Events · head to head
ACTIVE Network vs Ticketmaster
ACTIVE Network
Events
Registration and payment software for parks departments, races and camps, owned by Global Payments
- From
- On request
- Rated
- -
The short version
- 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.; Ticketmaster high fees of 10-30% per ticket with some events reaching 40%, higher than competing platforms
- They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, Ticketmaster covers Ticket sales.
- Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and Ticketmaster actually diverge.
| Attribute | ACTIVE Network | Ticketmaster |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | quote | transaction |
| Founded | Unknown | 1978 |
Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Ticketmaster
- Ticket sales
- Mobile ticketing
- Verified tickets
- Resale marketplace
- Venue management
- Spotify
- Apple Music
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 Ticketmaster
- A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot Ticketmaster
- A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot Ticketmaster
- An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot Ticketmaster
Ticketmaster
- 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.
Ticketmaster
- High fees of 10-30% per ticket with some events reaching 40%, higher than competing platforms
- Delayed real-time data on seat availability and resale pricing
- Strict API rate limits and limited customization for partner integrations
- Found guilty of operating an illegal monopoly in live concert ticketing by federal jury in April 2026
- Anticompetitive practices that limit competition for event organizers
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
Ticketmaster
On request- StandardFree
- Global distribution
- Mobile ticketing
- Fan verification
Which should you pick?
Choose ACTIVE Network if
- You need activenet.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want activeworks endurance.
Choose Ticketmaster if
- You need ticket sales.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want mobile ticketing.
Questions people ask
- Is ACTIVE Network or Ticketmaster better?
- Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Ticketmaster at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or Ticketmaster?
- ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Ticketmaster at On request.
- Does ACTIVE Network or Ticketmaster run on more platforms?
- Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
- 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 Ticketmaster is typically brought in for.
- What can ACTIVE Network do that Ticketmaster cannot?
- ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. Ticketmaster covers Ticket sales, Mobile ticketing, Verified tickets, Resale marketplace.
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.
Ticketmaster: How much does Ticketmaster charge in fees?
Ticketmaster typically charges a service fee of 10-30% of the ticket price (sometimes reaching 40% for high-demand events), plus facility fees and order processing fees. Combined fees often result in buyers paying approximately 27% on top of face value.
SourceACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?
Primarily from registration processing fees, charged as a percentage plus a fixed amount per registration.
Ticketmaster: Who sets ticket prices on Ticketmaster?
Event organizers set the base face value of tickets based on production costs, venue size, and event interest. However, service fees and facility fees are generally negotiated and shared between various parties including Ticketmaster and venues.
SourceACTIVE 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.
Ticketmaster: Does Ticketmaster have an API?
Yes, Ticketmaster provides a Partner API and 3rd Party Integration API for developers. However, the API has strict rate limits, poor resale control, and delays in real-time seat-level and resale data updates.
SourceACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?
No. Both licence and processing rates are quoted per account.
Ticketmaster: What is Ticketmaster's current legal status?
In April 2026, a federal jury found that Live Nation and subsidiary Ticketmaster operated an illegal monopoly in live concert and ticketing markets. In March 2026, they settled with the DOJ agreeing to cap service fees at 15% at certain venues and divest control of 13 amphitheaters.
SourceRelated pages
More on ACTIVE Network
More on Ticketmaster
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