Nonprofit Event Ticketing Platforms: Free and Low-Fee Options Compared

For an eligible US nonprofit focused on cost, start with Zeffy or Givebutter. Both charge the organization nothing for ticketing and card processing when supporters can add an optional tip. If you would rather not show a tip prompt, Humanitix's charity rate, Ticket Tailor's charity discount and low flat-fee ticketing are the next cheapest. For a gala with auctions and sponsor tables, compare fundraising features before fees: reconciliation and donor follow-up usually cost more staff time than the difference in fees.

Every rate below comes from the provider's own pricing or help pages, checked on October 24, 2026. These are documentation-based comparisons, not claims that we ran a fundraiser on each service.

Nonprofit ticketing shortlist

What a nonprofit event needs from ticketing

A fundraiser asks more of a ticketing tool than a concert does. Before comparing prices, list which of these your event needs:

• Donations with or without a ticket. Supporters who can't attend should be able to give on the same page.
• Correct tax receipts. In the US, when a supporter pays more than $75 for a ticket that includes a dinner or other benefit, the charity must give a written statement with a good-faith estimate of that benefit's value and explain that only the excess is deductible (IRS guidance on quid pro quo contributions). A $150 gala ticket with a $60 dinner is a $90 deductible gift, and the receipt should say so.
• Tables and sponsors. A sponsor buys a table of ten and sends guest names later.
• Auctions, raffles and paddle raises. Some platforms include them, others need a separate tool.
• Donor records. Ticket buyers should land in the same donor database as other supporters, or export cleanly into it.
• Volunteer check-in. Door volunteers need to scan tickets without seeing payouts or donor financials.
• Payout timing. Venue and catering deposits are often due before the event, so know when ticket money reaches your bank.

How "free" nonprofit platforms make money

Several platforms charge the nonprofit nothing and instead invite supporters to add an optional tip at checkout. Two questions decide whether that model suits you:

1. What happens when supporters decline the tip? Check whether the nonprofit still keeps 100% or whether a fee then applies.
2. How prominent is the tip prompt? A tip pre-selected at a high percentage can feel like a hidden charge to supporters. Look at the checkout as a guest would, and check whether you can change the default.

Tip-funded pricing is not a trick, but it moves the cost from the organization to its supporters. Compare it honestly with a small, visible ticketing fee.

The platforms, one by one

Zeffy

Zeffy says it is "completely free for nonprofits", with no platform fee and no card fee (pricing). It is funded by optional tips: Zeffy says about two in three donors leave one, and that the nonprofit keeps 100% of the money raised when they don't.

• Eligibility: nonprofits and registered charities in the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia and Germany, with a bank account in the organization's name. US organizations need an EIN but not 501(c)(3) status, and personal accounts aren't allowed (eligibility).
• Event tools: required questions for specific tickets, guest names and emails, discount codes, members-only prices, table tickets and an app for scanning tickets or checking in whole orders (ticketing). We found no seat-map feature.
• Auctions and raffles: both fee-free, with winning bids charged automatically when an auction closes and raffle tickets numbered as they sell. Zeffy itself tells you to check whether raffles and online raffle sales are allowed where you are.
• Payouts: weekly on Mondays by default, monthly, or the next business day for eligible organizations (payouts).

Givebutter

Givebutter charges "0% platform fees across all campaign types when tips are enabled", and its Givebutter Guarantee covers the processing that supporters' tips don't (pricing). With tips turned off, a flat 3% platform fee applies, plus 2.9% + $0.30 on cards or 1.9% + $0.30 on ACH for verified nonprofits. Supporters can edit or remove the tip at checkout.

• What's included free: ticketed virtual, in-person and hybrid events, and silent auctions. Givebutter Plus, from $29 a month, adds further tools.
• Read the exclusions: the guarantee doesn't cover card-reader or terminal payments, DAFpay, or campaigns without tips. Auction items charged automatically can't take tips, and manually charging a bidder always incurs the 3% fee plus processing (pricing explained).
• Eligibility: mainly US-based organizations; personal fundraising accounts aren't supported.
• Payouts: the pricing page says direct deposits take 2–3 business days; the help center describes funds becoming available on a 48–72 hour rolling basis and standard transfers taking 3–5 business days. Instant payouts cost 1.75%.

