The best Zola alternatives, sorted by why you're leaving
The best Zola alternative depends on why you're leaving. For planning without seating paywalls or marketing email, Amovera ($129 once) is the strongest swap. For a free website, RSVPs and a cash fund, pick Joy. For a free seating chart and budget, WeddingWire. Minted suits design-led couples; WedSites suits pay-once website buyers.
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| App | Score | Price | Vendor sharing | Guest list | Online RSVP | Seating chart | Budget tracker | Multi-event | Wedding website | Registry | Vendor marketplace | Mobile app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amovera | 8.8 | $129 once | No | Included: Import from a spreadsheet or add guests manually; household/party grouping, custom groups, adult/child/infant counts, contact details, PDF guest reports | Included: Unique RSVP link per party, optional password, per-event RSVPs, plus-ones, dietary needs, follow-up reminder emails | Included: Drag-and-drop floor plan, round/square/rectangle/sweetheart tables, auto-build, linked to RSVPs, separate plan per event, printable | Included: Categories and subcategories, planned/committed/partially paid/paid status, multiple payments per expense, due-date alerts, multi-currency (USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD and more) | Included: Unlimited events (ceremony, rehearsal dinner, brunch...) with own timeline, RSVPs and seating plan | Not available: No wedding website builder; guests get branded RSVP pages via their personal link | Not available | Not available: Deliberately none; no vendor listings or recommendations | Limited: works in mobile browser, no native app |
| Joy | 6.4 | Free + paid extras | No | Included: Households/parties, named or blank plus-ones, tags (A/B list, side, custom), Contact Collector, CSV import. | Included: RSVP per event, meal and dietary questions, custom questions, email reminders free (text reminders paid). | Not available: No seating chart tool is listed in Joy's help center or pricing page. | Limited: Joy shows a simple budget tracker (category, budgeted, actual, paid); independent comparisons call it minimal or absent, and it is not listed in Joy's help-center overview. | Included: Separate RSVPs for ceremony, reception, rehearsal and other events. | Included: Free themes, schedule, travel, Q&A and accommodations pages; custom domain about $19.99/year. | Included: Universal registry plus Joy Shop; no Joy fee on Venmo/PayPal/Cash App cash funds; card gifts carry a guest-paid Stripe fee; 20% completion discount after the wedding. | Not available | Included: iOS rated 4.8 (about 8.7K ratings); Android rated lower at 4.4 (about 12.4K reviews). |
| WeddingWire | 6.3 | Free | On inquiry | Included: Import contacts, group guests, sort by category, meal and dietary choices, export the list to send to your stationer. | Included: RSVPs and meal selections on the wedding website sync to the guest list, per event. | Included: Drag-and-drop floor plan with round or square tables plus dance floor and DJ booth, synced to the guest list, for several events; print, email or export as a chart or list. | Included: Estimates category costs from your total budget, custom categories and line items, paid vs pending. Due dates, export and currencies are not mentioned. | Included: Guest list and seating for rehearsal dinner, brunch and other events. | Included: Free, custom URL, password protection and hiding from search, RSVP sync, registry links. | Limited: Links retailer registries (e.g. Target, Amazon, Crate & Barrel) and honeymoon funds like Traveler's Joy in one place; no native cash fund found. | Included: Shares the vendor network behind The Knot (WeddingPro storefronts appear on both). | Included: iPhone and Android; one 2025 review says the iOS app is not formatted for iPad. |
| Minted | 5.2 | Free | No | Included: Guest list lives in the Minted address book; import, add manually or send an address-collection link. The same list feeds envelope printing and place cards. | Included: Guests look themselves up by name and answer for their whole party; multiple-choice (e.g. entrees) and short-answer questions, required or optional. | Not available: No digital seating chart tool. You can order printed seating charts and place cards. | Not available | Included: Invite guests per event (e.g. rehearsal dinner); private events only show to invited guests. | Included: Free, hundreds of artist themes, password protection and option to hide from search engines. Custom domain $15/yr. | Limited: Displays links to outside retailer and cash registries; no own registry. | Not available | Limited: Website is mobile-friendly. The only app is 'Minted: The Address Book' (iOS), not a wedding planning app. |
| WedSites | 7.1 | $39 once | No | Paid extra: Standard ($99) and up: unlimited guests, groups and households. | Paid extra: Standard ($99) and up: online RSVP per event, custom questions, meal choices and dietary needs. | Paid extra: Pro ($199): list-based drag-and-drop with named tables (no visual table shapes), colour-coded by guest group, print view and CSV export. No place or escort cards. | Paid extra: Pro ($199): budget calculator with tracking and vendor payment reminders; budget export. | Paid extra: Standard ($99) and up: multi-event RSVP management. | Paid extra: Free to design, $39+ to publish. Drag-and-drop builder, all themes, password protection, custom domain included. Multilingual site on Pro. | Limited: Links to outside registries only; no built-in registry. | Not available | Not available: Web only; works in a mobile browser. |
Included IncludedPaid extra Paid extraLimited LimitedNot available Not available
Why do couples leave Zola?
