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Looking for the best ticketing platform for your events? Our detailed comparison of Shotgun vs DICE reveals why Ticket Fairy surpasses both with superior marketing tools, flexible payment options, and comprehensive event management features—designed to help event organizers sell more tickets while maintaining complete control over their data and brand.
No setup fees or subscription required
When selecting a ticketing platform for your events, it's crucial to understand the strengths and limitations of each option. Shotgun has established itself as a community-focused platform with strong marketing tools and offline capabilities, while DICE has built a reputation for its user-friendly mobile experience and anti-scalping measures. The Ticket Fairy offers a comprehensive alternative that combines the best elements of both while providing unique advantages in data ownership, marketing tools, and financial flexibility. Let's explore how these three platforms compare across key features that matter most to event organizers, promoters, and venues.
$300+ Million of Tickets Sold for Amazing Events in Singapore and All Over The World
Compare the key features of Shotgun, DICE, and Ticket Fairy to find the ticketing platform that best suits your event's needs.
| Feature |
SHOTGUN
|
DICE
|
RECOMMENDED
Ticket Fairy
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform Control | White-label option available | Closed mobile app ecosystem | Complete control over events, ticketing & data |
| Ticket Types | Multiple ticket categories with custom fields | Limited ticket types, no reserved seating | Multiple ticket types, VIP options & reserved seating |
| Marketing Tools | Email campaigns & ambassador program | App discovery & DICE Extras marketplace | Referral system, email marketing & pre-registration |
| Customer Data | Integrated CRM with demographics | Limited data access with analytics | Full ownership of customer data |
| Ticket Transfers | Integrated ticket exchange system | Waiting list with anti-scalping | Secure transfers with anti-scalping protection |
| Payouts | Instant access with premium transfers | Standard payment schedules | Daily payouts via Stripe |
| Analytics | Interactive audience maps & data | Forecasting and sales analytics | Comprehensive sales & marketing analytics |
| Payment Plans | Not available | Not available | Flexible payment installments |
| Platform Access | Mobile + web-based ticketing | Mobile app only | Mobile + web-based ticketing |
| Custom Branding | Limited customization | No customization options | Fully customizable branding |
| Reserved Seating | Not available | Not available | Advanced reserved seating with interactive maps |
| Integration Capabilities | Limited integrations | Minimal third-party integrations | Extensive API access & integrations |
| Funding Options | None | None | Ticket Fairy Capital for cash flow support |
Unlike Shotgun and DICE, Ticket Fairy offers a unique advantage for event organizers: access to our cash flow funding solution. Ticket Fairy Capital provides upfront funding against future ticket sales, helping you cover production costs, marketing expenses, and venue deposits without waiting for ticket revenue to accumulate.
Let's look at the key features of Shotgun, DICE, and Ticket Fairy in greater detail to understand how they serve the needs of different event organizers.
Ticket Fairy offers a comprehensive marketing toolkit with a built-in referral system that incentivizes ticket buyers to promote your events, typically increasing sales by 15-25%. The platform also includes pre-registration campaigns, email marketing integration, and detailed tracking of marketing performance.
Shotgun provides strong community-focused marketing tools including unlimited email campaigns, ambassador programs with promotional codes, and tracking links to analyze sales generation across different channels. They claim their community platform can generate 30-40% of event sales through their 5.5 million registered users.
DICE has expanded its marketing capabilities with the DICE Extras marketplace, allowing promoters to sell add-ons like queue jump passes, after-parties, and merchandise directly through their platform. Their beta testers have seen revenue increases of up to 30% with features like these. DICE also leverages its app-based discovery system to promote events to targeted audiences.
Ticket Fairy gives event organizers full ownership and access to customer data, including comprehensive contact information, purchase history, and demographic details. This data can be exported and used for direct communication and future marketing campaigns.
Shotgun provides an integrated CRM with demographic and behavioral information about your audience, including interactive audience maps for geographic insights. Their platform helps organizers build and understand their community through data-driven approaches.
DICE provides analytics and forecasting tools for venues, producers, and promoters, though with more limited data access compared to the other platforms. Their focus on being a "user platform for ticket buyers" means they maintain significant control over the customer relationship while providing valuable audience insights to promoters.
Ticket Fairy offers daily payouts via Stripe with transparent fee structures starting at just $2 per ticket. Organizers can choose whether to absorb fees or pass them to attendees, and the platform provides detailed financial reporting.
Shotgun provides instant access to event income from the first ticket sale, with money secured in a dedicated account. Their premium version allows unlimited money transfers, enabling organizers to pay suppliers in advance and potentially secure discounts. Their one-click refund process also simplifies customer service.
