Last updated: September 4, 2023
Which is better: Evite or Paperless Post? Both are extremely popular for sending online invitations and collecting RSVPs.
Many people use these online platforms like Evite and Paperless Post to collect RSVPs and to get a head count when they’re hosting a housewarming party, a cocktail party, or their children’s birthday party.
In this article, I’ll compare the two platforms – both in their free options, and also their paid plans.
I’ll also list some other newer platforms to consider, such as Partiful (for Gen Z) and Mixily (a great Facebook replacement).
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 many years, Evite was the most popular platform. In fact, when my mother was hosting what I call the Parents Party she wanted to use Evite.
The reason that my mother and her friends are wanting to use Evite is that it is the one they are most familiar with and for good reason, Evite was founded in 1998 and was one of the oldest event and digital invitation platforms online.
Today, Evite is owned by entrepreneur David Yeom who bought it from IAC during the Covid pandemic in 2020.
One of my largest critiques about Evite is their extensive use of banner ads and popups for digital advertising. The users also have to register and I found that my attendees were constantly receiving spam messages from Evite’s sponsors.
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
Paperless Post was founded by brother and sister business duo, James and Alexa Hirschfield. They started the company in 2008 when they were looking for a more modern and hip design solution to send wedding and party invitations.
Today, the brand of Paperless Post is mostly known for featuring very slick and trendy hip designs, featuring famous designer and offline brands. They also have a mobile app and have experimented with more lightweight invitation styles.
As of July 2022, Paperless Post has moved into the physical realm, but not simply with printed invitations. Instead, they launched an e-commerce platform featuring decorations, tableware, and balloons, too.
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.
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.
