A free invitation tool is only useful if the free part does the job: sends the invitation, gets replies and doesn't spring a cost on you halfway. These are the six questions every option is scored on, and what each score means.
The rules
Each option gets a score from 1 to 5 on each of the six criteria, from what its own website and help pages say on the review date. The six scores are added together for a total out of 30. The criteria are weighted equally.
Ties are broken by RSVP tracking, then by the real free tier, because those decide whether a free invitation does its job.
Only what can be checked today earns a high score. A feature that is announced but can't be used yet scores 2 out of 5 until it can be tested, and the option is marked “Not yet available”. Published facts such as a price list are scored as published.
We do not use star ratings, user reviews or numbers we cannot point to. Where a price or limit is not published, we say where to check it.
The six criteria
1 Real free tier
Can you send a complete invitation and collect replies without paying?
We look at what the free plan actually lets you send: how many events, how many guests, whether the free designs are usable or just bait for paid ones, and whether the free version shows advertising to your guests. A tool scores high only if a normal home or work event fits inside the free tier.
5
Unlimited or near-unlimited events and guests at no cost.
3
Free works, but with a narrow choice of designs, a guest cap or upsells along the way.
1
Free in name only: most useful options cost money.
2 RSVP tracking
Can you see who is coming, ask the questions you need and chase the rest?
A yes/no button is the minimum. We score higher for a live guest list, custom questions (dietary needs, plus-ones, sizes), a reply deadline, automatic reminders to people who haven't answered, and a way to export the list.
5
Live guest list, custom questions, reminders and export.
3
Replies are collected, but follow-up or custom questions are manual.
1
No built-in replies: guests answer you in messages.
3 Delivery channels
Can the invitation reach guests where they actually read messages?
Email, text (SMS) and WhatsApp reach different people. We score higher when the tool sends through a channel itself (so it can track and remind), and lower when you have to copy a link into each app by hand or when guests must be on one social network.
5
Sends and reminds by email, text and messaging apps itself.
3
Sends by one channel; the rest is a link you share yourself.
1
Reaches only people on one platform.
4 Guest experience
How easy is it for a guest to open the invitation and reply?
Every extra step loses replies. We check whether guests need an account or an app, whether the invitation reads well on a phone, and how many taps it takes to say yes or no.
5
Opens on any phone; reply without an account or app.
3
Works, but with extra steps or a cluttered page.
1
Guests need an account on a specific service to reply.
5 Ticketing and fees
If the event charges, can you sell tickets, and what does it take?
Not every host needs tickets, but workshops, galas and community events do. We score whether tickets are possible, how clearly the fees are published, and where the money goes. Tools with no ticketing score low here even if they are excellent for a birthday, which is why the quick picks by event type matter.
5
Ticketing built in with low, clearly published fees.
3
Ticketing available, with platform fees on top of card fees.
1
No ticketing.
6 What's locked behind payment
How much of what a host needs sits behind an upgrade?
A free tier can be generous on paper and still hold back the one feature you need. We list what the paid plan adds and score higher when the upgrades are things most hosts never need (more sends, team seats) rather than basics (reminders, removing ads, decent designs).
5
Nothing a typical host needs is paid.
3
Some useful extras are paid; the basics are free.
1
Basics such as designs or reminders are paid.
Where the facts come from
Every price, limit and feature in the guide comes from the option's own website, pricing page or help centre as it read on the review date, and each option links to the page you can check. Prices change and some vary by country, so check before you rely on one. Where a company does not publish a price, we say so and tell you where to look instead of guessing.
Options that are announced but not open yet are marked “Not yet available”. Features you can't use yet score 2 out of 5 until they can be tested, so an unreleased tool ranks on what you could actually use today, the same as every other option.
The current scores
Free online invitation options compared on six criteria, scored 1 to 5