You are about to send invitations for an event. You have Googled your options. And now you are staring at three platforms wondering which one will not waste your time, surprise you with hidden costs, or embarrass you by showing ads to your mother in law right next to your carefully worded dinner invitation.
Last updated: April 2026
We get it. Choosing an invitation platform feels like it should take five minutes. Instead, you end up down a rabbit hole of confusing pricing, design paywalls, and features you cannot test without creating an account first. This comparison exists to save you that time. We will be honest about what each platform does well, what it does poorly, and which one fits your specific event.
The Quick Answer (If You Are in a Hurry)
Evite: Fast and casual, but your guests see ads.
Paperless Post: Stunning designs, but you pay per guest.
Invyt: Ad-free with RSVP tracking and no per-guest fees.
The full pricing breakdown for 80, 150, and 200 guests is below.
Still here? Good. Let us break down exactly what happens when you use each platform, starting with the thing that matters most and gets talked about least.
What Your Guests Actually Experience
Here is something most comparison articles skip entirely: what does your guest see when they open your invitation? You spend time picking the perfect design and writing the perfect wording. But the guest experience is what determines whether people actually RSVP or close the tab.
The Evite Guest Experience
Your guest receives an email from Evite (not from you). They click through and land on your invitation page. The design looks good. But surrounding it are display advertisements. Banner ads. Sidebar ads. We have seen everything from insurance promotions to dating app ads appear alongside wedding invitations.
For a summer barbecue or a casual birthday, most guests will not think twice. But for a milestone celebration, a professional event, or anything where tone matters, those ads undermine the experience you are trying to create. It is the digital equivalent of handing someone a beautifully printed invitation with a flyer stapled to it.
The Paperless Post Guest Experience
This is where Paperless Post genuinely shines. Your guest receives an email with a beautifully designed envelope. They click to "open" it, and the envelope animation reveals your invitation inside. No ads, no distractions, just a premium presentation that feels like receiving physical stationery.
The RSVP process is clean and straightforward. Guests can respond without creating an account for basic RSVPs. The entire experience communicates "this event is important" before the guest reads a single word.
The Invyt Guest Experience
Your guest receives a link (via text, email, WhatsApp, or wherever you share it). They tap it and land directly on your invitation. No ads. No account prompts. No app downloads. If you have chosen an animated card design, the card plays a cinematic reveal animation before showing your event details.
The RSVP is a single tap. Guests can add dietary requirements, plus-ones, and leave a message. The entire flow from opening the link to completing the RSVP takes about 15 seconds. There is nothing between the guest and the "I'm going" button.
The Real Cost Breakdown
Pricing is where the biggest surprises live. Let us use a real scenario: you are hosting an event for 80 guests.
| Scenario | Evite | Paperless Post | Invyt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic invitation (80 guests) | $0 (ads shown to guests) | $0 (limited designs) | $0 (no ads, limited RSVPs visible) |
| Premium design, no ads (80 guests) | ~$14.99/year | $53 to $120+ | $5.99 one-time |
| Same event, 200 guests instead | ~$14.99/year | $132 to $300+ | $5.99 one-time |
| Wedding invitation (150 guests) | ~$14.99/year | $99 to $200+ | $6.99 to $14.99 |
The critical difference is the pricing model. Paperless Post charges per guest, which means your cost scales with your guest list. If you initially plan for 80 guests and then realise you need to invite 120, your cost jumps. With Evite and Invyt, the cost stays the same regardless of how many people you invite.
The Hidden Costs Nobody Mentions
Evite's hidden cost: Your reputation. This sounds dramatic, but consider this: when you send a professional or formal invitation through Evite's free tier, your guests see advertisements. That is the real price you pay. For casual events this trade-off is fine. For professional events, you are essentially asking your guests to view ads in exchange for attending your event.
Paperless Post's hidden cost: Guest list anxiety. Because you pay per guest, every addition to your guest list costs money. We have heard from hosts who agonised over whether to invite certain people because each extra guest meant more coins. Your invitation platform should not be the reason you trim your guest list.
Invyt's hidden cost: The starter tier limits visible RSVP details. You can see that responses exist, but viewing full guest details (names, dietary needs, messages) beyond the first few requires a one-time unlock. For intimate gatherings of 5 or fewer, the starter tier covers everything. For larger events, most hosts unlock the full toolkit for a one-time payment that includes the guest checklist, catering planner, and CSV export.
Design Quality: Honest Assessment
Design is subjective, so let us focus on what each platform actually offers:
Evite has the largest template library with thousands of designs spanning every event category imaginable. The quality ranges widely. Some designs look modern and polished. Others look like they were created in 2010 and never updated. The search and filtering could be better, so finding the right design sometimes means scrolling through pages of options that do not match your vision. Premium designs (ad-free) require a subscription.
Paperless Post has the highest design floor. Even their simpler templates look professionally crafted. They collaborate with designers and brands (Kate Spade, Rifle Paper Co) to create designs you genuinely cannot find elsewhere. The envelope opening animation adds a layer of polish that makes the experience feel premium. The trade-off: most of the best designs cost coins. The free "Flyer" designs are noticeably more basic, and the platform knows it. Every screen gently nudges you toward the paid options.
Invyt takes a different approach with a curated library of modern designs plus a custom card builder for full creative control. Cinematic card reveal animations add a memorable touch when guests first open the invitation, with 33 atmosphere effects (falling petals, floating lanterns, snow) that make the experience feel alive. The library is smaller than Evite's, but the focus is on quality and customisation over volume.
