SplashThat vs Eventbrite comes down to how you attract and manage attendees. Splash is designed for branded event marketing and recurring programs. Eventbrite focuses on ticketing and public event discovery. Both handle registration, payments, and check-in, but they serve different event management needs.
Key Takeaways
Main difference: Splash focuses on branded event marketing, while Eventbrite combines ticketing with an event discovery marketplace.
Pricing: Splash offers custom-priced plans with unlimited events and registrations. Eventbrite's published standard US fees are 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket, plus a 2.9% payment processing fee per order.
Ticketing costs: Selling 200 tickets at $50 each generates $10,000 in gross ticket revenue. Eventbrite's estimated standard US fees total approximately $1,040, assuming one ticket per order and the organizer absorbs the fees.
Ownership: Cvent acquired Splash in September 2024. Bending Spoons completed its acquisition of Eventbrite in March 2026.
The overlooked difference: Registration is only the beginning. Event teams also need to consider attendee data, onsite check-in, badge printing, reporting, and post-event follow-up.
Who is this comparison for: corporate event marketers, field marketing teams, agencies, and organizers planning public or private events.
What Is the Difference Between SplashThat and Eventbrite?
Splash, also known as SplashThat, is an event marketing platform for creating branded event websites, managing invitations, handling registration, and measuring event performance.
Eventbrite is an event publishing and ticketing platform that also helps organizers reach potential attendees through its public marketplace.
Feature
SplashThat
Eventbrite
Main focus
Branded event marketing
Ticketing and event discovery
Event websites
Custom templates and brand controls
Hosted event pages with customization
Registration
RSVP, paid registration, and custom paths
Free and paid ticket types
Email marketing
Branded campaigns and segmentation
Built-in email marketing
Public discovery
Primarily organizer-led promotion
Eventbrite marketplace
Check-in
Mobile Host app and badge options
Organizer app and ticket scanning
CRM integration
CRM and marketing automation integrations
App marketplace and integrations
Analytics
Event funnel and program reporting
Ticket sales, attendance, and marketing reports
Pricing
Custom-priced Pro and Enterprise plans
Published ticketing fees and optional paid tools
The distinction becomes clearer when you consider how an organizer plans to attract attendees.
A corporate marketing team running executive dinners already has an audience. It needs branded invitations, registration pages, and CRM reporting.
An organizer selling tickets to a public workshop may need to reach people who have never heard of the event. Eventbrite's marketplace provides an additional discovery channel.
Neither approach is inherently better. The decision depends on whether your event program is primarily about marketing to an existing audience or selling tickets to a broader one.
How Much Do SplashThat and Eventbrite Cost in 2026?
Splash and Eventbrite use different pricing models. Comparing their advertised prices alone can hide the actual cost of running an event.
What Does Eventbrite Cost?
Eventbrite allows organizers to publish free events without ticketing fees.
For paid events in the US, its published standard fees are 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket, plus a 2.9% payment processing fee per order. Organizers can generally pass these fees to ticket buyers or absorb them.
Here is an illustrative calculation for an event selling 200 tickets at $50 each, assuming one ticket per order.
Cost
Amount
Ticket price
$50
Tickets sold
200
Gross ticket revenue
$10,000
Service fee per ticket
$3.64
Estimated payment processing per order
$1.56
Estimated total fees
$1,040
Estimated revenue after fees, if absorbed
$8,960
These figures are illustrative. Actual fees depend on the order structure, applicable taxes, and the organizer's agreement. Eventbrite's published processing fee is applied to the order total, which may include the service fee.
Eventbrite also offers optional paid marketing tools. These costs should be considered separately from standard ticketing fees.
What Does Splash Cost?
Splash offers Pro and Enterprise plans with unlimited events and registrations. It does not publish a standard dollar price for these plans.
Its paid plans include event registration, branded event websites, email marketing, mobile check-in, badge printing options, and CRM integrations.
When requesting a quote, ask about user licenses, onboarding, payment processing, support, and onsite equipment.
Unlimited registrations do not necessarily mean unlimited access to every feature or service.
Which Pricing Model Makes Sense for Different Events?
Event scenario
Pricing consideration
Free community event
Eventbrite's free event publishing may cover basic requirements
One paid public workshop
Compare Eventbrite's ticket fees against expected sales
Monthly executive dinners
Evaluate Splash's recurring program pricing
Corporate roadshow across multiple cities
Compare annual platform costs and staff workload
Conference with check-in and badges
Include onsite equipment, staffing, and attendee management costs
The hidden cost is often the work that happens outside the platform.
For example, a team may spend hours exporting registrations, cleaning attendee records, updating its CRM, and preparing post-event reports.
Before purchasing either platform, calculate the total cost of running the event, not just the registration or ticketing fee.
Which Platform Is Better for Registration, Ticketing, and Branding?
Both Splash and Eventbrite support event registration, ticketing, and attendee management.
The difference becomes more apparent when a team runs several events rather than a single gathering.
Consider a B2B marketing team hosting 12 executive dinners across different US cities.
Each dinner needs a consistent website design, branded invitations, registration questions, and CRM reporting. Splash provides reusable templates and centralized management for this type of event program.
Now consider an organizer selling tickets to a public workshop.
Attendees can discover the event through Eventbrite, purchase tickets, and receive confirmation emails without the organizer building a separate marketing website.
