Many teams search “Splash vs Eventbrite” to learn what each platform does at a basic level. This article outlines focus areas, common use cases, and core differences.
Content is written for first-time researchers using clear language. Information reflects the state of the market as of August 2025.
Where Accelevents can benefit enterprises and associations
Accelevents can sit between Splash and Eventbrite, combining brand control with fast setup and strong onsite execution. The platform was intentionally built with one consistent data model, creating a seamless experience across the platform for event organizers, attendees, exhibitors, and speakers. Teams can quickly launch polished pages using the event website builder, then manage registration rules, badges, and check-in from the same system.
With 1,847 customers and an emphasis on ease of use and flexibility, Accelevents pairs enterprise-grade controls with practical day-to-day workflows. The support team that responds in less than 21 seconds, 24/7 is available if you need hands-on help, and organizations often highlight fast onboarding and responsive customer success.
Understanding The Core Differences Between Splash And Eventbrite
Think of Splash and Eventbrite as two different tools built for different jobs. Splash focuses on creating branded event experiences with custom designs and controlled guest lists. Eventbrite centers on selling tickets and getting events discovered through its public marketplace.
Splash works like a design studio for events. Marketing teams use it to create beautiful, on-brand event pages and emails that match their company’s look. It is built for teams that run multiple events and want everything to look consistent.
Eventbrite works like a ticket booth for the internet. Anyone can quickly set up an event, sell tickets, and tap into Eventbrite’s marketplace where people browse for things to do in their area.
How Accelevents compares: Accelevents blends brand control with full-service registration and onsite tools. You can match corporate identity, manage approvals, and still handle ticket rules, scanning, and white-label branding in one place.
Platform | Primary Focus | Best For | Founded | Market Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Splash | Branded event marketing and design with templates | Marketing teams running recurring, brand-controlled programs | 2011 | B2B event marketing tool, mid-market and enterprise adoption |
Eventbrite | Self-serve ticketing, registration, and marketplace reach | Creators, venues, SMBs hosting public ticketed or free events | 2006 | Large consumer-facing ticketing marketplace, strong SMB presence |
Accelevents | All-in-one branding, registration, onsite check-in, and analytics | Enterprises and associations standardizing programs across teams | 2015 | All-in-one event management with enterprise controls and quick deployment |
The fundamental difference comes down to control versus reach. Splash gives you more control over how everything looks and works. Eventbrite gives you more reach through its marketplace and simpler setup. Accelevents aims to provide both control and operational scale within a single platform.
Who Typically Uses Each Platform
Your team structure and event goals usually determine which platform fits better. This event planning software comparison shows how different organizations approach their events.
Splash users typically include:
Marketing teams at mid-size to large companies
Organizations running multiple events that need to look the same
Teams that want approval processes before events go live
Companies with strict brand guidelines
Eventbrite users typically include:
Individual event creators and small businesses
Community organizers and local groups
Venues that host regular public events
Anyone who wants people to find their event through search
Industries with strict brand standards often choose Splash. Think software companies, banks, and global brands that cannot afford to have events that look off-brand. Industries that sell directly to consumers often choose Eventbrite. Think fitness studios, arts organizations, and local event promoters.
A tech company might use Splash for their quarterly product demos across different cities, keeping everything looking professional and consistent. A yoga studio might use Eventbrite to sell class passes and let people discover their workshops through the platform’s search features. Teams that run conferences and need unified onsite workflows often look at Accelevents, since the conference solution combines registration, badge printing, and session tracking in a single system.
Organizations of all sizes, including large enterprises, mid-market corporations, associations, agencies, and nonprofits, choose Accelevents when they want an all-in-one, highly customizable solution with rapid onboarding and strong customer success, plus a platform that continues to reinvest in product innovation.
Feature Comparison For Branding Ticketing And Integrations
The biggest differences between these platforms show up in three areas, how much you can customize the look, how ticketing works, and what other tools they connect with. This event management platform comparison breaks down each area.
Branding And Design Tools
Splash treats design as the main event. You get detailed control over colors, fonts, layouts, and how everything flows together. Teams can create templates that other people use, ensuring every event looks exactly right.
Eventbrite keeps design simple and standardized. You can change images, colors, and basic layouts, but the overall structure stays consistent. This makes setup faster but gives you less creative control.
Splash design strengths:
Lock down brand colors and fonts so nobody can change them
Create reusable templates for different event types
Build complex forms with conditional questions
Add custom code if you need something specific
Eventbrite design strengths:
Get events published quickly with proven templates
Mobile-optimized layouts that work everywhere
Consistent experience that attendees recognize
Simple editing that anyone can figure out
How Accelevents compares:
Drag-and-drop event customization for pages, forms, and badges, with brand controls that scale
Reusable themes and page templates, including multi-track agendas and sessions
Optional white-label branding across web, mobile, and portals
Granular governance with approvals and role-based publishing controls
Ticketing And Registration
Both platforms handle basic ticketing, but they approach it differently. Splash focuses on controlled guest lists and invitation-based events. Eventbrite focuses on public ticket sales and high-volume orders. Accelevents supports both models in one system, so teams can mix invite-only and public tickets without switching tools.
