Best Self Hosted Alternatives to Universe by Ticketmaster

Hi.Events is an open-source event management and ticketing platform for selling tickets online and managing attendees for events like conferences, concerts, festivals, and nightlife. It focuses on organizer data ownership, flexible ticketing, and modern, brandable checkout and event pages.

Key Features

• Flexible ticket types (free, paid, donation, tiered) with capacity limits and sale windows
• Promo codes, pre-sale access, hidden/locked tickets, and product add-ons
• Custom branding: drag-and-drop event page builder, organizer pages, SEO settings, and embeddable ticket widget
• Attendee management: custom checkout questions, search/filter/export, bulk messaging, and refunds
• QR-code check-in with scan logs, multiple access-controlled check-in lists, and offline support
• Real-time sales dashboard, reporting (sales/tax/promos), and affiliate/referral tracking
• Stripe Connect support for payouts and multiple currencies, plus offline payment methods
• REST API and webhooks for integrations and automation

Use Cases

• Running a branded ticket shop for venues, promoters, and nightlife events with fast door check-in
• Managing conference registration with custom questions, invoicing, and reporting
• Selling tickets for festivals and concerts with tiered pricing, promo campaigns, and capacity groups

Hi.Events is a strong fit for organizations that want control over branding, checkout, and attendee data while still providing modern ticketing and operational tooling for both small and high-volume events.

pretix is an open-source ticketing and event registration application for conferences, festivals, concerts, exhibitions, workshops, and similar events. It provides tools for selling tickets online as well as handling on-site sales and attendee management.

Key Features

• Configurable ticket shop for pre-sales with quotas, product variations, and add-ons
• Box office and on-site check-in workflows for live events
• Multi-language support for events and storefronts
• Extensible architecture via plug-ins and a REST API for integrations
• Attendee management features such as order management, participant data collection, and invoicing

Use Cases

• Sell tickets and manage registrations for conferences and community events
• Run ticket sales for venues, museums, exhibitions, and public attractions
• Integrate ticketing into an existing software landscape via API and plug-ins

pretix is a mature, production-used platform designed for organizers who need a flexible ticket shop and reliable operations for both online and on-site event workflows. Its extensibility and multilingual capabilities make it suitable for a wide variety of event formats and scales.

Alf.io is an open source ticket reservation and event attendance management system for event organizers. It covers the full lifecycle from ticket sales and payments to check-in operations and reporting, with a strong focus on privacy and security.

Key Features

• Public ticket shop for ticket reservation and sales
• Backoffice/admin area for event setup and management
• Payment gateway integrations including Stripe, PayPal, Mollie, Revolut, and bank transfer options
• Reporting capabilities across the event lifecycle
• Extension mechanism to integrate with third-party tools (for example CRM systems)
• Mobile apps (iOS and Android) for attendee check-in and sponsor/exhibitor lead capture
• High-throughput, offline-capable check-in station support (including Raspberry Pi setups with encrypted attendee lists)
• Multi-language user interface

Use Cases

• Running ticketing and check-in for conferences, trade shows, workshops, and meetups
• On-site badge scanning and lead collection for sponsors/exhibitors
• Offline check-in and badge printing workflows for high-volume events

Limitations and Considerations

• Requires PostgreSQL (10+) and a Java 17 runtime for deployment
• Some payment methods require third-party accounts and configuration with their providers

Alf.io is suited for organizations that want control over event data and ticketing costs while still offering modern payment and check-in workflows. Its modular integrations and offline-capable check-in options make it practical for both small meetups and larger events.

Gathio is an open-source event hosting platform that provides simple, shareable event pages designed for privacy and minimal friction. Pages can be created without registration and configured to self-destruct after use, enabling ephemeral event management and invite links.

Key Features

• Create single-page event sites that require no user registration
• Shareable links for attendees and simple RSVP/attendance workflows (link-based)
• Optionally self-destruct or expire event pages after a set time
• Federated, privacy-first design to minimize data collection and increase control
• Lightweight server-rendered UI using Handlebars templates for easy customization
• Deployable with container tooling; includes Docker support for straightforward self-hosting

Use Cases

• Host ad-hoc meetups or private gatherings with shareable, time-limited pages
• Provide one-off event invitations where attendee sign-up is not desired
• Create ephemeral community or social events that should expire after use

Limitations and Considerations

• Not a full-featured calendar or ticketing platform; focuses on simple event pages rather than complex event management
• Feature set and federation interoperability may vary depending on deployment and configuration

Gathio is suited for teams and communities that need lightweight, privacy-respecting event pages without the overhead of full calendar systems. It emphasizes simplicity, ephemeral sharing, and ease of deployment for self-hosting environments.

Gancio is a shared agenda designed for local communities to publish and discover events without centering personal profiles or engagement mechanics. It focuses on small, autonomous nodes and broad interoperability so events can be followed and reused across the web.

Key Features

• Shared public event listing with a content-first approach (no personal timelines)
• Privacy-oriented publishing model, including anonymous event submission by default
• Multiple export formats for syndication and reuse, including RSS feeds and iCalendar (ICS)
• Embeddable event lists or single events for external websites
• Federation support via ActivityPub to share events across instances
• Structured data support (microdata/microformats) for better interoperability

Use Cases

• Community groups running a local events calendar for a city or neighborhood
• Activist or mutual-aid networks needing low-profile event publishing and sharing
• Organizations embedding a unified event feed across multiple sites and channels

Limitations and Considerations

• Gancio 2.0 is an in-progress rewrite and was announced as alpha with incompatibilities; upgrading production instances may require caution

Gancio is a strong fit for communities that want a calendar that prioritizes shared information over user identities and growth mechanics. Its federation and export options make it easy to distribute events beyond the web UI while keeping control in local hands.

Mobilizon is an ActivityPub-enabled platform for creating and sharing events and groups across a federated network. It lets communities organize gatherings, manage participation, and publish event information in a social-network-like interface.

Key Features

• Create and manage events with rich details (time, location, description) and event pages
• Group features for organizing communities and recurring activities
• Participation management: RSVP/attendance, visibility controls, and event updates
• Federation via ActivityPub to follow and interact across compatible servers
• Multi-identity support (profiles) to separate public and private participation

Use Cases

• Local communities publishing events without depending on centralized platforms
• Organizations managing meetups, workshops, and recurring group activities
• Federated event discovery and cross-instance following for public calendars

Mobilizon provides a privacy-conscious alternative for community event publishing, combining event management with federation to reach audiences beyond a single server while keeping control in the hands of administrators and communities.