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Events · head to head

ACTIVE Network vs Luma

ACTIVE Network logo

ACTIVE Network

Events

Registration and payment software for parks departments, races and camps, owned by Global Payments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Luma logo

Luma

Events

Delightful events for communities

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Luma has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: ACTIVE Network revenue comes from registration processing rather than licence fees, so the vendor is aligned with transaction volume and not with the quality of the administrative experience.; Luma 5% platform fee on paid events in free tier can add up for high-volume organizers
  • They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, Luma covers Event pages.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and Luma actually diverge.

Attributes where ACTIVE Network and Luma differ
AttributeACTIVE NetworkLuma
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Events).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ACTIVE Network

  • ACTIVENet
  • ACTIVEWorks Endurance
  • Camp and Class Manager
  • Participant-paid fees
  • Facility and league scheduling
  • ACTIVE.com listing

Only in Luma

  • Event pages
  • Registration
  • Calendar sync
  • Ticketing
  • Community features
  • Google Calendar
  • Apple Calendar
  • Zoom

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ACTIVE Network

  • A city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residentsnot Luma
  • A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot Luma
  • A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot Luma
  • An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot Luma

Luma

  • Event planningnot ACTIVE Network
  • Ticket salesnot ACTIVE Network
  • Attendee managementnot ACTIVE Network
  • Virtual eventsnot ACTIVE Network
  • Event marketingnot ACTIVE Network

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ACTIVE Network

  • Revenue comes from registration processing rather than licence fees, so the vendor is aligned with transaction volume and not with the quality of the administrative experience.
  • Passing the processing fee to participants is normal practice, which makes the cost invisible on the agency budget and visible to residents as a service charge at checkout.
  • The ACTIVENet codebase is long-lived and parts of the administrative interface remain dated, with upgrade cycles driven by the parent rather than by agency requests.
  • Support responsiveness is a persistent complaint among municipal customers, and escalation paths are slower than in a standalone software vendor.
  • Because Global Payments owns the merchant relationship, moving off ACTIVE means changing processor as well as software, which usually requires a procurement process rather than a simple switch.

Luma

  • 5% platform fee on paid events in free tier can add up for high-volume organizers
  • Limited discovery features compared to established platforms like Meetup or Eventbrite
  • Smaller organizer community means fewer network effects than larger competitors

Pricing, plan by plan

ACTIVE Network

On request
  • ACTIVENet$undefined/year
    • Registration, facility and membership modules
    • Revenue derived primarily from registration processing fees
    • Fee can be absorbed by the agency or passed to the participant
  • Camp and Class Manager$undefined/year
    • Flat rate or per registration fee model
    • Rates quoted per account, not published
  • ACTIVEWorks Endurance$undefined/year
    • Race registration priced on a per registration fee
    • ACTIVE.com listing included

Luma

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Unlimited events
    • Unlimited guests
    • Up to 500 invites per week
  • Plus$59/month
    • No platform fee
    • 5,000 invites per week
    • Tax collection

Which should you pick?

Choose ACTIVE Network if

  • You need activenet.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want activeworks endurance.
ACTIVE Network review

Choose Luma if

  • You need event pages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want registration.
Luma review

Questions people ask

Is ACTIVE Network or Luma better?
Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Luma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or Luma?
Luma has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ACTIVE Network and Free for Luma.
Does ACTIVE Network or Luma run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Luma for free?
Yes. Luma has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. ACTIVE Network starts at On request.
What is ACTIVE Network best used for?
ACTIVE Network is most often used for a city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residents, a race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendor, a ymca needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one system, an agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing fees. Of those, a city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residents and a race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendor are not what Luma is typically brought in for.
What can ACTIVE Network do that Luma cannot?
ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. Luma covers Event pages, Registration, Calendar sync, Ticketing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ACTIVE Network: Who owns ACTIVE Network?

Global Payments, which acquired it in 2017 for around 1.2 billion US dollars. It sits in the merchant solutions business.

Luma: Does Luma have a free plan?

Yes. Luma offers a free plan with unlimited events, unlimited guests, and up to 500 invites per week. Free users pay a 5% platform fee on paid events.

Source
ACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?

Primarily from registration processing fees, charged as a percentage plus a fixed amount per registration.

Luma: How much does Luma Plus cost?

Luma Plus costs $59 per month when billed annually, or $69 per month for month-to-month billing. It removes the platform fee, increases invites to 5,000 per week, and adds tax collection and API access.

Source
ACTIVE Network: Can we absorb the fee instead of charging residents?

Yes, the agency chooses. Most pass it to the participant, which is why registrants see a service fee.

Luma: Can I integrate Luma with other tools?

Yes. Luma Plus includes API access and supports enterprise CRM integrations for larger organizations managing events at scale.

Source
ACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?

No. Both licence and processing rates are quoted per account.

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