Luma starts free with a 5 percent fee and adds WhatsApp blasts; Eventbrite has far larger consumer reach. Meetup organisers often prefer Luma’s simplicity; larger public shows prefer Eventbrite’s discovery.
At a glance
Facts as of 19 Oct 2026; publisher: Sociana. Eventbrite: San Francisco, California, USA. Luma: San Francisco, USA (unverified). “Not listed” means not found on the vendor’s site that day.
What each is best at
Eventbrite
- Discovery and audience: a consumer marketplace with about 89 million monthly users and 270 million tickets (vendor claims). (source)
Luma
- A free-forever card with a weekly invite limit and a Plus tier with an API and Zapier. (source)
Comparison table: 12 rows
| Dimension | Eventbrite | Luma |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Published (US). (source) | Free plan with a 5 percent fee on paid tickets. (source) |
| Attendee app | Platforms: iOS, Android, Web. (source) | Event pages and calendars rather than a persistent branded attendee app. (source) |
| Networking | Not listed. (source) | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Gamification | Not listed. (source) | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Hospitality | Not listed. (source) | Not listed on luma.com as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Check-in | Yes: The Organizer app scans tickets and checks attendees in. (source) | Check-in is listed alongside approval and token-gated registration. (source) |
| Polls | Not listed. (source) | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Exhibitors | Not listed. (source) | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Rupee billing | Rupee billing was not verified. (source) | Regional payment methods such as PayNow and iDEAL are listed. (source) |
| Not listed. (source) | Guest blasts go out by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp. (source) | |
| Support model | Managed or account support: 24/7 chat for paid events (US-led). (source) | Not verified in our review as of 19 Oct 2026. (source) |
| Status and ownership | Eventbrite became a private company on 10 Mar 2026 when Bending Spoons completed its purchase, and still operates its marketplace. (source) | Headquarters and ownership were not verified in our review. (source) |
Eventbrite vs Luma pricing
Budget lens: Eventbrite publishes prices (from 3.7% + 1.79 US dollars per ticket); Luma publishes prices (from 5 percent fee on paid tickets). No like-for-like total has been run.
Where they differ
- WhatsApp: only Luma lists it (Guest blasts go out by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp); Eventbrite shows nothing we could confirm.
- Support model: only Eventbrite lists it (Managed or account support: 24/7 chat for paid events (US-led)); Luma shows nothing we could confirm.
- Both list: check-in.
- Neither confirmed on the pages we read: attendee app, networking, gamification, hospitality, polls, exhibitors.
- Not verified for at least one of them: networking, gamification, polls, exhibitors, managed support, status and ownership.
Who should choose which
Choose Eventbrite when your brief leans on support model, where Luma showed nothing we could confirm.
Choose Luma when your brief leans on WhatsApp, where Eventbrite showed nothing we could confirm.
Where Sociana fits
Sociana is our product. For recurring chapters, we add group-scoped content and a persistent branded app; Luma and Eventbrite are the better pair for one-off public listings.
FAQ
Which costs less, Eventbrite or Luma?
Both publish prices as of 19 Oct 2026, but on different units, so there is no fair total without your numbers. Ask both for a quote on the same attendee count and days.
When should I pick Luma over Eventbrite?
Pick Luma for community meetups and recurring chapters that want a free start and WhatsApp blasts; pick Eventbrite for public, ticketed events that need consumer discovery and self-serve sales.
Do Eventbrite or Luma support rupee billing, GST invoices and WhatsApp?
Eventbrite was not verified for rupee billing and does not list WhatsApp; Luma was not verified for rupee billing and lists WhatsApp. GST invoicing could not be confirmed from public pages.
What do people use instead of Eventbrite and Luma?
See Eventbrite alternatives, or Best event apps for small events.
Sources and disclosure
Publisher: Sociana, a competing vendor unaffiliated with Eventbrite or Luma; both names belong to their owners. Corrections: report a correction or email hello@sociana.in; we correct or reply within five working days.