Ticket sites with the lowest fees
TickPick has the lowest fees of any major ticket site because it charges buyers no service fee at all. Gametime bundles its fee into the displayed price. SeatGeek, StubHub, Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats add buyer fees that typically run from about 10% to 40% of the ticket price and rise with demand.
Ticket fees are the single biggest reason the same seat costs different amounts on different sites. Government reviews have put the average at roughly 27 to 31 percent of the ticket price. Since May 2025 every US site has to show the fee-inclusive total upfront, which makes fees visible but not smaller. Here is how the major marketplaces compare on what they actually charge buyers.
- #1
TickPick
Best for: The lowest final total, with no fee surprisesNo buyer fee. Sellers pay a commission instead, so the listed price is essentially the checkout price.
Buyer fees: No buyer feesGuarantee: BuyerTrust GuaranteeDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download - #2
Gametime
Best for: Last-minute, mobile-first dealsFees are bundled into the price shown from the first screen, so there is no markup at checkout. The fee exists, but it is never a surprise.
Buyer fees: All-in (bundled)Guarantee: Ticket CoverageDelivery: Mobile-first, mobile transfer and e-tickets - #3
SeatGeek
Best for: Value shoppers who want a slick appAdds a buyer fee commonly estimated at 10 to 30 percent, higher on in-demand events, shown in the all-in total.
Buyer fees: ~10–30%* + all-inGuarantee: Buyer GuaranteeDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download - #4
StubHub
Best for: Finding a ticket to almost anythingAdds a buyer fee commonly estimated at 15 to 30 percent or more, shown in the total since 2025 after a finalized FTC settlement over fee disclosure.
Buyer fees: ~15–30%*+Guarantee: FanProtectDelivery: Mobile transfer, e-tickets, instant download - #5
Ticketmaster
Best for: Buying primary, face-value tickets at on-saleStacks service, facility and order-processing fees, commonly 20 to 30 percent or more on primary tickets, shown in the all-in price.
Buyer fees: ~20–30%*+Guarantee: Event-based (US)Delivery: Mobile (SafeTix), plus print-at-home where allowed - #6
Vivid Seats
Best for: Frequent buyers who want loyalty perksAdds a buyer fee commonly estimated at 20 to 40 percent, the highest range of the six, partly offset for frequent buyers by its rewards program.
Buyer fees: ~20–40%*Guarantee: 100% Buyer GuaranteeDelivery: 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
If fees are what you want to avoid, TickPick first, then Gametime. But a low-fee site with a high listing price can still lose to a high-fee site with a low one, so the only number worth comparing is the all-in total for the same seats. That comparison is what Tixplorer does for every event.
See which site is cheapest for your event
Prices move by the hour and the cheapest site changes per event. Tixplorer compares live, all-in prices across TickPick, Gametime, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, Ticketmaster and other trusted marketplaces so you see the lowest total in one search.
Frequently asked questions
Which ticket site has no fees?
TickPick. It charges buyers no service fee and makes its money from a seller commission. Gametime is the next closest: it has a fee but bundles it into the displayed price.
How much are ticket fees usually?
Reviews by the US Government Accountability Office found fees average roughly 27 to 31 percent of the ticket price, and the FTC has alleged figures up to 44 percent on some sales. Individual sites commonly land between 10 and 40 percent depending on demand.
Can I avoid ticket fees entirely?
Only by buying on a no-fee marketplace like TickPick, or occasionally at a venue box office in person. Everywhere else the fee is built into the all-in price; the 2025 rule made it visible, not optional.