The best free wedding planning apps, and what "free" really costs
Zola is the best free wedding planning app overall for US couples, Joy is the best free website and RSVP tool, and WeddingWire is the only fully free app with a real seating chart. None is free of catches: expect card fees on cash funds, paid upgrades, vendor follow-up or data sharing with ad partners.
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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zola | 6.7 | Free + paid extras | On inquiry | Included: Plus-ones, children, addresses, Contact Collector link, spreadsheet and AI import, free envelope addressing. App reviewers note only two adults per household unit. | Included: Online RSVP on your wedding website, meal choices, custom questions, RSVP per event. | Paid extra: Drag-and-drop tables, custom shapes, PDF/Excel export, pulls in guests from your list. Free up to 15 guests, then $14.99; help center says iOS app only. | Included: Allocation suggestions based on total budget, payment reminders, contract upload. | Included: Guests can RSVP to several events (rehearsal, welcome party, etc.) on your site. | Included: Free templates matched to Zola stationery; animations and effects are a paid add-on. Custom domain extra. | Included: Universal registry with group gifts and cash funds; 2.5% card fee on cash gifts (guest-paid by default) or zero-fee Venmo option; 20% completion discount for 6 months after the wedding. | Included: US vendor directory; vendors pay Zola for leads. | Limited: iOS app rated 4.9 (about 98K ratings). The Android app was shut down on January 1, 2023; Android users must use the mobile website. |
| 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. |
| The Knot | 4.2 | Free | On inquiry | Included: Guests organised by person and household, import from phone contacts or spreadsheets, gift tracking and thank-you tracking. | Included: RSVP through the wedding website, per event, with meal choice synced back to the guest list. Several 2026 App Store reviews say custom text/email messages to guests were removed or reduced. | Not available: No digital seating chart tool found in the help center (Sept 2026); The Knot sells printed seating-chart signs instead. | Limited: Budget Advisor estimates local wedding costs. The old expense-tracking Budgeter was retired; saved budgets were viewable only until July 31, 2025. | Included: Multiple events in the guest list with per-event RSVPs. | Included: Free wedding website synced with the guest list and registry; matching designs with The Knot stationery. | Included: Universal registry plus Cash Funds; The Knot takes no cut, but guests pay 2.5% on card payments. | Included: About 200,000 US vendors and 14.6M reviews (company figures, Feb 2026). | Included: iOS and Android; several 2026 reviews report freezes and parts of the guest list not loading in the app. |
| Bridebook | 6.6 | Free | On inquiry | Included: Groups/parties, plus-ones, dietary needs, day vs evening invitations; import from Excel, Google Sheets or CSV. | Included: Online RSVP via the wedding website, per event, custom questions, one guest can reply for their whole party; message guests from the inbox. | Not available: No table planner; you can group guests and export the list to build a seating plan elsewhere. | Included: Auto-generated budget breakdown from your total, 4 categories, estimated vs booked costs, free-text payment and deposit notes. | Included: Create multiple events (engagement party, ceremony, reception) and assign guests to each. | Included: Free wedding website with RSVPs, gift list and accommodation info. | Limited: You can add gift list details to the wedding website; no built-in cash fund or store. | Included: Large UK venue and supplier directory with filters, prices and couple reviews; also venues abroad. Paying suppliers get extra visibility. | Included: iOS and Android apps, synced with the web version. |
| 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. |
| 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 |
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What are the best free wedding planning apps?
Zola and Joy are the two best free apps, and WeddingWire is the best free pick if you need a seating chart. Here’s how the free options compare on what you actually get for $0.
| App | Best free for | Free seating chart | Real budget tracker | Vendor marketplace | Partner logins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zola | All-in-one (US, iPhone) | Up to 15 guests | Yes | Yes | One partner |
| Joy | Website, RSVPs, cash fund | No | Basic | No | Multiple admins |
| WeddingWire | Full planner incl. seating | Yes | Yes | Yes | One partner |
| The Knot | Finding US vendors | No | No (estimates only) | Yes | No |
| Bridebook | UK couples | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Minted | Design-led website | No | No | No | No |
Zola is the best free hub for US couples on iPhone: website, registry, guest list with per-event RSVPs, a budget with payment reminders and a month-by-month checklist, all linked. There’s no Android app. See Zola vs Joy for the head-to-head.
