Honest comparison
Kannect Discover vs Eventbrite
Last updated May 2026
Eventbrite has the strongest event-discovery marketplace online, but charges roughly 10–14% per ticket and was acquired by Bending Spoons in 2026. Kannect Discover treats events as part of an ongoing community relationship, charges 2% on paid plans, and verifies every organization so the network stays free of scam events and fake listings. Plans start at $15/month with a 7-day free trial.
When to choose Kannect Discover
- ✓You're a community organization that runs ongoing events as part of an ongoing relationship with members
- ✓You want event discovery PLUS an organization profile, groups, resources, and member communication in one place
- ✓The 10–14% Eventbrite fee is unsustainable (especially for nonprofits where every dollar matters)
- ✓You want a discovery network with no scam events and no fake listings — every organization is verified
- ✓You want a platform owned by independent founders rather than a holding company
When to keep using Eventbrite
- →You're running a single large ticketed event (conference, concert, festival) and want maximum marketplace visibility from Eventbrite's existing audience
- →You don't have an existing community — you're acquiring attendees from scratch
- →The 10–14% per-ticket fee is acceptable in your budget
Feature comparison
| Feature | Kannect Discover | Eventbrite |
|---|---|---|
| Verified, spam-free network | Yes | No |
| Event listing | Yes — unlimited on all plans | Yes |
| Public org profile (not just events) | Yes | Limited |
| Groups, resources, member management | Yes (paid plans $15/mo+) | No |
| Member announcements | Yes ($15/mo Minimum plan) | No |
| Branded community website | Yes ($15/mo Minimum plan) | No |
| Per-ticket fees | 2% on paid Kannect plans | 3.7% + $1.79 + 2.9% (~10–14% total) |
| Cost to organizer (base) | Plans from $15/mo, 7-day free trial | Free to list, fees on paid tickets |
| Nonprofit pricing | Same — 2% flat on paid plans | Higher effective fees for low-priced tickets |
| Ownership | Independent, founder-run | Bending Spoons (March 2026 acquisition) |
| Marketplace audience | Growing, organic | Massive, established |
The deeper story
Eventbrite was built for events as transactions. List the event, sell the tickets, host the door, scan the QR codes, count the revenue. For a one-time event with no community context — a conference, a concert, a fundraising gala — Eventbrite's marketplace and checkout flow are genuinely best-in-class.
But most community organizations don't run one-time events. They run ongoing event series for an ongoing community of members. Their event isn't a transaction — it's another touchpoint in a longer relationship. And Eventbrite has nothing to offer after the checkout completes. The event ends, the relationship ends, the member is back on the open market.
Then there are the fees. Eventbrite charges 3.7% of the ticket price plus a $1.79 fixed fee plus a 2.9% payment processing fee. For a $50 ticket, the all-in cost to the organizer is approximately $5.65 — over 11% of revenue. For a $20 ticket, it's $4.27 — over 21%. For nonprofits running fundraising events, that's a non-trivial line item.
In March 2026, Bending Spoons bought Eventbrite for $500 million. Bending Spoons also owns Meetup. The same private-equity-style playbook that raised Meetup organizer prices multiple times in 2024–2025 is now expected to apply to Eventbrite. The trajectory is no longer "the friendly event platform" — it's "the platform that needs to deliver returns to its acquirer."
Kannect Discover doesn't replace Eventbrite for every use case. If you're running a one-time concert for 5,000 strangers, use Eventbrite. But if you're running a chamber networking series, a nonprofit fundraiser series, or any kind of ongoing event program — Kannect Discover lets you host the events AND the organization AND the member relationship in one place, at a fraction of the per-ticket cost.
FAQ
Does Kannect Discover have an event marketplace like Eventbrite?
Yes — Discover lists every event from every organization on Kannect, searchable by category, location, and date. The marketplace is smaller than Eventbrite's today but growing weekly.
What does Kannect actually charge per ticket?
On paid Kannect plans (starting at $15/month), the platform fee is 2% per ticket plus standard Stripe payment processing. There's no per-ticket dollar fee. For a $50 ticket, the all-in cost is roughly $2.45 — less than half of Eventbrite's effective rate.
Can I run free events on Kannect Discover?
Yes. Kannect plans include unlimited free events. Every organization starts with a 7-day free trial.
What about fundraising specifically?
Kannect supports donation campaigns through Stripe on paid plans. For registered nonprofits, Kannect charges 0% platform fees on donations (Stripe processing applies).
Can I keep using Eventbrite alongside Discover?
Yes. Many organizations run their high-volume ticketed events on Eventbrite for the marketplace audience while using Kannect for community-side events, member management, and announcements.
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Comparisons updated quarterly. Pricing and feature details verified from public sources as of May 2026.