The best timed entry ticketing software lets you sell by date and time slot, cap attendance by day or slot, block dates, and change prices by demand. TicketSpice does all of that in one setup for festivals, recurring events, farms, museums, and tours, with a flat 99¢ platform fee per ticket plus standard card processing.
Below is how TicketSpice, Eventbrite, Ticket Tailor, SimpleTix, Freshtix, ShowClix, and Cvent compare on time slots, capacity, pricing rules, and fees, plus what to look for before you pick one.
Why timed entry needs its own software decision
A farm in October, a museum exhibit, a zoo on a holiday weekend, and a tour that leaves every hour all face the same risk. Too many guests show up at once, or slots sit empty.
The right platform answers four questions before you open sales:
- • Can you cap attendance by day, time slot, location, or ticket level?
- • Can you vary price by date and time to fill slow days and protect busy ones?
- • Can you sell upgrades like fast passes, parking, or merchandise at checkout?
- • What does each ticket cost you in fees on your busiest days?
Timed Entry Software Comparison
How We Evaluated Timed Entry Platforms
- Scheduling: Date ranges, time slots, blackout dates, and recurring or multi-day events.
- Capacity control: Limits by day, slot, location, or ticket level, and exemptions for specific ticket types.
- Pricing flexibility: Whether you can price differently by date, day, or time.
- Revenue add-ons: Upgrades, fast passes, and merchandise at checkout.
- Cost: Whether fees are published and stay predictable on peak days.
Note: Features and pricing change, so confirm details with each vendor before you commit.
TicketSpice
TicketSpice's timed entry ticketing lets you sell tickets online for an attraction, farm, seasonal event, park, tour, exhibit, or museum. You choose the date range, decide whether to sell by time slot, set blackout dates, and publish. Setup takes a few minutes.
Scheduling. Timed entry supports multi-day festivals, multi-city tour stops, recurring events, and pop-up events with time slots. You set date windows, blackout dates, and capacity per day or time slot.
Capacity and inventory control. Set a capacity limit for a day or time slot, and sales across all ticket levels will not exceed it. If a ticket level, such as staff or members, should not count against a capacity rule, you can exempt it. Restrictions can be customized by day, location, ticket level, and time slot.
Dynamic pricing. TicketSpice's dynamic pricing uses conditional logic to set prices for a specific date, specific days of the week, or a specific time of day. For example, you can raise the price 15% for a 5 PM slot. Because it works alongside capacity controls and add-ons, you can combine timed entry, dynamic pricing, and upsells without connecting separate tools.
Add-ons and upsells. Sell products, merchandise, fast passes, and perks in the same checkout. See add-ons, upgrades, and upsells on ticketing pages.
Pricing. TicketSpice charges 99¢ per ticket and standard card processing fees (2.9% + 30¢). There is no percentage-based platform fee. For tickets $5 or less, the fee drops to 49¢. See current pricing.
Key Features
- • Date ranges, time slots, blackout dates, and recurring or multi-day events
- • Capacity limits by day, location, ticket level, and time slot
- • Ticket level exemptions from capacity rules
- • Flexible pricing by date, day of week, or time of day
- • Add-ons, upgrades, fast passes, and merchandise at checkout
- • Fast setup
- • Rated 4.9/5 from over 500 reviews
Pros
- • Capacity limits, pricing rules, and add-ons work together in one setup
- • Flat 99¢ platform fee per ticket with no percentage-based platform fee
- • Built for events and attractions, farms, museums, tours, fairs, and outdoor venues
Cons
- • Dynamic pricing rules take a few minutes to configure, so build them before your on-sale
- • Built for organizers and operators who sell through their own branded page, so there is no public marketplace listing
Best for: events and attractions, including festivals, recurring events, farms, museums, and tours, that need to control attendance by time and price by demand.
Eventbrite
Buying constraints: Eventbrite's fee grows with every price increase you make. It charges 3.7% + $1.79 per paid ticket plus 2.9% payment processing, so the percentage portion rises on your busiest, highest-priced days, which is exactly when timed entry pricing is meant to earn you more. On a $75 peak-day ticket the service fee alone is about $4.57, compared with TicketSpice's flat 99¢ platform fee.
Ticket Tailor
Buying constraints: Ticket Tailor does not process payments. You have to open and manage your own Stripe, PayPal, or Square account, and processing fees are billed separately on top of the ticket fee. Payouts depend on that outside processor, and Ticket Tailor's pricing page says transfers to your bank can take a week or so. Tickets sold with a seating chart use 2 credits each, so reserved seating costs double.
SimpleTix
Buying constraints: SimpleTix's standard online fee is 79¢ + 2% per ticket, so on any ticket priced above $10 it costs more than TicketSpice's flat 99¢ platform fee, and the gap widens as your price rises, up to its $9.99 cap. Payment processing is charged on top.
