Softwr

Software · head to head

Brown Paper Tickets vs Circle

B

Brown Paper Tickets

Software

The fair-trade ticketing company

From
Free
Rated
-
Circle logo

Circle

Software

The all-in-one community platform

From
$49/month
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Brown Paper Tickets fees are charged to ticket buyers rather than the organiser, at $1.49 plus 6.0% of the ticket price in USD; Circle location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors
  • They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Circle covers Spaces.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Brown Paper Tickets and Circle actually diverge.

Attributes where Brown Paper Tickets and Circle differ
AttributeBrown Paper TicketsCircle
Starting priceFree$49/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidIos, Android, Web
Founded20002020

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Brown Paper Tickets

  • Ticketing
  • Will call
  • Seating charts
  • Reporting
  • Customer service
  • PayPal
  • Google Analytics
  • Mailchimp

Only in Circle

  • Spaces
  • Events
  • Courses
  • Member Directory
  • Live Streams
  • Workflows
  • Zapier
  • Stripe

Both cover

  • Web support
  • Ios support
  • Android support

What people use each for

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

Brown Paper Tickets

  • Selling tickets for events, performances and workshopsnot Circle
  • Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Circle

Circle

  • Running a branded online community with discussion spacesnot Brown Paper Tickets
  • Selling and delivering courses to an audiencenot Brown Paper Tickets
  • Hosting events and live streams for membersnot Brown Paper Tickets
  • Operating paid memberships with checkout and paymentsnot Brown Paper Tickets
  • Shipping a branded iOS and Android community appnot Brown Paper Tickets

Where each one falls short

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

Brown Paper Tickets

  • Fees are charged to ticket buyers rather than the organiser, at $1.49 plus 6.0% of the ticket price in USD
  • The 6.0% applies regardless of payment method, including when the organiser uses their own merchant account or PayPal
  • The flat component varies by currency, running from roughly $0.99 to $1.99 equivalent
  • Because the buyer pays, the advertised ticket price is not what the buyer is charged

Circle

  • Location tracking is basic and less granular than some competitors
  • Does not monitor social media interactions or private messages
  • Requires Circle Home Plus hardware purchase for full home network control
  • Activity reports are limited and less comprehensive than competing platforms

Pricing, plan by plan

Brown Paper Tickets

Free
  • StandardFree
    • $0.99 + 5% per ticket
    • Free events free
    • All features

Circle

$49/month
  • Basic$49/month
    • Community
    • Members
    • Spaces
  • Professional$89/month
    • Courses
    • Workflows
    • Analytics
  • Business$199/month
    • White Label
    • API Access
    • Custom Domain

Which should you pick?

Choose Brown Paper Tickets if

  • You need ticketing.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want will call.

Choose Circle if

  • You need spaces.
  • You work on Ios, Android, Web.
  • You also want events.

Questions people ask

Is Brown Paper Tickets or Circle better?
Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Circle at $49/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or Circle?
Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brown Paper Tickets and $49/month for Circle.
Does Brown Paper Tickets or Circle run on more platforms?
Brown Paper Tickets runs on Web, Ios, Android. Circle runs on Ios, Android, Web.
Can I use Brown Paper Tickets for free?
Yes. Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Circle starts at $49/month.
What is Brown Paper Tickets best used for?
Brown Paper Tickets is most often used for selling tickets for events, performances and workshops, handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisers. Of those, selling tickets for events, performances and workshops and handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisers are not what Circle is typically brought in for.
What can Brown Paper Tickets do that Circle cannot?
Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Seating charts, Reporting. Circle covers Spaces, Events, Courses, Member Directory. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Circle: How much does Circle cost?

Circle offers a 14-day free trial of the app with all premium features included. After the trial, subscriptions are 9.99 USD per month or 89.99 USD per year. The Circle Home Plus device costs 129 USD upfront and includes one year of free app access, after which the app subscription costs approximately 10 USD per month.

Source
Circle: What devices does Circle support?

Circle works on Android, Apple iOS, Mac, Windows, Chromebook, Xbox, PlayStation, Kindle, smart speakers, IoT devices, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and iPhones. An unlimited number of devices can be managed from a single Circle account.

Source
Circle: How does Circle Home Plus work?

Circle Home Plus is a router-adjacent device that connects to your home network via Ethernet (with Wi-Fi backup) and manages all connected devices on that network. The Circle app then connects to this device to enforce parental controls across web browsing, app usage, and screen time across all family members' devices.

Source
Circle: Does Circle monitor social media?

Circle does not directly monitor social media content, conversations, or private messages. However, it can restrict access to social media apps and websites, and manage time spent on those platforms through screen time controls.

Source

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