alf vs hi

alf (Alf.io) and hi (Hi.Events) are both open-source, self-hostable event ticketing platforms, but they document their value differently: alf emphasizes…

Best for alf: alf suits organizations that already run infrastructure on OpenShift, Heroku, or Cloud Foundry and want an open-source ticketing tool with documented deployment guides for those specific platforms.
Best for hi: hi suits organizers who want a documented $0 organizer-side cost with instant payouts and either a hosted cloud option or a self-hosted Docker path, plus a built-in badge designer for on-site check-in.

At a Glance

 alfhi
Primary categorySchedulingScheduling
RatingNot documentedNot documented
Pricing modelFree (open source)Open Source
Starting priceFreeFree (self-hosted); Cloud from 0.75% + $0.40 per paid ticket
Free planNot documentedYes
Free trialNot documentedNot documented
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Team collaborationNot documentedNot documented
AI featuresNot documentedNot documented
Public APIYesYes

Key Differences

Pricing Model

alf: alf is documented simply as Free / Open Source with no listed pricing plans or organizer fee structure.

hi: hi is Freemium with a documented $0 "For Organizers" plan and an explicit fee model: the buyer pays the service fee, not the organizer.

hi's documented buyer-pays-fee structure is more transparent for organizers trying to predict their exact revenue per ticket.

Deployment Options

alf: alf documents deployment guides specifically for OpenShift, Heroku, and Cloud Foundry.

hi: hi documents a quick-start guide for self-hosted deployment plus local development with Docker, alongside a hosted cloud option.

Teams already standardized on a specific PaaS (OpenShift, Heroku, Cloud Foundry) will find alf's guides more directly relevant; teams that want either a managed cloud or a Docker-based self-host will find hi more flexible.

Payout Speed

alf: alf does not document a payout mechanism or payout timing.

hi: hi documents instant payouts to organizers as a named feature.

For organizers relying on ticket revenue to cover upfront event costs, payout speed can materially affect cash flow.

On-Site / Check-In Extras

alf: alf does not document any badge or check-in tooling in its listed features.

hi: hi includes a free event badge designer to create printable attendee badges without a separate tool.

Organizers who print badges in-house avoid buying a separate badge-design tool if they choose hi.

Cloud vs. Self-Host Choice

alf: alf's documented facts only mention self-hosted deployment paths (OpenShift, Heroku, Cloud Foundry) with no mention of a first-party hosted cloud option.

hi: hi explicitly offers a choice: "use our cloud or self-host for free."

Teams that don't want to manage their own servers have a documented managed option with hi but not clearly with alf.

Feature-by-Feature

Pricing & Fees

Featurealfhi
Free organizer planNot documentedAvailable
Buyer-pays-fee model documentedNot documentedAvailable
Instant payoutsNot documentedAvailable
Listed pricing plansNot documentedAvailable

Deployment

Featurealfhi
Self-hosted deploymentAvailableAvailable
Hosted cloud optionNot documentedAvailable
Documented platform-specific deploy guides (OpenShift/Heroku/Cloud Foundry)AvailableNot documented
Docker local developmentNot documentedAvailable

Event-Day Tools

Featurealfhi
Event badge designerNot documentedAvailable
Full data ownership messagingNot documentedAvailable
Open-source licensingAvailableAvailable

Pricing Compared

Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.

alf

No individual plan breakdown documented yet.

hi

Self-Hosted — Free one-time setup, self-managed
Hi.Events Cloud — 0.75% + $0.40 per paid ticket per-ticket

Pros & Cons

alf

Pros

  • No platform or per-ticket fees since it's self-hosted
  • Strong privacy and security defaults
  • Choice of multiple payment providers
  • Active open-source community and sponsor support

Cons

  • Requires technical setup and hosting knowledge to self-manage
  • No official vendor support unless using a third-party managed host like Swicket
  • Smaller feature/plugin ecosystem than large commercial ticketing platforms

hi

Pros

  • Fully open source and self-hostable, giving organizers complete data ownership
  • Cloud platform fees (0.75% + $0.40/ticket) are far lower than Eventbrite and similar platforms
  • Free events cost nothing to host in either deployment mode
  • Fully branded, white-label checkout experience
  • Offline QR check-in works well for venues with poor connectivity

Cons

  • Self-hosting requires technical setup and ongoing server maintenance
  • Smaller team and community support compared to established ticketing platforms
  • Less brand recognition and buyer trust than Eventbrite for large public events
  • Limited public information on company structure and long-term roadmap
  • Fewer built-in marketing and discovery features than larger ticketing marketplaces

Use Cases

Choose alf: alf suits organizations that already run infrastructure on OpenShift, Heroku, or Cloud Foundry and want an open-source ticketing tool with documented deployment guides for those specific platforms.
Choose hi: hi suits organizers who want a documented $0 organizer-side cost with instant payouts and either a hosted cloud option or a self-hosted Docker path, plus a built-in badge designer for on-site check-in.
Need both: There is no realistic scenario for running both at once — they solve the identical problem (self-hosted event ticketing) for the same event, so a team would choose one, not layer them together.

alf

  • Self-hosted conference ticketing — Sell and manage tickets for conferences or meetups without platform fees.
  • Offline venue check-in — Use Raspberry Pi kiosks to check in attendees at venues without reliable internet.

hi

  • Independent event organizers — Organizers running concerts, club nights, and festivals use Hi.Events Cloud for low-fee, branded ticketing without building their own infrastructure.
  • Self-hosted ticketing for agencies — Agencies and developers deploy self-hosted Hi.Events for clients who need full data ownership and no per-ticket platform fees.
  • Conferences and workshops — Conference organizers use ticket tiers, promo codes, and check-in tools to manage registration and on-site attendance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are alf (Alf.io) and hi (Hi.Events) both open source?

Yes. alf is described as Free / Open Source, and hi is Freemium but is also open source with a documented self-hosted deployment path.

Does hi (Hi.Events) charge a fee to organizers?

No. hi's fee is paid by the ticket buyer, not deducted from the organizer's revenue, so organizers keep 100% of ticket face value.

What deployment platforms does alf (Alf.io) support?

alf's documented facts list deployment guides for OpenShift, Heroku, and Cloud Foundry.

Can I self-host either alf or hi?

Yes, both support self-hosting. alf documents guides for OpenShift, Heroku, and Cloud Foundry, while hi documents a quick-start guide plus local Docker development.

Does alf (Alf.io) offer instant payouts like hi?

This is not documented for alf. hi explicitly lists instant payouts to organizers as a feature; no equivalent payout-speed claim appears in alf's available facts.

Which tool has a badge designer for event check-in?

hi documents a free event badge designer for printable attendee badges. No equivalent feature is documented for alf.

Read the full alf review · Read the full hi review