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Software · head to head

Brown Paper Tickets vs Whova

B

Brown Paper Tickets

Software

The fair-trade ticketing company

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Whova logo

Whova

Software

Award-winning event management app

From
$1500/event
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; Whova mobile app experiences slow loading and occasional crashes during large events
  • They diverge on capability: Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Whova covers Event mobile app.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Brown Paper Tickets and Whova differ
AttributeBrown Paper TicketsWhova
Starting priceFree$1500/event
Pricing modeltransactionsubscription
Free tierYesNo
Founded20002012

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
  • Facebook

Only in Whova

  • Event mobile app
  • Agenda management
  • Attendee networking
  • Live polling
  • Virtual sessions
  • Zoom
  • Salesforce
  • HubSpot

Both cover

  • Mailchimp
  • 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 Whova
  • Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Whova

Whova

  • 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

Whova

  • Mobile app experiences slow loading and occasional crashes during large events
  • Limited customization options to align with specific event branding needs
  • Notification overload can overwhelm attendees with too many messages
  • Default privacy settings include contact sharing concerns and data hosting in the US

Pricing, plan by plan

Brown Paper Tickets

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

Whova

$1500/event
  • Basic$1500/event
    • Event app
    • Agenda builder
    • Networking
  • Professional$3000/event
    • Virtual event support
    • Gamification
    • Analytics
  • Enterprise$6000/event
    • Custom development
    • 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.
Brown Paper Tickets review

Choose Whova if

  • You need event mobile app.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want agenda management.
Whova review

Questions people ask

Is Brown Paper Tickets or Whova better?
Neither clearly leads. Brown Paper Tickets starts at Free and Whova at $1500/event, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Brown Paper Tickets or Whova?
Brown Paper Tickets has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Brown Paper Tickets and $1500/event for Whova.
Does Brown Paper Tickets or Whova run on more platforms?
Brown Paper Tickets runs on Web, Ios, Android. Whova 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. Whova starts at $1500/event.
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 Whova is typically brought in for.
What can Brown Paper Tickets do that Whova cannot?
Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Seating charts, Reporting. Whova covers Event mobile app, Agenda management, Attendee networking, Live polling. Both handle Mailchimp, Web support, Ios support, Android support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Whova: How much does Whova cost?

Whova uses a quote-based pricing model. Final cost depends on event size, frequency, and features required. Contact their sales team for customized pricing.

Source
Whova: Does Whova offer a free tier or trial?

Whova does not publish a permanent free plan, but offers no per-ticket registration fees for free events. A demo/trial is available by request.

Source
Whova: What platforms does Whova support?

Whova provides native apps for iOS and Android covering 97% of mobile users, plus a web portal accessible from any device including browsers on laptops and desktops.

Source
Whova: Does Whova integrate with other tools?

Yes, Whova integrates with Zoom, Slack, and Mailchimp through Zapier for automation, enabling seamless data flow between platforms without manual data entry.

Source
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