Most couples leave Zola over paywalls on planning features, marketing email, or registry problems, not over the website itself. Zola is still one of the best free all-in-one hubs (see our Zola review), but a few things push people out:
- The seating chart costs extra. It’s free for up to 15 guests, then $14.99 to upgrade, and Zola’s help center says it lives in the iOS app. Couples “living in Zola” often find this out late.
- Texting guests is paid. Messaging your whole guest list needs Premium Guest Messaging, listed at $59.99 to $79.99 in the App Store.
- No Android app since January 1, 2023. Android couples plan in the mobile browser.
- Only one partner login. A planner or parent has to share your account.
- Marketing email and data sharing. Zola’s privacy policy says it shares personal information with advertising partners (you can opt out), and vendors pay Zola for leads. Couples on Reddit report heavy marketing email and some use a separate address.
- Registry and RSVP complaints. Zola’s Trustpilot score is 1.2 out of 5 from 185 reviews, mostly about late or damaged gifts and slow support. Some couples on Reddit also report RSVPs going missing and a site they couldn’t customize.
| If you’re leaving because of… | Switch to |
|---|---|
| Seating chart paywall, marketing email | Amovera |
| Registry fees, one-partner limit, no Android app | Joy |
| Wanting everything free, including seating | WeddingWire |
| Design and matching stationery | Minted |
| Wanting a paid site with no data sharing, bought once | WedSites |
1. Amovera: switch to it if you want the planning tools without the upsells
Amovera is the strongest Zola alternative for the planning side: guests, RSVPs, seating and budget. It costs $129 once, with a 60-day money-back guarantee, and every feature is included, so there’s no $14.99 seating upgrade or paid texting tier to find later.
What it does better than Zola: the drag-and-drop seating plan is linked to RSVPs, with a separate plan per event. Each guest party gets its own RSVP link with plus-ones, dietary needs and reminder emails. The budget handles deposits and installments per expense in several currencies. Two accounts are included, so both partners get their own login. There are no ads in the app and no vendor marketplace, and its privacy policy says it does not sell personal information to data brokers.
What it doesn’t do: there’s no wedding website, no registry and no native phone app (it runs in the browser). It launched in May 2026 and has no independent reviews yet. The honest setup for most ex-Zola couples is Amovera for planning plus a free Joy site and registry, or keep your Zola registry. Read our Amovera review or see the head-to-head in Amovera vs Zola.
2. Joy: switch to it if you want a free website and registry with better RSVPs
Joy is the closest like-for-like replacement: a free website, guest list, RSVPs, digital invites and a universal registry, on web, iOS and Android. Its per-event RSVPs with meal and custom questions are among the best in the category, and partners, parents or a planner can each get their own admin login.
On cash funds, Joy charges no fee on Venmo, PayPal or Cash App gifts. Card gifts carry a Stripe fee paid by the guest (3.5% in Joy’s own example) plus $1.70 per bank transfer for you. Joy has no seating chart or checklist and only a basic budget, and texting guests needs its paid Messaging Plus upgrade. More in Zola vs Joy and our Joy review.
3. WeddingWire: switch to it if you want every tool free, seating included
WeddingWire gives you a real drag-and-drop seating chart synced to RSVPs, a budget planner, a checklist, a guest list and a website with a custom URL, and none of it costs anything. You can link one partner account.
