Compare
DIY Stubs vs Dice
Where Dice and DIY Stubs differ in approach, and what to think about when picking between them.
Dice is a curated, app-based platform for music events. DIY Stubs is self-serve, with tickets delivered by email. Dice grew up in the music scene, especially indie and electronic events, and its public position is fan-first ticketing with no booking fees for buyers. If you are an organizer looking at Dice, the questions are how their model works on the organizer side, and whether it fits the show you are running.
How the two platforms differ in approach
Dice is curated. Events on Dice typically go through a review process, and the platform leans heavily on its own curation, recommendations, and editorial picks to drive discovery within the app. That works in their favor if your event fits the kind of music programming Dice already promotes. It can be a barrier if you are running a class, a fundraiser, a comedy night, or anything outside their music focus.
DIY Stubs is self-serve. An organizer with a general admission event signs up, creates the page, and can be selling tickets in about 5 minutes. We do not curate or feature events. The platform handles the tickets, the door, and the payouts. It is not a discovery feed.
Tickets in an app vs tickets in email
Dice tickets live in the Dice app. Buyers download the app, sign up, and access their tickets through it. This is part of their anti-scalping approach: tickets are tied to the buyer's Dice account and harder to resell on secondary markets. It also means every buyer of yours becomes a Dice user.
DIY Stubs tickets are QR codes delivered by email. No app, no account required to buy or attend. The QR is in the buyer's inbox and on their phone screen at the door. This is simpler for the buyer (especially older audiences, or anyone who does not want another app on their phone) and more flexible for the organizer. A free DIY Stubs iPhone app for ticket holders is coming to the App Store, but it is optional and never required to get in. The trade-off: a DIY Stubs QR is single-use and works for whoever scans it first, rather than being locked to one buyer's account.
Who finds the show
Dice has a fan base inside its app that browses and discovers shows through recommendations. If your event matches their algorithm, you get extra traffic without paying for it. If it does not, you do not.
DIY Stubs does not have a discovery feed. Your event page is a URL that you share. Buyers come from your own channels: Instagram, mailing list, posters, the venue's website, word of mouth. This is better for promoters who already have an audience and worse for promoters relying on platform traffic.
Pricing structure
DIY Stubs has one simple pricing model that we publish in full on every page:
- 3% per paid ticket, flat platform fee. Cover it yourself (you keep 97%) or let buyers cover it at checkout (you keep 100% of face value).
- 2.9% + 30¢ per transaction, Stripe card processing, paid by the buyer as its own line, so it does not come out of your revenue.
- No subscription required, no per-event fee, no per-scanner fee. Pro is optional ($12.99/mo or $129/yr) for unlimited events and tickets, with the same 3%.
- $0 for free RSVP tickets.
On a $20 ticket where you cover the 3%: the buyer pays about $20.91 plus tax where it applies, and you net $19.40.
For Dice's current organizer-side fees, see their partners page. Note that "no booking fees" describes the buyer side. Check the organizer side separately.
When Dice probably fits better
- You are running music events (indie, electronic, alternative) where Dice already has a fan base in your city.
- You want platform-driven discovery as a real marketing channel and you can clear their curation review.
- You want tickets locked to buyer identities to fight scalping on a high-demand show.
- You are okay with every buyer needing the Dice app to access their ticket.
When DIY Stubs fits better
- Your event is outside Dice's curation focus (non-music events, classes, fundraisers, very small shows).
- You already have your own audience and you need a ticketing platform, not a discovery platform.
- You want buyers to receive tickets by email with no app required.
- You want flat pricing you can predict on every ticket without contacting sales.
- You want a live sales page about 5 minutes after signing up.