How to compare ticket prices across sites, fees included
Follow 5 steps and check a fee table that links to each site's own page. We also ran a ticket price comparison on about 450 high-demand events tracked on both Vivid Seats and StubHub.
To compare ticket prices, check the price with fees for the same section on at least 2 sites. Since May 12, 2025, the first price a US ticket site shows must include mandatory fees. We tracked about 450 high-demand events on both Vivid Seats and StubHub. The cheapest listing differed by a median of about 6% to 7%, fees included.
Compare ticket prices in 5 minutes
Open the event on 2 or more sites
Search for the same event, date and venue on each site. Include the primary seller (normally Ticketmaster or AXS) and at least 1 secondary site. Primary is the original seller. Secondary is where brokers and fans list tickets for sale.
Check that the price shown includes fees
Look for "incl. fees" or "all-in" next to the price. All-in means the price with every mandatory fee already in it. Some sites have a setting that shows prices before fees. Set it to include fees.
Compare the same section and quantity
Do not compare the cheapest listing on each site. It can be a single seat on 1 site and a pair in another section on the other. Pick 1 section and set the quantity you need. Write down the lowest price on each site.
Check taxes on the last screen before you pay
Click through to the last screen before payment on your 2 cheapest options. Taxes, shipping and optional add-ons can still be added there. Compare those totals.
Check the primary seller too
A secondary listing is not always priced above the primary ticket. We looked at about 16,000 concerts and theater or comedy performances that still had primary tickets on Ticketmaster. On about 1 in 6 events, the cheapest Vivid Seats listing was priced below the lowest primary price we tracked. Fees are included on both. The cheapest secondary listing on the typical event was about 30% above the lowest primary price (about $68 against about $53). Keep in mind these are not the same seat. In a section check, a third of the cheaper secondary tickets were in a different kind of section.
What we saw when the same event was listed on 2 sites
The sample is about 450 high-demand events. Each was tracked on both Vivid Seats and StubHub in the same 3 days, in late September 2026. 85% were concerts, so the sample fits best if you compare concert ticket prices.
Get-in price means the cheapest listing for the event. Vivid Seats had the lower get-in price on roughly 6 in 10 events. StubHub had it on roughly 4 in 10. This is not a ranking of the 2 sites.
It is a small sample of popular shows on 2 sites in 1 snapshot. These are asking prices (not sales). The cheapest listing can be a different seat on each site. Both sites show the price with fees by default. The 1 in 5 comes from the 2 sites adding different fees.
Why the same seat can show on several sites at different prices
A seller often lists the same tickets on more than 1 site. Many brokers use inventory software that sends 1 listing to several sites at once. Most sites then add their own fees to the seller's price. The seller can also set a different price on each site, because seller fees differ by site. When the tickets sell on 1 site, the listing normally comes off the others.
What changed on May 12, 2025, and what did not
The FTC's Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees (16 C.F.R. Part 464) took effect on May 12, 2025. It covers anyone advertising live event tickets in the US. They must show the total price up front, with all mandatory fees included. That total has to be shown more prominently than any other price.
The rule does not cap or lower any fee. Taxes, shipping and optional add-ons can still be added before payment.
On April 9, 2026, the FTC announced that StubHub would pay $10 million to settle FTC charges. The charges were that it showed prices without all mandatory fees on May 12 to 14, 2025.
This is an FTC rule. A bill called the TICKET Act (H.R. 1402) would write all-in ticket pricing into federal statute. It passed the House 409 to 15 on April 29, 2025. As of October 1, 2026, the Senate had not voted on it.
What each ticket site says about its fees
Where a cell gives a fee or a yes, it is what the site states on its own page. The site name links to that page.
| Site | Buyer fees as stated | First price includes fees | Seller fee as stated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticketmaster | No percent published | Yes. The up-front price covers face value and required fees, generally before taxes. | No percent published. Free to list. A service fee is taken from the selling price when the tickets sell. |
| AXS | No percent published | Yes. The total at the start includes the base price and mandatory fees. | No percent published. Free to list. A resale fee is deducted when the tickets sell. |
| StubHub | No set percentage. Fees adjust with ticket price, time to event, supply and demand. | On the StubHub event page we opened on October 1, 2026, prices were marked incl. fees. Its help page describes an "Include estimated fees" setting. | No set percentage |
| Vivid Seats | No percent published. A service and delivery charge is included in every ticket price. | Yes. It calls this All-In Pricing. | 10% of the sale, deducted when the tickets sell. Free to list. |
| SeatGeek | No percent published | Yes. Taxes, shipping and add-ons can be added at checkout. | No percent on the selling help page we opened. |
| TickPick | None. No service fees, delivery fees or hidden fees. | No buyer fees to add | 15% commission. No cost to list. |
| Gametime | No percent published | Yes. "Includes Fees" pricing is on by default. In some states taxes are left out before checkout. | Not checked |
Checked October 1, 2026. "No percent published" means the help page we opened gave no number. "Not checked" means we could not read a seller fee page for that site.
