Evite vs. Paperless Post: Which Digital Invitation Platform is Better in 2026?

Last updated: March 22, 2026

Trying to decide between Evite and Paperless Post for your next event?

In 2026, digital invitations are the default for most event planners. Evite and Paperless Post are two of the oldest names in the space, and they still come up constantly when people are searching for something that looks a little nicer than a group text.

But honestly? Neither one is my personal go-to anymore. I’ll explain why below, and give you a clear breakdown of both platforms so you can decide what makes sense for your event.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How Evite and Paperless Post actually compare (features, pricing, design)
• The real problems with each platform that most reviews skip over
• How Paperless Post coins work, with a real cost example
• A decision guide by event type and budget
• My top alternatives (including what I actually use)

Why you should listen to me: Hi! My name is Nick Gray. I've hosted hundreds of events, including cocktail parties, housewarming parties, and happy hours. I've used almost all of the online event platforms, including Evite and Paperless Post. I wrote the book The 2-Hour Cocktail Party, cited in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and New York Magazine. This is an unbiased and unsponsored review.

Evite Overview: The Former Leader

Evite was founded in 1998 and was the default digital invitation platform for years. My mom used it for her parents’ parties. It’s that old and that familiar.

The company was acquired by David Yeom in 2020, and since then it’s added mobile apps and paid upgrade options. The platform has a large library of templates and most people recognize the Evite name.

That said, I don’t use Evite and I don’t recommend it. Here’s why:

• Intrusive ads on the free plan. Your guests see banner ads and pop-ups when they open your invitation. It undermines the whole experience.
• Spam and deliverability problems. Evite invitations frequently land in spam folders. Guests miss them entirely, never RSVP, and you have no idea why. This is one of the most common complaints I see from hosts who’ve used the platform. If your guests aren’t checking their spam, they may never see your invite at all.
• Guest data collection. Evite collects your guests’ email addresses and markets to them. That’s a tradeoff worth knowing about before you import your contact list.
• Design quality. The templates feel dated and more casual than what Paperless Post offers.

On the positive side:

• Free plan with no guest cap worries. The basic free tier supports up to 750 guests.
• RSVP tracking and guest messaging. Includes group chat functionality, which is helpful for families coordinating around events.
• Mobile app. Available on iOS and Android, updated regularly.
• Easy guest management. You can add additional guests and manage RSVPs in one place.

Best For: Casual events like kids’ birthdays, BBQs, and family gatherings where design and deliverability aren’t critical.

Evite Pricing (2026)

Evite has two main pricing tracks: per-event premium invitations and an annual Pro subscription.

Per-event premium invitations (ad-free, premium templates, photo cards):

• Small (up to 15 guests): $15.99
• Medium (up to 40 guests): $32.99
• Large (up to 100 guests): $64.99
• Diamond (up to 750 guests): $99.99

Evite Pro (annual subscription, unlimited premium invitations and greeting cards, up to 2,500 guests per event):

• Evite Pro Annual: $249.99/year

Evite says Pro saves an average of $380/year compared to buying individual premium invitations. If you’re hosting three or more events per year, the math could work out. For one-off events, the per-event tiers make more sense.

Note: Premium invitations are non-transferable and can only be used for the specific event they’re purchased for. They are sent digitally via email and do not include physical cards.

Paperless Post: The Design-First Option

Paperless Post was founded in 2008 by siblings James and Alexa Hirschfield. Their thesis was simple: digital invitations didn’t have to look cheap. They partnered with designers like Kate Spade and Rifle Paper Co. and built a reputation for invitations that actually look good.

I respect what Paperless Post has built. The design quality is genuinely better than Evite, especially for formal occasions. But there are a few things worth knowing before you commit.

Key features:

• Premium designer templates. Collaborations with Kate Spade, Rifle Paper Co., and others give the platform a high-end feel that Evite can’t match.
• Coin-based pricing. Premium cards cost coins per recipient. You buy coin packages and spend them as needed (more on this below).
• RSVP tracking with strong email integration. Branded email headers make formal invitations look polished end-to-end.
• Ticket charging supported. Unlike Evite, Paperless Post lets you charge guests for attendance.
• Up to 15,000 guests. Far exceeds Evite’s limits for large-scale events.
• Paperless Post Flyer. A separate, lighter product with cleaner design and no ads. Free for up to 50 guests. This is what I recommend when people ask about Paperless Post.

Best For: Weddings, corporate events, formal parties, and any occasion where the invitation itself needs to look impressive.

The Design Change Problem

One issue with Paperless Post that doesn’t get talked about enough: if you update your invitation design after sending it, the change is reflected in what guests have already received. The invitation isn’t a fixed snapshot. It pulls from a live URL.

