Software · head to head
Brown Paper Tickets vs Luma
The short version
- 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; Luma 5% platform fee on paid events in free tier can add up for high-volume organizers
- They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Will call, Luma covers Event pages.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brown Paper Tickets and Luma actually diverge.
| Attribute | Brown Paper Tickets | Luma |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | transaction | Unknown |
| Founded | 2000 | 2020 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, Ios, Android), 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
- Will call
- Seating charts
- Reporting
- Customer service
- PayPal
- Google Analytics
- Mailchimp
Only in Luma
- Event pages
- Registration
- Calendar sync
- Community features
- Google Calendar
- Apple Calendar
- Zoom
- Stripe
Both cover
- Ticketing
- 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 Luma
- Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Luma
Luma
- Event planningnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Ticket salesnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Attendee managementnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Virtual eventsnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Event marketingnot 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
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
Brown Paper Tickets
Free- StandardFree
- $0.99 + 5% per ticket
- Free events free
- All features
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 Brown Paper Tickets if
- You need will call.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want seating charts.
Choose Luma if
- You need event pages.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on Web, iOS, Android.
- You also want registration.
Questions people ask
- Is Brown Paper Tickets or Luma better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Luma at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or Luma?
- Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Luma at Free.
- Does Brown Paper Tickets or Luma run on more platforms?
- Brown Paper Tickets runs on Web, Ios, Android. Luma runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Brown Paper Tickets for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- 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 Luma is typically brought in for.
- What can Brown Paper Tickets do that Luma cannot?
- Brown Paper Tickets covers Will call, Seating charts, Reporting, Customer service. Luma covers Event pages, Registration, Calendar sync, Community features. Both handle Ticketing, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
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.
SourceLuma: 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.
SourceLuma: 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