# Alternatives to Universe

> Source: https://boxofficefees.com/universe/alternatives/ (re-verified)
> Updated: 28 October 2026

## At a glance

| Name | Best for | Starts at | Better than Universe at | Checked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [Universe](https://boxofficefees.com/universe.md) | Independent organizers and attractions selling general admission or timed-entry tickets | From $0.79 per ticket | — | 27 October 2026 |
| [Race Entry](https://boxofficefees.com/raceentry.md) | Race directors and running clubs who want signup fees carried by participants | Free | Card processing, Ticket types and discounts | 28 October 2026 |
| [GoFundMe Pro](https://boxofficefees.com/gofundme-pro.md) | US 501(c)(3) nonprofits running galas and events alongside online fundraising | On quote | Card processing, Plans and subscriptions | 27 October 2026 |
| [Ticket Tailor](https://boxofficefees.com/ticket-tailor.md) | Independent event creators, venues and charities selling tickets from their own site | Free, then about $0.80 per ticket | Card processing, All-in price at checkout | 27 October 2026 |
| [Eventbrite](https://boxofficefees.com/eventbrite.md) | Organizers who want ticketing plus discovery on Eventbrite’s marketplace | Free, then $69 a month | Card processing, Plans and subscriptions | 30 October 2026 |
| [Humanitix](https://boxofficefees.com/humanitix.md) | Charities, schools and community organizers who want every feature without a subscription | Free, then $1.29 per paid ticket | Card processing, Ticket types and discounts | 27 October 2026 |
| [RunSignup](https://boxofficefees.com/runsignup.md) | Race directors and nonprofits running 5Ks, ultras and multi-event endurance races | Free | Card processing, All-in price at checkout | 27 October 2026 |
| [RSVPify](https://boxofficefees.com/rsvpify.md) | Business, nonprofit, school, and personal event teams | Free, then $0.90 per ticket | Card processing, Plans and subscriptions | 30 October 2026 |
| [TicketSpice](https://boxofficefees.com/ticketspice.md) | Fairs, festivals and attractions selling high ticket volumes online and at the gate | From $0.99 per ticket | Card processing, Ticket types and discounts | 27 October 2026 |
| [UltraSignup](https://boxofficefees.com/ultrasignup.md) | Trail and ultra race directors who want registration, results and timing in one place | Free, then $2.50 per registration | Card processing, All-in price at checkout | 27 October 2026 |

“About” figures are converted at the European Central Bank rate of 30 October 2026.

The ones people open most here come first, then the closest matches.

## Shortlist

### 1. Race Entry

Free race management software paid for by one per-registration fee that already covers card processing.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — Race Entry processes the cards itself through its own card processor, and says its single service fee already contains the card and merchant cost.](https://www.raceentry.com/race-entry-pricing)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Entry categories with scheduled price increases, promo codes, group and club discounts, early access codes and team registration are all documented.](https://www.raceentry.com/benefits-of-race-entry)
- [Email to buyers: yes — A mass email tool with segmentation, templates, scheduling and open and click reporting is included at no additional cost to the organizer.](https://www.raceentry.com/race-director-faq)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [When you get the money: partial — Money is held and paid after the event under the terms, within fifteen business days of the event end date and only once $100 has been processed, while the benefits page describes bi-monthly payments instead.](https://www.raceentry.com/terms-and-conditions)
- [Refunds and transfers by buyers: partial — Entrants can edit, transfer and defer their own registration from the confirmation email where the organizer allows it, but refunds cannot be done by the entrant and must be requested from the organizer.](https://www.raceentry.com/race-entry-faq)
- [API: partial — A documented REST API exists for participants, teams and races, but access is restricted to authorized timing partners rather than open to any organizer.](https://www.raceentry.com/documentation/timerapi/index)

[View Race Entry](https://boxofficefees.com/raceentry)

