Kannect vs Eventbrite
The honest comparison. Eventbrite is built to sell tickets to one-off events. Here is what that costs you, and where Kannect is the better home for a community.
Last updated May 2026. 7-day free trial, card required to keep Kannect spam-free.
Running events across multiple chapters, regions, or a national organization? Kannect Enterprise runs 5 sub-communities under one parent org, each with its own events, memberships, and mobile app profile. See Enterprise multi-community →
The honest take
Eventbrite is a ticketing tool. Kannect is the operating system that turns attendees into members.
Eventbrite runs the largest event marketplace on the internet, with a polished checkout and a built-in audience. For a single large public event where you just need tickets sold, it does the job well.
But Eventbrite is transactional by design. The relationship ends when the event ends, and its US fees run 3.7% plus $1.79 per ticket plus 2.9% processing — a flat per-ticket fee that punishes low-priced tickets, which is where nonprofits and small organizations live. Since Bending Spoons acquired it in 2026, the same price pressure that hit Meetup is expected.
Kannect treats an event as the start of a community relationship, not a one-off sale, at a 2 percent platform fee, on a verified network with no scam events.
Kannect vs Eventbrite
2% vs 10–14%
Platform fee on paid events. On a $50 ticket, Kannect costs about $1; Eventbrite costs $5–$7.
0% vs varies
Fee on nonprofit donations. Kannect 0% on donation campaigns (registered nonprofits). Donations are a separate flow from event tickets today.
100% vs ~0%
Members who become an ongoing relationship. Eventbrite ends at the ticket. Kannect starts there.
Indie vs Bending Spoons
Ownership. Kannect is founder-run. Eventbrite is owned by a holding company.
Be honest about the fit
When to choose Eventbrite
- You are selling tickets to a single large public event.
- Tapping the Eventbrite marketplace audience is your main goal.
- You do not need anything to happen after the event ends.
When to choose Kannect
- You want every attendee to become an ongoing member, not a one-time buyer.
- You run a community, not just standalone events.
- You want a simple 2% platform fee, not 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket plus 2.9% processing.
- You want a verified, scam-free network where members trust your events.
Kannect vs Eventbrite, feature by feature
| Feature | Eventbrite | Kannect |
|---|---|---|
| Verified, spam-free network | ||
| An ongoing community after the event | ||
| Membership and groups | ||
| Member communication | ||
| A member app for your organization | Kannect mobile app | |
| Donations with 0% nonprofit fee | ||
| Event ticketing | ||
| Public discovery | ||
| Cost per paid ticket | 3.7% + $1.79/ticket + 2.9% processing | 2% platform fee plus Stripe |
| Owned by | Bending Spoons | Independent and founder-run |
An event is a relationship, not a transaction
Eventbrite makes its money when a ticket is sold. Once the event is over, the platform has no reason to keep your attendee, and neither does its pricing.
Fees that add up fast
Every $25 ticket loses $2.72 in Eventbrite service fees alone (Stripe processing is on top of that, same as on Kannect). On a $5,000 gala at 200 tickets, that's $544 in service fees vs $100 in Kannect platform fees. On a fundraiser, that gap is money that never reaches your mission.
The relationship ends at checkout
An attendee buys a ticket and disappears. There is no membership, no follow-up, no community to come back to.
Now owned by Bending Spoons
Eventbrite was acquired in 2026 by the same holding company that owns Meetup, known for raising prices after it buys.
On Kannect, the event is where the relationship starts. Every attendee joins your community and keeps getting your events, updates, and resources, at a 2 percent fee, on a platform that is independent and built to keep them.
Switching from Eventbrite
Can I move from Eventbrite to Kannect?
Yes. You can set up your organization on Kannect and publish your next event there, while keeping past Eventbrite events as they are. Many organizations run both during the transition.
How do Kannect's fees compare to Eventbrite's?
Eventbrite's US service fee is 3.7% plus $1.79 per ticket, plus 2.9% processing. On a $25 ticket that's $2.72 in fees. Kannect charges a simple 2% platform fee on paid events, programs, and memberships, plus standard Stripe processing, and 0% on nonprofit donations. That same $25 ticket costs $0.50 on Kannect Starter — over 5 times cheaper.
Can I use Kannect and Eventbrite together?
Yes. Some organizations list a large public event on Eventbrite for reach and use Kannect as the home where attendees become ongoing members.
What does Kannect cost?
Plans start at $23/mo billed yearly, or $29/mo month to month. Every plan includes a 7-day free trial, and a credit card is required to start it, which keeps Kannect verified and spam-free.
Turn attendees into a community
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