Best StubHub Alternatives: Ticket Fee Compared

Why StubHub Users Look for Alternatives

StubHub says in its annual report that it believes it operates the largest global secondary ticketing marketplace for live events. Its buyer fees, though, have no fixed rate, which is one reason buyers compare it with other sites.

How StubHub Charges Buyer Fees

StubHub charges buyers a service fee and a fulfillment fee. Its help center says these fees have no fixed rate: they depend on the ticket price, how close the event is, updates to event information, and supply and demand. In a September 2026 newsroom post, StubHub said its service fee is a percentage of the listing price, chosen from a set of fee levels for each browser session, so two people looking at the same tickets at the same time can see different fees.

In its newsroom, StubHub says the price it displays includes all mandatory fees, but its help center still tells buyers to turn on "Include estimated fees" to see the total price. Either way, confirm the total on the checkout page before you pay, and compare it with the final price for the same seats on other sites.

StubHub's Legal Trouble

StubHub's pricing has also drawn regulatory scrutiny. In April 2026, the FTC announced a $10 million settlement with StubHub, paid out as refunds to consumers, and the court entered the order on April 10, 2026. The FTC alleged that in numerous instances through at least May 14, 2025, StubHub's first three price screens did not show the total price; StubHub neither admitted nor denied the allegations. The order required StubHub to send refunds, based on the service and fulfillment fees paid, within 90 days to people who bought tickets for U.S. events on StubHub from May 12 to 14, 2025, and did not already get a refund or chargeback; no claim was needed.

The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, which took effect on May 12, 2025, covers live-event tickets and short-term lodging. Whenever a ticket seller shows a price, it must show the total price, including all required fees; taxes, the cost of shipping physical tickets and optional extras can be left out. Resale marketplaces that show sellers' prices are covered too. The rule does not ban or cap fees, and several major ticket sites now say they show fee-inclusive prices.

For buyers, this means the regulatory environment is moving toward fee transparency — but the implementation varies by platform.

For background on StubHub's broader track record, see our dedicated piece: Is StubHub legit?

What Makes a Better Alternative

For a StubHub alternative to earn the switch, it needs to clear three bars:

1. Fee transparency — show the real price before checkout, not after 2. Buyer protection — refund or rebook if a ticket is fake, late, or the event is canceled 3. Inventory coverage — enough listings to make the platform worth opening

The platforms below are evaluated on all three.

6 Best StubHub Alternatives at a Glance

Fee Comparison Table

The table below is based on each platform's own published fee information, checked in November 2026. Most of these sites don't publish their buyer fee rates, so the table shows what each one says it charges and how it shows prices in the U.S. Seller fees don't appear in your total directly, but sellers set their own asking prices and may build those fees in.

Note on TicketX: TicketX lists tickets with no hidden fees.

Buyer Guarantee Comparison

If a ticket turns out to be fake or invalid, doesn't arrive in time, or the event is canceled, what happens? The table below summarizes each platform's published guarantee, terms and help pages, checked in November 2026. Many remedies are at the platform's discretion, so check the current terms before you buy.

TicketX — No Hidden Fees, Backed by a Buyer Guarantee

TicketX is a U.S.-focused secondary ticket marketplace. The platform launched in 2023 and lists tickets with no hidden fees.

For a full promo codes guide, see TicketX Promo Code.

No hidden buyer Fees: What It Means in Practice

TicketX lists tickets with no hidden fees. As with any ticket site, compare the final price, including tax, for the same seats before you buy.

For a full promo codes guide, see TicketX Promo Code.

Buyer Guarantee Coverage

TicketX's Buyer Guarantee covers tickets that are fake or invalid or don't arrive in time, and events that are canceled and not rescheduled. Depending on the case, TicketX sends replacement tickets or refunds you.

Ticket Selection and Availability

TicketX lists tickets across concerts, sports, and live events in the U.S. market. As a newer entrant to the U.S. market, inventory depth is narrower on some niche events. For major concerts, NFL games, and NBA matchups, selection is competitive. For lower-volume events in smaller markets, checking multiple platforms is advisable.

See current TicketX a limited-time promo code

TickPick — No Service Fees with BestPrice Guarantee

TickPick is a resale marketplace built on a no-buyer-service-fee model: it charges sellers a commission instead.

Fee Structure and Pricing Model

TickPick charges buyers no service fees. Its help center says you pay more than the listed price only for sales tax in some locations and for delivery: $5 for listings set for local pickup, and $10.99 (two-day) or $15.99 (next-day) for listings shipped by FedEx. TickPick makes its money from sellers instead: standard sellers pay a 15% commission and receive 85% of the sale price. Sellers set their own asking prices, so compare the final price for the same seats on other sites too.

