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Events · head to head

ACTIVE Network vs Universe

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
Universe logo

Universe

Events

Ticketing and event management made simple

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Universe 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.; Universe limited design customization for event pages and branding control
  • They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, Universe covers Ticketing.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where ACTIVE Network and Universe differ
AttributeACTIVE NetworkUniverse
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
FoundedUnknown2011

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 Universe

  • Ticketing
  • Event pages
  • Guest lists
  • Check-in app
  • Analytics
  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Facebook

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 Universe
  • A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot Universe
  • A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot Universe
  • An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot Universe

Universe

  • 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.

Universe

  • Limited design customization for event pages and branding control
  • User interface becomes unintuitive for advanced features and complex event types
  • No ability to transfer attendees between time slots; requires full refund and repurchase
  • Difficult walk-up/credit card sales processing at physical events
  • Slow customer support for refunds and technical issues

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

Universe

Free
  • Free EventsFree
    • Free event creation and ticketing
  • Starter$0.79/per ticket
    • 2% + $0.79 per ticket
    • Capped at $19.95 per ticket
    • Basic event management
  • Standard$1.99/per ticket
    • 2.5% + $1.99 per ticket
    • Capped at $19.95 per ticket
    • Advanced features
  • Pro$undefined/custom
    • Dynamic pricing
    • RFID access control
    • Ticketmaster distribution

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 Universe if

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

Questions people ask

Is ACTIVE Network or Universe better?
Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Universe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or Universe?
Universe has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for ACTIVE Network and Free for Universe.
Does ACTIVE Network or Universe run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Universe for free?
Yes. Universe 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 Universe is typically brought in for.
What can ACTIVE Network do that Universe cannot?
ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. Universe covers Ticketing, Event pages, Guest lists, Check-in app.

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.

Universe: What platforms does Universe support?

Universe is available on web, iOS, and Android, with support across 25 countries and 9 languages. Organizers can accept online, mobile, onsite, kiosk, and print-at-home tickets.

Source
ACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?

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

Universe: Does Universe integrate with other tools?

Yes. Universe integrates with 5,000+ partner applications through Zapier, allowing automation of ticket sales data to CRM, invoicing, and other business tools without code.

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.

ACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?

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

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