Event Management · head to head
Brown Paper Tickets vs Social Tables
B
Brown Paper Tickets
Event Management
The fair-trade ticketing company
- From
- Free
- Rated
- -
Social Tables
Event Management
Event diagramming and planning software
- From
- $199/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; Social Tables now owned by Cvent, reducing product independence
- They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Social Tables covers Floor plan design.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Brown Paper Tickets and Social Tables actually diverge.
| Attribute | Brown Paper Tickets | Social Tables |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | Free | $199/month |
| Pricing model | transaction | subscription |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Platforms | Web, Ios, Android | Web |
| Founded | 2000 | 2011 |
Identical on both: 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
- Reporting
- Customer service
- PayPal
- Google Analytics
- Mailchimp
Only in Social Tables
- Floor plan design
- Guest management
- 3D visualization
- Collaboration
- Cvent
- Salesforce
- Opera
- Delphi
Both cover
- Seating charts
- 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 Social Tables
- Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Social Tables
Social Tables
- 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
Social Tables
- Now owned by Cvent, reducing product independence
- Premium plan pricing not transparent
Pricing, plan by plan
Brown Paper Tickets
Free- StandardFree
- $0.99 + 5% per ticket
- Free events free
- All features
Social Tables
$199/month- Planner$199/month
- Floor plans
- Seating charts
- Guest management
- Professional$399/month
- 3D diagrams
- Collaboration
- Analytics
- Enterprise$799/month
- Full platform
- API access
- Dedicated support
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 Social Tables if
- You need floor plan design.
- You also want guest management.
Questions people ask
- Is Brown Paper Tickets or Social Tables better?
- Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Social Tables at $199/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or Social Tables?
- Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brown Paper Tickets and $199/month for Social Tables.
- Does Brown Paper Tickets or Social Tables run on more platforms?
- Brown Paper Tickets runs on Web, Ios, Android. Social Tables runs on Web.
- Can I use Brown Paper Tickets for free?
- Yes. Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Social Tables starts at $199/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 Social Tables is typically brought in for.
- What can Brown Paper Tickets do that Social Tables cannot?
- Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Reporting, Customer service. Social Tables covers Floor plan design, Guest management, 3D visualization, Collaboration. Both handle Seating charts, Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Social Tables: What is Social Tables pricing in 2026?
Social Tables Pro plan is $199/month. Premium plans use quote-based pricing. Social Tables is now part of Cvent's Event Diagramming suite.
SourceSocial Tables: What features does Social Tables provide?
Social Tables offers drag-and-drop floor plan design, photo-realistic 3D walkthroughs, interactive floor plans, guest list management, visual seating charts, and meal management for venues and event planners.
Source