Whether you’re planning a local community meetup, a conference, or a major festival, keeping event costs down is a priority—especially when it comes to ticketing software. Thankfully, there are several free event ticketing platforms that offer impressive features without charging high fees or locking you into restrictive plans.
In this post, we’ll explore some of the best free event ticketing tools in 2025, including both open-source and SaaS-based platforms. We’ve compared them based on ease of use, flexibility, feature set, and pricing transparency.
💡 Note: Some of these tools are fully open-source and self-hostable, while others are commercial platforms with generous free tiers. We’ll clarify which is which under each listing.
1. Hi.Events – Powerful Open Source Ticketing, Totally Free to Use
We’ll start with our own platform—Hi.Events. We built Hi.Events to be a truly modern, open-source event ticketing system that anyone can use, customize, and scale, with no hidden fees.
Hi.Events gives you advanced capabilities out of the box: multi-language support, tax and fee controls, check-in tools, capacity management, and a beautiful, mobile-friendly checkout experience. Whether you want to host it yourself or use our managed cloud version, there’s no catch—you get a full-featured platform completely free.
👉 Hi.Events is also the cheapest option for paid events, especially if you self-host it. No per-ticket fees, no revenue share, and no vendor lock-in.
Key Highlights:
- 💸 Completely free and open-source (AGPL 3.0)
- 🌍 Multilingual support (Spanish, German, French, Chinese & more)
- 📊 Advanced dashboards with real-time reports
- 📦 Sell tickets and products (e.g., t-shirts)
- 🎟️ Capacity management, promo codes, custom questions
- 🛒 Embeddable widgets, homepage designer, and more
Whether you self-host or use our cloud offering, Hi.Events provides serious value for zero cost.
2. Eventbrite – Popular SaaS with a Generous Free Tier
Eventbrite is one of the most well-known ticketing platforms in the world, and it offers a free tier for free events. If your event doesn’t charge for entry, Eventbrite won’t charge you either. That makes it a convenient solution for community meetups, school events, and nonprofit gatherings.
That said, for paid events, Eventbrite’s fees are on the higher side compared to most alternatives—and you won’t get access to the codebase or self-hosting.
Key Highlights:
- ✅ Free for free events
- 💳 Paid events subject to service fees
- 📲 Easy to set up and mobile friendly
- 🧰 Offers built-in promotion tools and analytics
3. Pretix – Flexible and Feature-Rich (Open Source)
Pretix is a veteran in the open-source ticketing space. It offers rich functionality including custom ticket layouts, hardware integrations, and multi-currency support. Pretix is ideal for users with technical know-how and the time to configure it properly.
The downside? The interface can feel a bit cluttered and has a steeper learning curve compared to newer platforms like Hi.Events.
Key Highlights:
- 🔓 Fully open-source and self-hostable
- 💼 Advanced pricing rules and plugins
- 🌐 Supports many languages and currencies
- 🌍 Embeddable widget for your website
4. Tito – Beautiful UI with a Free Plan for Small Events
Tito offers a polished user experience and is well-suited for tech conferences and workshops. While it’s a SaaS product, Tito charges 3% per ticket (excluding Stripe fees), which can get pricey, but for small events, it’s a great option.
Key Highlights:
- ✨ Clean, minimalist design
- 💬 Strong support and developer documentation
- 🔐 GDPR-compliant and focused on privacy
5. Humanitix – Social Impact Ticketing with a Free Option for Nonprofits
Humanitix is a not-for-profit ticketing platform that donates 100% of its booking fees to education projects around the world. It’s a great option for socially conscious organizers, especially nonprofits, as Humanitix offers discounted or fee-free pricing for registered nonprofits.
The platform itself is modern, easy to use, and comes with excellent support and reporting tools. However, for paid events outside their nonprofit pricing model, Humanitix ends up being the most expensive option on this list, even compared to mainstream platforms like Eventbrite.
Key Highlights:
- 💖 100% of profits go to charity
- 🧾 Discounted pricing or free for nonprofits
- 📈 Full-featured analytics and event pages
- 🌍 Supports recurring events, donations, and more
- ⚠️ Most expensive for paid events outside the nonprofit tier
Conclusion: Which Free Ticketing Software Is Right for You?
If you’re looking for full control, advanced features, and zero fees, Hi.Events stands out as the best free and open-source event ticketing platform in 2025. It’s also the cheapest option for paid events, especially when self-hosted. If you prefer a hosted, plug-and-play solution for free events, Eventbrite, Tito, or Humanitix are all excellent choices depending on your priorities—whether ease of use, nonprofit alignment, or design-focused workflows.
| Platform | Type | Free for Paid Events? | Self-Hostable | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi.Events | Open Source | ✅ (Self-host) | ✅ | Feature-rich, modern setup | 💸 Cheapest for paid events |
| Eventbrite | SaaS | ❌ | ❌ | Free events, beginners | Fees apply to paid tickets |
| Pretix | Open Source | ✅ | ✅ | Tech-savvy users, plugin needs | More complex to configure |
| Tito | SaaS | ✅ (Limited) | ❌ | Small events, conferences | Great UX |
| Humanitix | SaaS (Nonprofit) | ✅ (Nonprofits) | ❌ | Social impact, ethical ticketing | 💰 Most expensive for paid events |
No matter what type of event you’re planning, there’s a free solution out there. Just be sure to weigh your need for features, branding control, and data privacy before choosing the right platform.
Want to try a modern open-source ticketing platform?
👉 Explore Hi.Events