Feature | Splash | Eventbrite | Accelevents |
|---|---|---|---|
Ticket types | Free, paid, RSVP/invite-only | Free, paid, donation, timed entry, reserved | Unlimited free and paid types, bundles, waitlists, and gated access |
Group registration | Plus-ones and list-based invites | Multi-quantity orders and team/group entry | Bundles for multi-seat purchases, flexible attendee info collection |
Discount codes | Access codes and gated pages | Promo codes and holdbacks | Unlimited discount and access codes with rules and windows |
Check-in options | Mobile app with QR scanning | Organizer app with scanning and door sales | Mobile scanning, session tracking, and real-time badge printing |
Badge printing | Templates and partner tools | Partner integrations, limited native options | Native templates, live edits, and printer-friendly setup |
Based on research and user reviews, some teams find Splash’s invitation flows precise but occasionally complex to set up, and Eventbrite’s marketplace-first approach fast for public events but less suited to controlled guest lists. Accelevents emphasizes a streamlined event registration experience with one-click forms, seamless payment processing, conversion tracking, and conditional logic for role-specific workflows.
Integrations With CRM And Marketing Platforms
This is where the platforms really split apart. Splash connects deeply with business tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and marketing automation platforms. Eventbrite connects with a wider variety of tools but focuses more on basic data transfer. Accelevents provides native connectors for Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo, as well as numerous association management systems, with no charges for native integrations.
Splash integration highlights:
Native connections to major Customer Relationship Management systems
Marketing automation that updates contact records automatically
Single sign-on for enterprise security
APIs for custom integrations
Eventbrite integration highlights:
Connections to email marketing and social media tools
Basic CRM sync through third-party apps
Public APIs for developers
Social sharing and marketplace distribution
Accelevents integration highlights:
No charges for native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and popular AMS platforms
REST APIs and webhooks with no fees, plus SSO and enterprise identity options
Bi-directional data sync for contacts, registrations, attendance, and lead capture
Role-based data access and audit trails for governance
Analytics And Reporting
Splash and Eventbrite offer dashboards that summarize registrations and attendance, though specifics vary by plan. Some users note they export to spreadsheets for deeper analysis or to share updates with stakeholders.
Accelevents provides real-time dashboards across registration, onsite check-in, mobile usage, and session attendance, with shareable reports and a fully integrated data model that keeps all records aligned.
Evaluating Pricing And Fees
The two platforms use completely different pricing approaches. Understanding these differences helps you budget accurately and avoid surprises.
Splash typically charges annual subscription fees based on your team size, number of events, or feature level. You pay upfront for the year and can run events without additional per-ticket fees.
Eventbrite charges per-ticket fees for paid events. They take a percentage plus a small fixed amount from each ticket sold. Free events typically do not have platform fees.
Pricing Factor | Splash | Eventbrite | Accelevents |
|---|---|---|---|
Basic model | Annual subscription, tiers by users or events | Per-ticket fees for paid events | Transparent, scalable pricing with pay-only-for-what-you-need modules |
Fees for paid events | No platform per-ticket fee, payment processing applies | Platform service fee plus payment processing | No surprise add-ons, straightforward processing options |
Enterprise options | Custom contracts with complex features | Volume pricing for high-ticket sellers | Custom packages aligned to governance, security, and integration needs |
Free event support | Included in subscription | Typically no platform fees | Included with plan selection |
Hidden costs can include setup fees, premium support, custom domains, and integration tools. Both platforms may offer nonprofit discounts, but terms vary by region and verification requirements. Accelevents focuses on clarity and predictable budgeting.
When To Choose Splash And When To Choose Eventbrite
Neither platform works better for everyone. Your choice depends on your audience, branding needs, and how you plan to promote events.
1. Splash Fits Best For
Corporate field marketing events: When your company runs events in multiple cities but everything needs to look and feel the same. Splash’s templates and approval workflows keep everything on-brand.
Multi-event programs with consistent branding: If you are running a series of events throughout the year, Splash’s reusable templates save time and ensure consistency.
Enterprise events requiring governance: Large companies often need approval processes, role-based permissions, and audit trails. Splash builds these features into the platform.
Invite-only executive events: When you are hosting VIP dinners, customer advisory boards, or partner meetings where attendance is controlled and exclusive.
These scenarios represent the best event platform for corporate events that prioritize brand control and professional presentation.
2. Eventbrite Fits Best For
Public ticketed events: When you want anyone to be able to find and buy tickets to your event. Eventbrite’s marketplace helps people discover events in their area.
Community gatherings and meetups: Local groups, hobby clubs, and community organizations benefit from Eventbrite’s simple setup and discovery features.
Events needing marketplace reach: If getting found matters more than perfect branding, Eventbrite’s built-in audience can drive ticket sales.
Classes and workshops with recurring schedules: Fitness studios, educational organizations, and skill-based businesses use Eventbrite’s recurring event features.
These examples show the best event ticketing platform scenarios where reach and simplicity matter more than design control.
