Luma sends the invite; we run the event.
Luma is an elegant tool for invitations and RSVPs — genuinely a good choice for small gatherings. The picture changes once you need paid ticketing in Turkey, certificates, corporate compliance and on-site operations. Below is an honest comparison, including the rows where Luma wins.
Why teams move off Luma
Paid tickets in Turkey
Luma collects payments through Stripe, and Stripe does not pay out to businesses established in Turkey. The day you switch your event to paid, you have to switch platforms. On Etkin, paid registration is managed today with payment tracking, and card and instalment collection is in preparation.
Verifiable certificates
Luma has no certificates. On Etkin, a certificate is generated automatically when an attendee completes the feedback survey, the attendee adds it to their LinkedIn profile in one click, and anyone can check that it is genuine on a public verification page. In training, congress and student-club settings this alone is often the reason to move.
WhatsApp and SMS
In Turkey invitations circulate on WhatsApp and reminders arrive by SMS. Luma uses email and push only. Etkin runs four channels from one panel; you connect your own WhatsApp Business account and use SMS on a credit basis.
KVKK and where the data lives
Privacy notice, a record of the moment consent was given, a data processing agreement and role-based access all come ready; data stays on infrastructure we operate ourselves, in Frankfurt (eu-central-1). In university and corporate procurement this is frequently the deciding line.
Cost of switching
You can export your guest list from Luma as CSV; our team imports it into Etkin for you, so you keep your past attendees. Organisers moving from Luma get 50% off the Pro plan for the first three months.
Full comparison
| Feature | Etkin | Luma |
|---|---|---|
| Turkish Lira collection + instalments | ◔In preparationCard and instalment payments; today paid registration is handled with payment tracking | —Not availableStripe-based; Stripe does not pay out to businesses established in Turkey |
| Verifiable certificates + add to LinkedIn | ✓YesGenerated automatically once the survey is completed | —No |
| SMS · WhatsApp · push notifications | ✓All fourWhatsApp via your own Business account, SMS on credits | —Email and push only |
| KVKK processes (notice, consent record, processing agreement) | ✓Ready | —No |
| Where data is stored | ✓Frankfurt (eu-central-1)Infrastructure we operate; self-hosting available on the enterprise plan | ~US-based service |
| QR check-in + device audit trail | ✓YesWhich device scanned which entry is recorded | ~Basic check-in |
| Seating · hall · hotel · bus assignment | ✓Yes | —No |
| Per-recipient message templates with variables | ✓Yes | ~Limited |
| Event budget and expense tracking | ✓Yes | —No |
| Turkish interface and Turkish-speaking support | ✓Yes | —No |
| Global discovery feed (reach a new audience) | ~Event pages are public and indexableBut we have no discovery feed like Luma’s | ✓Luma’s strongest side |
This comparison reflects publicly available product information as of 9 August 2026; competitor features change over time — please confirm on the relevant platform’s own pages before deciding. Rows marked ◔ are not live yet, and we would rather say so.
If you are running a ticketed event, enter your ticket price and expected attendance to see what the platform cut actually costs in lira.
Calculate the commissionMoving from Luma takes three steps
The most annoying part of switching is the fear of losing your past guest list. You will not lose it.
Export your guest list from Luma
Luma lets you download the guest list as CSV from the event dashboard. If you have several events, download them all; name, email and attendance status are enough.
Send us the file and we will import it
Email the CSV files to our support address and we will import the list into your organisation’s attendee pool. This step is currently done by our team; a self-service import tool is on the roadmap.
Publish your first event
Trim the registration form to what you actually need, turn on QR check-in, and connect the survey and certificate if you want them. Free events carry no cut at all.
Organisers moving from Luma get 50% off the Pro plan for the first three months. The discount is not automatic: after signing up, write to us mentioning that you moved from Luma and we will apply it to your account.
When is Luma the better choice?
If an elegant invite page and RSVPs are all you need, if you are running a small gathering or meetup, and if you want the benefit of Luma’s discovery feed, Luma does a fine job — and charges nothing for it. Look at Etkin when you need certificates, audited check-in, collection in Turkish Lira, multi-channel messaging and corporate compliance. Some teams use both: Luma for discovery, Etkin for operations.
About switching
Can I sell paid tickets from Turkey on Luma?
In practice, no. Luma collects through Stripe, and Stripe does not provide payment services to businesses established in Turkey. You can use Luma for free events without trouble; the problem appears the moment money is involved.
Is card ticketing live on Etkin right now?
Not yet — to be straightforward about it. Our payment provider integration is in progress. Today you can create paid events and follow registrations and payment status from the panel; card and instalment collection will open once the integration is complete. Everything about free events works fully today.
Can I bring my attendee list over from Luma?
Yes. Download the guest list from Luma as CSV and send it to us, and we will import it into your organisation. Our team handles this step at the moment; a self-service upload tool is on the roadmap.
How do certificates work?
You define a post-event survey; when an attendee completes it, the certificate is generated automatically and emailed. The attendee can add it to their LinkedIn profile in one click, and the code on the certificate lets anyone verify it on a public page.
Where is my data stored?
On infrastructure we operate ourselves, in the Frankfurt (eu-central-1) region. Privacy notices, consent records and a data processing agreement are ready; the enterprise plan offers hosting on your own servers.
How far does the free plan go?
The free plan places no limit on how many events you run and no monthly attendee cap; a single event can take up to 100 registrations. Registration, QR check-in, email and basic certificates all work. A cut only comes into play when you sell tickets.