Joy has the best free RSVPs (households, plus-ones, per-event replies, custom questions), works on iOS, Android and web, and lets partners, parents and a planner each log in. It has no seating chart or checklist.
WeddingWire is the only app here where every tool is free with no paid tier, including a drag-and-drop seating chart synced to RSVPs. You pay with vendor follow-up instead.
The Knot is free and has the biggest US vendor directory, but as a planner it has fallen behind: no budget tracker since 2025, no seating chart, no partner accounts.
Bridebook is the UK’s free all-in-one, built around venue and supplier search. Minted gives you a free website that matches its printed invitations, with solid RSVPs but no planning tools.
What does “free” actually cost?
Free apps make money in three ways: fees on gifts, paid upgrades, and selling access to you (vendor leads and ad data). None of that makes them bad choices. It just helps to know which one you’re signing up for.
Fees on cash funds and gifts
Cash-fund fees usually land on your guests, and the rules differ by app.
| App | Card fee on cash gifts | Who pays | Fee-free option |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zola | 2.5% | Guests by default; you can absorb it | Venmo |
| The Knot | 2.5% | Guests; you can’t cover it | Venmo |
| Joy | Stripe fee (3.5% in Joy’s example) plus $1.70 per bank transfer | Guests pay the %, you pay the transfer | Venmo, PayPal, Cash App |
| WeddingWire | No native cash fund | Linked services set their own fees | n/a |
Sources: Zola’s help center shows the fee as a “Handling Fee” at checkout; The Knot’s help center says the guest must pay it; Joy’s help center says its rate is subject to change.
Paid upgrades
Several “free” apps charge for one feature you may only discover mid-task.
- Zola: the seating chart is free up to 15 guests, then $14.99 (iOS app only, per Zola). Texting your whole guest list costs $59.99 to $79.99. Website effects are $1.99 to $9.99.
- Joy: texting guests needs Messaging Plus (a one-time purchase, price not published). A custom domain is about $19.99 a year.
- Minted: a custom domain is $15 a year. The real cost is stationery: classic invitations start around $2.34 each at 100 cards.
- The Knot: printed stationery is paid, and custom card backs cost $0.35 per card.
Vendor leads and your data
The Knot, WeddingWire, Zola and Bridebook all run vendor marketplaces, and contacting a vendor passes your details to them. The Knot Worldwide’s privacy policy says some disclosures to outside companies may count as a “sale” under US state laws. Zola’s policy says it shares personal information with advertising partners, with an opt-out. Joy has no vendor marketplace, but its policy says it “sells” some identifiers and browsing data as California law defines it. Bridebook lets paying venues target couples by budget, year and season.
The practical fix, repeated across Reddit wedding threads: sign up with a separate wedding email address, and use each app’s opt-out page. Our no-ads, private apps list goes deeper.
Can you plan a wedding for free without any app?
Yes. Google Sheets is the most common answer on Reddit when couples ask which app to use, and it has a free wedding planning template in its gallery. Many couples run a hybrid: a spreadsheet for the budget and master guest list, plus one free app (usually Zola or Joy) for the website and RSVPs. A spreadsheet has no fees and no marketing, but no RSVP links or seating layout either.
What’s the best free combination?
For most US couples, this stack covers everything for $0 in app fees:
- Website, RSVPs and registry: Joy (fee-free Venmo, PayPal and Cash App gifts) or Zola (stronger registry, budget and checklist).
- Seating chart: WeddingWire’s free tool, or Zola’s if you have 15 guests or fewer.
- Budget: Zola’s tracker or a spreadsheet.
The cost is juggling two or three logins and re-typing guest data between them. For more single-purpose picks, see our best seating chart apps, best budget apps and best RSVP apps.
When is a paid app worth it instead?
A paid app is worth it when the hidden costs of free (vendor follow-up, per-feature upgrades, several disconnected tools) bother you more than a one-time price. Amovera is the paid option we list here, and it is not free: it costs $129 once, with a 60-day money-back guarantee.
For that you get a guest list, per-event RSVP links, a seating chart linked to RSVPs, a budget with installments and multiple currencies, tasks and vendor tracking in one place, with two accounts, no ads in the app and no vendor marketplace. It has no website, no registry and no native app, so the honest setup is Amovera for planning plus a free Joy or Zola registry. Compare it in our Amovera review, or see every app side by side on the comparison table.