Humanitix

Humanitix's standard US booking fee is 2.1% + $0.99 per paid ticket, plus processing of 2.9% + $0.30. The charity and school rate is 1% + $0.99 plus the same processing (pricing). By default the fee is passed to the buyer, so the organization receives the full ticket price; free tickets carry no fee.

• Who gets the lower rate: registered charities, nonprofits, schools and school societies, and events raising money for another charity. You apply through chat, and the rate is set per event and per account (charity rate).
• Features: all plans include all features, among them reserved seating, discount and access codes, waitlists, and checkout questions that can apply per ticket or per order.
• Business model: Humanitix is a registered charity that donates 100% of its profits to social impact projects for disadvantaged children.
• Against Eventbrite: our Humanitix vs Eventbrite comparison covers payouts, refunds and rates in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Ticket Tailor

Ticket Tailor charges a flat fee per ticket: $0.85 pay as you go in USD, falling to about $0.30 with prepaid credits, which come in packs of at least 100 and never expire. Registered charities get 50% off "forever", with discounts also offered to B Corps, PTAs and not-for-profits (pricing).

• Free tickets: up to 5,000 a year without fees.
• Processing: charged separately by Stripe (2.9% + $0.30), PayPal (2.99% + $0.49) or Square (2.9% + $0.30) (processing fees).
• Seating: a paid ticket on a seating chart uses two credits instead of one.
• Features: attendee questions asked for every ticket; no subscription, with optional paid add-ons such as white labelling.

TixFox

TixFox charges $0.39 per paid ticket ($0.30 under $5) plus Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30, with no monthly fee, no fee on free tickets and no TixFox fee on donations (pricing). You choose per ticket type whether buyers pay the fee.

• Features: questions per ticket or per order, passcode-protected events, a free scanner app with check-in assistants, and recurring events.
• Payouts: paid through Stripe. TixFox says US funds are usually ready after 2 business days and the first payout typically takes 7 to 14 days.
• Check: whether your gala needs auction, raffle or donor-management tools that you would run elsewhere.

Donorbox

Donorbox charges 3.95% on event tickets on its free Standard plan and 2% on Pro ($150 a month) and Premium. Card processing for registered US nonprofits is 2.2% + $0.30, and donors can choose to cover processing at checkout (pricing). It suits organizations already using Donorbox for online giving; the free plan's ticket percentage is high for ticket-led events.

Gala and auction suites: GalaBid and Pledge It

GalaBid offers a free plan funded by suggested tips (supporters can set the tip to zero, and 10% of tips are shared back with your cause), a Pro plan with a 4.9% fee and no tips, or a flat $1,250 per campaign. Payments run through Stripe, and you can absorb or pass on processing (pricing).

Pledge It costs $300 a month or $2,400 a year plus transaction fees, with donor fee coverage or optional tipping and daily settlement of funds through Stripe (pricing). It doesn't publish its transaction fee rate, so ask for it in writing.

Is Eventbrite free for nonprofits?

Free events are free on Eventbrite for every organizer. Paid tickets are not discounted for nonprofits: the standard US rate of 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket plus 2.9% processing applies. Two things are cheaper:

• Donation tickets pay lower fees; in the US they pay the 2.9% processing fee without the service fee (fee table).
• Pro plans are 50% off for nonprofits verified through Eventbrite's partner Percent, but Pro is closed to new subscribers and the discount "doesn't apply to Ticketing Fees" (nonprofit pricing).

Eventbrite's case for a nonprofit is reach: if a public event would sell tickets to people outside your supporter base, the marketplace may earn its fee. For a gala sold to your own supporters, it usually costs more than the options above. See our Eventbrite fees guide for payouts and refunds.

