Choose the platform that helps you run the next show

Ten platforms, three different buying decisions

A 300-person club night, a five-city artist tour and a 200-delegate conference can sell the same number of tickets while needing very different systems. Start with the work your team must complete: reach the right buyers, collect the right payment, deliver the promised access and understand what to change next.

This is a practical shortlist of ten platforms including Lookport, not a claim about market share or a numerical league table. Lookport publishes it and appears first. Competitor facts come from the official sources listed below, checked on 18 October 2026. Fit recommendations are our editorial judgement; we have not run a full hands-on audit of every platform.

• Club night: prioritise mobile purchase, artist and venue channels, releases, guest allocations and a dependable door workflow.
• Small tour: prioritise consistent event setup, city-level sales decisions, actual payment terms and the economics of each stop.
• Conference: prioritise attendee information, invoicing, workshop capacities, changes to registrations and on-site requirements. Verify specialist workflows before committing.

1. Lookport — ticketing connected to the promoter's next decision

Lookport combines branded event pages and direct Stripe payments with AI demand forecasts, marketing insights and tour management. It supports allocated seats and general admission, fixed and open prices, timed releases and demand-led pricing guidance. The platform commission is 6%; Stripe processing is additional.

Its strongest pitch is the connection between the sale and the action that follows: review a slow date, examine campaign signals, assess the budget and decide what to do. Meta Pixel, hosted Conversions API, Google Tag, Analytics, Ads, UTM attribution and custom pixels support that workflow. Wallet tickets and WhatsApp/Telegram sales alerts keep the practical event journey in view.

Meet-and-greet slots, merchandise and separately ticketed broadcasts extend the offer beyond admission. Lookport can also discuss live production; scope and service costs must be agreed separately. AI skills/MCP and the Shopify connection are coming soon. Agree merchandise stock and fulfilment during setup. No forecast guarantees a full room, and direct Stripe collection does not guarantee an immediate bank payout.

2. Eventbrite — consider the value of event discovery

Eventbrite combines a marketplace with event creation and marketing tools. Put it on the shortlist when people searching for events are an important acquisition channel. Measure the incremental buyers it brings alongside your own artist, venue and paid channels.

Check the country-specific fee table and the price of extra marketing services. For a small tour, ask for the same inventory and reporting demonstration at every stop; do not assume a familiar consumer brand answers every operational requirement.

3. Ticket Tailor — a serious option for flat-fee selling

Ticket Tailor's per-ticket model deserves a close cost comparison, especially at higher ticket prices. It also advertises MCP-based AI assistance, so an AI connection alone is not a unique reason to choose Lookport.

Include seated reservations, products and any paid extras in the quote. Choose between the platforms on the total workflow: how quickly your team can interpret demand, prepare the next action and run the event.

4. DICE — evaluate the partnership and the data

DICE is relevant to a live-event discovery strategy. Its partner API also makes event data available for external analysis. Request the proposed commercial terms, access to the data you need and a demonstration for your specific event format.

Do not reduce this choice to an invented fee percentage or an assumption that DICE cannot handle seating. Compare the agreement, the buyer journey and the operational support you will actually receive.

5. Fatsoma — useful when reps are part of the sales plan

Fatsoma merits attention for nights with an active rep network. Ask how rep activity contributes to paid attendance, not just social reach, and include the published ticketing and processing charges in the comparison.

If your real requirement is a branded website or app, distinguish that package from standard ticketing. Compare the investment against the alternative of concentrating your own channels around a Lookport event page.

6. Skiddle — compare marketplace value and the door workflow

Skiddle is relevant for club and live-music promoters evaluating discovery and entry tools together. Its current help pages distinguish the ticket booking fee from a basket-based RapidScan fee.

Use a real example order when comparing prices, including a group buying several tickets. Then test staff access, exception handling and the equipment needed at the venue.

7. Resident Advisor — match the platform to the scene

Resident Advisor belongs on an electronic-music shortlist when the audience already uses it to find nights out. Its documented capabilities include resale, partner Meta tracking and an early-access artist analytics product.

Evaluate the fit for your artist and city, and establish which partnership terms apply. A scene-specific discovery channel can be valuable even when you also need your own branded event relationship.

8. Universe — inspect the plan behind the feature list

Universe offers ticketing plans with add-ons, reports and operational integrations. It also offers a Stripe payment option, so direct payment access is not exclusive to Lookport.

Ask which plan includes your permissions, pricing and payment requirements. For repeated or multi-date events, demonstrate the account-level view as well as one attractive checkout.

9. Humanitix — broad event tools with a charitable mission

Humanitix is worth evaluating for both shows and conferences. Compare its current local quote, event configuration and mission with your priorities. For Lookport, the discussion should focus on promoter decisions and production requirements alongside ticketing.

10. pretix — strong consideration for detailed registration

pretix deserves attention where workshop choices, attendee questions or deployment control matter. Hosted and self-hosted offerings make it important to specify which edition you are comparing.

For a small team, assess the hosted service before taking on system operation. For a conference, demonstrate the exact registration and on-site journey. For an artist tour, compare that operational flexibility with Lookport's emphasis on demand, promotion and the show.

Compare the full cost at the same ticket price

Separate platform charges, processing, tax on fees, optional services and operational costs. A fee passed to the buyer is still part of the purchase price. A low percentage with a fixed amount can behave differently at £10 and £100. Do not compare a UK bundled fee with a US service fee that excludes processing.

For an illustrative £20 ticket, Lookport's platform commission is £1.20 before Stripe processing. For 300 such tickets it is £360 before processing. At £50, the platform commission is £3.00 per ticket. These are platform-fee calculations, not settlement totals; taxes, refunds and any additional services must be considered separately.

A cheaper tool can be the right choice. If another quote saves £200, Lookport must earn that difference through useful decisions, time saved or additional contribution from the event. Count extra sales only at their contribution after variable costs, not their headline revenue. Avoid promises of automatic growth.

Run one practical demo before you choose

Give every shortlisted supplier the same brief and ask to see the outcome. Keep a record of included functionality, optional charges, current availability and questions still open.

• Club: create a 300-capacity show with early and standard releases, a small guest allocation, campaign tracking and the final buyer price. Walk a ticket through purchase and scanning.
• Tour: create five dates, identify a slower city at an equivalent point before the show, review its campaign and budget, and show the information available to the artist team.
• Conference: register two delegates, collect the required attendee details, allocate a limited workshop and handle a requested change. Demonstrate invoice and badge requirements where these are essential.
• Payments: explain account setup, the actual payout schedule, fee deductions, a refund and the record needed for reconciliation.
• Premium and hybrid: sell the exact meet-and-greet, merchandise or online-access offer; demonstrate separate capacity, fulfilment and buyer instructions.

When Lookport should make your shortlist

Choose a Lookport conversation when the question is bigger than issuing a ticket: which date needs attention, which campaign is earning its place, how to shape the offer, and how the physical or online show will be delivered. Bring your dates, capacities, price plan and current workflow. We can compare that concrete brief against the platform's current capabilities and the 6% model.