Channels
Sending invitations by email, text and WhatsApp
The best free invitation is the one guests actually see. Most guest lists are mixed, so plan to send the invitation on the channel each person reads and to collect every reply in one place.
Which channel for which guests
Email
Good for: Work events, formal invitations, older guests and anything people will want to find again. An email invitation can carry the full details, a designed card and a calendar link, and it sits in the inbox until someone acts on it.
Why invites go unseen
- It can land in the spam or promotions folder, especially from an address the guest doesn't know.
- People skim: if the date and the reply button aren't near the top, they get missed.
How to make sure it's seen
- Tell guests in person or by message that an invitation is coming, and from which name.
- Use a subject line with the event and the date, such as “Sam's 40th, Sat 21 Nov: can you come?”.
- Put the date, place and reply button in the first lines.
- Check the tool's guest list a few days in: anyone who hasn't opened it gets a personal nudge on another channel.
Text (SMS)
Good for: Short notice, casual events and reminders. Texts are read quickly and work on every phone without an app.
Why invites go unseen
- Messages from an unknown number or a short code can look like spam.
- There's little room: a long text with a link can be cut or ignored.
How to make sure it's seen
- Send from your own number or say who you are in the first words.
- Keep it to the occasion, the date and one link to reply.
- Use texts for the reminder even if the invitation went by email.
WhatsApp
Good for: Friends and family who already chat there, and guests in countries where WhatsApp is the default way to message. Links show a preview, so the invitation looks like an invitation.
Why invites go unseen
- A big group chat buries the invitation under replies within hours.
- Replies in the chat are hard to count and easy to lose.
How to make sure it's seen
- Post the invitation link, not just a picture, so replies go into one guest list.
- Pin the message in the group, or send it to people one by one.
- Ask people to reply on the link, not in the chat.
One link, many channels
Whatever the tool, the simplest approach is the same: create one invitation with one reply link, then share that link by email to some guests, text to others and WhatsApp to the rest. Every reply lands in the same guest list, so you never have to merge answers from three apps.
Tools that send through a channel themselves can also tell you who hasn't opened the invitation and remind them for you. Where you paste a link yourself, you do the chasing.
Which free options support which channel
“Sends it” means the tool sends or reminds through that channel itself. “Share link” means you copy the invitation link into that app yourself. “Planned” means announced but not available yet.
Which free invitation options send by email, text and WhatsApp| Option | Email | Text (SMS) | WhatsApp | Note |
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| Luma | Sends it | Sends it | Sends it | Luma lists blasts and reminders by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp on its free plan. |
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| Partiful | Share link | Sends it | Share link | Partiful invites by link and sends text blasts; paste the link into email or WhatsApp yourself. |
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| Evite | Sends it | Sends it | Share link | Evite says invitations can be shared by text, email or link. |
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| Eventbrite | Sends it | Share link | Share link | Eventbrite sends confirmations, reminders and email campaigns; other channels get the event link. |
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| Google Forms + your own messages | Sends it | Share link | Share link | Google Forms can send a form by email; text and WhatsApp get the link. |
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| Facebook Events | Share link | Share link | Share link | You can share the event link anywhere, but guests reply inside Facebook. |
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| Canva + a group chat | Share link | Share link | Share link | You download the design and send it in each app yourself. |
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| Paperless Post | Sends it | Share link | Share link | Paperless Post sends by email; share the card's link in other apps. |
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| EvntBuild | Planned | Planned | Planned | EvntBuild has announced invitations by email, text and WhatsApp; it is not open yet. |
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Details and costs for each tool are in the ranking. Text and WhatsApp features can depend on your country: check the tool's help pages before you rely on one.