CohortStudio vs. Eventbrite
Eventbrite sells concert tickets. You teach classes.
Eventbrite is a brilliant ticketing platform. It is not a training platform. Every seat you sell through it costs roughly 6.99% + $1.79. And it still has no idea what a certification is.
Feature-by-feature
CohortStudio vs. Eventbrite, line by line.
| Feature | CohortStudio | Eventbrite |
|---|---|---|
Per-seat fee on a $1,000 seat Eventbrite Pro: 6.99% + $1.79 per paid ticket (US). Flex plan is higher. | $0 | ≈ $68.69 |
Monthly subscription Eventbrite makes its money per ticket. CohortStudio makes its money on a flat plan. | $49 to $349 | None (fee-based) |
Break-even vs. Eventbrite A single $1,000 CSM seat pays for CohortStudio Solo for more than a year. | ~1 seat/month | N/A |
Cohort / class model Eventbrite models an event, not a cohort. No pre-work, no post-work, no roster portal. | ||
Certifying-body connectors | ||
Learner portal | ||
Branded certificates | ||
Open Badges 3.0 | ||
Purchase orders / invoicing Eventbrite supports invoicing in a limited way; most trainers handle it off-platform. | ||
SEO-friendly landing pages Eventbrite event pages rank, but you don't own the URL structure or the brand. | ||
Built for certification training |
Pick CohortStudio if
You're running $20k+ of seat revenue per year and the Eventbrite fee is now real money. You want cohort delivery, a learner portal, and certifying-body submissions, not just a ticket page.
Pick Eventbrite if
You're running one-off meetups, free community events, or very occasional paid sessions where ticketing is all you need and the fee is immaterial.
The math is the argument
At a $1,000 CSM seat, Eventbrite Pro takes about $68.69. Sell twenty seats in a year (roughly one mid-size cohort) and you've paid Eventbrite $1,374. CohortStudio Solo is $588 a year. The rest is in your pocket. And you get a cohort platform, not a ticket page.
FAQ
Eventbrite migration, answered.
How much does Eventbrite actually cost?
In the US, the Pro plan is 6.99% + $1.79 per paid ticket. A $1,000 seat → ~$68.69 fee. A $500 seat → ~$36.74 fee. Free events are free; paid events are not.
Can I migrate my Eventbrite past cohorts?
Yes. Free migration is included for any trainer switching from Eventbrite. We import your past attendee records and rebuild your catalog in CohortStudio. Email hello@cohortstudio.io to get started.
What about the Eventbrite discovery traffic?
It's real, but it's worth less than trainers think. Most trainer revenue comes from direct marketing, LinkedIn, and past-learner word of mouth, not Eventbrite discovery. You can run a few headline classes on Eventbrite for discovery while running the real operation on CohortStudio.
Does CohortStudio handle payments as well as Eventbrite?
Yes. Stripe under the hood, instant payouts, saved cards, Apple/Google Pay, corporate POs. Same experience for the buyer, dramatically better economics for you.
Ready to leave Eventbrite?
We'll migrate your catalog for free. Email hello@cohortstudio.io.