The catch is the same one you may be leaving Zola over. WeddingWire belongs to The Knot Worldwide and runs on vendor advertising: messaging a vendor passes them your details, and the app prompts you to message similar vendors in bulk. There’s no built-in cash fund either. See our WeddingWire review.
4. Minted: switch to it if design is the reason you picked Zola
Minted’s free wedding website uses artist-designed themes that match its printed save the dates and invitations, which is Zola’s own pitch done with more design choice. RSVPs handle parties, meal choices and private events such as a rehearsal dinner, and a real custom domain is $15 a year. It has no seating, budget or checklist tools, and Minted earns its money on stationery. See our Minted review.
5. WedSites: switch to it if you’d rather pay once for a site with no marketplace
WedSites charges a one-time fee to publish: $99 for guest list and multi-event RSVPs, $199 for a checklist, budget and a list-based seating chart. It has no vendor marketplace and says it will not sell your personal information. Hosting runs out after 12 or 24 months unless you pay from $5 a month to extend it, and there’s no app. See our WedSites review.
How do you move your guest list out of Zola?
Export it as a spreadsheet first, then import it into the new app. Zola lets you export RSVPs and addresses as CSV or Excel, and the seating chart as PDF or Excel.
- Export guests and RSVPs from Zola’s guest list to CSV or Excel. Keep the original file untouched as a backup.
- Export the seating chart as PDF or Excel if you’ve started one.
- Clean the file. Match column names to your new app (first name, last name, household, email, address, meal choice). Amovera imports spreadsheets, Joy imports CSV, and WeddingWire imports contacts.
- Decide what to do with the registry. You can’t move purchased gifts, so most couples keep the Zola registry live and link to it from the new site. Zola’s 20% completion discount on unpurchased items runs for six months after the wedding.
- Tell guests only if the RSVP link changes. If they’ve already replied on Zola, carry those answers over in your export before switching sites.
Still weighing things up? The comparison table puts every app side by side, and our free apps guide explains what each “free” option actually costs.
Every pick, in order
Amovera
Best for: Couples who want one calm, ad-free place for guests, RSVPs, seating and budget, especially for multi-event or multi-currency weddings, and would rather pay once than be marketed to.
Amovera is the pick if privacy and a fixed price matter more to you than a free tier: $129 once buys guest list, per-event RSVPs, drag-and-drop seating, a detailed budget tracker and partner collaboration with no ads or vendor spam. It is new and web-only, has no registry and no independent reviews yet, so lean on the 60-day refund to decide.
- Price
- $129 once
- Platforms
- Web
- Rating
- No app store ratings yet
What we like
- One payment of $129 covers every feature for good, with a 60-day no-questions refund, so there are no upsells to budget for.
- No vendor marketplace and no lead-sharing: signing up does not put your email or phone number in front of caterers and photographers.
- Strong multi-event support: each event (ceremony, rehearsal dinner, brunch) gets its own RSVPs, timeline and seating plan.
Watch out for
- No native iOS or Android app; on your phone it runs in the browser only.
- No gift registry, so you will need a separate registry service.
- No free tier: you pay $129 upfront and rely on the 60-day refund to try it.
Read the full Amovera reviewTry Amovera
We make Amovera. How we keep this fair.
Joy
Best for: Couples who mainly want a free wedding website with strong RSVPs and a cash fund without Joy fees, planning together with a partner or family.
Joy is the best free choice if your priorities are the wedding website, RSVPs and a cash fund: guest tools are excellent and Joy charges no fees on Venmo/PayPal/Cash App gifts. It isn't a full planner. There's no seating chart or checklist, the budget tool is thin, and texting and premium designs cost extra.
- Price
- Free + paid extras
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Rating
- 4.4 on Google Play (12,400 ratings)
What we like
- Website, guest list, RSVPs, digital invites and registry are free, with unlimited guests.
- RSVP tools are among the best in the category: households, plus-ones, per-event RSVPs, meal and custom questions.
- Joy charges no fee on cash funds paid via Venmo, PayPal or Cash App (the platforms may charge for instant transfers).
Watch out for
- No seating chart and no planning checklist, so you'll need another tool for those.
- Budget tracking is basic at best.
- Card contributions to cash funds add a Stripe fee for guests (3.5% in Joy's own example) and $1.70 per bank transfer for you.
WeddingWire
Best for: Couples who want a free, all-in-one planner with a real seating chart and budget tracker, plus a large US vendor directory.
