Spektrix compared with Tessitura
Beyond Tessitura v16: Why innovative arts leaders are choosing a better way forward
Image courtesy of Storyhouse Chester. Photo by Mark Carline.
See Spektrix in action
Stop the cycle of disruptive upgrades.
Start a partnership that evolves with your team and audience needs.
By upgrading to Spektrix, you’ll futureproof your organization with a platform, feature set, and partnership built for your long term success. Setting new standards for scale, reliability, security, and innovation, Spektrix takes the effort of maintenance off your plate so you can focus on lasting success.
There’s a growing trend of arts leaders realizing that v16 is not the future.
Get in touch to learn why leading theaters, arts centers, music venues, and museums see Spektrix as the way forward.
With Spektrix, you’ll never have to prepare for the next big update - Spektrix updates its system daily behind the scenes with no action needed on your part. You’ll always be ahead of the curve.
Trusted by arts organizations across the US and Canada
Technology shouldn’t have a shelf life
For years, many theaters and performing arts organizations have relied on Tessitura to sell tickets and manage audience relationships. But as technology and patron expectations continue to evolve, some organizations are questioning whether it’s still the right fit for what comes next.
Periodic major upgrades, along with ongoing updates in between, can represent a significant investment of time and resources. With v16 expected to become required by December 2027, many Tessitura organizations are carefully weighing the cost, the transition effort, and the experiences shared by early adopters.
Since Spektrix arrived in the US and Canada in 2014, hundreds of arts and culture leaders have seen the benefits of a more robust, reliable, and contemporary system.
Built for stability and innovation, Spektrix sets new standards for scale, reliability, security, and instant updates - with modern, intuitive features and expert support to help you maximize every penny of value.
See How Spektrix solved the Freeman Arts Pavilion's onsales problems
You only have one chance to make a big, eye-catching (and wallet-opening) announcement. When you make it complex, you are losing ticket sales.

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Confidence on your busiest days
Onsales at 10x the speed
Spektrix runs with little or no downtime. True-cloud software with elastic server capacity means we can scale to meet peak demand, supporting your busiest onsales while maintaining a great patron experience.
Enterprise-grade security and instant updates are provided as standard, saving you hours of maintenance. We’re constantly monitoring and responding to evolving risk - so you don’t have to.
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Smooth event setup and sales
Season set up in hours, not weeks
Spektrix builds efficiencies for box office teams, with intuitive tools to put complex events, offers, merchandise or subscriptions on sale in minutes.
Drive mobile, digital, and counter sales, maintain complete control over your purchase pathway, and create better experiences for your patrons and team.
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Unified marketing suite
Personalized communications powered by patron data
Dynamic, drag-and-drop email tools are core to our solution, meaning you can tag and segment patrons, build lists, and send personalized, high-impact emails from a single, inviting interface with no html required.
Emails are only part of the story. Targeted digital ads, AI-powered event recommendations based on patrons’ purchase history, and ready-to-use marketing workflows help you speak directly to every customer.
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Donor and VIP management
Turn your whole team into fundraisers
Integrated insights and powerful pipeline moves management tools make it simple to target asks, share invitations, and accurately forecast, track progress, and manage donors.
And because Spektrix makes it easier to work collaboratively, fundraising goals are shared across teams - helping you nurture VIPs, flag potential donors, and personalize donor communications at every touchpoint.
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Instant reporting
A complete picture of your patrons and progress
Whatever you need to know about spending patterns, audience behaviors, or sales trends, it's easy to report instantly in Spektrix.
On top of a standard suite of 40+ reports, drag-and-drop filters make it simple to segment data and dig deep into reports. Connect and combine data from ticket sales, marketing engagement, philanthropy, point of sale, and far more.
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Secure payments
Modern and fully supported with fraud monitoring as standard
Powered by Adyen, Spektrix Payments makes payment processing quick and simple for patrons - and for your finance team.
Apple and Google Pay are enabled as standard, stored cards stay up to date, and there are no extra charges for refunds, declined transactions, or even hardware. Our dynamic fraud mitigation system combines machine learning with expert monitoring on your behalf, encouraging legitimate transactions while reducing chargebacks and limiting fraud.
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Partner products and service
Find the best solutions to meet your most specific needs
Every organization has unique needs - and that’s why we partner with some of the most exciting web developers, software providers, data analysts and consultants working today.
