Guide — Updated March 2026

Best Ticketmaster Alternatives
UK 2026

Ticketmaster charges ~13.5% + £2.50 per order. We compare 7 alternatives with lower fees and better value for UK event organisers.

Why Look for Ticketmaster Alternatives?

Ticketmaster is the world's largest ticketing platform — and by far the most expensive. At roughly 13.5% + £2.50 per order, a single £25 ticket costs fans around £5.88 in total fees. That is nearly a quarter of the ticket price going to fees alone.

Beyond cost, Ticketmaster is widely criticised for opaque fee structures, slow payouts, poor customer service and a near-monopoly on arena and stadium events. Small-to-mid organisers rarely get access to competitive rates, and the platform is essentially inaccessible unless you are filling thousands of seats.

The UK market in 2026 has excellent alternatives that work for events of any size, with fees ranging from zero to a fraction of what Ticketmaster charges.

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 Ticketmaster fees page. You can also browse UK venues and arenas on UK Venue Guide.

The 7 Best Ticketmaster Alternatives

1

tickts

£0 fees — always free

tickts is the polar opposite of Ticketmaster. Zero booking fees, zero commission, zero monthly costs. On a £25 ticket, your fans save £5.88 compared to Ticketmaster. Payments go directly into your Stripe account and you own all customer data.

Pros

  • Zero fees — fans save £5.88 per £25 ticket vs Ticketmaster
  • Direct Stripe payouts, no holdbacks
  • Full customer data ownership
  • Simple setup in minutes, not weeks

Cons

  • No arena/stadium infrastructure
  • Smaller brand recognition

Best for: Any organiser who does not need Ticketmaster's arena infrastructure

Verdict: The biggest fee savings of any alternative. Unless you are filling arenas, there is no reason to pay Ticketmaster's fees. Get started free at tickts.co.uk.
2

Outsavvy

3.5% + 30p per ticket

Outsavvy charges 3.5% + 30p — fans pay £1.18 on a £25 ticket instead of Ticketmaster's £5.88. That is a saving of £4.70 per ticket with a clean, modern platform.

Pros

  • £4.70 cheaper per £25 ticket than Ticketmaster
  • Good feature set
  • Customisable event pages

Cons

  • Still charges fees
  • No large-venue infrastructure

Best for: Small-to-mid organisers wanting low fees

Verdict: Saves fans nearly £5 per ticket compared to Ticketmaster. A sensible choice for smaller events.
3

Eventbrite

6.95% + 59p per ticket

Eventbrite charges 6.95% + 59p — roughly half of Ticketmaster's fees. You get the biggest discovery marketplace outside of Ticketmaster, strong analytics and marketing tools.

Pros

  • Half the fees of Ticketmaster
  • Largest independent event marketplace
  • Excellent marketing tools

Cons

  • Still significant fees
  • Holds money before payout

Best for: Organisers wanting broad event discovery

Verdict: A familiar name at roughly half the cost. The default choice for many organisers leaving Ticketmaster.
4

See Tickets

~12% + £2.50 per order

See Tickets charges roughly 12% + £2.50, slightly cheaper than Ticketmaster. They handle many large UK festivals and venues. Rates are often negotiable for high-volume clients.

Pros

  • Slightly cheaper than Ticketmaster
  • Strong with UK festivals
  • Negotiable rates for volume

Cons

  • Still very expensive at default rates
  • Not accessible for small organisers

Best for: Large festivals with volume to negotiate rates

Verdict: Only marginally cheaper than Ticketmaster. Worth considering only if you have the volume to negotiate a bespoke deal.
5

Skiddle

10% + 25p per ticket

Skiddle charges 10% + 25p. Cheaper than Ticketmaster but still expensive. Strong in the dance music and festival space with good audience discovery.

Pros

  • Cheaper than Ticketmaster
  • Built-in dance music audience
  • Good promotional tools

Cons

  • 10% + 25p is still significant
  • Niche audience
  • Slow payouts

Best for: Dance music events wanting built-in audience

Verdict: A step down from Ticketmaster's fees but still expensive. Best if Skiddle's audience drives a meaningful share of sales.
6

TicketCo

~5.5% + 30p per ticket

TicketCo charges roughly 5.5% + 30p — less than half of Ticketmaster. Strong operational tools including POS, cashless payments and access control make it a genuine alternative for festivals.

Pros

  • Less than half of Ticketmaster's fees
  • POS and cashless payment tools
  • Good for medium-to-large events

Cons

  • Less well-known in UK
  • Variable pricing

Best for: Festivals wanting integrated operational tools

Verdict: A strong option for festival organisers who need Ticketmaster-level operational features at a fraction of the cost.
7

DICE

~10% absorbed into ticket price

DICE absorbs its ~10% into the ticket price. Cheaper than Ticketmaster overall but still a 10% commission. Strong anti-tout features and a curated approach.

Pros

  • No visible booking fee for fans
  • Anti-tout protections
  • Curated platform

Cons

  • 10% commission still steep
  • Curated — not all events accepted
  • Mobile-only tickets

Best for: Venues wanting anti-scalping

Verdict: Cheaper than Ticketmaster with better anti-tout tech, but the 10% commission and gatekeeping are drawbacks.

Fee Comparison Table

How Ticketmaster'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 Outsavvy 3.5% + 30p £1.18 Small/mid events
3 TicketCo ~5.5% + 30p £1.68 Festivals
4 Eventbrite 6.95% + 59p £2.33 Brand recognition
5 DICE ~10% absorbed £2.50 Anti-tout venues
6 Skiddle 10% + 25p £2.75 Dance music
7 See Tickets ~12% + £2.50 £5.50 Large venues
8 Ticketmaster ~13.5% + £2.50 £5.88 Arena-scale

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Ticketmaster so expensive?

Ticketmaster leverages its near-monopoly on major venue contracts to charge premium fees. Most organisers have no choice when their venue has an exclusive Ticketmaster deal. For events at independent venues, cheaper alternatives are always available.

Can I use Ticketmaster alternatives for large events?

Yes. See Tickets and TicketCo handle large festivals. Eventbrite supports events of any size. tickts works for events from 50 to 50,000+ tickets with zero fees.

What is the cheapest Ticketmaster alternative?

tickts is completely free — zero booking fees, zero commission. Fans save £5.88 per £25 ticket compared to Ticketmaster. See our fee calculator to compare costs.

Do Ticketmaster alternatives have the same reach?

No platform matches Ticketmaster's audience reach. However, most ticket sales come from the organiser's own marketing, not the platform's marketplace. If you drive your own sales, the platform's brand matters less.

How do Ticketmaster fees compare to other platforms?

Ticketmaster is the most expensive UK platform at ~13.5% + £2.50 per order. See our full Ticketmaster fees breakdown and platform ranking for detailed comparisons.

Related Guides

Ticketmaster Fees · See Tickets Fees · Best Ticketing Platforms UK · Fee Calculator

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