Comparison
SocialLoop vs Luma.Where each one is the better choice.
Most hosts comparing the two already know Luma. This page says plainly where Luma is the better pick, where SocialLoop is, and what each costs at real ticket volumes. Weighing more than these two? See apps like Luma, compared by use case.
SocialLoop vs Luma comes down to what you are running. Luma is the stronger choice for event pages and RSVPs: its free plan has unlimited events, and it already handles approvals, waitlists, hidden tickets and paid memberships. SocialLoop is built for hosts who run a community as a business, where partners sell tickets for a commission that is paid out automatically, and contacts, email campaigns, memberships and ticketing live in one place.
Where Luma is the better choice
A generous free plan
Luma Free has unlimited events and 500 invites and newsletters a week. SocialLoop Free covers 1 event per month and 25 invitations a week. For a free event series, Luma gives you more room at no cost.
No platform fee on Luma Plus
Luma Plus is $59/month, billed annually, with no platform fee on tickets. With $25 orders, above roughly $850 of ticket sales a month it costs less than any SocialLoop plan, and below that Luma Free costs less than SocialLoop too. The table below shows the numbers.
Curation is already covered
Luma holds the card when someone applies and charges it only when you approve, runs a waitlist, hides tickets behind unlock codes, and sells paid memberships on team calendars. If that is the whole job, you do not need to switch.
From Luma's own pages: pricing, payment with approval, unlock codes, calendar memberships.
Where SocialLoop is the better choice
Partners who sell for you get paid automatically
Give a promoter, venue or partner community their own link and a commission rate. Every sale is attributed to them, and SocialLoop pays the commission through Stripe Connect once a hold ends (the later of 7 days after the sale or 3 days after the event) and the promoter has earned at least $10 in commission and SocialLoop has earned at least $5 in fees from that promoter’s sales. Affiliates never see your guest list.
The business around the events, in one place
Contact lists you can import from a CSV, email campaigns that AI can draft from a short prompt, communities with monthly or yearly dues, and ticketing and check-in, all on the same account. It suits hosts who run a community as a business rather than a calendar of separate events.
Luma tracks referrals and UTM sources but has no promoter commission payouts.
What each costs at real ticket volumes
What each platform keeps per month at a given amount of paid ticket sales, assuming $25 orders of one ticket each. For SocialLoop that is the plan's price on annual billing plus what its default checkout keeps on every order: the platform fee, which has a $1 minimum per order, and a 50¢ service charge. For Luma it is the 5% fee on Free, or the Plus subscription. Card processing is left out for both.
| Ticket sales / month | SocialLoop (cheapest plan) | Luma Free | Luma Plus |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500 | $35 (Free) | $25 | $59 |
| $1,000 | $70 (Free) | $50 | $59 |
| $2,500 | $175 (Free) | $125 | $59 |
| $5,000 | $350 (Free) | $250 | $59 |
| $10,000 | $700 (Free) | $500 | $59 |
On SocialLoop the platform fee is passed to the buyer by default, so it is added to the ticket price rather than taken from your payout. Card processing is 3.4% + 30¢ per order. When fees are passed to the buyer, which is the default, a 50¢ service charge, kept by SocialLoop, is added and the platform fee has a $1 minimum per order, never more than the order itself. Plan limits still apply: the Free plan covers 1 event per month, so a host running more events needs a paid plan whatever the cheapest column says.
Feature comparison
| Capability | SocialLoop | Luma |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 1 event per month, 25 invitations per week | Unlimited events, 500 invites and newsletters per week |
| Platform fee on paid tickets | 5% on every plan | 5% on Free; none on Plus ($59/month, billed annually) |
| Approval before a paid ticket is charged | Yes. The card is held at application and charged when you approve | Yes. The card is held at registration and charged when you approve |
| Hidden tickets unlocked with a code | Yes | Yes |
| Paid memberships | Yes. Communities with monthly or yearly dues | Yes. Calendar memberships with monthly or yearly dues (team calendars) |
| Promoter and partner commission | Tracked per sale and paid out automatically through Stripe Connect | Referrals and UTM sources are tracked; no promoter commission payouts |
| Email campaigns | Yes, with AI drafting from a short prompt | Invites and newsletters |
Pricing and features change over time; verify current details on each provider directly. Last reviewed September 2026.
Common questions
Is SocialLoop a Luma alternative?
For some hosts. If you mainly need event pages, approvals and RSVPs, Luma does that well and its free plan is more generous. SocialLoop is the better fit when the events are part of a business: partners who sell tickets for a commission, paid memberships, and your contacts and campaigns kept in the same place as your ticketing.
When should I pick Luma over SocialLoop?
When your events are free or simply priced and you want the least friction for guests. Luma's free plan has unlimited events and approval-based registration, and if your guests already know Luma, that familiarity is worth something at sign-up. On price alone Luma comes out ahead: with $25 orders, Luma Free costs less than SocialLoop at every volume we checked, and above about $850 of tickets a month Luma Plus at $59/month costs less than any SocialLoop plan.
When should I pick SocialLoop over Luma?
When other people sell for you. SocialLoop tracks every sale back to the partner who drove it and pays their commission automatically through Stripe Connect. Luma tracks referrals but has no promoter commission payouts. SocialLoop also keeps your contact lists, email campaigns, communities and ticketing together, for hosts running a community as a business.
Can both require approval for paid events?
Yes. On both, an applicant’s card is held when they apply and charged only if you approve; declining releases the hold.
How do the two compare on price?
Luma Free charges 5% on paid tickets plus Stripe processing; Luma Plus is $59/month billed annually with no platform fee. SocialLoop's platform fee is 5% on every plan. Card processing is 3.4% + 30¢ per order. When fees are passed to the buyer, which is the default, a 50¢ service charge, kept by SocialLoop, is added and the platform fee has a $1 minimum per order, never more than the order itself. Verify current pricing on each provider directly; both change over time.
Can I move my guest list from Luma to SocialLoop?
Yes. Export your guests from Luma as a CSV and import it into a SocialLoop contact list; names, emails and phone numbers are mapped from the header row.
Try SocialLoop
If partners sell your tickets, or your community pays you dues, try SocialLoop on one event. The Free plan needs no card.
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