CaptiFi vs Eventbrite
A balanced 2026 comparison: feature matrix, pricing, ideal-customer profiles, and an honest verdict on which platform fits your business.
Quick verdict: CaptiFi or Eventbrite?
Eventbrite is a good general ticketing platform and a poor fit for a venue's regulars: the 59p on every ticket adds up on a GBP8 comedy night, and the buyer list stays inside Eventbrite. CaptiFi Events charges 7.5%, 6% and 4.5% with card processing included and nothing fixed per ticket, pays your own Stripe account, and adds every buyer to the guest list your WiFi already built. Eventbrite still fits the one-off in a hired hall.
What is Eventbrite?
Eventbrite is a self-serve ticketing platform used for everything from a free meetup to a multi-day festival, with a consumer app and search that give listed events some discovery. Its UK organiser fee on a paid ticket is 6.95% plus 59p with payment processing included, as stated by ticketingfees.co.uk, which records verifying the figure against Eventbrite on 20 July 2026; Eventbrite's own pricing page states there are no fees for free events and that fees are paid by ticket buyers by default unless the organiser chooses to cover them. CaptiFi Events is built for venues: a public events page per venue, a fee of 7.5%, 6% or 4.5% by price band with no fixed pence per ticket and card processing included, payment into the venue's own Stripe account, and every buyer added to the guest list the WiFi is already building.
Feature comparison
| Feature |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Booking fee on a GBP10 ticket | GBP0.75 (7.5%) | GBP1.29 (6.95% + 59p) |
| Booking fee on a GBP25 ticket | GBP1.50 (6%) | GBP2.33 (6.95% + 59p) |
| Booking fee on a GBP60 ticket | GBP2.70 (4.5%) | GBP4.76 (6.95% + 59p) |
| Fixed pence per ticket | none above the 50p minimum | 59p |
| Card processing included in the fee | Yes | included in the UK rate per ticketingfees.co.uk; listed as a separate 2.9% on Eventbrite's own page |
| No fee on free tickets | Yes | Yes |
| Venue chooses to absorb or pass on the fee | Yes | Yes |
| Money paid into the venue's own Stripe account | Yes | paid out by the platform |
| Fee source and read date | CaptiFi fee schedule, 21 September 2026 | ticketingfees.co.uk, verified against Eventbrite 20 July 2026; eventbrite.co.uk read 21 September 2026 |
| Listing on a consumer discovery site or app | No | Yes |
| Ticket buyers added to your own marketing list | Yes | attendee export per event |
| Guest WiFi data capture | Yes | No |
| Email marketing and automations included | Yes | email to attendees of the event |
| Door check-in from a phone | Yes | Yes |
| Your next event shown on the WiFi welcome screen | Yes | No |
| Self-serve sign-up | Yes | Yes |
Last reviewed 21 September 2026. Pricing and features change: check the Eventbrite site for the most current information.
Eventbrite strengths
- Self-serve, with a checkout many buyers recognise
- Free events carry no fee at all, and the organiser can choose who pays on paid ones
- Payment processing included in the UK rate as recorded by ticketingfees.co.uk; Eventbrite's own pricing page, which served USD when read on 21 September 2026, lists a separate 2.9% processing fee
- A consumer app and event search that give listed events some discovery
- Works for any kind of event, anywhere
Where CaptiFi differs
- A fixed 59p on top of 6.95% per ticket makes cheap tickets expensive: 12.9% on a GBP10 ticket (ticketingfees.co.uk, verified against Eventbrite 20 July 2026)
- Buyers are Eventbrite's users first; the organiser gets an attendee export for that event only
- Payout runs through Eventbrite's platform
- No guest WiFi layer, so the people who walk in on a normal night are never captured
- Built for every organiser, so venue-specific needs like the next event on the WiFi welcome screen are not there
Honest recommendations
Pick Eventbrite if
Organisers without a venue of their own, one-off events in hired spaces, and anyone who wants a familiar checkout and a listing in the Eventbrite app.
Pick CaptiFi if
Venues that run events for the people who already come in. The buyer joins your guest list, your next event shows on the WiFi welcome screen to whoever is at the bar tonight, the fee has no fixed pence and settles into your own Stripe account.
Pricing side by side
CaptiFi
$59/month billed annually
or $69/month month-to-month
- Hardware included (refundable deposit)
- Every integration included on Growth and above
- 30-day free trial.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite UK: 6.95% plus 59p per paid ticket, processing included, no fee on free tickets, paid by the buyer by default (ticketingfees.co.uk, verified against Eventbrite 20 July 2026; eventbrite.co.uk/organizer/pricing, read 21 September 2026). CaptiFi Events: 7.5% up to GBP20, 6% up to GBP50, 4.5% above, 50p minimum, card processing included, nothing on free tickets, included on the Growth plan. On a GBP10 ticket that is GBP0.75 against GBP1.29; on GBP25, GBP1.50 against GBP2.33; on GBP60, GBP2.70 against GBP4.76. The fixed 59p is what makes the difference on cheaper tickets.
Last reviewed 21 September 2026. Check the Eventbrite site for current pricing.
How switching from Eventbrite works
Start your free trial
Sign up in minutes. 30-day free trial. Hardware included (refundable deposit), and no plan payment is taken during the trial.
Connect your WiFi
Point your existing access points at CaptiFi (UniFi, TP-Link Omada, Cisco Meraki, Aruba, MikroTik, Ruckus and more) or plug in the starter device we ship.
Switch off Eventbrite
Rebuild your splash page, turn on email and review automation, and cancel your Eventbrite subscription once you're confident.
Weighing up a move? Read the Eventbrite alternative guide or see all comparisons.
CaptiFi vs Eventbrite FAQs
Is CaptiFi cheaper than Eventbrite?
Eventbrite UK: 6.95% plus 59p per paid ticket, processing included, no fee on free tickets, paid by the buyer by default (ticketingfees.co.uk, verified against Eventbrite 20 July 2026; eventbrite.co.uk/organizer/pricing, read 21 September 2026). CaptiFi Events: 7.5% up to GBP20, 6% up to GBP50, 4.5% above, 50p minimum, card processing included, nothing on free tickets, included on the Growth plan. On a GBP10 ticket that is GBP0.75 against GBP1.29; on GBP25, GBP1.50 against GBP2.33; on GBP60, GBP2.70 against GBP4.76. The fixed 59p is what makes the difference on cheaper tickets.
When should I pick Eventbrite over CaptiFi?
Organisers without a venue of their own, one-off events in hired spaces, and anyone who wants a familiar checkout and a listing in the Eventbrite app.
When is CaptiFi the better choice?
Venues that run events for the people who already come in. The buyer joins your guest list, your next event shows on the WiFi welcome screen to whoever is at the bar tonight, the fee has no fixed pence and settles into your own Stripe account.
Competitor names and logos are trade marks of their respective owners and are shown only to identify the products being compared. CaptiFi is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any company named on this page. Feature and pricing notes describe each product as we found it on its public website when we last reviewed it, and may since have changed; check the vendor's current terms before you buy. Trade mark notices.
CaptiFi is a guest WiFi marketing and captive portal platform for restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, hotels, gyms, salons, retail and short-term rentals, built by CaptiFi Ltd in the UK and sold in GBP, USD, EUR, CAD, AUD and NZD to venues worldwide.