### 2. GoFundMe Pro

Nonprofit fundraising platform with event ticketing, registration and Live Events, sold by quote.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — GoFundMe Pay processes cards through Stripe and PayPal at a published rate of up to 2.5% plus $0.30 per transaction, with an extra 1% on American Express and 2.5% + $0.30 for PayPal and Venmo.](https://prosupport.gofundme.com/hc/en-us/articles/37288767770395-GoFundMe-Pay)
- [Plans and subscriptions: yes — Pricing is an annual upfront subscription plus a per-donation transaction fee, with plans recommended after a qualification form and premium add-ons such as Live Events and Salesforce charged extra.](https://pro.gofundme.com/c/pricing/)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Unlimited ticket types can be created with their own price, quantity, availability window and attendee limits, plus promo codes giving a fixed or percentage discount and group orders in one transaction.](https://pro.gofundme.com/c/solutions/event-registration/)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [The fee per ticket: partial — Card processing on GoFundMe Pay is published as a percentage plus a fixed amount per transaction, but the platform's own service fee per ticket is set in each organization's contract and never printed.](https://pro.gofundme.com/c/pricing/)
- [Free events: partial — Free and hidden $0 tickets can be issued with no charge to the attendee, but GoFundMe Pro itself is only sold with an annual upfront subscription, so running a free event is never free of platform cost.](https://prosupport.gofundme.com/hc/en-us/articles/37288772287131-Create-a-ticketed-event)
- [Fees on refunds: partial — Whether fees come back depends on the payment solution: GoFundMe Pay and PayPal return all transaction fees on a refund, while Braintree and Authorize.net keep them, and partial refunds are not possible at all.](https://prosupport.gofundme.com/hc/en-us/articles/37288784115355-Send-a-refund-or-receipt)

[View GoFundMe Pro](https://boxofficefees.com/gofundme-pro)

### 3. Ticket Tailor

Flat per-ticket fee ticketing paid into your own Stripe, PayPal or Square account.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — You connect your own Stripe, PayPal or Square account and that processor's fee is charged on top of Ticket Tailor's per-ticket fee, which the vendor states it never touches; it prints 2.9% + $0.30 as an example US Stripe rate but labels those figures illustrative rather than its own.](https://www.tickettailor.com/en-us/pricing)
- [All-in price at checkout: yes — For events priced in USD the checkout shows the full amount including booking fees upfront, which the vendor attributes to the FTC junk-fees rule; the same is done for GBP events under UK price transparency law.](https://help.tickettailor.com/en/articles/11383453-how-fees-are-displayed-for-events-in-usd)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Multiple ticket types with tiered early-bird releases that unlock as an earlier tier runs low, discount and voucher codes, hidden access-code tickets and bundles or group tickets issued as a single QR code.](https://help.tickettailor.com/en/articles/11077276-how-to-set-up-tiered-ticket-pricing)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Free events: partial — Free tickets are genuinely free up to a stated 5,000 per year, after which the vendor asks you to contact support for a quote; free tickets issued through a seating chart still cost one usage each.](https://www.tickettailor.com/en-us/pricing)
- [Fees on refunds: no — Refunding or canceling a ticket does not return the platform fee or the credit to the organizer, so the organizer absorbs it; transferring an order instead avoids a second charge.](https://help.tickettailor.com/en/articles/6731528-how-much-does-ticket-tailor-cost-and-how-will-i-be-charged)
- [Disputed charges: partial — The organizer bears disputes entirely: because payments go direct to the organizer's processor, Ticket Tailor says it cannot influence the outcome and only supplies evidence such as check-in reports; no dispute fee of its own is stated.](https://help.tickettailor.com/en/articles/9630490-what-can-i-do-if-a-ticket-buyer-starts-a-payment-dispute-or-chargeback-after-attending-my-event)

[View Ticket Tailor](https://boxofficefees.com/ticket-tailor)

### 4. Eventbrite

Ticketing platform with a buyer-discovery marketplace and optional fee transfer.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — Eventbrite Payment Processing is the default online processor; United States processing is 2.9% per order.](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/755615/how-much-does-it-cost-for-organizers-to-use-eventbrite/)
- [Plans and subscriptions: yes — Eventbrite Premium is an optional monthly or annual subscription that adds marketing and support capabilities.](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/193833/eventbrites-new-pricing-plans/)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Organizers can create paid, free, donation, early-bird, hidden-code, and group-oriented ticket types.](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/644100/how-to-create-custom-ticket-types/)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Fees on refunds: partial — Ticketing fees stay with Eventbrite by default, but organizers can pay them from their payout.](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/158301/how-to-refund-an-order/)
- [Nonprofit rates: partial — Verified nonprofits get 50% off a Pro subscription, but the per-ticket fees are the same as for everyone else; only donation tickets carry reduced rates in some countries.](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/585157/can-my-nonprofit-or-charity-get-lower-fees-for-our-events/)
- [When you get the money: partial — Standard payouts arrive three business days after an event; scheduled and instant alternatives have eligibility limits.](https://www.eventbrite.com/help/en-us/articles/111819/understanding-your-event-payout-amount/)

