Event Management · head to head
Brown Paper Tickets vs Planning Pod
B
Brown Paper Tickets
Event Management
The fair-trade ticketing company
- From
- Free
- 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; Planning Pod subscription pricing is metered by concurrent event volume rather than seats: the vendor states "Subscription pricing is based on the number of events your venue manages at any given time" and that "most single-location venues land between $199 and $319 per month."
- They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Planning Pod covers Lead management.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brown Paper Tickets and Planning Pod actually diverge.
| Attribute | Brown Paper Tickets | Planning Pod |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $59/month |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Founded | 2000 | 2012 |
Identical on both: platforms (Web, Ios, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Event Management).
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
- Google Analytics
- Mailchimp
Only in Planning Pod
- Lead management
- Floor plans
- Budgeting
- Timeline
- Client portal
- QuickBooks
- Stripe
- Google Calendar
Both cover
- PayPal
- 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 Planning Pod
- Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Planning Pod
Planning Pod
- 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
Planning Pod
- Subscription pricing is metered by concurrent event volume rather than seats: the vendor states "Subscription pricing is based on the number of events your venue manages at any given time" and that "most single-location venues land between $199 and $319 per month."
Pricing, plan by plan
Brown Paper Tickets
Free- StandardFree
- $0.99 + 5% per ticket
- Free events free
- All features
Planning Pod
$59/month- Planner$59/month
- Basic planning tools
- 5 events
- Email support
- Professional$99/month
- Unlimited events
- Floor plans
- Budget tracking
- Business$199/month
- Team features
- Client portal
- API access
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 Planning Pod if
- You need lead management.
- You work on Web, Ios, Android.
- You also want floor plans.
Questions people ask
- Is Brown Paper Tickets or Planning Pod better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Planning Pod at $59/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or Planning Pod?
- Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brown Paper Tickets and $59/month for Planning Pod.
- Does Brown Paper Tickets or Planning Pod 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. Planning Pod starts at $59/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 Planning Pod is typically brought in for.
- What can Brown Paper Tickets do that Planning Pod cannot?
- Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Seating charts, Reporting. Planning Pod covers Lead management, Floor plans, Budgeting, Timeline. Both handle PayPal, Web support, Ios support, Android support.