StubHub vs SeatGeek vs Vivid Seats vs Ticketmaster Resale

This guide compares four Broadway resale platforms — StubHub, SeatGeek, Vivid Seats, and Ticketmaster Resale — and many of the comparisons you’ll find were written by the platforms themselves, or by sites that earn a referral fee from one of them. This is the other version: a neutral look at how the four differ, what their guarantees say, and the delivery steps to sort out before you’re at the door.

A reminder before we start: this is the resale tier, not the primary tier. Primary is the show’s official seller, such as Telecharge, Ticketmaster or ATG, depending on the show; each show page names it. Resale prices are set by sellers and track demand, so a listing can sit above or below face value. Check the official seller’s price for the same date before you buy.

The four players, and how they differ

StubHub was founded in 2000, owned by eBay from 2007, and bought by viagogo in 2020; the combined company, StubHub Holdings, went public in September 2025. Its buyer protection is the FanProtect Guarantee.

SeatGeek launched as a search engine that aggregated other resellers’ listings, and is now a marketplace in its own right, as well as a primary ticket seller for some sports teams and venues. It grades its listings with a Deal Score: not a verdict, but a second opinion when you don’t know what a fair price looks like.

Vivid Seats runs a rewards programme that you join in the Vivid Seats app. Members collect one stamp per ticket, and at 10 stamps get a Reward Credit worth the average value of those 10 tickets, excluding taxes and fees. Credits can be spent only in the Vivid Seats app, and earning is capped at five credits a year. A pair of tickets for one show earns two stamps; one buyer getting pairs for five shows earns 10.

Ticketmaster Resale is fans reselling tickets on Ticketmaster itself, directly from their Ticketmaster accounts. Listings carry a “Verified Resale” label, which Ticketmaster says “lets buyers know your tickets are legit.” It exists only where Ticketmaster is the show’s primary seller, and the event can cap resale or turn it off, so not every show has it; each show page names the official seller.

Fees — the all-in price is what matters

Every resale platform charges fees, and any specific number we put in this article would go stale. The principle is what holds.

The fees fall into three kinds: the platform’s service fees, delivery fees where a platform charges them, and sales tax.

Since May 12, 2025, the US Federal Trade Commission’s fees rule has required live-event ticket sellers, resale platforms included, to show the total price, including mandatory fees, up front. Only government charges such as taxes, shipping, and optional extras can be left out of that first figure, and they must be disclosed before you’re asked to pay. So the price on a listing should now be close to what you pay, but the checkout total is still the number to compare.

The only practical rule: always compare the final checkout total, not the ticket sticker. Add the same section and date to your cart on two platforms, get to the payment page on both, and compare those totals.

Buyer protection and authentication

StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek each publish a buyer guarantee, and Ticketmaster labels its resale listings. The wording differs:

• StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee “promises you’ll get into your event, or we’ll make it right with a comparable replacement ticket or a full refund.” StubHub adds: “Getting you into the event is always the goal — with a refund as a safety net.”
• Vivid Seats’ 100% Buyer Guarantee “promises that your transaction will be secure, that your tickets will be delivered before your event, and that those tickets will be valid and authentic.”
• SeatGeek publishes a Buyer Guarantee.
• Ticketmaster tags resale listings “Verified Resale”, and when a ticket sells on Ticketmaster it voids the seller’s ticket and reissues “an entirely new ticket” to the buyer.

The terms are not identical, so read the platform’s own before you buy for a night that matters. A private sale outside these platforms has no platform guarantee behind it.

Mobile tickets, transfers, and last-mile gotchas

When a resale ticket arrives depends on the seller and the platform. StubHub’s guarantee promises tickets that “arrive in time for the event”, and Vivid Seats’ promises delivery “before your event”; neither names an hour. Three things to plan for:

1. Pending orders. A resale order can sit as pending while the seller transfers the ticket to you. If you’re buying close to curtain, read the delivery terms before you pay.

2. The screenshot problem. Don’t rely on a screenshot: Ticketmaster says a mobile ticket “must be provided either within the app, the mobile website or your phone’s wallet to gain entry.” Open the ticket in the relevant app or your phone’s wallet.

3. Accepting a transfer. A ticket the seller transfers through Ticketmaster arrives as an email you have to accept before it shows up in your account; Ticketmaster’s own steps say “Your friends will get an email to accept their ticket.” Do it before you leave for the theatre.

Which one to start with for Broadway specifically

There is no universal winner. Sellers set prices listing by listing, and prices track demand, so the cheapest platform for one performance can be the dearest for the next. The decision rule that holds up across cases:

1. Check the show’s own cheap routes first. Each show page on EvenAisle lists whichever of the lottery, rush, standing room and official price the show offers, side by side. For Hamilton, that means its digital lottery.
2. If you go to resale, compare checkout totals for the same section on at least two platforms. SeatGeek’s Deal Score is a second opinion, not a verdict.
3. If you’ll buy 10 or more tickets, count Vivid Seats’ rewards credit in the comparison, if you’ve joined the programme and will spend the credit on a later order in its app.

And the principle that subsumes all three: the all-in price is what matters. Two minutes comparing checkout totals across platforms is time well spent.

For the full picture of every legitimate channel — primary box office, lottery, rush, TKTS, and where resale fits in the broader landscape — see the cornerstone guide on how to buy Broadway tickets. For seat-quality questions once you’ve picked a platform, the seating chart guide is the companion piece. Each show page on EvenAisle flags which channels are worth checking first for that specific production.

Frequently asked questions

Which Broadway resale platform has the lowest fees?

Fees differ by platform and by listing, so the only reliable rule is to compare checkout totals. Since May 12, 2025, the US Federal Trade Commission's fees rule has required live-event ticket sellers, resellers included, to show the total price, including mandatory fees, up front. Only government charges such as taxes, shipping, and optional extras can be left out of that figure, and they must be disclosed before you're asked to pay.

Is StubHub or SeatGeek better for Broadway tickets?

Neither is better across the board. Sellers set prices listing by listing, so compare the total price on both for the same performance and section before you buy. SeatGeek grades its listings with a Deal Score, which is a quick second opinion, not a verdict.

Are resale tickets on StubHub, SeatGeek, and Vivid Seats legitimate?

StubHub, Vivid Seats and SeatGeek each publish a buyer guarantee. StubHub's FanProtect Guarantee promises you'll get into your event, or a comparable replacement ticket or a full refund. Vivid Seats' 100% Buyer Guarantee promises a secure transaction, tickets delivered before your event, and valid, authentic tickets. On Ticketmaster, resale listings carry a Verified Resale label, and a resold ticket is voided and reissued to the buyer. Read the platform's own terms before you buy.

Can Broadway resale tickets be cheaper than face value?

Yes, they can. Resale prices are set by sellers and track demand, so a listing can sit below face value as well as above it. Compare dates, and compare the listing's total with the official seller's total for the same section.

What is Ticketmaster Resale and how is it different?

Ticketmaster Resale is fans reselling tickets on Ticketmaster itself, directly from their Ticketmaster accounts. Listings carry a Verified Resale label. It exists only where Ticketmaster is the show's primary seller, and the event can cap resale or turn it off, so not every show has it; each show page names the official seller.