 13 public sources including official pricing, review sites, Reddit threads, and security databases

Great discovery reach for public events, but stacked fees and post-acquisition turmoil push fee-sensitive organizers elsewhere.

Methodology

Based on 13 public sources including official pricing, review sites, Reddit threads, and security databases

Sources

  1. Eventbrite pricing planseventbrite.com
    official
  2. Eventbrite's Ticketing Feeseventbrite.com
    official
  3. Eventbrite fees explained 2026simpletix.com
    review
  4. Trustpilot reviews of eventbrite.comtrustpilot.com
    review
  5. Warning do not use EventBritereddit.com
    review
  6. Is anyone mad at Eventbrite too?reddit.com
    review
  7. Honest Eventbrite review for B2B eventsinvitedesk.com
    review
  8. Eventbrite's new owner just cut staffsimpletix.com
    news
  9. CVE-2026-39535 — Display Eventbrite Events pluginwordfence.com
    security
  10. Is Eventbrite PCI compliant?eventbrite.com
    security
  11. Eventbrite privacy investigationconsumer.zlk.com
    news
  12. Eventbrite acquired by Bending Spoons for $500Mmeetings-conventions-asia.com
    news
  13. Eventbrite on G2 — 913 reviewsg2.com
    review

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