Freshtix
Buying constraints: Freshtix charges $1.75 per paid ticket plus a 3% credit card fee when you use Freshtix's card processing, so its platform fee is 76¢ higher per ticket than TicketSpice's 99¢. On a $30 ticket, Freshtix fees come to about $2.65, compared with about $2.16 on TicketSpice including card processing. Box office sales are $1 per ticket, and custom reserved seating maps carry an additional fee.
ShowClix
Buying constraints: ShowClix does not publish its pricing. The per-ticket fee is negotiated in a contract and is generally paid by the ticket buyer, so you cannot compare your cost before talking to sales. Leap describes its professional ticketing as built for organizers selling at least 10,000 tickets a year under an exclusive contract, which rules out many farms, museums, and seasonal attractions.
Cvent
Buying constraints: Cvent does not publish pricing and requires a custom quote through its sales team. Its licensing model is designed for enterprise event programs, not for attractions selling timed tickets to the public.
Capacity Management for Events and Attractions
The goal of capacity management is to prevent overselling any single day, slot, or location. TicketSpice lets you cap attendance by day, time slot, location, or ticket level, and you can exempt specific ticket levels from those limits. Controls vary a lot between platforms, so confirm exactly what each one offers before you commit.
Capacity that matches how you operate. Some venues cap total daily attendance. Others cap each time slot, location, or ticket type. Make sure the platform supports your level of control, including exemptions for staff, members, or vendors.
Pricing that follows demand. A flat price leaves money on the table on peak days and empty slots on slow ones. Look for rules that change price by date, day of week, or time.
Blackout dates and seasonal windows. Farms, fairs, and seasonal attractions need to open and close selling windows and block specific dates.
Add-ons at checkout. Fast passes, parking, food, and merchandise raise revenue per guest when offered in the same purchase.
Fee structure on peak days. Percentage-based fees grow with ticket price, which adds up on your busiest days. TicketSpice's platform fee stays at 99¢ per ticket. Always confirm whether a platform's headline fee includes or excludes card processing before you compare.
How Timed Entry Works With TicketSpice
- • Create your event and choose the date range you want to sell.
- • Decide whether to sell by time slot and set your blackout dates.
- • Set capacity by day or time slot, and exempt any ticket levels that should not count.
- • Add dynamic pricing rules for specific dates, weekdays, or times of day.
- • Add upgrades and add-ons such as fast passes, merchandise, and perks.
- • Publish and sell.
FAQs
What is timed entry ticketing software?
Timed entry ticketing software lets guests buy tickets for a specific date or time slot while the organizer caps attendance for each day or slot, blocks dates, and prices by demand. TicketSpice does this with date ranges, time slots, capacity limits, and Powercurve pricing.
Which companies do scheduled entry tickets?
TicketSpice combines time slots, capacity limits, conditional pricing, and add-ons in one setup. Other platforms support scheduled entry but differ in capacity controls, pricing rules, and fees, so compare the table above.
What are the best companies for timed admission tickets?
TicketSpice suits events and attractions that want capacity limits by day and slot, blackout dates, conditional pricing, and add-ons with a flat 99¢ platform fee.The best fit depends on how tightly you need to control attendance and what each ticket costs on busy days.
What is the top software for managing timed farm entry tickets?
TicketSpice is the top software for managing timed farm entry tickets. Farms need seasonal date windows, daily capacity limits, and add-ons like pumpkins or wagon rides, and TicketSpice supports all three. See our guide on how to sell tickets for agritourism.
Can I limit capacity by time slot?
Yes. With TicketSpice, you can set a capacity limit for a day or time slot. Sales across all ticket levels will not exceed it, and you can exempt specific ticket levels.
Can I set blackout dates?
Yes, with TicketSpice you choose the date range you want to sell and set blackout dates for days you are closed.
Can I charge different prices on busy days?
Yes. TicketSpice offers powercurve pricing that uses conditional logic to set prices for a specific date, days of the week, or a time of day. This applies to date-based pages with time slots.
Can I sell add-ons with timed tickets?
Yes, in TicketSpice, you can sell products, merchandise, fast passes, and perks in the same checkout, with no extra fee for add-ons.
How much does TicketSpice cost for timed entry?
TicketSpice charges 99¢ per ticket plus standard card processing (2.9% + 30¢). Tickets $5 or less are 49¢. You can pass the fee to the buyer or absorb it. See current pricing.
Choose the Right Timed Entry Platform
The best platform depends on how tightly you need to control attendance, whether you want to price by demand, and what each ticket costs on your busiest days.
TicketSpice is an all-in-one ticketing platform for festivals, recurring events, farms, museums, and tour operators. It combines capacity limits by day and slot, blackout dates, conditional-logic pricing with Powercurve, and add-ons in one checkout, at a flat 99¢ platform fee plus standard card processing.
We're here to help you control crowds, fill slow days, and make every busy day a little easier.
Explore TicketSpice timed entry ticketing.
– The TicketSpice Team
