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Brown Paper Tickets vs CVent Events

Brown Paper Tickets logo

Brown Paper Tickets

Events

The fair-trade ticketing company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
CVent Events logo

CVent Events

Events

Enterprise event management by Cvent

From
$1500/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

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; CVent Events pricing is by quote only: the pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per seat cost and routes buyers to sales
  • They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, CVent Events covers Event registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Brown Paper Tickets and CVent Events differ
AttributeBrown Paper TicketsCVent Events
Starting priceFree$1500/month
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20001999

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 Brown Paper Tickets

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

Only in CVent Events

  • Event registration
  • Mobile event app
  • Attendee hub
  • Event marketing
  • Advanced analytics
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Microsoft Dynamics

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 CVent Events
  • Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot CVent Events

CVent Events

  • Managing event registration and attendee data for large eventsnot Brown Paper Tickets
  • Running a virtual or hybrid event attendee hubnot Brown Paper Tickets
  • Onsite check in and badge printingnot 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

CVent Events

  • Pricing is by quote only: the pricing page publishes no rate, no minimum and no per seat cost and routes buyers to sales
  • The Professional tier includes 15 user logins; unlimited logins require Enterprise
  • Professional licenses individual solutions such as Registration, Attendee Hub and OnArrival separately rather than bundling them
  • Bundled access to all solutions requires the Enterprise tier

Pricing, plan by plan

Brown Paper Tickets

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

CVent Events

$1500/month
  • Professional$1500/month
    • Event registration
    • Email marketing
    • Basic analytics
  • Enterprise$4000/month
    • Mobile app
    • Advanced analytics
    • Integrations
  • Ultimate$8000/month
    • Full suite
    • Dedicated support
    • Custom development

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.
Brown Paper Tickets review

Choose CVent Events if

  • You need event registration.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want mobile event app.
CVent Events review

Questions people ask

Is Brown Paper Tickets or CVent Events better?
Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and CVent Events at $1500/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or CVent Events?
Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brown Paper Tickets and $1500/month for CVent Events.
Does Brown Paper Tickets or CVent Events run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, Ios, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Brown Paper Tickets for free?
Yes. Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. CVent Events starts at $1500/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 CVent Events is typically brought in for.
What can Brown Paper Tickets do that CVent Events cannot?
Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Seating charts, Reporting. CVent Events covers Event registration, Mobile event app, Attendee hub, Event marketing. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Brown Paper Tickets: What are Brown Paper Tickets' transaction fees?

Buyers pay a service charge: a flat fee of $1.49 USD (or equivalent in other currencies such as €0.99 or £0.99) plus 6.0% of the ticket price. These fees are paid by ticket buyers at checkout.

Source
Brown Paper Tickets: When do organizers receive payment from Brown Paper Tickets?

If using Brown Paper Tickets' credit card processing, payment is sent within 10 business days post-event. With a custom merchant account, funds are received as tickets sell. PayPal option allows immediate remittance to the organizer.

Source
Brown Paper Tickets: Are ticket delivery methods free on Brown Paper Tickets?

Most delivery methods are free, including First Class Mail, Will-Call, Print-at-Home, Mobile Tickets, and Online Access. Premium options like Priority Mail and Express Mail carry additional charges. Pre-printed tickets cost $0.10 each plus delivery.

Source
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