SimpleTix vs EventTicketGo: Fee Transparency for Reserved Seats

If you've started researching ticketing platforms beyond Eventbrite, SimpleTix probably appeared on your list. It's a capable platform that serves a range of venue types, including some with reserved seating. But when you put SimpleTix and EventTicketGo side by side — specifically for community venues with 100–500 seats — meaningful differences emerge in fees, seating tools, and checkout experience.

This comparison is intended to be honest. Both platforms have strengths. The goal is to help you figure out which one fits your venue's actual situation.

Fee Structure: Tiered vs Flat

SimpleTix uses a tiered pricing model. The per-ticket fee depends on which plan you choose, and plans are differentiated by feature access and volume. Depending on the tier, per-ticket fees range from roughly $0.80 to over $1.50 per ticket, and some plans add a percentage component on top. The exact cost depends on which plan level you need for the features you want — particularly reserved seating, which may require a higher-tier plan.

EventTicketGo charges $0.79 per paid ticket on every account. There are no plan tiers, no feature gating, and no percentage of ticket price. Free tickets cost nothing. Reserved seating, interactive seat maps, email delivery, and door scanning are all included at that single price point.

Why this matters: If you're a 200-seat venue selling $25 tickets, even a small per-ticket difference adds up. On 800 tickets per season, the gap between $0.79 and $1.50 per ticket is $568. Over three seasons, that's $1,704. And if SimpleTix's reserved seating features require a higher plan tier, the effective cost difference may be larger.

For a thorough walkthrough of how flat fees compare to percentage and tiered models, see our flat fee vs percentage ticketing guide.

Reserved Seating Capabilities

Both platforms offer reserved seating, but the implementations differ.

SimpleTix provides seat map functionality that supports various venue layouts. You can create sections and assign seats. The feature set varies by plan tier, so verify that the specific seating features you need (custom maps, section pricing, accessibility marking) are included in the plan you're considering.

EventTicketGo includes reserved seating on every account. The seat map builder was designed specifically for rooms under 500 seats — the kind of layouts that don't appear in pre-built template libraries. You can:

• Build maps with curved rows for fan-shaped auditoriums
• Create multiple sections (Orchestra, Balcony, Mezzanine)
• Set per-section or per-row pricing
• Mark seats as unavailable, accessible, or house-held
• Enable automatic hold timers so abandoned carts don't block seats

If your venue has a standard rectangular grid of seats, most platforms handle that adequately. Where the differences show up is with non-standard layouts: thrust stages, asymmetric balconies, curved pew rows, or rooms where the configuration changes between events.

Checkout and Buyer Experience

SimpleTix provides an embeddable checkout widget and a hosted ticketing page. The checkout flow includes standard fields for buyer information and payment. The buyer experience is functional and straightforward.

EventTicketGo does not require buyers to create an account. The checkout flow collects name, email, and payment. Tickets are delivered via email with a QR code — the buyer doesn't need to download an app, remember a login, or navigate a dashboard to find their ticket.

For community venue audiences — parents buying school concert tickets, retirees attending a church recital, neighbors purchasing benefit gala seats — every removed step matters. The people buying your tickets are not frequent online ticket buyers. They're buying tickets once or twice a year, often on a phone, often in a hurry. A simpler checkout means fewer abandoned carts and fewer "I couldn't figure out how to buy tickets" calls to your office.

Door Scanning

SimpleTix offers mobile scanning capabilities through their platform. Check whether this requires an app download or runs in the browser, as this affects how easily you can hand a phone to a volunteer at the door.

EventTicketGo runs its scanner entirely in the phone's mobile browser. No app to download, no login required beyond the event organizer's scanner link. The scan result displays the ticket holder's name and seat assignment. Multiple phones can scan simultaneously for the same event.

For venues where the door crew changes every show — parent volunteers, youth group members, rotating congregation volunteers — the fewer barriers to scanning, the faster your doors open.

Payouts and Reporting

SimpleTix processes payouts on a schedule that varies by plan. Check the specific terms for your plan level, including any holding periods and processing fees.

EventTicketGo sends payouts approximately 7 days after your event via Stripe Connect. Revenue reporting shows per-event and per-ticket breakdowns, including gross sales, fees, and net revenue. You retain full access to buyer contact information — names and email addresses — for your own records and future communications.

For nonprofit treasurers and school bookkeepers, predictable payout timing and clean reporting aren't nice-to-haves — they're requirements.

Feature Comparison Summary

Feature	SimpleTix	EventTicketGo
Per-ticket fee	Varies by plan tier	$0.79 flat
Percentage component	On some plans	None
Reserved seating	Yes (may require higher tier)	Yes (all accounts)
Custom seat map builder	Yes	Yes, designed for <500 seats
Buyer account required	Check current policy	No
Ticket delivery	Email/app	Email only (no app needed)
Door scanner	Mobile	Phone browser (no app)
Hold timers	Check availability	Automatic
Payout schedule	Varies by plan	~7 days post-event via Stripe

Which One Fits?

If your venue needs a ticketing platform with broad feature coverage across many event types and you're comfortable navigating tiered pricing, SimpleTix is a legitimate option worth evaluating.

If you want a single, transparent fee that never changes, reserved seating included by default, and a checkout flow designed for community audiences who buy tickets infrequently, EventTicketGo is purpose-built for that use case.

The best way to compare is to set up test events on both platforms. Build your seat map, run through checkout as a buyer, and look at the total fees on a realistic ticket order. The numbers will tell you more than any comparison article — including this one.

Create a free test event on EventTicketGo and see how it works with your actual room layout and pricing. For more comparison guides, visit our free resources library.