Every pick, in order
Zola
Best for: US couples on iPhone who want one free place for their website, registry, guest list and budget, and who plan to register for physical gifts.
Zola is the best free all-in-one choice for US couples on iPhone: the website, registry, guest list and budget tools work well together and cost nothing. Be ready to pay $14.99 for a seating chart over 15 guests, to pay extra for group texts, and for marketing email. There's no Android app.
- Price
- Free + paid extras
- Platforms
- Web, iOS
- Rating
- 4.9 on Apple App Store (97,659 ratings)
What we like
- Website, registry, guest list, budget and checklist are free and all connected in one account.
- Guest list and RSVPs are strong: per-event RSVPs, meal choices, a Contact Collector link for addresses, and CSV/Excel export.
- 20% completion discount on unpurchased Zola registry items for six months after the wedding.
Watch out for
- No Android app since January 2023, so Android couples plan in the mobile browser.
- The seating chart is free only up to 15 guests ($14.99 to unlock) and, per Zola's help center, iOS-only.
- Texting your whole guest list is a paid upgrade ($59.99–$79.99 in-app).
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.
The Knot
Best for: Couples in the US who mainly want to find and compare local vendors and are happy to use a free website, registry and guest list in the same place.
The Knot is the best choice if finding US vendors is your main job: its marketplace is the biggest, and the website, guest list and registry are free. As a planning tool it has fallen behind. It dropped its expense tracker in 2025 and has no seating chart or partner accounts, and every inquiry feeds a lead-driven vendor business. Use it for discovery and the website, and plan the rest somewhere else.
- Price
- Free
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Rating
- 4.9 on Apple App Store (221,658 ratings)
What we like
- Everything is free for couples: guest list, website with RSVPs, checklist, registry and vendor search.
- Largest US vendor marketplace, with about 200,000 vendors and 14.6M reviews to compare.
- Guest list groups people into households and handles RSVPs and meal choices for several events.
Watch out for
- No real budget tracker since mid-2025: Budget Advisor estimates costs but doesn't track what you've paid.
- No digital seating chart tool.
- No partner accounts: the help center suggests sharing one login.
Bridebook
Best for: UK couples who want a free all-in-one planner built around finding and booking a venue and suppliers.
Bridebook is the best free all-in-one pick for UK couples whose biggest job is finding a venue and suppliers: the directory, checklist, budget, guest list, RSVPs and website cost nothing. The trade-off is that suppliers pay for visibility, there is no seating chart, and some users report slowness and disruptive redesigns. Outside the UK, its directory is much less useful.
- Price
- Free
- Platforms
- Web, iOS, Android
- Rating
- 4.8 on App Store (10,139 ratings)
What we like
- Completely free for couples: every planning tool, including the wedding website and RSVPs, costs nothing.
- The UK venue and supplier directory is the main draw, with filters, prices and couple reviews; Bridebook says 1.9 million+ weddings have been planned on it.
- Guest tools cover the UK basics well: day vs evening invites, plus-ones, dietary needs, per-event RSVPs and custom RSVP questions.
Watch out for
- No seating chart tool; you export the guest list and do the table plan elsewhere.
- Paid supplier promotion shapes what you see, and some couples feel the app is built to collect their details for suppliers.
- Deposit tracking is a free-text notes field, not proper payment schedules or due-date reminders.
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.
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.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best free wedding planning app?
Zola is the best free all-in-one for US couples on iPhone, with a website, registry, guest list, budget and checklist. Joy is the best free choice if you mainly need a website and RSVPs, and WeddingWire is best if you want a free seating chart.
Is The Knot really free?
Yes for couples. The Knot makes money from vendor advertising, stationery and registry partners. Guests paying into a Cash Fund by card pay a 2.5% fee that you can't cover for them; Venmo payments are fee-free.
Does Zola cost money?
The core tools are free. The seating chart is free up to 15 guests and $14.99 after, texting your whole guest list is a paid upgrade, and card gifts to cash funds carry a 2.5% fee that guests pay by default.
Is there a wedding planning app with no ads and no vendor spam that is free?
Joy comes closest: it has no vendor marketplace, so it doesn't pass your details to vendors, though its privacy policy allows sharing data with ad networks. A Google Sheets template is the only option with no marketing at all.
Is Amovera free?
No. Amovera costs $129 once, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. You pay instead of seeing ads or vendor leads, and every feature is included.