Best apps for buying event tickets

Gametime and SeatGeek are the best ticket apps for most people: Gametime for last-minute, mobile-first deals with all-in pricing, SeatGeek for its interactive seat maps and Deal Score. TickPick’s app has the lowest totals because it charges no buyer fee, and Ticketmaster’s app is required for many venues that deliver mobile-only tickets.

Most tickets are now mobile, so the app you buy in is also the app you enter with. This ranking looks at the buying experience, the delivery experience and the price, in that order. Every app here belongs to a legitimate marketplace with a buyer guarantee.

1. #1

   Gametime

   Best for: Last-minute, mobile-first deals

   Designed around the phone: fast, all-in prices from the first screen, strong last-minute deals and instant mobile delivery. The app most people should try first for a same-week event.

   Buyer fees: All-in (bundled)Guarantee: Ticket CoverageDelivery: Mobile-first, mobile transfer and e-tickets
2. #2

   SeatGeek

   Best for: Value shoppers who want a slick app

   The most polished app in the category, with interactive venue maps and Deal Score on every listing. Fees are added but shown in full.

   Buyer fees: ~10–30%* + all-inGuarantee: Buyer GuaranteeDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download
3. #3

   TickPick

   Best for: The lowest final total, with no fee surprises

   Less flashy, but the price in the app is the price you pay, with no buyer fee, so its totals are usually the lowest.

   Buyer fees: No buyer feesGuarantee: BuyerTrust GuaranteeDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download
4. #4

   Ticketmaster

   Best for: Buying primary, face-value tickets at on-sale

   Often mandatory: many venues deliver tickets only through Ticketmaster’s SafeTix in its app. Also the place to buy at on-sale.

   Buyer fees: ~20–30%*+Guarantee: Event-based (US)Delivery: Mobile (SafeTix), plus print-at-home where allowed
5. #5

   Vivid Seats

   Best for: Frequent buyers who want loyalty perks

   Full-featured with a rewards program; fees are at the higher end of the range.

   Buyer fees: ~20–40%*Guarantee: 100% Buyer GuaranteeDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download
6. #6

   StubHub

   Best for: Finding a ticket to almost anything

   Deep inventory in app form. Good when the seats you want are not on the others; fees are added at checkout.

   Buyer fees: ~15–30%*+Guarantee: FanProtectDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download

*Buyer fees are third-party estimates and float with demand. Rankings are Tixplorer’s assessment; facts current as of 2026.

At a glance

The verdict

Install Gametime and SeatGeek for discovery, keep Ticketmaster because venues often require it for entry, and check TickPick before you pay anywhere else. Or skip the app-hopping: Tixplorer compares all of them on the web for any event, then sends you to the one with the best price.

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