Best Evites: Top Digital Invitation Platforms

Okay so digital invitations are basically everywhere now

Look I’m gonna be honest with you, I resisted digital invitations for way too long. Like embarrassingly long. I was that person still printing custom stationery for every single event until probably 2019 when a bride looked at me like I had three heads for suggesting we mail physical save-the-dates to 300 people when half of them were international guests. That was my wake-up call.

The thing about evites is they’re not all created equal and some platforms are genuinely terrible while others are actually pretty sophisticated now. I’ve used basically all of them at this point either for clients or for my own stuff and I have opinions.

Paperless Post is the fancy option everyone knows

This is probably where most people start because it looks the most like traditional stationery. They partner with actual designers like Kate Spade and Rifle Paper Co. so you’re getting legitimate design credibility here. I used them for a client’s engagement party in spring 2023 and honestly the designs are beautiful.

Here’s what you need to know about Paperless Post: the free options exist but they’re kinda limited. Most of the really gorgeous designs require “coins” which is their weird virtual currency system that honestly annoys me because why can’t you just tell me the actual price in dollars? You have to do math to figure out what you’re spending. A typical nice invitation will run you anywhere from $10 to $40 depending on your guest count.

The envelope liners are a nice touch though. You can customize basically everything – fonts, colors, text layout. The RSVP tracking is solid and guests can add things to their calendar directly from the invite. They also do envelope addressing which sounds ridiculous for a digital product but it actually matters for that first impression when someone opens the email.

What I like: premium designs, looks professional for corporate events or formal weddings, great for older guests who appreciate traditional aesthetics.

What’s annoying: the coin system, some designs are overused at this point, you need to pay for most decent options.

Evite is the OG but it’s gotten better

Remember getting Evites in like 2005? They were tacky as hell with those animated designs that looked like clip art. Well they’ve actually upgraded significantly and the free tier is way more functional than most platforms.

I use Evite mostly for casual events – birthday parties, baby showers, that kind of thing. Would I use it for a formal wedding? Nah. But for a backyard BBQ or a kids’ birthday party it’s totally fine and you’re not gonna spend money on it if you don’t want to.

The ad-supported free version works perfectly well. Yeah your guests see ads but honestly who cares for a casual gathering. The premium version (Evite Premium) is like $5/month or $50/year and removes ads plus gives you access to better designs.

One thing Evite does really well is the group messaging feature. You can message all your guests at once through the platform which is super helpful for those last-minute “we’re moving everything inside because of rain” situations. I had a client whose outdoor ceremony got relocated 2 hours before start time and we reached everyone through Evite’s messaging system way faster than phone calls would’ve been.

The RSVP management lets guests add plus-ones and comments which can get chaotic but is also kinda helpful for potlucks when people tell you what they’re bringing.

Greenvelope if you care about looking expensive

This platform is specifically designed to mimic high-end paper invitations and honestly they do it well. The designs are gorgeous and customizable. I’m talking like letterpress effects, foil stamping designs, the whole thing.

Greenvelope is pricier – you’re looking at packages starting around $150 for basic stuff and going up from there. But if you were gonna spend $500+ on printed invitations anyway, this is a solid alternative that gives you tracking and RSVP management.

The customization options are actually impressive. You can match your wedding colors exactly, upload your own monogram, work with their design team. It feels more like working with a stationer than using a DIY platform.

They also have this thing where the invitation “opens” on screen like an actual envelope which sounds gimmicky but older relatives actually love it. My mom sent me a text about how “elegant” one of these was when my cousin used it for her wedding and my mom is not easily impressed by digital anything.

Best for: formal weddings, milestone anniversaries, events where you want that luxury stationery vibe without the printing costs.

Minted moved into digital and it’s pretty good

So Minted is known for their printed stationery but they launched digital invitations and they’re leveraging all those same independent designers. The quality is consistently high.

What I like about Minted’s digital platform is it feels like an extension of their paper products. If you’re doing printed wedding invitations through Minted, you can do digital save-the-dates or rehearsal dinner invites in coordinating designs. That consistency is nice for people who care about cohesive branding across their wedding events.

Pricing is per-event and ranges from about $18 to $35 for most designs. Not the cheapest but not terrible either. You get unlimited guest count which is actually a good deal if you’re inviting like 200+ people.

The website tracking shows you who opened the invitation and who hasn’t which is helpful when you’re chasing down RSVPs. Though honestly this feature also makes me slightly paranoid because now people KNOW when you’ve seen their invite and just haven’t responded… or wait is that just me overthinking things.

Joy is specifically for weddings and it shows

Joy (formerly Wedding Jojo I think?) is built specifically for weddings and they’ve thought through a lot of the specific pain points. It’s completely free which seems too good to be true but they make money through their registry partnerships.