Worked example: a 250-guest gala at $95

Ticket revenue is $23,750. With the nonprofit absorbing fees, one ticket per order and no tax, ticketing fees on Eventbrite and on TixFox with Stripe processing compare as follows, using the same model as our fee calculator:

The same gala across more platforms, using each platform's published formula with the nonprofit absorbing fees:

The tip-funded rows cost the nonprofit nothing but ask supporters for an optional contribution on top of the ticket. Humanitix normally passes its fee to the buyer, so with its default settings the nonprofit keeps the full $23,750.00 and guests pay more. Ticket Tailor's row is approximate because rounding of the discounted fee isn't published.

Raffles and auctions

Most US states regulate raffles as a form of gambling, with exemptions or licences for charities, and the rules on who may run one and whether tickets can be sold online differ by state. Check your state's charitable gaming rules before selling raffle tickets online, and check the platform's terms, since some services restrict raffle sales. Silent and live auctions raise fewer legal questions but need bidder registration, payment collection for winning bids and receipts that reflect fair market value.

Questions to take to a provider demo

• Can guests buy a table and supply each attendee's name later?
• Can donors give without buying an event ticket?
• Can supporters decline optional tips clearly, and what does the nonprofit pay if they do?
• Can the receipt show the deductible amount for a ticket with a dinner or gift?
• Which auction, donor-management and accounting functions are included in our plan?
• Can volunteers check in guests without accessing financial settings?
• Which exports contain payments, donations, refunds and attendee details separately?
• When do funds become available in the bank, and can the schedule cover our deposits?
• What proof of nonprofit status is required, and in which countries?

Run through a representative guest journey before publishing your event: one individual ticket, a table purchase, a donation-only payment, a refund and a volunteer check-in. Record the answers rather than assuming the cheapest headline rate covers every step.

Choosing by event type

Gala or auction dinner. Prioritize tables, auctions, donation asks and receipts. A fundraising suite usually beats a pure ticketing tool here, even at a higher cost, because reconciliation is where staff time goes.

Community class, talk or workshop. A simple, low-fee ticketing tool is enough. Fundraising features add steps you won't use.

School play, concert or seated performance. Reserved seating matters more than donation features. Shortlist tools with seat maps and check the per-seat or seating-chart costs.

Benefit concert or festival. Higher volumes make the per-ticket fee matter most; compare the total cost at your expected sales.

Church or faith community event. Often free to attend with optional giving. A free-registration tool plus your existing giving platform may be simpler than a paid ticketing setup.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest ticketing platform for nonprofits?

For an eligible US nonprofit, a tip-funded platform such as Zeffy can cost the organization nothing in platform or processing fees. Supporters may be asked for an optional tip. If you prefer no tip prompt, compare a low, visible per-ticket fee instead.

Can we pass ticketing fees to supporters?

Most platforms let you add fees to the buyer's total. Since May 2025, US rules require live-event ticket prices to show mandatory fees in the total price up front, so supporters will see the full amount before they pay.

Do ticket purchases count as donations?

Only the amount above the fair market value of what the supporter receives. For payments over $75 that include a benefit, the charity must give a written disclosure of the deductible amount.

Zeffy or Eventbrite: which is better for a nonprofit?

On cost, Zeffy: it charges eligible nonprofits nothing, while Eventbrite charges its standard 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket plus 2.9% processing, so the $95.00 gala above would pay $2,017.50 in Eventbrite fees. Eventbrite's advantage is its public marketplace, which can sell tickets to people outside your supporter base, and reserved seating maps, which we didn't find on Zeffy. For events sold mainly to your own supporters, Zeffy keeps more of the money.

Is Zeffy really free?

For the nonprofit, yes: Zeffy says it charges no platform or card fees and that the organization keeps 100% when a supporter declines the optional tip. The cost is the tip prompt your supporters see.

Does Givebutter charge fees?

Not with tips enabled: platform fees are 0% and the Givebutter Guarantee covers processing. With tips off, it charges 3% plus card processing. Some payments, such as terminal sales and automatically charged auction items, fall outside the guarantee.

Which platform suits a gala with a silent auction?

Shortlist tools that handle tickets, tables, bidding and payment collection together: Zeffy, Givebutter and GalaBid all include auctions. A ticketing-only tool works if you already run auctions elsewhere.

For a broader cost comparison, read lowest-fee ticketing platforms. For how we research comparisons, see our editorial methodology.