Guide — Updated March 2026

Best DesignMyNight Alternatives
UK 2026

DesignMyNight charges ~12% commission. We compare 7 alternatives with lower fees and better value for UK event organisers.

Why Look for DesignMyNight Alternatives?

DesignMyNight (DMN) is primarily a venue discovery and booking platform that also handles event ticketing. At roughly 12% commission, a £25 ticket costs around £3.00 in fees. That is one of the highest rates in UK ticketing.

DMN makes sense for bars and restaurants that use the platform for table bookings and want to add events. But for dedicated event organisers, paying 12% for ticketing features is excessive when purpose-built platforms charge far less.

If you run events rather than a bar or restaurant, or simply want lower fees, these alternatives offer better value in 2026.

For a broader comparison, see our best ticketing platforms UK ranking or use the fee calculator to compare costs for your specific events. For a detailed breakdown, see our DesignMyNight fees page. You can also browse UK bars and venues on UK Venue Guide.

The 7 Best DesignMyNight Alternatives

1

tickts

£0 fees — always free

tickts charges zero fees. Compared to DesignMyNight's 12%, you save £3.00 on every £25 ticket. Direct Stripe payouts, full data ownership and a dedicated ticketing platform rather than a bolt-on feature.

Pros

  • Zero fees vs DMN's 12% commission
  • Purpose-built for ticketing
  • Direct Stripe payouts
  • Full customer data ownership

Cons

  • No venue discovery or booking features
  • Newer, smaller platform

Best for: Event organisers who want dedicated ticketing at zero cost

Verdict: The best alternative for organisers who use DMN primarily for ticketing. Save 12% on every ticket. Sign up free at tickts.co.uk.
2

Outsavvy

3.5% + 30p per ticket

Outsavvy charges 3.5% + 30p — roughly a quarter of DesignMyNight's commission. A dedicated ticketing platform with clean event pages and good organiser tools.

Pros

  • A quarter of DMN's fees
  • Dedicated ticketing platform
  • Good customisation

Cons

  • No venue booking features
  • Smaller brand

Best for: Event organisers wanting dedicated low-cost ticketing

Verdict: Saves roughly £1.80 per £25 ticket compared to DMN. A clean, affordable dedicated ticketing tool.
3

Eventbrite

6.95% + 59p per ticket

Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p — roughly half of DMN's commission. The largest ticketing marketplace with comprehensive marketing tools.

Pros

  • Half DMN's commission
  • Largest event marketplace
  • Strong marketing tools

Cons

  • Still significant fees
  • No venue booking features

Best for: Organisers wanting broad discovery at moderate fees

Verdict: Half the cost of DMN with a far larger event marketplace. A sensible switch for event-focused organisers.
4

Fatsoma

5% + 49p per ticket

Fatsoma charges 5% + 49p. Less than half of DMN and with strong nightlife features. A natural fit for bars that run club nights and student events.

Pros

  • Less than half DMN's fees
  • Strong for nightlife events
  • Promoter tracking

Cons

  • Narrowly focused on nightlife
  • No venue booking

Best for: Bars running regular nightlife events

Verdict: A strong fit for bars and clubs with regular nightlife events, at less than half the cost.
5

FIXR

From 3% + 29p per ticket

FIXR charges from 3% + 29p — a quarter of DMN. Strong for university and nightlife events with group ticketing features.

Pros

  • A quarter of DMN's cost
  • Good for student/nightlife
  • Group ticketing

Cons

  • Narrowly focused
  • No venue booking

Best for: Student and nightlife events

Verdict: A massive fee reduction for nightlife-focused venues. Worth exploring if you run student events.
6

Skiddle

10% + 25p per ticket

Skiddle charges 10% + 25p. Cheaper than DMN and with a built-in dance music audience. Good for venues that want event discovery.

Pros

  • Cheaper than DMN
  • Built-in audience
  • Promotional tools

Cons

  • Still expensive
  • Niche audience

Best for: Venues wanting audience discovery in dance music

Verdict: Cheaper than DMN with the bonus of Skiddle's audience. Worth it if discovery matters more than low fees.
7

DICE

~10% absorbed into ticket price

DICE absorbs ~10% into the ticket price. Cheaper than DMN and with strong anti-tout features. Curated platform for music venues.

Pros

  • Cheaper than DMN
  • Anti-tout protections
  • Curated platform

Cons

  • ~10% commission
  • Curated — not all events accepted

Best for: Music venues wanting anti-scalping

Verdict: A modest saving over DMN with anti-tout features. But DICE's gatekeeping can be frustrating.

Fee Comparison Table

How DesignMyNight's fees stack up against the alternatives. The £25 Ticket Fee column shows what fans pay on top of a £25 face-value ticket.

# Platform Fee Structure £25 Ticket Fee Best For
1 tickts £0 £0.00 Zero-fee ticketing
2 FIXR From 3% + 29p £1.04 Student events
3 Outsavvy 3.5% + 30p £1.18 Small/mid events
4 Fatsoma 5% + 49p £1.74 Nightlife
5 Eventbrite 6.95% + 59p £2.33 Brand recognition
6 DICE ~10% absorbed £2.50 Anti-tout
7 Skiddle 10% + 25p £2.75 Dance music
8 DesignMyNight ~12% £3.00 Venue booking

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DesignMyNight worth it for ticketing?

If you are a bar or restaurant using DMN for table bookings and want to add occasional events, the convenience may be worth it. For dedicated event organisers, 12% commission is excessive. tickts offers zero fees.

What is the cheapest DesignMyNight alternative?

tickts is free. Among fee-charging platforms, FIXR (from 3% + 29p) and Outsavvy (3.5% + 30p) are the cheapest. Use our fee calculator to compare.

Can bars use DesignMyNight alternatives?

For ticketing, absolutely. Most organisers use DMN for table bookings and a separate platform for event tickets. tickts or Fatsoma work well for bar events at much lower cost.

Does DesignMyNight help with event discovery?

DMN has a venue discovery audience but it is primarily focused on bookings rather than events. Eventbrite and Skiddle offer better event discovery. See our DMN fees breakdown.

How much can I save switching from DesignMyNight?

On a £25 ticket, switching to tickts saves £3.00 per ticket. For a venue selling 500 event tickets per month, that is £1,500 saved monthly.

Switch to Zero Fees with tickts

Stop paying DesignMyNight fees. tickts is free for organisers and fans. Direct Stripe payments, full data ownership, set up in 5 minutes.

Get Started Free

No credit card required. No hidden costs. Free forever.