Organizer's task
SplashThat
Eventbrite
Launch recurring events
Reusable branded templates
Duplicate and publish event listings
Invite an existing audience
Branded email campaigns and segmented lists
Email campaigns and audience tools
Sell public tickets
Paid registration
Ticketing with marketplace exposure
Track B2B prospects
CRM and event marketing reporting
Attendee and sales reports with integrations
Manage multiple internal teams
Brand controls and user roles
Organizer and team management
For teams that need registration connected to onsite operations, Nunify'sevent registration software is another option to evaluate.
The important question is whether registration data can move through the rest of your event workflow without repeated manual exports.
What Happens on Event Day With SplashThat vs Eventbrite?
Both platforms support mobile check-in.
Splash offers a Host app for attendee check-in, guest-list management, and badge options. Eventbrite's Organizer app supports ticket scanning and onsite sales.
The real test is what happens when attendees arrive.
Event-day requirement
What to test
QR code check-in
Scanning speed, duplicate-entry alerts, and offline behavior
Walk-in registration
Whether staff can create a new attendee record
Badge printing
Printer compatibility, badge templates, and reprints
VIP arrivals
Staff notifications and updated guest lists
Attendance reporting
Whether check-in data reaches the CRM
Multiple entrances
Data synchronization across devices
QR scanning and badge printing are not the same capability.
Scanning verifies an attendee's ticket. Badge printing creates a physical credential, potentially including the attendee's name, organization, ticket type, or session access.
If badges are a major requirement, evaluate a dedicatedevent check-in app as part of the buying process.
Nunify supports QR check-in, onsite registration, badge printing, and offline operation.
A realistic test should include a guest who forgot their QR code, a last-minute registration, a name correction, and a printer that temporarily disconnects.
Splash's CRM integrations and event reporting are designed to connect event activity with marketing programs.
Eventbrite provides ticket sales, attendance, and marketing reports, along with integrations through its app marketplace.
Before buying either platform, map the data flow from registration to post-event follow-up.
A connection appearing in an integration directory does not guarantee that it supports every field or updates data in both directions.
Ask each vendor to demonstrate how the following information moves between systems:
Registration details and custom form responses
Ticket purchases and payment status
Attendance and check-in timestamps
Session participation
Cancellations and no-shows
Post-event engagement and follow-up
For a corporate event, the goal is often to understand which registered prospects attended, which sessions they joined, and whether the event contributed to the sales pipeline.
For a public ticketed event, ticket revenue, attendance, refunds, and marketing performance may matter more.
What Do the Recent Acquisitions Mean for Splash and Eventbrite?
Both platforms have undergone ownership changes.
Cvent acquired Splash in September 2024 as part of its expansion into field marketing.
Bending Spoons completed its acquisition of Eventbrite in March 2026. Eventbrite subsequently announced a product roadmap focused on reliability, creator tools, discovery, ticketing, and checkout.
Neither acquisition alone establishes that a product is being discontinued or that its service quality will change.
However, ownership changes are a reasonable reason to review your contract, support terms, product roadmap, and data-export options.
If your team is already using Splash and considering a switch, look at theseSplash alternatives to evaluate your options.
Teams evaluating Cvent's broader event management platform can also review against theCvent alternatives guide.
When Should You Consider a Third Event Management Platform?
Splash and Eventbrite are not the only approaches to event management.
A team running conferences, association meetings, or internal events may need registration, onsite operations, and attendee engagement connected in one platform.
Platform
Product focus
Evaluation scenario
Cvent
Enterprise event management, venue sourcing, and onsite operations
Complex enterprise programs
Nunify
Registration, check-in, badges, and attendee engagement
Conferences and corporate event programs
Splash
Branded event marketing and recurring programs
Field marketing and executive events
Eventbrite
Ticketing and public discovery
Public workshops and ticketed gatherings
Nunify combines registration, event websites, onsite check-in, badge printing, a mobile event app, and attendee engagement.
This makes it relevant when an organizer needs more than registration and ticket sales.
For example, a conference organizer may need attendees to register, check in, collect badges, view personalized agendas, network with other participants, and complete post-event surveys.
Using separate tools for each activity can create additional work for the event team.
A connectedmobile event app can help organizers manage attendee communication, agendas, networking, and engagement alongside the rest of the event experience.
However, adding another platform is unnecessary if your existing software already handles your requirements.
A free RSVP event with no badges, complex agenda, or CRM workflow does not automatically need enterprise event management software.
FAQs
Yes. SplashThat is commonly used to refer to Splash, the event marketing platform acquired by Cvent in September 2024.
Yes. Splash supports paid registration and multiple ticketing options alongside branded event pages and guest management.
Eventbrite allows organizers to publish free events without ticketing fees. Paid tickets incur fees, and optional marketing services may cost extra.
Yes. Splash offers a mobile Host app for attendee check-in, along with guest management and badge options.
Yes. Eventbrite supports private and public events, registration, ticketing, and attendee management. Corporate teams should confirm whether its branding, CRM, and onsite features meet their specific requirements.
Splash remains an active product with published pricing plans and support resources. Cvent's acquisition announcement said the companies planned to continue investing in their products.
Confirm UAE payment support, billing currency, data-processing terms, onsite hardware compatibility, and the availability of support during local event hours.