DICE follows standard payment schedules with less flexibility in accessing funds before events. Their platform focuses more on the ticket buying experience than on providing advanced financial tools for promoters, which can create cash flow challenges for event production and marketing needs.
Ticket Fairy balances security with flexibility by offering secure ticket transfers with anti-scalping protections. Fans can legitimately transfer tickets when plans change, while organizers maintain control over resale parameters.
Shotgun has developed their own integrated ticket exchange system specifically designed to combat the black market. This feature receives high praise from their users as it creates a safe environment for legitimate transfers while maintaining ticket pricing integrity.
DICE uses a waiting list system that allows fans to return tickets they can't use, which are then offered to people on the waiting list. Their tickets are locked to individual phones as an anti-scalping measure, which provides strong protection against reselling but can create challenges for legitimate ticket transfers to friends.
Ticket Fairy offers both mobile and web-based ticketing with dynamic QR codes for security while also providing email delivery and print options for maximum accessibility across all customer preferences.
Shotgun provides both mobile and web access with particularly robust offline capabilities. Their Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology allows ticket synchronization and scanning even without network connectivity, making them ideal for events in remote locations with poor signal.
DICE is limited to mobile app access only, creating potential barriers for customers who prefer web-based purchasing or those without compatible smartphones. While this creates a streamlined experience for mobile users, it potentially reduces your audience reach by excluding non-smartphone users or those reluctant to install another app.
"After using Shotgun for several years, we switched to Ticket Fairy primarily for their marketing tools and capital funding options. While Shotgun's community was valuable, Ticket Fairy's referral system increased our ticket sales by 20%, and their Capital program helped us secure top-tier artists we couldn't previously afford. Both platforms offer good data, but Ticket Fairy's advanced analytics have given us deeper insights into our audience demographics and purchasing patterns."
"We loved DICE's user experience but their mobile-only approach was limiting our reach. While their Extras marketplace was innovative, Ticket Fairy's combination of web access plus flexible payment plans has expanded our audience significantly. Since switching, our web ticket sales now account for 40% of total volume—many from people who didn't want another app. We still appreciate DICE's focus on fan experience, but Ticket Fairy gives us that plus the marketing tools and data access we need to grow our events."
"We were running events on both Shotgun and DICE simultaneously, appreciating Shotgun's offline reliability for our forest events and DICE's clean user interface. But managing two platforms was inefficient. Ticket Fairy gave us the best of both—reliable offline scanning like Shotgun's, combined with great UX and add-on features comparable to DICE's Extras marketplace. The difference-maker was Ticket Fairy's payment plans, which increased our average ticket value by 22%, and their faster payouts for better cash flow."
Ticket Fairy offers a more transparent and flexible fee structure than both Shotgun and DICE. Our fees start at just $2 per ticket with no setup costs or subscriptions. Unlike Shotgun and DICE, which have more rigid pricing models, Ticket Fairy gives you the option to either absorb these fees or pass them along to your attendees. This flexibility allows you to create a pricing strategy that works best for your specific event and audience. Additionally, Ticket Fairy's daily payouts via Stripe give you quicker access to your funds, improving cash flow compared to the scheduled payment structures of Shotgun and DICE.
Ticket Fairy provides significantly more comprehensive marketing tools than both Shotgun and DICE. While Shotgun offers some basic promotional capabilities and DICE primarily relies on its in-app discovery features, Ticket Fairy includes a powerful referral system that typically increases sales by 15-25% through incentivized social sharing. The platform also offers pre-registration campaigns to build anticipation, email marketing integration for direct communication, targeted promotion tools for special offers, and detailed marketing analytics to track performance. These robust marketing features help you not only sell more tickets but also understand which strategies are most effective for your specific audience.
Customer data access varies significantly between the three platforms. Ticket Fairy provides the most comprehensive access, giving you full ownership of your customer data with complete export capabilities for contact information, purchase history, demographics, and behavior patterns. This allows you to build direct relationships with your audience and create targeted marketing campaigns. Shotgun offers more limited access to customer data with restrictions on usage and exports. DICE is the most restrictive, maintaining most customer data within their closed ecosystem and providing very limited access to organizers. This difference is crucial for event organizers who want to develop long-term relationships with their audience and understand their customer base better.
Ticket Fairy offers the most balanced approach to ticket transfers among the three platforms. Unlike DICE's highly restricted waiting list-only system that can frustrate legitimate ticket holders who need to change plans, and Shotgun's basic transfer options with limited safeguards, Ticket Fairy provides secure transfer mechanisms with effective anti-scalping protections. This means fans can legitimately transfer tickets when necessary while event organizers maintain control over transfer and resale parameters. Ticket Fairy's system includes ID verification options and controlled resale marketplaces when needed, creating a better experience for fans without compromising event integrity. This approach typically results in fewer empty seats and more positive customer experiences than the more restrictive policies of DICE and the less secure methods of Shotgun.