[View Eventbrite](https://boxofficefees.com/eventbrite)

### 5. Humanitix

Nonprofit ticketing: 5% + $1.29 a paid ticket, card processing included, profits to charity.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — Humanitix handles the card payment itself on US dollar events and the cost sits inside its 5% + $1.29 fee; connecting Stripe instead means Stripe bills you separately.](https://help.humanitix.com/en/articles/9760527-how-much-does-humanitix-cost)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — You get unlimited ticket types with early-bird or pre-sale tickets, discount and access codes, and packaged group or table tickets.](https://humanitix.com/us/pricing)
- [Email to buyers: yes — Email campaigns reach your attendees from inside Humanitix, and a Mailchimp connection lets you market a next event to past buyers.](https://humanitix.com/us/faqs)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Fees on refunds: no — When a ticket is refunded the buyer gets the ticket price back but Humanitix keeps its booking fee, so whoever paid that fee loses it.](https://help.humanitix.com/en/articles/13454109-my-refund-was-smaller-than-expected)
- [When you get the money: partial — Money is held until the event ends and reaches your bank within five business days with no transfer fee; connecting Stripe instead pays you as tickets sell.](https://help.humanitix.com/en/articles/8889219-when-will-my-event-be-paid-out)
- [Disputed charges: partial — Humanitix disputes a buyer's charge dispute with their bank for you at no charge, but the loss lands on you: funds are held back before you are paid, or invoiced back afterwards.](https://help.humanitix.com/en/articles/15185200-understanding-chargebacks-as-an-event-host)

[View Humanitix](https://boxofficefees.com/humanitix)

### 6. RunSignup

Free endurance-event registration platform billed only through per-transaction processing fees.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — Card processing is inside the single banded fee rather than charged on top, and the vendor names Adyen as the processor behind payment accounts; no separate card rate is published.](https://info.runsignup.com/pricing/)
- [All-in price at checkout: yes — A live event page prints one all-in figure per distance and names the fee inside it, so a buyer sees $86.80 including the $6.80 fee before clicking Sign Up; the fee is only this visible when the organizer passes it on rather than paying it out of the price.](https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/TN/Alcoa/ThePistolCreekRun)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Entry types cover dated or count-triggered early-bird increases, group, team, age-based and membership discounts, plus unlimited coupon codes and multi-race bundles.](https://info.runsignup.com/products/race-registration/)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Fees on refunds: partial — By default the registrant does not get the original processing fee back; the organizer can return it only by covering it from race proceeds, and may also set its own refund handling fee.](https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000064221-enable-refunds-for-your-race)
- [Nonprofit rates: partial — The lower rate applies to donations into nonprofit payment accounts, a flat 4% including merchant fees, while registration processing fees follow the same bands for every organizer.](https://info.runsignup.com/pricing/)
- [When you get the money: partial — Money reaches the organizer's own account as registrations sell, by weekly direct deposit by default or daily on approval, but RunSignup can hold back a refund reserve that is only released after the event and a check payout costs $10 and needs $1,000 owed.](https://info.runsignup.com/about-us/privacy-policy/race-contract/)

[View RunSignup](https://boxofficefees.com/runsignup)

### 7. RSVPify

Registration, ticketing, guest management, seating, and QR-code check-in in one platform.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — Stripe processing is separately charged at 2.9 percent plus 30 cents per transaction.](https://rsvpify.com/robots.txt)
- [Plans and subscriptions: yes — RSVPify publishes paid Starter, Plus, Professional, and custom Enterprise plans alongside ticket fees.](https://rsvpify.com/robots.txt)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Ticketing supports multiple tiers, add-ons, and promo codes; group-ticket rules are not stated.](https://rsvpify.com/robots.txt)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Fees on refunds: no — If you refund a buyer, RSVPify keeps its service fee and the order's processing fee, so the organizer carries that cost unless it gives only a partial refund.](https://help.rsvpify.com/en/articles/2284187-how-do-i-issue-a-refund-for-my-guest-s-ticket-or-payment)
- [Sales tax on tickets: partial — adds a tax line: you switch on a sales tax charge, set it as a fixed or percentage amount and label it on the receipt, and nothing says RSVPify files or remits that tax for you.](https://help.rsvpify.com/en/articles/3948351-how-can-i-pass-fees-or-taxes-on-to-my-guests)
- [Door sales: partial — You can take money at the door, but only by offering a pay-later ticket option with payment collected off the platform, so no card terminal or door fee is documented.](https://help.rsvpify.com/en/articles/2389959-how-do-i-allow-guests-to-pay-at-the-door)

