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Social Media · head to head

Facebook vs StubHub

Facebook logo

Facebook

Social Media

Meta's social network app, free to use and monetised entirely through targeted advertising

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
StubHub logo

StubHub

Entertainment

Ticket resale marketplace charging both buyers and sellers, with combined fees often a large share of face value

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Facebook there is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.; StubHub combined buyer and seller fees can amount to a large fraction of a ticket's face value, so the printed listing price understates the real total cost by a wide margin.
  • They diverge on capability: Facebook covers News Feed, StubHub covers Buy and sell marketplace.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Facebook and StubHub actually diverge.

Attributes where Facebook and StubHub differ
AttributeFacebookStubHub
Pricing modelFree, funded entirely by targeted advertisingFree to browse, two sided transaction fees on buyers and sellers
CategorySocial MediaEntertainment

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (iOS, Android, Web), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Facebook

  • News Feed
  • Marketplace
  • Groups
  • Events
  • Reels and Watch
  • Ad preference controls

Only in StubHub

  • Buy and sell marketplace
  • FanProtect guarantee
  • Price alerts
  • Interactive seat maps
  • Mobile and PDF ticket delivery
  • Seller payout tracking

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Facebook

  • Staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feednot StubHub
  • Buying and selling locally through Marketplacenot StubHub
  • Joining Groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or eventnot StubHub
  • Following Pages for local businesses, public figures or organisationsnot StubHub

StubHub

  • A fan trying to buy a ticket to a sold-out event no longer available at face value from the primary sellernot Facebook
  • Someone who bought tickets they can no longer use and wants to resell themnot Facebook
  • A buyer wanting a guarantee that a resold ticket will be valid and delivered on timenot Facebook
  • Comparing seat locations and prices across multiple listings for the same event before buyingnot Facebook

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Facebook

  • There is no paid ad-free tier for personal accounts, so using it at all means being profiled for advertising targeting, including in markets where Meta has introduced a paid subscription for reduced ads on Instagram and Facebook in the EU, not globally.
  • The default feed is algorithmically ranked for engagement rather than shown chronologically, which shapes what content a user sees in ways that are not fully transparent.
  • Cross-app and off-platform tracking through Meta's advertising tools means behaviour on other websites and apps can inform the ads and targeting shown inside Facebook.
  • Group and Marketplace content moderation is inconsistent at Facebook's scale, and scams on Marketplace and misinformation in Groups are recurring, documented problems.
  • Younger user growth has shifted to other platforms in many markets, so Facebook's core demographic skews older than some competing social apps, which matters if the goal is reaching a younger audience.

StubHub

  • Combined buyer and seller fees can amount to a large fraction of a ticket's face value, so the printed listing price understates the real total cost by a wide margin.
  • Buyer fees are typically not shown until near checkout, which regulators in the US and UK have specifically targeted as a form of drip pricing in the ticketing industry.
  • Sellers receive less than their listed price after StubHub's seller fee is deducted, which can surprise first-time sellers expecting to net the full listed amount.
  • As a secondary market, prices for popular events can be well above face value, and there is no guarantee of a cheaper option appearing before the event date.
  • Refund and guarantee terms depend on FanProtect policy conditions, and disputes over cancelled or changed events can take time to resolve through customer support.

Pricing, plan by plan

Facebook

Free
  • FreeFree
    • No subscription tier for personal accounts
    • Ad supported

StubHub

Free
  • Buyer fee$undefined/per transaction
    • Service fee added at checkout, commonly around 20 to 30 percent or more of ticket price
    • Fee amount varies by event and is shown before final purchase confirmation
  • Seller fee$undefined/per transaction
    • Service fee deducted from the sale proceeds, historically around 10 to 15 percent
    • Rate can vary by event and seller volume

Which should you pick?

Choose Facebook if

  • You need news feed.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want marketplace.
Facebook review

Choose StubHub if

  • You need buy and sell marketplace.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android, Web.
  • You also want fanprotect guarantee.
StubHub review

Questions people ask

Is Facebook or StubHub better?
Neither clearly leads. Facebook starts at Free and StubHub at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Facebook or StubHub?
Facebook starts at Free and StubHub at Free.
Does Facebook or StubHub run on more platforms?
Both run on iOS, Android, Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Facebook for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Facebook best used for?
Facebook is most often used for staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed, buying and selling locally through marketplace, joining groups organised around a specific interest, neighbourhood or event, following pages for local businesses, public figures or organisations. Of those, staying connected with a broad network of friends and family through a shared feed and buying and selling locally through marketplace are not what StubHub is typically brought in for.
What can Facebook do that StubHub cannot?
Facebook covers News Feed, Marketplace, Groups, Events. StubHub covers Buy and sell marketplace, FanProtect guarantee, Price alerts, Interactive seat maps.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Facebook: Does Facebook have a paid ad-free version?

In the EU, Meta has offered a paid subscription for reduced ads on Facebook and Instagram; outside the EU there is generally no ad-free personal tier.

StubHub: Does StubHub charge fees to both buyers and sellers?

Yes, it charges a service fee to sellers deducted from their proceeds, and a separate service fee to buyers added at checkout.

Facebook: How does Facebook make money if it is free?

Entirely through advertising, targeted using data about in-app behaviour and, via Meta's broader advertising tools, activity on other websites and apps.

StubHub: How much are StubHub fees in total?

They vary by event, but buyer fees are commonly in the range of 20 to 30 percent or more of the ticket price, and seller fees historically around 10 to 15 percent, so combined fees can be a large share of face value.

Facebook: Is the feed shown in chronological order?

Not by default; it is algorithmically ranked, though a chronological "Most Recent" feed option exists and can be selected manually.

StubHub: Are resold tickets guaranteed?

StubHub's FanProtect guarantee covers ticket validity, on-time delivery and event cancellation or significant changes, subject to its terms.

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