Transitioning from either Shotgun or DICE to Ticket Fairy is straightforward with our dedicated migration support. Our team will help you set up your account, configure your events, and optimize your ticketing strategy to leverage Ticket Fairy's full capabilities. We provide comprehensive training and assist with data migration where possible. While DICE's closed ecosystem can make customer data migration challenging, we have proven strategies to help you rebuild your audience database quickly. Many event organizers find they can create their first event and start selling tickets on our platform in just minutes. We also offer guidance on communicating the platform change to your audience, ensuring a smooth transition for both you and your customers.
Analytics capabilities vary significantly across these platforms. Ticket Fairy offers the most comprehensive analytics suite with real-time sales tracking, detailed breakdowns by ticket type and promotional code, audience demographics analysis, geographic distribution mapping, marketing performance metrics, referral program tracking, and predictive attendance forecasting. Shotgun provides basic reporting tools with limited demographic and marketing insights focused primarily on sales volume. DICE offers the most basic sales reporting with minimal audience insights or marketing analytics. These differences in analytics capabilities directly impact your ability to make data-driven decisions about pricing, marketing strategies, and event planning. Ticket Fairy's robust analytics help you understand not just how many tickets you're selling, but why and to whom, enabling more strategic event management.
Ticket Fairy offers several unique features that neither Shotgun nor DICE provide:
These features provide significant advantages for event organizers looking to maximize ticket sales, improve cash flow, and create better customer experiences.
Both Ticket Fairy and Shotgun offer comprehensive mobile and web-based ticketing options, giving customers flexibility in how they purchase and access tickets. Ticket Fairy provides dynamic QR codes for secure mobile ticketing while also offering email delivery and print options for those who prefer physical tickets. Shotgun similarly supports both mobile and web access but places stronger emphasis on their mobile app experience.
DICE, by contrast, is exclusively mobile app-based, requiring customers to download their app to purchase and access tickets. This mobile-only approach can create barriers for customers who prefer web-based purchasing or those without compatible smartphones. If your audience includes demographics less comfortable with mobile-only solutions or areas with limited smartphone penetration, Ticket Fairy or Shotgun would be more accessible options. For maximum flexibility and accessibility across all customer preferences, Ticket Fairy's comprehensive approach to both mobile and web ticketing provides the best solution.
Ticket Fairy provides the most comprehensive international support among the three platforms. We offer multi-currency support with localized payment methods across numerous countries, simplified international tax handling, and multilingual capabilities for both the ticketing interface and customer support. Our platform supports region-specific payment methods and complies with local regulations in each market we serve.
Shotgun has decent European market presence but with more limited currency options and region-specific payment methods outside of their core markets. DICE has expanded internationally but maintains a more standardized approach that doesn't fully adapt to local market needs and preferences.
For event organizers operating across multiple countries or targeting international audiences, Ticket Fairy's robust global infrastructure provides significant advantages in creating seamless purchasing experiences regardless of the customer's location. Our international capabilities are particularly valuable for festival organizers, touring artists, and global event brands looking to maintain consistent ticketing experiences across different markets.
Each platform has different strengths for various event types:
Ticket Fairy excels across all event categories:
Shotgun is primarily designed for:
DICE is primarily focused on:
Ticket Fairy provides the most versatile platform that scales from intimate venues to major festivals with specific features tailored to each event type's unique requirements.
The level and quality of customer support varies significantly between the three platforms:
Ticket Fairy provides the most comprehensive support with dedicated account managers for personalized assistance, responsive technical support available through multiple channels, marketing assistance to optimize your event promotions, on-site support options for major events, and detailed documentation with training sessions. Our support team consists of music industry professionals who understand the unique challenges of venues, promoters, and festivals.
Shotgun offers adequate support for their platform with an emphasis on technical assistance for the platform itself, but typically has less personalized support for marketing optimization and strategic event growth. Response times can vary depending on your market region.
DICE provides more limited support options primarily through standardized channels, with less personalization and industry-specific guidance. Their focus on the mobile app ecosystem sometimes creates limitations in support for complex event management needs.
For event organizers who value hands-on support and guidance from industry experts, Ticket Fairy's comprehensive support approach provides significant advantages, especially for more complex events or those requiring specialized assistance.
Yes! Ticket Fairy operates globally and offers localized solutions in many countries:
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