TickPick also offers a BestPrice Guarantee. Under its conditions, if you find the same event, date, section, row and quantity for less on another ticket marketplace (comparing that site's checkout price, including fees but not tax) and submit a claim with a timestamped screenshot within 2 hours of your order, TickPick gives you 110% of the difference as TickPick credit, not cash, up to $200 per claim. The credit expires after 365 days, and TickPick can exclude prices from professional ticket resellers and others, including member, loyalty and coupon prices and prices that require a login or code. TickPick doesn't lower your price to match; the difference comes back as credit.

For a deeper comparison between StubHub and TickPick, see: StubHub vs. TickPick

Where TickPick Stands Out — and Where It Doesn't

Where TickPick wins: Paying no buyer service fees is a genuine advantage, and the BestPrice Guarantee gives you a backstop if you find the same seats for less on another ticket marketplace within 2 hours of buying.

Where TickPick has limits: Sellers pay a 15% commission and set their own prices, so a TickPick listing isn't automatically the cheapest. Sales tax applies in some locations, and listings set for local pickup or FedEx delivery carry a delivery fee.

TickPick is worth checking if you want to avoid buyer service fees, as long as you compare the final price for the same seats.

SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, Gametime, and More

SeatGeek — Deal Score and All-In Pricing View

SeatGeek's most distinctive tool is Deal Score, a rating from 1 to 10 in which a higher score means a better deal. SeatGeek's terms treat it as information only and don't guarantee its accuracy.

That can help if you don't know what a fair price looks like for an event. SeatGeek's help center says purchases may include a service fee and a marketplace fee, and SeatGeek doesn't publish the rates. In May 2025, SeatGeek announced that it would show fee-inclusive prices from the start for every event, and its help center now describes All-In Pricing: event-page prices include all mandatory fees, while taxes, delivery and optional extras may be added.

SeatGeek is worth considering if you want help judging whether a price is fair. For a direct comparison: StubHub vs. SeatGeek

Vivid Seats — Loyalty Rewards for Frequent Buyers

Vivid Seats runs a loyalty program called Vivid Seats Rewards. You earn one stamp for each ticket you buy, up to 50 stamps a calendar year, and new members opt in through its app. Ten stamps earn a credit worth the average price of those 10 tickets, excluding taxes and fees and after a 25% processing deduction. You can use the credit only in the Vivid Seats app, and stamps and credits can expire.

Vivid Seats charges buyers a service fee and a delivery fee and doesn't publish its rates. Its help center says it uses All-In Pricing, showing fee-inclusive prices from the start of shopping (per ticket, before tax). The rewards program pays off mainly if you buy tickets often.

If you buy tickets often and want to earn rewards, it's a viable StubHub alternative. For a head-to-head: StubHub vs. Vivid Seats

Gametime — Marketed for Last-Minute Buyers

Gametime markets itself as a site for last-minute tickets; its homepage title reads "Last-Minute Sports, Music & Shows Tickets." That doesn't guarantee a lower price as the event gets closer: sellers set the prices, and Gametime itself says prices can drop in a lot of cases, but not always.

Gametime's help center says it shows fee-inclusive "Includes Fees" prices by default for every event, and you can switch that setting off to see prices without fees. In some states, tax is added at the final checkout. Its help center doesn't list its fee types or rates.

Ticketmaster — Official Resale, but Fees Still Apply

Ticketmaster runs its own resale marketplace, which sells two kinds of resale tickets. Verified Resale Tickets, for events where Ticketmaster was the original seller, are reissued in the buyer's name. Resale Tickets that another company originally sold are delivered by the seller, for example through that company's app. For resale tickets, the seller is the person who listed them, not Ticketmaster, and in the U.S., Ticketmaster has no named buyer guarantee.

Ticketmaster doesn't publish its fee rates; its help center says service fees are generally negotiated and shared among the parties involved in an event. Since May 12, 2025, its U.S. All In Prices have included required fees in the first price you see; local taxes and any paid delivery method you choose can be added at checkout. If you want tickets reissued in your name, Verified Resale is worth checking. If price is your main concern, compare the final price for the same seats on other sites.

For a closer look at how the two compare: StubHub vs. Ticketmaster comparison

How to Choose the Right StubHub Alternative

Best for Low Fees

TicketX or TickPick. TicketX lists tickets with no hidden fees, and TickPick charges buyers no service fees. Try both for your specific event and compare the final price, including tax, for the same seats; that comparison will tell you which has the better deal that day.