WeddingWire is the stronger planning toolkit of the two Knot Worldwide brands. Everything is free, the seating chart is real, the budget tracker works and you can link a partner account. The trade-offs are the same as The Knot's: vendor inquiries feed a lead-selling business, data is shared across the group and with ad partners, and vendors rate the company badly.
- Price
- Free
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Rating
- 4.8 on Apple App Store (45,890 ratings)
What we like
- Every planning tool is free, with no paid tier and no couple-side fees.
- A proper drag-and-drop seating chart with table shapes and floor elements, synced to RSVPs, for several events.
- Budget planner tracks paid vs pending and pulls in vendor prices from the Vendor Manager.
Watch out for
- Messaging vendors shares your details, and the app nudges you to message similar vendors in bulk, which leads to more follow-up.
- The privacy policy allows sharing within the company group, with marketing partners and with ad technology providers unless you opt out.
- No native cash fund; registry is mostly linking to other stores.
Minted
Best for: Design-focused couples who plan to buy printed invitations and want a free, matching wedding website with solid RSVPs.
Minted is the best pick if you want a free wedding website that matches your printed invitations; the site, RSVPs and multi-event invites cost nothing and a real domain is $15/year. It has no seating, budget or checklist tools, so pair it with a separate planner, and budget for stationery, which is where Minted earns its money.
- Price
- Free
- Platforms
- Web
- Rating
- 4.4 on Apple App Store (2,636 ratings)
What we like
- The website is free, including RSVP, guest list, multi-event invites and password protection.
- A real custom domain costs $15/year, cheaper than most competitors' domain add-ons.
- Site, save the dates, invitations and thank-you cards can share one artist design, and you can switch designs without losing entered info.
Watch out for
- No seating chart, budget, checklist or vendor tools: it is a website and stationery shop, not a planner.
- Printed stationery is the real cost; classic invitations start around $2.34 each at 100 cards before extras.
- Minted's Trustpilot score is 2.5/5 across 2,300+ reviews, mostly about late shipping, print errors and slow support on stationery orders.
WedSites
Best for: Organized couples who want a website, RSVPs and planning tools in one place for a single one-time payment and can live without an app.
WedSites is the best one-time-payment option if you want your website, guest list, RSVPs and planning tools together: $99 covers guests and RSVPs, $199 adds checklist, budget and seating. There is no free published site and no app, and hosting ends after 6 to 24 months, so check how long you need the site live before choosing a plan.
- Price
- $39 once
- Platforms
- Web
- Rating
- No app store ratings yet
What we like
- One-time pricing ($39, $99 or $199) with no subscription, and a 14-day money-back guarantee.
- The $199 Pro plan combines website, guest list, RSVPs, checklist, budget, vendors, seating and timeline in one login.
- Multi-event RSVPs with custom questions, meal and dietary tracking on the $99 Standard plan.
Watch out for
- You can't publish for free; RSVP needs at least the $99 plan and planning tools need $199.
- Hosting runs out after 6, 12 or 24 months; keeping the site up costs from $5/month.
- No iOS or Android app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Zola?
For planning, Amovera: guest list, per-event RSVPs, a seating chart linked to RSVPs and a detailed budget for $129 once, with no ads or vendor leads. For a free wedding website and registry, Joy is the closest like-for-like swap.
Is Joy better than Zola?
Joy is better for RSVPs, multiple admins and an Android app, and it charges no fee on Venmo, PayPal or Cash App cash-fund gifts. Zola is better for its registry, budget tracker and checklist. Neither has a free full seating chart.
Can I export my guest list from Zola?
Yes. Zola lets you export RSVPs and addresses as a CSV or Excel file, and the seating chart as PDF or Excel. Export before you delete anything, then import the file into your new app.
Can I keep my Zola registry and plan somewhere else?
Yes, and many couples should. The registry works on its own, and Zola offers a 20% completion discount on unpurchased items for six months after the wedding. You can plan guests, seating and budget in another tool and just link to the registry.
Is there a free Zola alternative?
Yes. Joy, WeddingWire and Minted are all free for their core tools. Joy covers the website, RSVPs and registry; WeddingWire adds a free seating chart and budget; Minted gives you a free website that matches printed invitations.