Pricing strategies, user personas, willingness to pay, and competitive alternatives for The Commons.
Free to create events. Platform takes 5% commission on escrow funds released to organisers on event day.
Free tier (2 events/month), Pro $19/mo (unlimited + analytics), Business $49/mo (team + priority support).
Free to use with 5% commission. Optional premium features ($9/mo) for analytics, custom branding, priority support.
| Platform | Model | Event Fee | Payment Processing | Marketplace Cut |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eventbrite | Per-ticket + % | 3.7% + $1.79/ticket | Included | N/A |
| Luma | Commission | 7% on paid tickets | + Stripe fees | N/A |
| Peatix | Commission | 4.9% + $1.20/ticket | Included | N/A |
| Partiful | Free | $0 | N/A (no payments) | N/A |
| GigSalad | Vendor sub + % | N/A | Included | 5-10% from vendors |
| Thumbtack | Pay-per-lead | N/A | N/A | $5-100+ per lead |
| Kickstarter | Commission | 5% | 3-5% | N/A |
| Escrow.com | Per-transaction | 0.89-3.25% | Included | N/A |
| The Commons | Freemium + Commission | 5% | 2.9% + $0.30 | 10% from providers |
Young professional, 25-32, organizes frequent group outings
Chasing friends for money, last-minute cancellations, managing multiple WhatsApp groups, being "that person" who nags for payment.
Easy for friends to use, looks cool/fun, saves social awkwardness, mobile-first, shareable.
Premium event organizer, 28-40, plans elaborate experiences
Coordinating vendors + payments across multiple platforms, upfront cost risk, friends not paying for premium experiences, no single tool for everything.
Professional vendors available, escrow protection, premium feel, ability to split costs fairly, all-in-one platform.
Plans group trips, 25-35, deals with high-value bookings
Large amounts at stake ($300-1000/person), people backing out after booking, currency complications, fronting money for the group.
Must have escrow/protection for large amounts, progressive payments essential, transparent cost breakdown, refund policy clarity.
Organizes team bonding, 30-45, needs expense tracking
Need receipts for reimbursement, vendor coordination is time-consuming, budget tracking across multiple activities, herding people to confirm.
DJ, caterer, photographer — wants more bookings
Finding consistent bookings, late payments from clients, no central platform in SG/SEA, building reputation and reviews.
University student, 18-25, organizes group activities on a budget
Every dollar counts, friends are broke and flaky, PayLah limits, no one wants to be the "money collector".
The #1 alternative. Create a WhatsApp group, post event details, ask people to PayNow the organizer directly.
Everyone has WhatsApp. Zero fees. Familiar.
No accountability, no tracking, awkward chasing, messages get lost.
Use Splitwise to track who owes what, but actual payments still happen via bank transfer or PayNow.
Good expense tracking. Everyone knows it. Free.
Tracking =/= collecting. No enforcement. No upfront commitment.
Create a ticketed event on Eventbrite or Peatix. Attendees buy tickets like a concert.
Professional, handles payments, has discovery.
Too formal for friend events. No progressive payments. No vendor marketplace. High fees.
Organizer pays for everything upfront (venue, food, vendors) and tries to collect from friends afterward.
Simple. No tools needed. Just credit card + hope.
Massive financial risk. Friends don't pay. Friendships damaged. Organizer never does it again.
RSVP via Google Form, track payments in a shared Google Sheet, collect via PayNow.
Free. Customizable. Collaborative.
Manual and tedious. No payment integration. No accountability. Ugly.
For finding service providers — DM vendors on Instagram, negotiate via chat, pay via bank transfer.
Visual portfolio. Direct relationship. Negotiable pricing.
No reviews/verification. No payment protection. Time-consuming research. No standardized pricing.