Hi.Events review 2026: open-source event ticketing features, self-hosted vs cloud pricing, pros and cons, and alternatives like Eventbrite and Ticket Tailor.
Hi.Events is an open-source event management and ticketing platform built as a self-hostable alternative to closed-source ticketing services like Eventbrite, Ticket Tailor, and Tito. Its code is publicly maintained on GitHub under an AGPL-3.0 license with additional terms, with commercial licensing available for organizations that need it, giving organizers full transparency into how the platform handles checkout, attendee data, and payment processing.
The platform is offered in two forms: a free, fully self-hosted deployment that organizers run on their own infrastructure via Docker with zero platform fees, and Hi.Events Cloud, a fully managed hosted version for organizers who prefer not to run their own servers. This dual model lets Hi.Events serve both technically capable organizers who prioritize data ownership and low fees, and less technical organizers who want a managed SaaS experience with dramatically lower platform fees than incumbents.
Hi.Events covers the core functionality needed to run ticketed events, including configurable ticket types and pricing tiers, promo codes, capacity management, and a check-in app that supports offline QR-code scanning for venues with unreliable connectivity. Organizer-branded event pages and embeddable ticket widgets let events be sold directly from an organizer's own website rather than a third-party ticketing domain.
Additional functionality includes attendee messaging, instant payouts through Stripe Connect, multi-currency and tax configuration, reporting and analytics dashboards, team roles and permissions for multi-person event teams, and an API for custom integrations, covering the operational needs of everything from nightlife events and concerts to conferences and workshops.
Self-hosted Hi.Events is free to use with no platform fees at all; organizers only pay standard payment processing fees (roughly Stripe's 2.9% + 30 cents in the US) on paid ticket sales, and free events cost nothing to host in either deployment mode.
Hi.Events Cloud, the fully managed hosted version, charges a low platform fee of 0.75% plus $0.40 per paid ticket, which organizers can either absorb or pass on to ticket buyers at checkout. This fee structure is substantially lower than the 3-7% typically charged by incumbent ticketing platforms like Eventbrite.
Yes, the self-hosted version of Hi.Events is completely free with no platform fees, aside from standard payment processing fees on paid tickets.
Hi.Events Cloud charges a low platform fee of 0.75% plus $0.40 per paid ticket sold, which can be absorbed by the organizer or passed on to buyers.
Yes, Hi.Events is open source and can be self-hosted via Docker on your own infrastructure for full control over data and zero platform fees.
Hi.Events is used for concerts, nightclub events, festivals, conferences, and workshops, essentially anywhere organizers need to sell tickets online.
Hi.Events offers open-source self-hosting and much lower platform fees on its Cloud version than Eventbrite, along with fully branded, white-label checkout instead of a third-party ticketing domain.
Yes, Hi.Events includes a check-in app with offline QR-code scanning support for venues with unreliable internet access.