Software · head to head
Brown Paper Tickets vs Meetup
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; Meetup organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
- They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Meetup covers Groups.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brown Paper Tickets and Meetup actually diverge.
| Attribute | Brown Paper Tickets | Meetup |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $55/month |
| Pricing model | transaction | Unknown |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2000 | 2002 |
Identical on both: 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
- Ticketing
- Will call
- Seating charts
- Reporting
- Customer service
- PayPal
- Google Analytics
- Mailchimp
Only in Meetup
- Groups
- Events
- RSVP System
- Messaging
- Event Photos
- Recommendations
- Google Calendar
- Zoom
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 Meetup
- Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Meetup
Meetup
- Finding local groups and events around a shared interestnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Organising a recurring in-person groupnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Running online events alongside physical onesnot Brown Paper Tickets
- Growing a community by drawing on Meetup's existing member basenot 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
Meetup
- Organizer fees tripled following Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024
- Increased paywalling of core community features
- Platform is buggy with many unfixed issues
- Customer support no longer available with AI responses only
- Issues with billing accuracy and unauthorized recurring charges
- Poor technical support responsiveness to organizer complaints
Pricing, plan by plan
Brown Paper Tickets
Free- StandardFree
- $0.99 + 5% per ticket
- Free events free
- All features
Meetup
$55/monthNo published plan breakdown. See the Meetup review.
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.
Questions people ask
- Is Brown Paper Tickets or Meetup better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Meetup at $55/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or Meetup?
- Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brown Paper Tickets and $55/month for Meetup.
- Does Brown Paper Tickets or Meetup run on more platforms?
- Brown Paper Tickets runs on Web, Ios, Android. Meetup runs on Web, iOS, Android.
- Can I use Brown Paper Tickets for free?
- Yes. Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Meetup starts at $55/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 Meetup is typically brought in for.
- What can Brown Paper Tickets do that Meetup cannot?
- Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Seating charts, Reporting. Meetup covers Groups, Events, RSVP System, Messaging. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Meetup: What is Meetup Pro pricing?
Meetup Pro starts at $55 per group per month, or $47 per group per month for six-month commitments. Enterprise plans are available at custom pricing. A one-week free trial is offered.
SourceMeetup: What features does Meetup Pro include?
Meetup Pro includes event scheduling, group management, member engagement tools, community-building features, and integrations with platforms like Zoom and Mailchimp.
SourceMeetup: Does Meetup charge organizers fees?
Yes, Meetup charges organizers fees for hosting groups and events. Organizer fees have increased significantly following the Bending Spoons acquisition in 2024.
Source