SeatGeek vs. Vivid Seats: Which Ticketing App is Better?
When it comes to purchasing tickets for concerts, sports events, theater performances, and pretty much any other live event, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats are two of the most popular options. Both platforms offer unique features, pricing structures, and user experiences. Ultimately, both companies buy and sell tickets on the secondary marketplace, but they do it in different ways.
This article will compare SeatGeek and Vivid Seats. What are their features? What are the pros and cons of each? Which one suits you better?
SeatGeek
Overview
SeatGeek is a ticket search engine that aggregates tickets from various sources and sells them on the secondary ticket marketplace. It offers a (mostly) user-friendly interface and a comprehensive selection of tickets for a wide range of events (like Blazer games or Post Malone tickets).
Pros
- Deal Score: SeatGeek’s Deal Score rates tickets based on value, helping users find the best deals. When you sort tickets by “Deal Score” you see the best deals highlighted first (the best “bang for your buck,” as they say).
- Interactive Maps: Users can view interactive seating charts to choose their preferred seats. In other words, you can see the venue from your chosen seat. Pretty cool.
- Aggregated Listings: SeatGeek aggregates listings from various sources–it’s kind of like a swap meet (with a purchase guarantee). That means you have a wide selection and zero risk. Nice.
- Mobile App: There’s a really easy-to-use mobile app. Buy and sell tickets on your phone.
- Transparency: Users get clear pricing with fees displayed upfront. It’s easy to see prices with fees, and not get an ugly surprise when you decide to check out.
- Price Alerts: Users can set price alerts for specific events. Just click a little icon, and you’re good to go. You’ll get price alerts helping you choose the perfect time to buy.
- Sold-Out Events: Find tickets to sold-out events. Find extremely discounted tickets from motivated sellers.
Cons
- Service Fees: There are always service fees. It’s a con, but SeatGeek has to make money, you know? The nice thing about this con is that SeatGeek’s service fees are often less than their competitors.
- Limited Customer Service: Some users report issues with customer service responsiveness. But honestly, I’ve had the opposite experience. When I have needed help with a purchase (which was only once), I got ahold of someone right away who guided me through the process.
- Ticket Availability: Since SeatGeek sells tickets (mainly) on the secondary marketplace, one never really knows for sure if there will be a ticket available for a certain event or if the prices will be reasonable.
Vivid Seats
Overview
Vivid Seats is a full-service secondary marketplace for event tickets (just like SeatGeek). It’s like a massive swap meet. Vivid Seats focuses on providing a reliable and secure platform for buying and selling event tickets. You can buy tickets to professional sporting events, concerts, Broadway productions, comedy shows . . . you get the idea.
Pros
- Buyer Guarantee: Vivid Seats offers a 100% Buyer Guarantee, ensuring tickets are valid and delivered on time.
- Loyalty Program: The Vivid Seats Rewards program offers cool rewards, like free tickets.
- Wide Selection: There’s a pretty extensive inventory of tickets for various events.
- Customer Service: There’s a dedicated customer service team available for support and they do a darn good job. Vivid Seats has made its reputation by providing excellent customer service.
- Mobile App: And just like SeatGeek, they provide an easy-to-use mobile app with mobile ticketing options.
Cons
- Service Fees: Similar to SeatGeek, Vivid Seats also charges significant service fees. But again, every company has to be profitable otherwise they go “bye-bye.”
- Price Markup: Tickets can sometimes be marked up above face value.
- User Interface: The user interface is not as visually appealing or intuitive (not even close really) as SeatGeek’s.
Detailed Comparison
Pricing
- SeatGeek: There is transparent pricing with Deal Score to help find the best value. Service fees are visible upfront but can be high.
- Vivid Seats: The service fees are also high, and prices can be marked up. However, the loyalty program can offset some costs.
User Experience
- SeatGeek: SeatGeek is known for its intuitive and visually appealing interface with interactive seat maps and price alerts. The mobile app is polished and easy to use.
- Vivid Seats: The user interface is functional but not as polished as SeatGeek. Vivid Seats offers a reliable buying process with dedicated customer support.
Ticket Selection
Both SeatGeek and Vivid Seats offer a huge range of tickets from multiple sources. SeatGeek is also the primary ticket distributor for MLS (Major League Soccer).
My recommendation is to shop both apps when looking for tickets to make sure you can find tickets to the event you’re looking to attend. For example, there are Portland Trail Blazer tickets on SeatGeek but I’ve been unable to find them on Vivid Seats. Also, if you find tickets on both apps, one may be cheaper than the other. Utilize them both.
Customer Service
- SeatGeek: Customer service can be hit or miss, with some users reporting slow response times. However, there is a buyer guarantee so if something does go awry (which I’ve never had happen), you’ll either get your money back or you’ll get better seats than you originally had.
- Vivid Seats: Vivid Seats is generally praised for responsive and helpful customer service, with a dedicated team available. As far as secondary market ticketing apps go, Vivid Seats is probably your best bet when it comes to customer support.
Mobile App
- SeatGeek: SeatGeek offers a highly rated app with features like mobile ticketing, interactive maps, tickets sorted by best deal, and price alerts. You can buy or sell tickets on the app. It’s easy to use and intuitive. And, of course, you can use my promo code on the app and save $20 (trueblazerfan).
- Vivid Seats: Vivid Seat’s mobile app is user-friendly but it lacks some of the advanced features found in SeatGeek’s app. It’s also not nearly as intuitive. And it’s annoying to get to the point of purchase and realize your tickets are going to cost significantly more than you originally thought.
Conclusion
SeatGeek and Vivid Seats are both companies that sell event tickets on the secondary marketplace. You can buy tickets from either company and you can also sell tickets through either company.
Really, it doesn’t matter which company you choose to buy tickets from. They are both legitimate companies (both valued at over one billion dollars) and both offer guarantees on all ticket sales.
Both companies will help you find tickets to sold-out events. Both companies have mobile apps that are easy to figure out.
If you want a better mobile app, use SeatGeek. If you want your tickets to include fees (so you don’t get sticker shock at the end), use SeatGeek. If you need additional help, Vivid Seats might be a better choice because they’re all about the customer service. But again, you can’t go wrong with either.
My recommendation is to have both apps on your phone. When it comes time to find tickets to an event, shop both. If you find the best deal on Vivid Seats, use Vivid Seats. You can’t go wrong. If you find the best deal on SeatGeek, use SeatGeek. Again, you can’t go wrong.
And if you use SeatGeek, you can also use my promo code (trueblazerfan), to save $20 on your first ticket purchase.