Features Beyond the Invitation
For many events, the invitation is just the starting point. Here is where the three platforms diverge most significantly:
| Feature | Evite | Paperless Post | Invyt |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSVP tracking | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (with open tracking) | ✅ Yes (with dietary needs, plus-ones, messages) |
| Share via link (text, WhatsApp, social) | Premium only | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (one link everywhere) |
| Gift or payment collection | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes (via Stripe) |
| Photo and video sharing | Basic album | ❌ No | ✅ Photo and Video Wall |
| Guest updates and broadcasts | Comment wall | ❌ No | ✅ Push notifications and email |
| Co-host access | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Wedding website builder | ❌ No | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| No guest account or app required | ✅ Yes | Mostly | ✅ Yes |
| Per-guest pricing | No | Yes ($0.66 to $4.49 per guest) | No |
Which Platform for Which Event?
Let us get specific. Here is what we genuinely recommend based on event type:
Kids Birthday Party
Best choice: Invyt or Evite. You need something fast with a fun design. Parents RSVP via text or WhatsApp, so a shareable link is essential. Invyt's one-link approach works perfectly for sharing in the class parent group chat. Evite works if you are fine with ads and email-only delivery.
Wedding
Best choice: Paperless Post (if you have budget) or Invyt (if you want more features). Paperless Post's designs are genuinely stunning for formal weddings. But if you also need a wedding website, RSVP management with meal preferences, and gift collection, Invyt bundles all of that together. Paperless Post only handles the invitation itself.
Corporate Event
Best choice: Invyt. No ads (critical for professional reputation), no guest accounts (critical for busy professionals who will not create one), and a shareable link you can drop into Slack, Teams, or a company email. Evite's ads are a dealbreaker for professional contexts. Paperless Post works but the per-guest cost adds up for large corporate events.
Casual House Party or Dinner
Best choice: Any of the three. For truly casual events, the stakes are lower. Pick whichever platform has a design you like. Evite is the fastest to set up. Invyt gives you the cleanest guest experience. Paperless Post gives you the prettiest designs if you are willing to spend.
Milestone Celebration (50th Birthday, Anniversary, Retirement)
Best choice: Invyt or Paperless Post. These events deserve an ad-free experience. Paperless Post if the invitation design is your top priority. Invyt if you also want photo sharing, guest updates, or gift collection alongside the invitation.
Large Event (100+ Guests)
Best choice: Invyt or Evite. Avoid per-guest pricing at this scale. Paperless Post for 150 guests with a premium design can cost well over $100. Both Invyt and Evite charge the same regardless of guest count.
The Test That Tells You Everything
Here is the most valuable advice in this entire article: before you commit, create a test invitation on your top two platforms and send it to yourself.
Open it on your phone. Time how long it takes from tap to completed RSVP. Count how many screens you see. Notice if there are ads. Notice if you are asked to download an app or create an account. Notice how the invitation looks and feels.
That 30-second test tells you more than any comparison article ever could. Because that experience is exactly what every single one of your guests will have. The platform that makes it easiest and most pleasant for them is the platform that will give you the best RSVP rates and the least stress on event day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, Evite or Paperless Post?
Evite is cheaper for most events because its basic tier is ad supported and does not charge per guest. Paperless Post uses a coin system where premium designs cost coins that you purchase, and the cost scales with guest count. Invyt takes a different approach: you create and share your invitation at no cost, and only pay a one time unlock if your event grows beyond the starter tier. There are no per guest fees and no subscription.
Is Evite or Paperless Post better for weddings?
Paperless Post is generally considered better for weddings because of its premium, formal design quality. However, both Evite and Paperless Post require you to build a guest list with email addresses before you can send anything. Invyt lets you share one link wherever your guests already are, so they RSVP themselves. This is especially useful for weddings where you may not have every guest's email address.
Does Evite show ads to your guests?
Yes. Evite's free tier shows banner ads on the invitation page that your guests see. These are third party ads and you have no control over what appears. Paperless Post does not show ads. Invyt does not show ads on any invitation page regardless of which tier you are on.
Can I send invitations without building a guest list?
With Evite and Paperless Post, no. Both require you to enter guest email addresses before sending. With Invyt, yes. You get one shareable link that you can drop into any group chat, text thread, social media post, or email. Guests open the link and RSVP themselves. Your guest list builds itself as people respond.
Do any of these platforms work internationally?
All three work globally. Evite's email delivery can sometimes land in spam folders outside the US. Paperless Post delivers reliably via email internationally. Invyt's link based approach avoids email delivery issues entirely since you share the link through whatever messaging platform your guests already use.
What if my guests are not tech savvy?
Invyt and Evite both allow RSVPs without creating accounts or downloading apps. The simpler the process, the better. A link your guests can tap that shows a clear response button is the easiest path. Avoid any platform that requires an app download or account creation for guests who may find that confusing.
Can I track RSVPs and dietary requirements?
Evite tracks basic RSVPs (going, not going, maybe) but does not collect dietary requirements. Paperless Post tracks RSVPs and allows custom questions on premium plans. Invyt tracks RSVPs, plus ones with names, dietary requirements, and personal messages from guests, all visible on your dashboard in real time.
The Bottom Line
Each platform has earned its place for different reasons. Evite leads on speed, simplicity, and brand recognition. Paperless Post leads on design quality and formal event presentation. Invyt leads on guest experience, event management features, and transparent pricing without per-guest charges.
The best choice is the one that fits your event, your budget, and most importantly, the experience you want your guests to have when they open your invitation. Because at the end of the day, an invitation is not really about the platform. It is about making your guests feel welcome and excited to attend.
Create Your First Invitation · See What Your Guests Will Experience →