[View RSVPify](https://boxofficefees.com/rsvpify)

### 8. TicketSpice

Flat 99¢-per-ticket ticketing for events and attractions, with in-house payments and a box office app.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — Card processing is separate from and on top of the per-ticket fee, run by in-house Webconnex Payments at 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction.](https://www.ticketspice.com/pricing)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Unlimited ticket levels plus rules-based pricing cover early bird discounts, late increases, group discounts and inventory-triggered prices; coupon codes are created per page or globally.](https://www.ticketspice.com/features/conditional-logic-event-ticketing-software)
- [Email to buyers: yes — Drip and winback campaigns to past attendees run inside the account; email blasts are metered at two cents per email, with confirmations free.](https://www.ticketspice.com/pricing)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Free events: partial — Free events are free only if you also run paid events on the platform; organizers who only run free events pay 99 cents per free ticket.](https://www.ticketspice.com/pricing)
- [Fees on refunds: partial — Fees come back only on a full refund processed through Webconnex Payments; on partial refunds, custom processors and offline orders the organizer eats them.](https://help.ticketspice.com/en/articles/5539462)
- [Sales tax on tickets: partial — adds a tax line: you can attach a line item fee for sales tax as a flat amount or a percentage, but nothing says TicketSpice collects or remits the tax for you.](https://help.ticketspice.com/en/articles/9299044)

[View TicketSpice](https://boxofficefees.com/ticketspice)

### 9. UltraSignup

Race registration, results and free timing for trail, ultra and endurance events in North America.

**Where it improves on Universe:**
- [Card processing: yes — For US events card processing is inside the hosting fee rather than charged on top; outside the US the UltraSignup service fee is separate and Stripe's own fees fall to the director.](https://help.ultrasignup.com/hc/en-us/articles/30362746490637-What-are-the-event-hosting-fees-on-UltraSignup)
- [All-in price at checkout: yes — Since July 2024 every displayed price on the platform includes service fees and tax, with the breakdown shown at checkout, and directors cannot switch the display back.](https://help.ultrasignup.com/hc/en-us/articles/30339314302733-Why-Does-My-Price-Show-Higher-at-Checkout-Pricing-Display-Regulations-Explained)
- [Ticket types and discounts: yes — Up to three price tiers with dated increases are self-serve, labels cover member or youth pricing, coupon codes run promotions, and support sets up bundles or more tiers.](https://help.ultrasignup.com/hc/en-us/articles/30339226191245-How-to-Configure-Pricing-for-Your-Race-Tiers-and-Price-Changes)

**Trade-offs against Universe:**
- [Fees on refunds: no — Processing fees are stated as non-refundable, and UltraSignup itself issues no refunds: the registration money sits with the race director, who decides each request, so the fees are lost when a refund is given.](https://help.ultrasignup.com/hc/en-us/articles/35717787812621-Can-I-Get-a-Refund-on-UltraSignup-Race-Registration-Policy)
- [Sales tax on tickets: partial — collects and remits sales tax as a marketplace facilitator once the threshold in your state is met, but directors in Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon still file their own.](https://help.ultrasignup.com/hc/en-us/articles/30339318015501-Does-UltraSignup-Collect-and-File-Sales-Tax-for-My-Event-How-Taxes-Work-on-UltraSignup)
- [Sign up without a sales call: partial — Setup is a five-step self-serve flow, but lotteries, bundled pricing, more than three tiers, multi-day and club programs need the support team, and free events must be approved before activation.](https://help.ultrasignup.com/hc/en-us/articles/44913226172301-Host-Your-Event-on-UltraSignup)

[View UltraSignup](https://boxofficefees.com/ultrasignup)