How to Set Up an Open Source Event Ticketing System for Free
- tinajanice
- Jul 2
- 2 min read
Tired of paying high fees to ticketing platforms? Want to take control of your event sales and attendee data? You’re not alone.
More event organizers are turning to open-source event ticketing systems — and the best part? You can set one up for free.
In this blog, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to get started, from choosing the right platform to setting it up and going live — all without spending a rupee on licensing.
✅ What Is an Open Source Ticketing System?
An open-source event ticketing system is software with publicly available source code that you can download, use, modify, and host yourself. It gives you full control over customization, branding, features, and — most importantly — no per-ticket fees.
Popular options include:
Attendize
Pretix
Open Event (by FOSSASIA)
TicketForge
🛠️ Step-by-Step: Set Up an Open Source Ticketing System for Free
Step 1: Choose the Right Open Source Platform
Select a platform based on:
Your technical skills
Event size and complexity
Required features (multi-language, payment integration, etc.)
✅ Recommended for beginners: Attendize✅ Recommended for advanced users: Pretix or Open Event
Step 2: Prepare Hosting Environment
To host the system, you need:
A domain name (optional but professional)
A VPS (Virtual Private Server) or shared hosting with PHP, MySQL, and Apache/Nginx
A basic knowledge of cPanel or SSH (for setup)
Many platforms like Attendize can run on affordable services like:
Hostinger
DigitalOcean
AWS Free Tier
Step 3: Download and Install the Software
Visit the project’s GitHub page and download the source code.
Example:Attendize GitHub
Upload files to your server
Set environment variables (.env file)
Configure database
Run the installation wizard or script
Done! 🎉
Step 4: Set Up Your First Event
Once installed, you can:
Add event details and images
Set ticket types and pricing
Enable payment methods (Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, etc.)
Generate QR code tickets
Share the event URL to start selling
Step 5: Customize and Extend (Optional)
Because it’s open source, you can:
Customize branding and CSS
Add plugins or develop new features
Integrate marketing tools (Mailchimp, WhatsApp, etc.)
If you're not a developer, you can still hire freelancers to do minor tweaks for much less than platform fees.
💡 Tips to Keep It Free and Easy
Use free SMTP (like Gmail) for sending tickets
Choose shared hosting if your traffic is low
Backup regularly using free tools
Promote events on social media and free event listings
Collect attendee data to build your email list
🚀 Final Thoughts
Setting up an open-source event ticketing system doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With the right tools and a little effort, you can create a powerful, professional, and 100% fee-free ticketing solution that puts you in control.
Whether you're hosting a workshop, festival, webinar, or fundraiser, going open source helps you save money and own your success.
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