In practice, this means if you change the card design, envelope, or backdrop retroactively, your guests’ existing email links will show the new version, not what you originally sent. For most casual parties this doesn’t matter much. But for weddings or formal events where the invitation design is part of the experience, it’s worth knowing before you start redesigning things post-send.

How Paperless Post Coins Work (With a Real Example)

The coin system confuses a lot of people, so here’s how it actually works.

Free cards and Flyer cards cost zero coins. Premium cards (the ones with designer envelopes, backdrops, and logos) cost coins per recipient. Most premium cards cost around 2 coins per guest.

You buy coins in packages:

• 25 coins: $12.00 ($0.48/coin)
• 100 coins: $25.00 ($0.25/coin)
• 200 coins: $46.00 ($0.23/coin)
• 300 coins: $57.00 ($0.19/coin)
• 450 coins: $77.00 ($0.18/coin)
• 600 coins: $96.00 ($0.16/coin)
• 1,000 coins: $140.00 ($0.14/coin)

Unused coins carry over to future events, which is a nice touch.

Worked example: You’re hosting a 30-person party and want a mid-tier premium card at 2 coins per guest. That’s 60 coins total. The closest package is 100 coins for $25.00, giving you 40 leftover coins for next time. Effective cost for this event: about $15 (60 coins x $0.25). If you want to optimize, buy larger coin packages at lower per-coin rates.

The coin system is a bit confusing at first, but it’s actually more flexible than Evite’s per-event tiers once you understand it. You’re not locked into a guest count the way you are with Evite’s Small/Medium/Large packages.

Paperless Post Pricing (2026)

Flyer (free product): Free for up to 50 guests. Clean design, no ads. This is my recommendation for most casual events.

Premium cards (coin-based): Buy coins as needed, coins roll over to future events.

Paperless Pro subscription: For organizations hosting three or more events per year, an annual subscription replaces the coin system with unlimited access. Pricing starts around $250/year for 250 annual guests, with higher tiers for larger volumes.

Nonprofits and schools get 25% off all purchases.

Comparison: Evite vs. Paperless Post

Feature	Evite	Paperless Post
Free Plan	Yes (with ads)	Yes (Flyer, up to 50 guests)
Customization	Moderate	High
Design Quality	Casual, dated	Polished, designer collabs
RSVP Tracking	Yes	Yes
Deliverability	Spam issues reported	Better deliverability
Ads for Guests	Yes (free plan)	No
Max Guests	2,500 (Pro)	15,000
Ticket Charging	No	Yes
Mobile App	Yes	Yes
SMS Invites	Yes	Yes
Per-Event Pricing	$15.99–$99.99	Coin-based (~$0.14–$0.48/coin)
Annual Plan	$249.99/yr (Pro)	~$250/yr (Paperless Pro)

Which Should You Actually Pick? A Decision Guide

Here’s how I’d think about this by event type and budget.

By Event Type

• Casual birthday or BBQ, under 50 guests: Use Paperless Post Flyer (free, clean, no ads) or Mixily.
• Kids’ birthday party: Evite has more kid-friendly templates. The ads are annoying but parents are used to them. Alternatively, Paperless Post Flyer works fine.
• Cocktail party or dinner party: Paperless Post premium card or Mixily. Skip Evite entirely.
• Wedding or formal event: Paperless Post is the clear choice here. The design quality is meaningfully better, and the branded email headers look professional.
• Corporate event or conference: Paperless Post Pro (for repeat events) or Luma. Evite is not a good fit for professional settings.
• Large-scale event (200+ guests): Paperless Post supports up to 15,000 guests. Evite’s Diamond tier tops out at 750 on per-event pricing (2,500 with Pro).
• Ticketed event where you’re charging admission: Paperless Post or Eventbrite. Evite doesn’t support ticket charging.
• Younger crowd (college-age, 20s): Partiful. It uses text messages and has a modern feel that landing in email inboxes doesn’t.

By Budget

• Free: Paperless Post Flyer (50 guests, no ads), Mixily, or Partiful. Do not use the free Evite plan if you care about how your invitation looks or whether it arrives.
• Under $20 for a single event: Paperless Post coins at the 25-coin ($12) or 100-coin ($25) level covers most parties up to 30-50 guests using mid-tier cards.
• Under $50 for a single event: Paperless Post coins handle most events well at this range. Evite’s Large tier ($64.99) is more expensive for 100 guests than buying 200 Paperless Post coins ($46).
• Multiple events per year: Both Evite Pro ($249.99/yr) and Paperless Pro (~$250/yr) offer annual subscriptions. If you host three or more events per year, either subscription saves money compared to per-event pricing.

