Best Free Event Ticketing Platforms in the UK (2026)
The ticketing platform you choose can quietly cost you hundreds of pounds — or nothing at all. Here’s an honest look at the best free and low-fee event ticketing platforms for UK organisers in 2026: what “free” actually means, who charges what, and how to keep as much of your ticket revenue as possible.
What “free” really means
“Free ticketing” gets used loosely, so it helps to separate the three costs of selling a ticket:
- Platform / booking fee — the cut the ticketing company takes. This varies wildly between platforms, and it’s the one you can avoid.
- Card processing — what the payment processor (e.g. Stripe) charges to take a card payment, around 1.5% + 20p in the UK. Unavoidable on paid tickets, but you can avoid paying a markup on it.
- Subscription — some platforms charge a monthly fee whether or not you sell anything.
A genuinely free platform charges £0 for the platform fee and the subscription, and passes processing through at cost. Watch for “free to organisers” that simply moves a booking fee onto your buyers — it still raises your effective ticket price and can hurt conversion.
The best free and low-fee platforms (2026)
| Platform | Platform fee | Who holds the money |
|---|---|---|
| Ticketable | £0 — 0% (Stripe at cost) | You — your own Stripe |
| OutSavvy | 3.5% + 30p | Platform |
| Ticket Tailor | Small per-ticket fee (pay-as-you-go) | You — your own account |
| TicketSource | Free to organiser; buyer pays ~£1.50–£2 per order | You or platform |
| Humanitix | Buyer-side fee (donated to charity) | Platform |
| Billetto | Free to organiser; small buyer fee | Platform |
| Fatsoma | 5% + 49p | Platform |
| Eventbrite | ~6.95% + 59p | Platform |
Figures are indicative as of June 2026 — always check each platform’s current pricing, as fees change.
What sets the genuinely-free option apart
Three things separate “truly free” from “cheap”:
- 0% platform fee and no subscription, clearly stated for both organiser and buyer.
- Your own payment account, so money lands directly in your bank rather than being held by the platform until after the event.
- Processing at cost, with no markup on the card fee.
Ticketable is built exactly this way — 0% platform fees, your own Stripe, daily payouts — and it’s funded by small, tasteful advertising rather than by charging organisers. You can see how it stacks up directly in the Eventbrite alternative and Skiddle alternative comparisons.
How to choose the right one
- Selling paid tickets at any volume? Prioritise a 0% platform fee — the savings scale with sales.
- Running free events? Most platforms are free here; check there’s no volume cap.
- Need reserved seating? Check specifically — not every free platform offers a seating plan.
- Care about your data? Make sure you keep your attendee list to market your next event.
The bottom line
“Free” should mean free for both you and your buyers. The platforms that charge 0% and pass processing through at cost let you keep the most of every ticket — and on a busy paid event that can be hundreds of pounds. For a full breakdown of the numbers, see how much it costs to sell tickets online.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest event ticketing platform in the UK?
The cheapest is one that charges no platform fee at all and passes card processing through at cost. Ticketable charges 0% platform fee and only Stripe's processing (1.5% + 20p in the UK); other low-fee options include OutSavvy (3.5% + 30p) and Ticket Tailor (a small per-ticket fee). The 'big' platforms like Eventbrite (~6.95% + 59p) cost considerably more.
Is free event ticketing actually free?
It depends on the platform. Some are free to the organiser but add a booking fee for the buyer; some take a percentage. Truly free means no platform fee for either side — you still can't avoid card-processing fees on paid tickets, but a genuinely free platform passes those through at cost with no markup. Free events (with £0 tickets) involve no payment and cost nothing.
How do free platforms make money?
Different ways: some run a marketplace and take a booking fee, some sell upgrades or subscriptions, and some — like Ticketable — are funded by light, tasteful advertising (e.g. a small sponsor logo on the printable ticket) rather than charging organisers.