Best for Buyer Protection

TicketX, TickPick, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, Gametime and StubHub each have a named buyer guarantee; Ticketmaster has none in the U.S. The bigger differences show up when an event is canceled. Gametime refunds canceled events automatically to your original payment method. StubHub's help center says its default is a 120% credit, with a cash refund on request. SeatGeek decides between a full refund and, where state law allows, a credit. Vivid Seats' terms let it decide between a refund and a credit. TickPick decides between the two as well, although its canceled-event FAQ says you'll receive a refund. TicketX's Buyer Guarantee covers events that are canceled and not rescheduled. For postponed or rescheduled events, StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, TickPick, Gametime and TicketX generally don't refund tickets that remain valid for the new date. At Ticketmaster, canceled events are generally refunded with no action needed. For postponed, rescheduled or moved Ticketmaster events, the organizer decides event by event whether to offer refunds, and Resale Tickets that another company originally sold are not refunded.

Best for Broadway and Theater

For Broadway shows, compare the same seats for the same performance on several sites, including TicketX. SeatGeek's Deal Score can also help you judge whether a price is fair.

Best for Sports Tickets

For NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL games, compare the same seats on several sites. StubHub says in its annual report that it believes it operates the largest global secondary ticketing marketplace for live events, and SeatGeek announced in February 2023 that it would become MLB's Official Ticket Marketplace. TickPick charges buyers no service fees, Gametime markets itself for last-minute tickets, and TicketX lists tickets for major U.S. sports events with no hidden fees.

FAQ

Who Is StubHub's Biggest Competitor?

It depends on what you compare. StubHub says in its annual report that it believes it operates the largest global secondary ticketing marketplace for live events. Other U.S. resale options to compare with StubHub include SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, TickPick, Gametime, TicketX and Ticketmaster, which runs its own resale marketplace. They work in different ways: TickPick charges buyers no service fees, SeatGeek rates listings with Deal Score, Vivid Seats runs a rewards program, Gametime markets itself for last-minute tickets, and TicketX lists tickets with no hidden fees.

Is TicketSwap 100% Legit?

TicketSwap is a fan-to-fan ticket marketplace operated by TicketSwap B.V., based in Amsterdam. It has no named buyer guarantee. When SecureSwap is on, which TicketSwap says is often the case when it partners with the event, organizer or venue, the original barcode is canceled and the buyer gets a brand-new ticket. For other events, you receive the seller's ticket after TicketSwap's usual checks for fake or invalid tickets, and under TicketSwap's terms, the seller and buyer bear the risk that it isn't valid. You can report a ticket that didn't work within 30 days after the event, and TicketSwap decides whether the seller has to refund you. Buyers pay a service fee and a transaction fee on top of the seller's price, shown in the price breakdown before you buy, according to TicketSwap.

Is StubHub or TickPick Better?

Neither is cheaper every time. TickPick charges buyers no service fees and charges standard sellers a 15% commission instead, while StubHub charges buyers a service fee and a fulfillment fee with no fixed rate. StubHub's newsroom says its displayed prices include all mandatory fees. Compare the final price, including tax, for the same section, row and quantity on both sites.

The two also differ on canceled events. StubHub's help center says the default is a 120% credit, with a cash refund on request, and its terms let StubHub choose a full refund or a credit, unless the law requires a refund. TickPick's BuyerTrust Guarantee and terms say TickPick decides between a refund and a credit, unless the law requires a refund, although its canceled-event FAQ says you'll receive a refund.

TicketX is a third option worth checking. It lists tickets with no hidden fees, and its Buyer Guarantee covers tickets that are fake or invalid or don't arrive in time, and events that are canceled and not rescheduled. Depending on the case, TicketX sends replacement tickets or refunds you. For a full comparison of the two, see our TickPick vs StubHub guide.

Why was StubHub Being Sued?

StubHub has faced several legal actions over its pricing. One of them is the FTC case: in April 2026, the FTC announced a $10 million settlement with StubHub, paid out as refunds to people who bought tickets for U.S. events on StubHub from May 12 to 14, 2025, and did not already get a refund or chargeback, and the court entered the order on April 10, 2026. The FTC alleged that in numerous instances through at least May 14, 2025, StubHub's first three price screens did not show the total price, including required fees; StubHub neither admitted nor denied the allegations.

Which Platform Makes the Most Sense?

The best StubHub alternative depends on what you're optimizing for. If fees are your main concern, start with TicketX, which lists tickets with no hidden fees, and TickPick, which charges buyers no service fees and charges standard sellers a 15% commission. SeatGeek is useful if you want Deal Score to help you judge a price. Gametime markets itself for last-minute tickets. Vivid Seats makes the most sense if you buy often enough to use its rewards program.

Whichever sites you use, compare the final price, including tax, for the same section, row and quantity before you buy. No single site is cheapest on every listing.

For a full promo codes guide, see TicketX Promo Code.