Pros and Cons

Evite Pros and Cons

Pros

• Free plan supports up to 750 guests
• Easy to use, recognizable brand
• Large template library for casual events
• Group messaging is useful for family coordination
• Annual Pro plan makes sense if you host frequently

Cons

• Free plan shows intrusive ads to your guests
• Frequent reports of invitations landing in spam
• Collects and markets to your guests’ email addresses
• Designs feel dated and casual compared to alternatives
• No ticket charging capability

Paperless Post Pros and Cons

Pros

• Best design quality of any email invitation platform
• Flyer product is free for up to 50 guests, no ads
• Coin system is flexible (unused coins carry over)
• Supports ticket charging and up to 15,000 guests
• Strong deliverability compared to Evite
• Nonprofit and school discounts (25% off)

Cons

• Coin system takes some getting used to
• Retroactive design changes update what guests already received
• Premium cards can get expensive for very large guest lists

Alternatives and Other Platforms

These aren’t the only two options for collecting RSVPs online. And honestly, they’re not the best options either.

My top platform recommendations as of 2026:

• Mixily: This is what I personally use and recommend to most people. It’s an excellent replacement for Facebook Events or Eventbrite. Guests click a link, type their name, and done. No app to download, no account required. Ad-free, clean, and works great from a phone.
• Partiful: Best for younger audiences. Uses text messages as the primary delivery method, which sidesteps the email spam problem entirely. Has a fun, modern feel that works well for casual parties and social crowds in their 20s and 30s.
• Eventbrite: Still a strong option for ticketed events and larger public events. Requires guest registration, which can be a barrier for casual parties. If you use it, adjust the default settings to reduce the promotional emails Eventbrite sends to your attendees.
• Punchbowl: A solid option for kids’ parties with a large library of character-themed designs (Disney, PAW Patrol, Bluey). Operated by Sincere Corporation.
• Luma: Free forever plan with a very clean interface. Good for recurring events, professional gatherings, and community events.

Platform	Best For	Free Plan	Key Feature
Mixily	Most events (my #1 pick)	Yes	No account needed for guests
Partiful	Younger crowds, social parties	Yes	Text-based invites
Eventbrite	Ticketed events	Yes	Payment processing
Punchbowl	Kids’ parties	Yes	Character-themed designs
Luma	Professional and community events	Yes	Clean UI, recurring events

Conclusion

If I had to pick between Evite and Paperless Post for 2026, I’d choose Paperless Post every time. The design quality is better, the deliverability is more reliable, and the free Flyer option covers most casual parties without any cost at all.

My specific recommendation is the Paperless Post Flyer. It’s clean, loads fast on mobile, has no ads, and is free for up to 50 guests. For most people, that’s all they need.

That said, my personal #1 recommendation for most parties is Mixily. It handles RSVPs without friction, doesn’t require guests to download anything or create an account, and it doesn’t clutter up anyone’s inbox with marketing emails. I switched to it for my own events and haven’t looked back.

If you’re hosting a formal event or wedding where the invitation design really matters, Paperless Post premium cards are worth the coin cost. Just budget it in before you start designing.

See more of my platform recommendations here, including my thoughts on Partiful, Mixily, Eventbrite, and more.

Evite vs. Paperless Post FAQ

Q: Can I send physical cards with Paperless Post?

A: Yes, select designs offer printed cards starting at approximately $2 per card.

Q: Does Evite have a guest list limit?

A: The free plan supports up to 750 guests. The annual Pro plan raises that to 2,500 per event.

Q: How does Paperless Post’s coin system work?

A: You buy coin packages (starting at 25 coins for $12) and spend them on premium cards at roughly 2 coins per guest. Unused coins carry over to future events. Free and Flyer cards cost zero coins.

Q: Do Evite invitations land in spam?

A: This is one of the most common complaints about Evite. Invitations sent from Evite’s servers frequently end up in spam or promotions folders. It’s worth warning your guests to check if they haven’t responded after a few days.

Q: What’s the best free alternative to Evite and Paperless Post?

A: Mixily is my top pick. It’s fully free, ad-free, and requires no account from guests. Paperless Post Flyer is also excellent and free for up to 50 guests. Partiful is the best option if your crowd skews younger and prefers text over email.

Q: Can I charge for events on these platforms?

A: Paperless Post supports ticket charging. Evite does not. For ticketed events, Eventbrite is the most full-featured option.

Q: Which platform is best for wedding invitations?

A: Paperless Post. The designer template collaborations (Kate Spade, Rifle Paper Co.) and branded email delivery make it the strongest option for formal events where the invitation sets the tone.

Q: If I update my Paperless Post invitation after sending, do guests see the change?

A: Yes. Paperless Post invitations are live URLs, not static snapshots. If you change the card design retroactively, the updated version is what guests see when they open their existing email links. Keep this in mind before making post-send design changes.