StubHub vs Viagogo vs Ticombo: Fees, Safety & Real Prices Compared

When your favourite event sells out on the official site, you inevitably end up on the secondary market. The three biggest players — StubHub, Viagogo, and Ticombo — all promise fair prices and buyer protection. But which one actually delivers?

We tested all three platforms by pricing identical tickets for the same events across Europe. Here is what we found.

1. Platform overview

StubHub was founded in 2000 and is one of the oldest ticket resale marketplaces in the world. It was acquired by Viagogo's parent company in 2020, but the two brands continue to operate independently with separate inventories and pricing.

Viagogo launched in 2006 in London and has grown into the largest secondary ticket marketplace globally. It has faced regulatory scrutiny in multiple countries for its fee transparency practices, though it has made improvements since 2021.

Ticombo is a newer European platform that takes a different approach: rather than hosting its own inventory, it aggregates listings from multiple resale sources and shows you the cheapest option. Think of it as a comparison engine for resale tickets.

2. Fee comparison

3. Real price test: identical tickets compared

We searched for the same tickets across all three platforms for five popular European events in February 2026. Here is what the total checkout price looked like for a standard category ticket:

4. Safety & buyer protection

StubHub offers a "FanProtect Guarantee" that covers you if tickets are invalid, if the event is cancelled, or if tickets do not arrive. Refund processing typically takes 5-10 business days. StubHub has a solid track record with consumer protection agencies.

Viagogo provides a similar guarantee, but the company has a more controversial history. Multiple European consumer agencies have taken action against Viagogo for misleading pricing. Since the StubHub merger, practices have improved, but buyer complaints remain higher than competitors.

Ticombo acts more as a broker. Buyer protection depends partly on the underlying seller, but Ticombo does offer its own guarantee on most listings. Because it aggregates from multiple sources, the guarantee can be slightly less straightforward than a single platform.

Payment methods and security

All three platforms accept major credit cards and PayPal. StubHub and Viagogo both use Secure 3D payment verification. Ticombo supports additional local payment methods in some European countries.

5. Our verdict

For most European events:

Best overall value: Ticombo — Consistently lower total prices due to its comparison model. The trade-off is a slightly less polished user experience and guarantee process.

Best buyer protection: StubHub — The most established refund process and the clearest guarantee terms. Prices are mid-range but transparent.

Most expensive: Viagogo — Despite having the largest inventory, Viagogo consistently came out as the priciest option in our tests. The gap between listed price and checkout price remains a significant issue.