Software · head to head
Partiful vs Brown Paper Tickets
The short version
- Each has a real cost: Partiful no automatic email or SMS delivery to guests, requiring manual link sharing for event invitations; 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
- They diverge on capability: Partiful covers Digital invitations, Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing.
Where they differ
Only the attributes on which Partiful and Brown Paper Tickets actually diverge.
| Attribute | Partiful | Brown Paper Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Unknown | transaction |
| Platforms | iOS, Android, Web | Web, Ios, Android |
| Founded | 2021 | 2000 |
Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Partiful
- Digital invitations
- RSVP tracking
- Guest messaging
- Photo sharing
- Calendar sync
- Apple Calendar
- Google Calendar
- iMessage
Only in Brown Paper Tickets
- Ticketing
- Will call
- Seating charts
- Reporting
- Customer service
- PayPal
- Google Analytics
- Mailchimp
Both cover
- Web support
- Ios support
- Android support
What people use each for
The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.
Partiful
- 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
Brown Paper Tickets
- Selling tickets for events, performances and workshopsnot Partiful
- Handling ticket distribution and door lists for independent organisersnot Partiful
Where each one falls short
Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.
Partiful
- No automatic email or SMS delivery to guests, requiring manual link sharing for event invitations
- Ticketing fees are not disclosed until setup time, making budget planning difficult for event hosts
- No support for interactive seat maps or assigned reserved seating for ticketed events
- Designed primarily for informal social events and works best for gatherings under 300 people
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
Pricing, plan by plan
Partiful
FreeNo published plan breakdown. See the Partiful review.
Brown Paper Tickets
Free- StandardFree
- $0.99 + 5% per ticket
- Free events free
- All features
Which should you pick?
Choose Partiful if
- You need digital invitations.
- You want to start without paying.
- You work on iOS, Android, Web.
- You also want rsvp tracking.
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 Partiful or Brown Paper Tickets better?
- Neither clearly leads. Partiful starts at Free and Brown Paper Tickets at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
- Which is cheaper, Partiful or Brown Paper Tickets?
- Partiful starts at Free and Brown Paper Tickets at Free.
- Does Partiful or Brown Paper Tickets run on more platforms?
- Partiful runs on iOS, Android, Web. Brown Paper Tickets runs on Web, Ios, Android.
- Can I use Partiful for free?
- Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
- What is Partiful best used for?
- Partiful is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Brown Paper Tickets is typically brought in for.
- What can Partiful do that Brown Paper Tickets cannot?
- Partiful covers Digital invitations, RSVP tracking, Guest messaging, Photo sharing. Brown Paper Tickets covers Ticketing, Will call, Seating charts, Reporting. Both handle Web support, Ios support, Android support.
Answered from the vendors’ own pages
Partiful: Is Partiful free to use for creating events?
Yes. Creating events and inviting guests is completely free. Ticketing features are available with variable fees based on ticket price and event size, but the basic event creation and RSVP collection has no cost.
SourcePartiful: Does Partiful support assigned seating or seat maps?
No. Partiful Ticketing supports tiered pricing and capacity limits but does not currently support interactive seat maps or assigned-seat reserved seating.
SourcePartiful: How does Partiful notify guests about events?
Partiful primarily uses link sharing rather than automated email or SMS delivery. Hosts must share event links with guests, typically via text message or social media.
SourcePartiful: What ticketing features does Partiful support?
Partiful Ticketing supports tiered pricing for different ticket tiers, capacity limits with QR code check-in, and promo codes. However, it does not support ticket add-ons, waitlists for ticketed events, or individual refunds from the dashboard.
Source