Partners enable integrated dynamic pricing, P.O.S. systems, third party and resale, ticket insurance, venue operations, consultancy, and more - all fast, affordable, and created to an exceptionally high standard.
Because we take no commission from partners, we can offer genuine, impartial advice, helping you find the best solution for your budget and requirements - whether that uses core Spektrix tools, or draws on the latest tech innovation.
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Smooth online purchase pathways
Make your website part of your audience experience
Drive online ticket sales with smart, smooth booking journeys – steeped in your brand, embedded on your website, and integrated with your CRM. From no-cost, out-of-the-box branded subsites bringing full functionality with minimal effort, through to bespoke, API-driven websites, Spektrix offers unlimited digital solutions to meet the needs of your audience.
Every interaction writes back to Google Analytics 4 and to customer records, and we’re here to support you and your web developers to design and implement the best possible online journey.
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Mobile-first ticketing
Digital transformation in your patrons’ pockets
Today’s patrons expect a mobile experience, and Spektrix delivers. Tickets and membership cards are delivered to Apple and Google wallets, providing instant validation of membership benefits, VIP access, or exhibition entry.
Your team can access Spektrix securely from any device, anywhere, and even scan tickets using standard cell phones - with no expensive hardware required.
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Memberships and subscriptions
Grow and reward loyalty with agile, intuitive packages
Mix and match subscriptions, memberships,and offers, with simple no-code tools making it easy for patrons to buy and redeem fixed and flexible series subscriptions, select their own seats, and automatically enjoy benefits including ticket and concession discounts, early onsales, and more.
Set up pricing rules in minutes, and grow loyalty with instant ROI reports, automated email programs, and membership upsells driven by cart value.
“I thought we were pretty good at segmentation before. But actually, we're pulling more and deeper kinds of segments. It has really helped us tailor our communications and get better ROI."
“In a lot of systems, the backend that box office teams see is very basic, not very readable. In Spektrix what the team sees is just as good as the interface that customers see elsewhere. It’s very logical, it does a lot of the work for you - coming in and taking over a box office, I’ve found it easy to pick up.”
With Spektrix, you’ll join a thriving community of innovative arts leaders, helping you and your team to quickly grow confidence and connections.
And where Tessitura users are often charged for assistance, all Spektrix materials are provided at no extra cost as part of our service to you.
As a member of the Spektrix community, you’ll enjoy:
Spektrix will quote you a single service charge, based on a percentage of the tickets you sell, and inclusive of all key requirements - software features, support and community events, emails, maintenance, upgrades, and more.
- With no unexpected extras, it's easy to budget.
- With every new feature at your fingertips, you're free to experiment and explore.
- With a scalable pricing plan, you can be confident that we’re invested in your long term success.
Where do you want to invest your IT budget?
Server maintenance and upgrades, or innovation and digital transformation to build a modern patron experience?
Regular Costs
| Comparison | Tessitura | Spektrix |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront Costs | None - you won’t pay a penny until you’re live | |
| Testing and server maintenance | A significant portion of your database administrator’s time | None - we’ll look after your platform, leaving your team free to innovate |
| Feature releases | It’s time consuming and risky to add and test new features, even for users on cloud versions | Features are rolled out daily with no cost, disruption, or effort on your part |
| Support and Training | Many users pay extra for support and system training | You’ll never pay more for technical support, training, or bespoke consultancy |
| Licenses | You’ll pay for each new user, adding cost and limiting access to core business data | Unlimited licences with access tiers to manage your data confidently and securely |
| Events & Community | High costs for travel and attendance at TLCC | Regular online events, free local user Hubs across the US and Canada, and a vibrant online Community of peers |
Migration CostsNot yet using Tessitura v16? Compare costs for the year ahead |
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| System upgrade | Likely to dominate the time and bandwidth of your system admin and IT teams for 6-18 months | We’ll get your Spektrix system up and running in 3-4 months, spending time with you to understand your priorities and set you up for success |
| Data migration | Expert data migration engineers have moved patron records from dozens of Tessitura organizations through our pre-built adapters, and will ensure your data is transferred securely at no cost to you. | |
| External consultancy | Many organizations find they need support from outisde experts, requiring additional cost and time investments to complete the move successfully | There are great consultants supporting the sector. Work with them to drive lasting digital transformation and audience growth - you shouldn’t need to pay more to keep your platform functioning |