Why nobody can give you a buyer fee percent
Only TickPick publishes one. It says it charges buyers no fees. StubHub says there is no set percentage for its buyer fees. Ticketmaster, AXS, Vivid Seats, SeatGeek and Gametime publish no percent. If you see a buyer fee percent for 1 of those sites, check where it came from. We found none on the sites' own help pages.
We can measure how much fees add to the cheapest listing on the sites we track. On Vivid Seats, fees added a median 39% to the cheapest listing (about $20), across about 87,000 events. Ticketmaster fees added a median 34% to the lowest primary price (about $13), across about 29,000 events. Vivid Seats is secondary and Ticketmaster is primary. So this does not show 1 site charging more for the same ticket.
On the 2-site sample (about 450 events), Vivid Seats added about 38% in fees and StubHub about 26%. Both sites show the with-fees price by default.
The percent also changed with the ticket price. We sampled 428 Vivid Seats events on September 28 to 30, 2026. The price shown with fees was about 37% above the seller's price before fees. On tickets under $25 it was about 50%. (No checkout was run, so tax is not included.)
These are our tracked figures, not the sites' statements. We have no tracked figure for SeatGeek, AXS or Gametime, so we do not print one.
What TickPick, Vivid Seats and StubHub say they charge sellers
TickPick says it takes a 15% commission from sellers. Vivid Seats says it deducts a 10% fee from the seller when tickets sell. StubHub says there is no set percentage for its seller fees. Ticketmaster and AXS say a fee is deducted when the tickets sell and give no percent. We found no percent on SeatGeek's selling help page. We could not read a seller fee page for Gametime. See how to sell tickets on StubHub for the listing steps.
Open the same event on the primary seller and 2 secondary sites. Check that every price includes fees, then compare the same section and quantity. Check the total with taxes on the last screen before you pay.
- Our prices are listing prices (asking prices, not sales) for US events dated October 2026 to March 2027. Parking and add-ons were removed. Tax is not included.
- About 450 high-demand events were tracked on both Vivid Seats and StubHub in the same 3 days (late September 2026).
- The primary comparison used about 16,000 concerts and theater or comedy performances with primary tickets still on Ticketmaster.
- The fee figures for the cheapest listing come from about 87,000 Vivid Seats events and about 29,000 Ticketmaster events.
- We did not cover sale prices, taxes, or listing prices on SeatGeek, TickPick, AXS or Gametime.
- Data as of October 1, 2026.
Questions people ask
Which ticket site has the lowest fees?
For buyers, TickPick is the only site that publishes a number. It says it charges buyers no fees. For sellers, Vivid Seats says 10% and TickPick says 15%. StubHub says there is no set percentage. Ticketmaster, AXS and SeatGeek gave no percent on the pages we opened.
What is the best website to compare ticket prices?
There is no single best one. A ticket comparison site (an aggregator) shows today's listing prices from the sites it covers. Check which sites those are and whether its prices include fees. For prices over time, see our ticket price tracker guide.
Is TickPick cheaper because it has no buyer fees?
No buyer fees does not mean the lowest total price. TickPick says it charges buyers no service, delivery or hidden fees, and takes a 15% commission from sellers. A seller can set a higher price there to cover the commission. Compare the TickPick price with the with-fees price on other sites. TickPick was not in our 2-site comparison, so we have no number for it.
Do ticket prices include fees now?
They are required to. Since May 12, 2025, the first price shown for a ticket advertised in the US must include all mandatory fees. That is an FTC rule. Taxes, shipping and optional add-ons can still be added before payment.
Why is the same ticket cheaper on another site?
Most sites add their own fees to the seller's price. The seller can also set a different price on each site.
Toolbox is for brokers who compare many events
Toolbox is a Chrome extension. On a Ticketmaster, AXS or other supported event page it shows remaining ticket counts, primary and secondary inventory and capacity. It is a paid tool. If you are buying 2 tickets for 1 show, the free steps on this page are enough.
See how Toolbox worksSee which venues and artists add tickets after the onsale
The Drop Report lists them, so you know where to check the primary seller again.
Get the free Drop ReportFree by email.