3. Accelevents Fits Best For
Conferences and trade shows: End-to-end workflows for registration, check-in, badge printing, session scanning, and exhibitor engagement.
Internal meetings and roadshows: Consistent templates, role-based controls, and unified reporting for multi-city programs.
Associations and agencies: Member pricing, CE tracking, and client-by-client configuration for agencies, supported by the agencies solution.
Marketing-owned event portfolios: Branded series with templates, integrated CRM sync, and shareable performance dashboards.
Hidden Considerations For 2025
Several trends in event management software affect platform choice beyond basic features. Privacy regulations, mobile expectations, and hybrid event capabilities increasingly influence decisions.
Summary of companies: Eventbrite has grown both organically and through acquisitions over the years, and some reviews suggest integration quality can vary across acquired components. Splash is often adopted by brand and field marketing teams for its design focus. Accelevents was built as a single platform with one consistent data model, so teams avoid stitching together separate modules.
In-person, virtual, and hybrid capabilities: Splash emphasizes branded virtual experiences, and Eventbrite focuses on simple virtual access through third-party streaming integrations. Accelevents was originally built for in-person events, and now supports all event types, offering native badge printing and mobile app check-in alongside a modular Virtual Event Hub.
Uptime and reliability: We do not make claims about uptime. Accelevents is known for reliability in user feedback, with no references to outages in reviews.
API and extensibility: Splash and Eventbrite provide public APIs. Accelevents offers REST APIs and webhooks with no fees, helping teams connect registration, attendance, and financial data to downstream systems.
Lead capture and tracking: Splash provides sponsor tools tied to session and booth activity, and Eventbrite supports basic lead capture via QR. Accelevents supports mobile lead capture with QR scanning, offline use, unlimited users, real-time reports, lead scoring, note-taking, and integrated meeting-booking using networking features.
Call for papers and speaker tools: Splash offers session workflows for branded agendas, and Eventbrite primarily covers session listings and simple forms. Accelevents includes native CFP and abstract workflows with multiple submission paths, auto reviewer assignment, and a speaker management portal with task tracking.
Exhibitor management: Splash and Eventbrite often rely on add-ons or external apps for booth operations at larger shows. Accelevents provides an end-to-end exhibitor portal to manage profiles, capture leads, book demos, coordinate teams, and report on ROI.
Support for continuing education credit tracking: If you run certification or professional learning programs, Accelevents includes automated credit assignment, a flexible program builder, instant certificate generation, self-service retrieval, audit trails, and LMS integration.
White-label branding options: Eventbrite branding typically remains present on consumer-facing flows. Splash enables branded experiences with some platform elements still recognizable. Accelevents supports full white-label branding across web, mobile, and virtual environments with customizable themes.
Role-based access and compliance: Enterprise buyers should evaluate permission controls, SSO, MFA, and audit logs. Accelevents provides custom roles, SSO, MFA, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance, and detailed security audit logging.
Engagement and mobile experience: All three platforms support mobile-optimized flows. Accelevents adds agenda planning, live reactions, and on-site participation tools with attendee engagement features, and optional gamification to drive foot traffic and session activity.
Key Takeaway Finding The Right Fit For Your Events
Splash works best for teams that run multiple branded events and need design control, approval processes, and deep business tool integrations. Eventbrite works best for creators and organizations that want simple ticket sales and marketplace discovery.
Use this decision framework:
Audience access: Invite-only events favor Splash, public ticket sales favor Eventbrite
Branding control: Strict brand standards favor Splash, speed and simplicity favor Eventbrite
Integration needs: Deep CRM connections favor Splash, basic marketing tools favor Eventbrite
Pricing model: Subscription budgets favor Splash, per-ticket costs favor Eventbrite
Accelevents offers an alternative that combines registration, onsite check-in, and mobile apps in one platform. The system includes real-time badge printing, session attendance tracking, and native integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Marketo, plus shareable analytics and strong attendee engagement tools.
If you need tighter brand control than Eventbrite and faster deployment than heavy design-first tools, Accelevents can balance both priorities in one environment.
Request a demo to explore how Accelevents can simplify your event management process.
FAQs About Splash And Eventbrite
Does Splash or Eventbrite work better for on-site check-in at large conferences?
Splash offers customizable check-in experiences with badge printing capabilities, while Eventbrite provides straightforward mobile check-in that works well for simple events but offers less customization. Accelevents adds real-time scanning and onsite badge printing with session tracking to handle higher-volume arrivals.
Which platform provides better sponsor lead capture tools for trade shows?
Splash provides more detailed sponsor management with configurable lead forms and analytics for exhibitor ROI tracking, while Eventbrite offers basic lead capture through QR codes. Accelevents includes native lead retrieval with notes, scoring, offline capture, unlimited users, and integrated meeting-booking for booth staff.
How do Splash and Eventbrite handle virtual and in-person hybrid events?
Splash focuses on consistent branding across both virtual and in-person components with custom engagement tools, while Eventbrite offers simpler virtual event integration through third-party streaming platforms. Accelevents supports in-person and hybrid programs with onsite tools and an optional Virtual Event Hub to extend reach when needed.
