Luma Pricing and Fees in 2026: What Organizers Actually Pay
Luma looks free until you try to sell tickets. Here's an honest breakdown of Luma's pricing, the 5% fee on paid events, and what organizers are paying in 2026.
Luma positions itself as a free events platform — and for free events, it is. But once you try to sell tickets, the math changes quickly.
Here's an honest look at what Luma actually costs in 2026.
Luma's fee structure
Free events: No cost. Create an event, collect RSVPs, manage attendees — fully free regardless of how many attendees you have.
Paid events (tickets): Luma charges a 5% platform fee on the ticket price, plus standard payment processing (Stripe: 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction).
What that looks like per ticket
| Ticket price | Luma platform fee (5%) | Stripe processing | Total fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10 | $0.50 | $0.59 | **$1.09** |
| $25 | $1.25 | $1.03 | **$2.28** |
| $50 | $2.50 | $1.75 | **$4.25** |
| $100 | $5.00 | $3.20 | **$8.20** |
Across 200 tickets sold
| Ticket price | Luma total fees | Eventreels total fees | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25 | $456 | $206 | **$250 more to Luma** |
| $50 | $850 | $350 | **$500 more to Luma** |
| $100 | $1,640 | $640 | **$1,000 more to Luma** |
Eventreels charges only Stripe processing — no platform markup. At scale, the gap is significant.
What you get on Luma's free plan
Luma's free tier (for free events) is genuinely solid:
- Unlimited events
- Unlimited RSVPs
- Calendar integrations (Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, Outlook)
- Event page with cover image and description
- Basic attendee management
- Discovery on the Luma platform (useful in tech/creator communities)
What's missing from Luma's free plan:
- No paid ticketing without the 5% fee (there's no way to waive it)
- Limited branding customization on the free tier
- Discovery is primarily concentrated in SF Bay Area and tech communities — limited utility for campus, cultural, or geographic communities elsewhere
- No post-event features (photo albums, highlight reels)
Who Luma works best for
Luma's product is genuinely well-designed. It makes sense for:
- Tech meetups and creator events in cities where Luma's discovery network is active
- Professional conferences where a 5% fee is acceptable relative to ticket prices
- Free events where you're not selling tickets at all
It makes less sense for:
- Campus and Greek life events where the attendee base is verified students, not the general public
- Cultural and community events where Luma's discovery doesn't reach the right audience
- Budget-conscious organizers who don't want a platform fee on top of payment processing
- Small events with tight margins where 5% plus processing is a meaningful cost
Why organizers are looking for Luma alternatives
The 5% fee is the most common friction point. Organizers who were using Luma for free community events discover the fee when they try to add a ticket price — and often find it easier to switch platforms than to absorb the cost.
The second reason: discovery. Luma's built-in audience skews heavily toward tech and creator communities in a handful of major cities. If your event is a Diwali celebration, a Greek life formal, a campus concert, or a neighborhood fundraiser, you're not getting meaningful organic reach from Luma's platform.
Luma alternatives in 2026
| Platform | Free events | Paid events | Platform fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Eventreels** | Free | Stripe only | **0%** |
| Luma | Free | Stripe + 5% | **5%** |
| Eventbrite | Free | Multiple fees | **~7–9%** |
| Partiful | Free | Not supported | — |
| Google Forms | Free | Not supported | — |
Eventreels is the most direct substitute — similar product scope (hosted event pages, RSVPs, ticketing, community discovery) with no platform fee. For organizers who primarily run campus, cultural, or community events, Eventreels also offers better audience fit than Luma's tech-skewed discovery.
Create a free event on Eventreels →
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Luma free to use?
Luma is free for free events — no cost to create events, collect RSVPs, or manage attendees when your event has no ticket price. For paid events, Luma charges a 5% platform fee on top of payment processing. On a $30 ticket, that's $1.50 to Luma plus ~$1.17 in Stripe processing — about $2.67 per ticket total.
How much does Luma charge per ticket?
Luma charges 5% of the ticket price as a platform fee, plus Stripe's standard payment processing (2.9% + 30¢). On a $25 ticket: $1.25 platform fee + $1.03 processing = $2.28 per ticket in fees. Eventreels, by comparison, only charges Stripe processing (no platform markup): $1.03 on the same $25 ticket.
Does Luma have a free plan?
Yes, Luma's free plan covers free events with unlimited RSVPs and basic attendee management. The 5% platform fee only applies when you charge for tickets. If you run free events exclusively, Luma costs nothing. The fee structure becomes relevant as soon as you want to monetize.
What is the best Luma alternative with no fees?
Eventreels is the best Luma alternative for organizers who want zero platform fees. For free events it's entirely free. For paid events it only charges Stripe processing (2.9% + 30¢) — the same rate you'd pay directly through Stripe, with no platform markup. It also includes community pages, campus verification, and post-event highlight reels.
Create your first event free
3.5% + $0.30 per ticket. No monthly fee. Direct payouts. Setup in minutes.
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