Amovera vs Zola: pay once for privacy, or plan free with Zola?
Amovera is the better planner, Zola the better free hub. For $129 once, Amovera gives you a full seating chart, a multi-currency budget, per-event RSVPs and no ads or vendor leads. Zola is free and adds a registry, wedding website and iOS app. Many couples will do best planning in Amovera and registering on Zola.
We make Amovera. How we keep this fair.
| 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 |
| 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. |
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Amovera and Zola are built on opposite business models. Zola is free because it earns from registry sales, stationery and vendors who pay for leads. Amovera charges $129 once and has no marketplace, no ads and no registry. That single difference explains most of what follows: Amovera goes deeper on the planning tools, and Zola covers more ground for free.
Amovera vs Zola head to head
| Amovera | Zola | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $129 one time, 60-day refund | Free; seating $14.99 past 15 guests; texting $59.99–$79.99 |
| Seating chart | Drag and drop, auto-build, linked to RSVPs, one plan per event, printable | iOS app only; free up to 15 guests |
| Budget | Categories, installments, due-date alerts, multi-currency | Allocations, payment reminders, contract upload |
| RSVPs | Per party link, per event, plus-ones, dietary, reminder emails | On your website, per event, meals, custom questions |
| Accounts | Two (you and your partner) | You plus one partner |
| Registry | No | Yes; 2.5% card fee on cash funds, Venmo fee-free |
| Wedding website | No (branded RSVP pages only) | Yes, free |
| Vendor marketplace | No | Yes, vendors pay for leads |
| Ads | None in the app | Shares data with ad partners |
| Apps | Web only | Web, iOS (no Android) |
| Export | CSV and PDF of guests, seating, budget | CSV/Excel guests, PDF/Excel seating |
| Ratings | None yet (launched May 2026) | iOS 4.9 (97,659); Trustpilot 1.2 (185) |
Which costs less, Amovera or Zola?
Zola, for most couples. It is free, and Amovera is $129 up front. The gap narrows if you need Zola’s paid extras.
A full Zola seating chart costs $14.99 once you pass 15 guests, and texting your whole guest list is a paid upgrade listed at $59.99 to $79.99. Add both and Zola costs about $75 to $95, still less than Amovera, with the ads and marketplace still attached. Amovera’s $129 covers every feature for good, with a full refund within 60 days, so there is nothing to upsell later.
Which is better for seating and RSVPs?
Amovera. Its seating chart has no guest cap, works on any device with a browser, and reads directly from your RSVPs, with a separate plan for each event.
Zola’s seating chart has drag-and-drop tables and PDF or Excel export, but it lives in the iOS app, and couples on Reddit report finding the paywall only after moving their guest list in. Amovera offers round, square, rectangle and sweetheart tables, auto-build and printable output, and updates as guests reply. On RSVPs, both handle several events, which matters because 37% of couples host at least one additional event. Amovera sends each party its own RSVP link, with an optional password and reminder emails. Zola’s RSVPs run through your wedding website, with meal choices and custom questions. See our seating chart apps and multi-event planners for more.
Which has the better budget tracker?
Amovera, especially for destination or multi-currency weddings. Zola’s budget is one of its strengths, and couples on Reddit like it, so this is closer than seating.
Zola suggests allocations from your total, sends payment reminders and stores contracts. Amovera tracks planned, committed, partially paid and paid items, records several payments per expense, alerts you to due dates and handles USD, EUR, GBP, CAD, AUD and more. Vendor contacts and quotes link straight to budget lines. Useful when, per Zola’s own data, 69% of couples exceed their first budget.
Which is better for privacy?
Amovera. It has no ads in the app, no marketplace and no lead-selling. Zola is a lead-driven business.
Zola’s vendors pay for leads, and its privacy policy says it shares personal information with advertising partners and occasionally gives its postal mailing list to other companies. Couples report heavy marketing email after signing up. Amovera’s policy says it does not sell personal information to data brokers or share guest lists and budgets with advertisers. To be precise: Amovera’s marketing website does use Google Analytics and Meta Pixel to advertise itself elsewhere. The planning data stays out of it.
Where does Zola win?
Zola wins on price, registry, website and mobile app, and those are real advantages.
It is free. Its universal registry supports group gifts and cash funds, with a zero-fee Venmo option and a 20% completion discount for six months after the wedding. Its free website matches Zola stationery. Its iOS app has 4.9 stars from about 98,000 ratings, and it has years of track record. Amovera launched in May 2026 and has no independent reviews or app store ratings yet, no native app and no registry.
Pick Amovera if… / pick Zola if…
Pick Amovera if:
- You want a seating chart with no guest cap that updates from RSVPs.
- Your budget has deposits, installments or more than one currency.
- You are hosting several events and want separate RSVPs and seating for each.
- You would rather pay once than deal with ads, upsells and vendor email.
Pick Zola if:
- You want to spend nothing.
- You need a registry and a wedding website in one place.
- You plan mostly on an iPhone and want a native app.
The honest stack: plan in Amovera, and open a free Zola account just for the registry and cash funds. You get Amovera’s planning tools, Zola’s registry and website for free, and your guest list and budget stay out of a marketplace. Read the full Amovera review and Zola review, or see Zola alternatives.
The two apps at a glance
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.
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).
Frequently asked questions
Is Amovera better than Zola?
As a planning tool, yes on the facts: its seating chart has no guest cap, its budget handles installments and several currencies, both partners get accounts, and there are no ads or vendor marketplace. Zola is free and has a registry, a wedding website and a highly rated iOS app, which Amovera does not. They do different jobs, so many couples can use both.
Is Amovera free?
No. Amovera costs $129 once for lifetime access to every feature and two accounts, with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Zola is free for its core tools and charges for extras like the seating chart past 15 guests ($14.99) and guest texting ($59.99 to $79.99).
Does Amovera have a registry or wedding website?
No. Amovera has no gift registry and no website builder; guests reply through personal RSVP pages. If you want a registry and site, a free Zola or Joy account covers that alongside Amovera.
Does Amovera have an app?
Not a native one. Amovera runs in any browser, including on your phone, but there is no iOS or Android app. Zola has an iOS app rated 4.9 from about 98,000 ratings, and no Android app since 2023.
Can I use Amovera and Zola together?
Yes. A practical setup is to plan guests, RSVPs, seating and budget in Amovera, and use Zola only for its registry and cash funds. That keeps planning data out of a marketplace while guests still get a familiar registry.