Alternatives

The Best DICE Alternatives for Electronic Music Promoters in 2026

Compare ticketing platforms on published fees, payout timing, audience tools and electronic music discovery in 2026.

August 4, 2026· 10 min read

Feature	Sway	DICE
Audience data	Followers, email list and buyer data stay yours. You can email your audience from your dashboard (campaigns on paid plans).	DICE's public self sign-up offer in Belgium treats DICE and the vendor as separate data controllers. They describe data shared to run an event and marketing subject to a legal basis or consent. They do not describe a self-serve buyer-list export.
Buyer fees (published)	3% + €0.30 per paid ticket, VAT included, on Basic, Starter and Studio. No fees on free tickets.	Self sign-up, Belgium: 9% service fee on face value (minimum £1 in local currency) plus a 3% transaction fee on face value + service fee, “plus any applicable sales tax”, charged as outside commission. Partner deals use unpublished Commercial Terms.
You receive	The price you set (e.g. €20 → €20) on a standard card.	Face value on self sign-up (fees sit outside commission). DICE keeps the service fee and the transaction fee.
Payout timing	Money reaches your account within a week, even before the event. Sway does not hold your ticket money.	DICE collects the proceeds and pays within 5 business days of the event date.
Electronic-music tools	Line-ups, stages and set times, check-in, photo galleries, ambassadors, Swapy (free on every plan).	A consumer discovery app for gigs, clubs and other nights, with an all-in displayed price.
Setup	Create a page and an event for free, no credit card required.	Self sign-up is available on DICE's website. Some organisers are on separately negotiated Commercial Terms.

Independent promoters looking for a DICE alternative often compare three things: what the public pays, when the organiser is paid, and which tools they keep. In November 2026, options that come up alongside DICE include Sway (published per-ticket fee, electronic-music tools), Resident Advisor (editorial listings), Shotgun (nightlife discovery — see Sway vs Shotgun), Skiddle (UK), Eventbrite (general marketplace — see Sway vs Eventbrite) and Billetweb (France).

Selecting a ticketing partner shapes how an event promoter operates. For independent dance-music promoters, the choice dictates whether you build a list and a toolkit you control, or stay inside a third-party marketplace for every sale.

Why organisers look for an alternative to DICE

DICE built a strong reputation around consumer app design, waiting-list tools and an all-in displayed price (“the price you see first is the price you pay”). Independent promoters who run recurring club nights still compare it with platforms that publish a simple fee and pay before the night.

On fees, the picture is now clearer than a generic “unpublished rates” line. DICE's public self sign-up rates in effect in November 2026 (Belgium) are a 9% service fee on face value (minimum £1 in local currency) plus a 3% transaction fee on face value plus service fee, plus any applicable sales tax. Those terms do not apply to organisers on separate Commercial Terms — their rates stay in the contract.

On payouts, DICE collects the sales proceeds and pays the vendor within 5 business days of the event date. On Sway, the money reaches your account within a week, even before the event.

On audience tools, Sway states that your followers, email list and buyer data stay yours, and that you can email your audience from your dashboard. DICE's public self sign-up offer describes data shared to run the event and marketing that needs a legal basis or a consent notice. They do not describe a self-serve export of a buyer list.

Key criteria when evaluating ticketing platforms

Audience tools: can you email the people who follow you or bought a ticket, from your own dashboard?
Fee structure: are service charges published? Who pays them — the buyer or the organiser?
Nightlife-native tooling: line-ups, stages, set times, door check-in, or a general box office?
Payout timing: does the money reach your account before the event, or after?
Onboarding: is setup self-serve, or only available through a negotiated contract?

The top DICE alternatives in 2026

1. Sway

Sway is a self-serve ticketing tool and audience system built for electronic music promoters, venues and artists.

Fee structure: Sway charges 3% plus €0.30 per paid ticket, the same on Basic, Starter and Studio, and nothing on free tickets. The breakdown is on the pricing page. Fees are added at checkout and paid by the buyer, so you keep 100% of the set ticket price on a standard card. In the US the displayed price is all-in; the USD fee is 4.5% + $0.35 per paid ticket.