You can build a whole wedding website through Joy and integrate your invitations, which is honestly how most couples use it. The RSVP system lets you manage meal choices, collect addresses, track plus-ones, all that detailed stuff you need for wedding planning.

I had a bride in summer 2021 (COVID era, everything was chaos) who used Joy for her 50-person micro-wedding and then when they did a bigger celebration in 2022 she already had everyone’s info in the system. Made the second round of invites super easy.

The designs are nice but not as design-forward as Paperless Post or Greenvelope. They’re pleasant and appropriate but nobody’s gonna be wowed by the graphics. Which is fine! Sometimes you just need functional.

The guest communication tools are really solid though. You can send updates, share photos after the event, basically keep everyone in the loop. Plus the registry integration means guests can RSVP and shop for gifts in one place which apparently people appreciate.

Punchbowl for the party people

Punchbowl is very much in the casual event space. Birthday parties, game day gatherings, holiday parties. The vibe is fun and informal.

They have a decent free tier and premium is reasonably priced at like $4 per invitation or $30/year for unlimited. The designs lean playful – lots of bright colors, themed options for every holiday, kid-friendly stuff.

One feature that’s actually useful: they have a “what to bring” list function where guests can claim items for potlucks or parties. So if you’re hosting Thanksgiving and need people to bring sides, everyone can see what’s already covered. Prevents you from ending up with seven people bringing green bean casserole and nobody bringing rolls.

My cat knocked over my coffee while I was setting up a Punchbowl invite last month and I almost lost the whole thing but apparently they auto-save which saved my butt. Anyway.

The RSVP system is straightforward, you can do polls for date selection, and there’s a party feed where guests can post photos and comments during/after the event. It’s very social-media-ish in functionality.

Canva for the DIY control freaks

Okay so Canva isn’t technically an invitation platform but hear me out. If you want complete design control and you’re comfortable with some tech, you can design invitations in Canva and send them however you want.

I’ve had budget-conscious couples design their invitations in Canva, export as PDFs, and send through email or text. Then they manage RSVPs through Google Forms or even just a shared spreadsheet. Is it elegant? Not really. Does it work? Absolutely.

The advantage is you can make literally anything you want. The disadvantage is you don’t get any of the fancy RSVP tracking or guest management tools. You’re basically just making a pretty graphic.

Canva Pro costs like $13/month and gives you access to way more templates and design elements. The free version works but is more limited. If you’re already paying for Canva Pro for other stuff this becomes a very cheap invitation option.

Google Forms is the absolute budget option

Look, I have to mention this even though it’s not pretty. Google Forms for RSVPs paired with literally any image you create or find works for super casual events. I’ve seen people do this for neighborhood potlucks, casual birthday parties, that kind of thing.

You create a nice graphic (in Canva, or wherever), send it via email or text or Facebook, and include a link to a Google Form for RSVPs. The form can collect all the info you need – attendance, meal choices, dietary restrictions, whatever.

Is this what I’d recommend for a wedding? God no. But for a casual event where you just need a head count? It’s free and it works and everyone knows how to use Google Forms.

What actually matters when choosing

Here’s the thing – you gotta match the platform to the event formality. I see people use Evite for black-tie weddings and it just looks wrong. Similarly, using Greenvelope for a kids’ pizza party is overkill.

For formal weddings: Greenvelope, Paperless Post, or Minted. These look legitimate and your older guests will take them seriously.

For casual parties: Evite, Punchbowl, or honestly just Canva + email. Nobody expects fancy for a backyard BBQ.

For milestone events (big anniversaries, retirement parties, etc.): Paperless Post or Greenvelope depending on budget. You want something that feels special.

For kid parties: Evite or Punchbowl. The fun designs work well and parents appreciate the simplicity.

Also consider your guest demographic. If you’re inviting a lot of older folks who aren’t super tech-savvy, platforms that look and function more like traditional invitations (Paperless Post, Greenvelope) get better response rates. I’ve noticed people over 60 sometimes don’t realize they need to click through to RSVP on some of the more casual platforms.

The RSVP management tools matter more than you think. Being able to send reminders to people who haven’t responded, tracking meal choices, collecting addresses for thank-you cards later – this stuff saves you hours of follow-up work. Any platform that automates this is worth paying a little extra for if you’ve got a big guest list.

One more thing that bugs me – platforms that don’t let you export your guest data. Make sure whatever you choose lets you download your RSVP list and guest information. You’re gonna need that for seating charts, vendor head counts, all that stuff. Some platforms lock you into their ecosystem and it’s annoying when you need to share info with your caterer or venue