Last updated: October 29, 2024
Trying to decide between Evite and Paperless Post? Both are widely used for online invitations and RSVPs, perfect for events like housewarmings, cocktail parties, or kids’ birthdays.
In this article, I’ll compare the free and paid options of both platforms. Plus, I’ll introduce some newer alternatives like Partiful (for Gen Z) and Mixily (a Facebook event alternative).
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. This is an unbiased and unsponsored review.Evite: The Former Leader
For years, Evite was the go-to platform, even for my mom’s Parents Party. Established in 1998, it’s one of the oldest digital invitation platforms. Owned by entrepreneur David Yeom since 2020, Evite is known for its familiarity.
However, its heavy use of banner ads and pop-ups, along with registration requirements leading to spam, are notable drawbacks.
Here are my favorite features of Evite:
- Designed with families in mind, especially for children’s parties.
- Easily allows you to add additional guests, helpful for families and birthday parties.
- Many cute options that are available for design purposes.
Paperless Post: The New Contender
Founded in 2008 by siblings James and Alexa Hirschfield, Paperless Post emerged from a desire for modern invitation designs. Renowned for sleek and trendy designs, often featuring famous designers and brands, they’ve expanded to include a mobile app and lighter invitation styles.
As of July 2022, Paperless Post ventured into physical goods, offering decorations, tableware, and balloons through their e-commerce platform.
Comparison of Evite vs Paperless Post
FEATURES | EVITE | PAPERLESS POST |
Cost | Free and Paid | Free and Paid |
Emails | Yes | Yes |
Text SMS | Yes | Yes |
Maximum attendees | Max. 2,500 | Max. 15,000 |
Attendees must register with platform | No | No |
Ability to charge | No | Yes |
Reminder messages | Yes | Yes |
Customized header graphics | Yes | Yes |
Inline graphics | Yes | Yes |
Other: custom text | Yes | Yes |
Evite Paid Upgrades
Both of these platforms also include paid options where you can upgrade your account. Here, I’ll list the comparison of what both offer.
- Beautiful, cool templates that looks like a real card that you can send digitally via email
- Customizable fonts, colors, and formatting
- A “Design Your Own” option that allows you to upload your custom designs
- No-ad experience for guests
Here’s their premium invitation pricing:
- Small Package (Up to 15 guests): $15.99
- Medium Package (Up to 40 guests): $32.99
- Large Package (Up to 100 guests): $64.99
Note that their premium products are digital and sent via email. It is also non-transferable and can only be used for the event that they are purchased for.
Paperless Post Paid Upgrades
Paperless Post uses a system of coins to allow you to use their premium cards. You must spend up to two coins per recipient in order to send some of these premium cards that have more nicely designed envelopes, backdrops, and logos.
These coins are sold in packages and canned vary in pricing. There is a maximum of 15,000 guest emails that can be sent for each of your events. Most people will never get anywhere near to this limit, so it is not really an issue.
I should also note that Paperless Post has a product called Paperless Post flyer. Using this you can send 50 invitations for free through the Paperless Post website.
Their flyer products were meant to be a reboot that offered less advertisements and cleaner design. This is the one that I most often recommend to people.
Alternatives and Other Platforms
But these aren’t the only two ways to collect RSVPs online. And they’re not even the best.
Please keep reading and see my list of RSVP platforms here.
As of February 2023, my favorite platforms to use for hosting events include:
- Partiful: good for younger audiences. Uses text messages exclusively.
- Mixily: an excellent replacement for Facebook Events or Eventbrite. This is what I use and recommend to most.
- Eventbrite: still a very popular option, especially if you’re charging for attendance, but requires guest registration. Be sure to disable some of their default settings if you use this.
- Punchbowl: recently received a $4 million investment from Party retailer Party City.
- Luma: forever free plan and great UI.
October 2024: I wrote a new RSVP platform article so you don’t have to use Evite again.
Conclusion
These days in 2023, I believe that Paperless Post is the best option for most people who are considering it versus Evite.
I do not like Evite because of its reliance on digital ads and advertising and the confusing design.
See more of my platform recommendations here, including my thoughts on Partiful, Mixily, Eventbrite, and more.
Specifically, my suggestion is to use the Paperless Post Flyer. This is a clean, sleek design that is free for up to 50 attendees and will fit most people’s needs. It also looks the best on mobile and loads quickly from most cell phones.
I’m looking for a way to personalize my invitation so instead of just a generic greating, it’s addressed to the individual or the couple. e.g. “Paul you are invited” or
“Fred and Janet you are invited”.
Mixily doesn’t doesn’t have this feature – are there any competitors that do?
For something more custom, Paperless Post or Greenvelope are great—they offer templates where you can personalize names for each guest or couple. It takes a bit more setup but gives a nice touch if you’re looking to make each invite feel unique. Hope this helps, and good luck with your event!