Strengths: buyer data and followers stay yours; music-native features (timetables, stages, set times); photo galleries; an ambassador programme; Swapy, free on every plan; payout within a week, even before the event. Dedicated pages explain what Sway does for promoters and for an event. A full, sourced comparison is on Sway vs DICE.

Weaknesses: Sway launched more recently than some global consumer apps and operates a smaller discovery network than marketplaces like DICE or Eventbrite.

Best for: independent promoters, venue programmers and club-night organisers who want a published per-ticket fee and tools built for electronic events.

2. Resident Advisor (RA)

Resident Advisor is a global listings directory and editorial platform for electronic music, with integrated ticket sales.

Fee structure: RA does not publish a standard commission rate on the pages used for this update. Fees are typically set on commercial terms per promoter, so you cannot compare the cost against a published alternative before you commit.

Strengths: brand authority and reach among dedicated dance-music fans. A listing on RA carries credibility in the scene.

Weaknesses: promoter-side marketing and audience tools are limited compared with a dedicated CRM. Editorial visibility depends on platform curation.

Best for: established underground dance-music promoters whose audience already uses RA for discovery.

3. Shotgun

Shotgun is a mobile-first ticketing platform with strong use across French and wider European nightlife.

Fee structure: the buyer pays a published service fee of 2.75% of the transaction, with a minimum of €0.30 (public rates in effect in November 2026). The organiser also pays a commission “agreed” in the contract; that rate is not published. By default the event balance is transferred 24 hours after the event ends; a manual transfer is possible before then, and transfers usually take 2 to 3 business days. Full comparison: Sway vs Shotgun.

Strengths: a consumer nightlife app, used in France, Belgium and Europe.

Weaknesses: the organiser commission is not public, so you cannot compare the total cost without your contract. Default payout is after the event.

Best for: club and festival promoters in France and mainland Europe who already sell through Shotgun's app, or whose priority is the lowest published buyer fee (Shotgun's buyer fee is lower than Sway's).

4. Skiddle

Skiddle is an independent UK ticketing guide and box office, active in club and festival ticketing since 2001.

Fee structure: Skiddle adds a buyer-paid booking fee at checkout. The exact rate varies by event and is not published as a single figure, so confirm it for your own on-sale before committing.

Strengths: consumer presence in the UK club and festival scene, plus rep and affiliate tooling.

Weaknesses: traffic is concentrated in the UK, which limits its use for promoters elsewhere. Discovery leans toward a broad night-out crowd rather than a niche genre scene.

Best for: UK-based promoters seeking domestic reach and street-team sales tracking.

5. Eventbrite

Eventbrite is a broad self-serve ticketing marketplace used across all event categories.

Fee structure: fees vary by country. Belgium (legacy packages): Essentials 3% + €0.49 per sold ticket; Professional 4% + €0.99. France (same row as Finland, Greece, Italy and Portugal): Essentials 3.5% + €0.49; Professional 5.5% + €0.99. These are public rates in effect in November 2026. Buyers pay by default; you can absorb the fees, which are then deducted from your payout. A payment processing fee “where applicable” is mentioned but not added here for Belgium or France, because those legacy rows only list the service fee. VAT on these amounts is not stated. Full comparison: Sway vs Eventbrite.

On a €25 ticket the Sway buyer fee is 3% × €25 + €0.30 = €1.05. Eventbrite Belgium Essentials is 3% × €25 + €0.49 = €1.24; France Essentials is 3.5% × €25 + €0.49 = €1.365.

Strengths: name recognition, self-serve publishing, a general marketplace and consumer app.

Weaknesses: the published service fee is higher than Sway's in Belgium and France. The product is built for every kind of event, not specifically for line-ups and set times.

Best for: general-admission events, community gatherings and multi-genre programmes that want marketplace search visibility.

6. Billetweb

Billetweb is a self-serve ticketing tool based in France.

Fee structure: a booking fee is added at checkout, and the organiser can choose to absorb it. Billetweb positions itself at the low-cost end of the French market; check their current rates directly, as they are not quoted as a single stable figure here.

