Updated November 9, 2026

The best apps for invitations and event RSVPs (2026)

For most birthdays, dinners, and get-togethers, our pick is Little Invite. It's free with no ads or paid tiers, guests RSVP from a texted link without downloading anything, and reminders go out on their own so people actually show up.

If your friends already use Partiful, it's a fine choice too. Pick Luma for public or community events, Eventbrite or Posh to sell tickets, Paperless Post for a wedding, and Apple Invites if everyone you know is on iPhone.

At a glance

App	Best for	Price	Guests RSVP by
Little Invite	Birthdays, dinners, and everyday plans	Free. No ads, no paid tiers.	Tap the link, enter a phone number and the texted code. No app.
Partiful	Big social parties	Free to host. Optional Partiful Plus $4.99/mo, paid add-ons, and fees on paid tickets.	Tap the link, enter a name, phone number, and the texted code. No app.
Apple Invites	All-iPhone friend groups	Free app, but hosting requires iCloud+ (from $0.99/mo)	Tap the link and verify an email address. No Apple Account needed.
Luma	Community, tech, and public events	Free, with a 5% fee on paid tickets. Luma Plus is $59/mo (billed annually) with no platform fee.	Enter a name and email on the event page. No account.
WhatsApp Events	Friend groups that already live in WhatsApp	Free	In the chat, or from a link for people without WhatsApp (rolling out November 2026)
Evite	Classic kids' and family party invites	Free with ads. Ad-free Premium is $17.99–$99.99 per event.	From the link in the email or text
Paperless Post	Weddings and formal invitations	Free designs to up to 50 recipients (unlimited by share link). Beyond that, and for premium designs, you pay per guest in Coins.	From the invite link
Punchbowl	Character-themed kids' parties	No free plan for new events after the trial. Memberships from $2.99/mo (promo).	No account needed
Eventbrite	Public, ticketed events	Free events are free. Paid tickets: 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket, plus 2.9% processing.	Register on the event page
Posh	Nightlife and paid social events	Free to host. Fees on paid tickets.	From the event page
Facebook Events	Groups where everyone is still on Facebook	Free	In Facebook

