Hi.Events

Hi.Events is an event ticketing and management platform for concerts, conferences, festivals, workshops and community events. It suits organizers that need flexible ticket types, Stripe-controlled payments and a choice between hosted and self-managed deployment. Its strongest case is operational control; its main trade-off is the per-ticket charge on free Cloud and the annual cost of removing branding or running a commercial platform.

Overview

The service combines registration forms, ticket sales, attendee email, check-in and reporting. You can sell paid, free, donation or tiered tickets, attach add-ons, issue promo codes, run waitlists and ask registration questions. Staff can scan QR tickets or search attendee names from a link, while organizers can review sales reports and export them as CSV.

Payments are connected to the organizer's own Stripe account through Stripe Connect. Hi.Events says it does not hold funds between sale and payout, which is useful for organizations that want their own payment relationship. Checkout can be embedded into an existing site, with setup guidance for WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, Webflow and Shopify.

Key features

Ticketing and schedules

The range of ticket models handles everything from free community registration to tiered festival admission. Add-ons, discount codes and waitlists cover common sales requirements without forcing separate tools. A single event can contain up to 1,200 sessions, with per-date overrides for price, capacity and times. That is substantial for conferences and programs, although very large schedules will eventually meet a defined ceiling.

Check-in, reporting and integrations

QR scanning and linked name search give door teams two practical check-in routes. CSV export makes sales data portable for analysis or administration. Stripe and Stripe Connect work out of the box, while signed webhooks can send event data to CRMs, Slack, Zapier and Make. Webhook secrets should be verified before accepting payloads, an important safeguard for automated workflows.

Open source and control

The software is released under AGPL-3.0. Self-hosting keeps attendee data on your infrastructure, and the maker says records can be exported at any time and are never sold. Docker and manual server deployment are documented. This is a meaningful advantage for organizations with strict data policies, but it also puts hosting and operational responsibility on the customer.

Pricing

Cloud and self-hosted free options

Cloud costs $0 with unlimited events and ticket types, QR check-in, embeddable checkout, promo codes and affiliate tracking. Paid tickets carry a 1.25% + $0.60 fee per ticket, added at checkout by default; free events cost nothing. It is a sensible starting point for occasional organizers who accept transaction costs and do not need a custom deployment.

Self-hosted AGPL costs $0 and includes all features, but you run the servers, must keep the “Powered by Hi.Events” link visible and must publish modifications. It fits technically capable teams that prioritize infrastructure control over managed hosting and unbranded presentation.

Commercial licences

Standard costs €499 / year + VAT, approximately €42 per month billed annually. It covers one production domain, unlimited events, tickets and attendees, removes Hi.Events branding, and includes updates and support while subscribed. Basic email support is included, making this the practical upgrade for a single organization that has outgrown Cloud fees or needs a branded experience.

Platform costs €2,499 / year + VAT, approximately €208 per month billed annually, for ticketing platforms serving third-party organizers under €1 million in annual ticket sales. It adds unlimited organizations and client accounts, a SaaS administration dashboard and priority email support. The price is difficult to justify for one event operator, but appropriate when Hi.Events itself is part of a multi-client service.

Platforms

Hi.Events runs on the web and supports API access, Linux and self-hosted deployment. Cloud suits teams that want a managed service; Docker or manual server installation supports organizations that need infrastructure ownership.

Who it's for

Choose Hi.Events for conferences, festivals, club nights, workshops and community events that need varied ticketing, embedded checkout and dependable check-in. It is especially well matched to organizations requiring self-hosted data, Stripe-account control or integrations through signed webhooks. Small organizers running one paid event may find the Cloud transaction fee preferable to €499 annually, while teams without server expertise should avoid self-hosting.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Free Cloud includes unlimited events and ticket types, making it usable beyond a one-event trial.
• Pros: Stripe Connect routes payments to the organizer's account instead of holding proceeds.
• Pros: AGPL self-hosting, exportable attendee records and embedded checkout support strong control and portability.
• Pros: Up to 1,200 sessions per event, waitlists, add-ons and registration questions cover complex programs.
• Cons: Cloud paid tickets incur 1.25% + $0.60 each, which can outweigh an annual licence for high-volume sales.
• Cons: The free self-hosted edition requires visible branding, published modifications and customer-managed servers.
• Cons: Commercial licences are billed annually, and Platform is aimed at businesses under €1 million in yearly ticket sales.

Alternatives

For a tightly capped free event, EventCreate offers one event, 50 attendees and one user, with a 5% ticketing fee. Eventzilla is worth considering when you want a per-registration Basic plan at $1.50 per month and unlimited events. Choose Eventbrite for broad mobile and web availability and free-event publishing with no ticketing fees. Indico is a free, self-hosted open-source alternative. Luma fits invitation-led events with unlimited events and guests on its free plan. Event Schedule is another open-source, self-hostable option. Evento is a free event tool across Android, iOS, API and web. Goldcast suits teams seeking a paid web platform with tiered event and user allowances.

For broader comparisons, see Event Website Builders, Event Registration Software and Event Management Software.

Verdict

Hi.Events is a strong choice for organizers that want flexible ticketing, Stripe-owned payment flow and the option to keep data on their own infrastructure. Look elsewhere if you need only a small paid event, cannot manage self-hosting, or want to avoid Cloud's per-ticket charge and annual commercial commitment.