Strengths: simple self-serve setup, no subscription requirement, competitive positioning for low-margin events.

Weaknesses: no consumer discovery ecosystem on the same scale, and fewer audience-relationship tools.

Best for: small organisers who already control their promotional channels and want low-cost ticket processing.

Comparison of DICE alternatives

Platform	Primary focus	Published pricing	Fee model	Payout (what is public)
Sway	Electronic music	Yes (3% + €0.30 per paid ticket, every standard plan)	Per ticket, paid by the buyer	Within a week, even before the event
Resident Advisor	Global dance music	No standard public rate found	Per ticket (negotiated)	Not restated here
Shotgun	EU and France / nightlife	Buyer fee yes (2.75%, min. €0.30); organiser commission unpublished	Buyer service fee + contractual organiser commission	Default: 24 hours after the event
Skiddle	United Kingdom	No single published figure	Per ticket (varies by event)	Not restated here
Eventbrite	Global / general events	Yes, by country (e.g. Belgium Essentials 3% + €0.49; France Essentials 3.5% + €0.49)	Per ticket; buyer by default, option to absorb	Scheduled payouts; exact BE/FR calendar not public enough to cite
Billetweb	France and EU / box office	Check current rates directly	Per ticket; organiser can absorb	Not restated here

Which alternative should you choose?

Choose Sway if you run independent club nights or electronic events and want a published buyer fee, the money before the night, and line-up tools you control. Start here: Sway vs DICE.
Choose Resident Advisor if your event relies on global dance-music editorial listings and an audience that already navigates nightlife through RA.
Choose Shotgun if your operations sit in France or mainland Europe and the nightlife app is how people find you — and compare the total with your contract: Sway vs Shotgun.
Choose Skiddle if you manage mainstream club events in the UK and rely on domestic reach or rep networks.
Choose Eventbrite if the event is not only an electronic night and you want a general marketplace: Sway vs Eventbrite.
Choose Billetweb if you run budget events in France where keeping processing costs down is the main requirement and discovery happens elsewhere.

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Frequently asked questions

Why are promoters looking for alternatives to DICE in 2026?

Independent promoters often look at who owns the buyer relationship, whether fees are published, and when the money arrives. DICE publishes self sign-up rates for Belgium (9% service fee plus a 3% transaction fee, plus any applicable sales tax). Partner deals use separate Commercial Terms. DICE collects the proceeds and pays within 5 business days after the event.

Can I export my fan email list if I switch from DICE?

DICE's public self sign-up offer in Belgium describes data shared to run an event and marketing subject to a legal basis or consent notice. They do not describe a self-serve export of your buyer list. On Sway, your followers, email list and buyer data stay yours, and you can email your audience from your dashboard (on paid plans for campaigns).

How does Sway pricing compare to DICE?

Sway charges 3% plus €0.30 per paid ticket on Basic, Starter and Studio, paid by the buyer, VAT included. On DICE's public self sign-up rates in effect in November 2026 (Belgium), the buyer pays a 9% service fee on face value (minimum £1 in local currency) plus a 3% transaction fee on face value plus service fee, plus any applicable sales tax. On a €20 ticket that is €2.45 excluding tax, or about €2.97 if 21% VAT applies (indicative), versus €0.90 on Sway. A DICE partner contract may set different rates.

How much does a group order cost in fees on Sway?

Sway charges 3% plus €0.30 on each paid ticket, so four €25 tickets carry €4.20 in fees (4 × €1.05). On DICE Belgian self sign-up the same four tickets carry about €12.27 excluding tax (indicative €14.84 with 21% VAT). On Eventbrite Belgium Essentials the published service fee is 4 × €1.24 = €4.96; in France Essentials it is 4 × €1.365 = €5.46.

Which DICE alternative has the best discovery for electronic music?

It depends what you want discovery to do. Resident Advisor carries editorial authority in dance music, and Shotgun has a nightlife app used in France and Europe. Sway is built for electronic events, with line-ups, set times and a discovery app, and you keep your audience tools. See the dedicated comparisons: Sway vs DICE, Sway vs Shotgun and Sway vs Eventbrite.

Last reviewed 5 November 2026

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