1. Best for birthdays, dinners, and everyday plansOur pick
Little Invite
Price
Free. No ads, no paid tiers.
Works on
Web and iPhone
Guests RSVP by
Tap the link, enter a phone number and the texted code. No app.
Invites go out by
One link you text or post anywhere
Reminders
Automatic reminders a week and a day before, plus messages to guests anytime, by text or app notification
- Date polls when you haven't picked a day
- Co-hosts, plus-ones, and a guest limit
- Dozens of animated backgrounds you can tune
- A shared disposable camera: guests snap photos that develop after the party
- Set up events from Claude, ChatGPT, and other AI assistants
The catch: No ticketing or paid events, and no Android app yet (Android hosts and guests use the website). Like Partiful, guests confirm a phone number to RSVP.
Pick it if you want everyone to actually show up without paying for anything or wading through ads.
2. Best for big social parties
Partiful
Price
Free to host. Optional Partiful Plus $4.99/mo, paid add-ons, and fees on paid tickets.
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android
Guests RSVP by
Tap the link, enter a name, phone number, and the texted code. No app.
Invites go out by
Text from your contacts, email, or a share link
Reminders
Text blasts to guests, up to 60 days after the event
- Playful themes and effects
- Shared photo album, date polls, and waitlists
- Ticketing for paid events (launched June 2026)
- An Explore page for public events nearby
The catch: It now upsells: Partiful Plus, $1.99 "Peeks" at the guest list before you RSVP, and ticket fees that vary and only show up during setup.
Pick it if your friends already use it and you want the party-app look.
3. Best for all-iPhone friend groups
Apple Invites
Price
Free app, but hosting requires iCloud+ (from $0.99/mo)
Works on
iPhone to host. Guests can RSVP on the web.
Guests RSVP by
Tap the link and verify an email address. No Apple Account needed.
Invites go out by
A share link or the Invites iMessage app
Reminders
No text blasts to guests
- Shared photo album and Apple Music playlist
- Co-hosts, plus-ones, and a visible guest list (added in 2026)
- Backgrounds from Image Playground
The catch: Only iPhone owners paying for iCloud+ can host, and there's no Android app.
Pick it if everyone you invite is on iPhone and you already pay for iCloud+.
4. Best for community, tech, and public events
Luma
Price
Free, with a 5% fee on paid tickets. Luma Plus is $59/mo (billed annually) with no platform fee.
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android (fewer features on Android)
Guests RSVP by
Enter a name and email on the event page. No account.
Invites go out by
Email, or text and WhatsApp for guests who've linked a phone
Reminders
Automatic email reminders a day and an hour before, plus blasts
- Ticket types, coupons, waitlists, and approval-only events
- Calendars people can subscribe to, with newsletters
- Unlimited co-hosts and check-in tools
The catch: Built for organizers. The email form feels formal for a birthday, and texts only reach guests who opted in.
Pick it if you run a meetup, a workshop series, or anything with a public signup.
5. Best for friend groups that already live in WhatsApp
WhatsApp Events
Price
Free
Works on
iPhone, Android, and web
Guests RSVP by
In the chat, or from a link for people without WhatsApp (rolling out November 2026)
Invites go out by
The group chat, or an event link
Reminders
Custom event reminders
- Plus-ones and cover photos
- Hides the host's number from guests they don't know
The catch: Little design, and the plan still lives inside a busy group thread.
Pick it if your group already plans everything in WhatsApp.
6. Best for classic kids' and family party invites
Evite
Price
Free with ads. Ad-free Premium is $17.99–$99.99 per event.
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android
Guests RSVP by
From the link in the email or text
Invites go out by
Email, text (US and Canada), or a share link
Reminders
Up to five scheduled reminders by email, or text for guests invited by text
- Huge library of card designs
- Read receipts on email and text invites
- Photo gallery on Premium
The catch: Free invites show ads and gift guides. Removing them costs per event.
Pick it if you want a traditional card look and don't mind ads or paying per event.
7. Best for weddings and formal invitations
Paperless Post
Price
Free designs to up to 50 recipients (unlimited by share link). Beyond that, and for premium designs, you pay per guest in Coins.
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android
Guests RSVP by
From the invite link
Invites go out by
Email, text, or a share link
- Stationery-style designs with envelopes, liners, and stamps
- Guest tags, check-in, and analytics on higher tiers
The catch: Coin pricing is confusing and adds up per guest once you pass 50 recipients or use a premium design.
Pick it if the invitation itself needs to feel like paper.
8. Best for character-themed kids' parties
Punchbowl
Price
No free plan for new events after the trial. Memberships from $2.99/mo (promo).
Works on
Web and iPhone
Guests RSVP by
No account needed
Invites go out by
Text or email
- Licensed character designs, including Disney
- Co-hosts and guest polls on higher plans
The catch: You need a paid membership to send invites for new events.
Pick it if your kid will only accept a specific character on the invite.
9. Best for public, ticketed events
Eventbrite
Price
Free events are free. Paid tickets: 3.7% + $1.79 per ticket, plus 2.9% processing.
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android
Guests RSVP by
Register on the event page
Invites go out by
A public listing link and email
Reminders
Email (marketing email from $15/mo)
- Discovery marketplace for public events
- Ticket scanning and check-in
The catch: Overkill for a private party. It's built around public listings and ticket fees.
Pick it if you're selling tickets to strangers.
10. Best for nightlife and paid social events
Posh
Price
Free to host. Fees on paid tickets.
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android
Guests RSVP by
From the event page
Invites go out by
Event link and text blasts
Reminders
Text blasts, up to 10 per 30 days
- Ticketing built for promoters
- Local event discovery
The catch: Made for promoters and ticket sales, not private get-togethers.
Pick it if you're throwing a ticketed night out.
11. Best for groups where everyone is still on Facebook
Facebook Events
Price
Free
Works on
Web, iPhone, and Android
Guests RSVP by
In Facebook
Invites go out by
In Facebook, or email and text for some events
Reminders
Facebook notifications and event posts
- Public discovery for local events
- Going, Maybe, and Can't Go
The catch: A lot of people don't open Facebook anymore, and inviting people off Facebook isn't available for every event.
Pick it if your group, club, or neighborhood already organizes there.

How we compared

We looked at what matters when you’re getting people together: what it costs, what guests have to do to RSVP, how invites and reminders reach people, and what each app is honestly best at. Prices and features come from each app’s own pricing and help pages, listed below. Apps change. If something here is out of date, tell us at hello@littleinvite.com and we’ll fix it.

Questions people ask

What's the best app for party invitations?

For casual parties and dinners, Little Invite: free, no ads, and guests RSVP from a text without an app. Partiful is the other popular choice for parties. For public events use Luma, for ticketed events Eventbrite or Posh, and for formal invitations Paperless Post.

What's the best free invitation app without ads?

Little Invite is free with no ads and no paid tiers. Luma's free plan has no ads either, and Partiful is free to host with optional paid extras. Evite's free invitations show ads. Removing them costs $17.99 to $99.99 per event.

Do guests need to download an app to RSVP?

Not with most modern apps. On Little Invite and Partiful, guests tap the link and confirm a phone number with a texted code. Luma asks for a name and email, and Apple Invites has guests verify an email. Punchbowl doesn't require an account either.

Which invitation apps send invites and reminders by text?

Little Invite and Partiful are built around texting. Evite can send invites by text in the US and Canada, and texts reminders to people invited that way. Paperless Post and Punchbowl can deliver invites by text. Luma texts only guests who've linked a phone number.

What should I use if some of my friends have Android phones?

Avoid Apple Invites for hosting, since it's iPhone-only and needs iCloud+. Little Invite works for Android guests in any browser. Partiful, Luma, Evite, and Eventbrite all have Android apps.

Can an AI assistant make the invite for me?

With Little Invite, yes. Connect it to Claude, ChatGPT, or another assistant that supports MCP, then say something like "make an invite for my birthday on December 4th at Arapahoe Basin." It sets up a draft with the date, place, background, and cover photo, and you publish when you're happy. See littleinvite.com/guide/getting-started/using-an-ai-assistant.

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