Zola vs Joy: which free wedding platform should you use?
It depends on what you need. Zola is the fuller planner, with a budget tracker, a month-by-month checklist and a seating chart ($14.99 past 15 guests). Joy is the better guest platform: excellent RSVPs, logins for partners, parents or a planner, an Android app and no vendor marketplace. Both are free.
| 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). |
Included IncludedPaid extra Paid extraLimited LimitedNot available Not available
Zola and Joy are the two free platforms couples compare most, and “Is Zola or Withjoy better?” shows up in Google’s People Also Ask on four different wedding-app searches. Both give you a free website, guest list, RSVPs and a universal registry. The difference is what surrounds that core: Zola adds planning tools and a vendor marketplace, while Joy focuses on the guest experience and leaves planning to you.
Zola vs Joy head to head
| Zola | Joy | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free; seating $14.99 past 15 guests; guest texting $59.99–$79.99 | Free; texting via Messaging Plus (one-time, price not published); custom domain about $19.99/yr |
| Cash fund card fee | 2.5%, guest pays by default, you can cover it; Venmo fee-free | Stripe fee paid by guest (3.5% in Joy’s example), $1.70 per transfer; Venmo, PayPal, Cash App fee-free |
| Budget | Tracker with allocations and payment reminders | Basic at best |
| Seating chart | Yes, iOS only, paid past 15 guests | No |
| Checklist | Month-by-month | No |
| RSVPs | Per event, meals, custom questions | Per event, meals, dietary and custom questions, plus-ones |
| Collaboration | One partner | Partners, parents, planner as separate admins |
| Vendor marketplace | Yes, vendors pay for leads | No |
| Apps | Web, iOS (no Android) | Web, iOS, Android |
| Ratings | iOS 4.9 (97,659); Trustpilot 1.2 (185) | iOS 4.8 (8,711); Google Play 4.4 (12,400); Trustpilot 3.7 (791) |
Which is cheaper, Zola or Joy?
Both cost nothing for the core tools; the add-ons differ. Zola charges for a full seating chart and for texting, and Joy charges for texting and a custom domain.
Zola’s seating chart is free up to 15 guests and $14.99 to unlock beyond that. Group texting costs $59.99 to $79.99 in the iOS app. Joy’s Messaging Plus is a one-time purchase that unlocks text blasts and reminders, but Joy does not publish the price, and reviewers complain about being asked to pay partway through a task. Email messaging stays free on Joy.
On cash funds, Joy is cheaper if guests pay by Venmo, PayPal or Cash App, since Joy charges nothing on those. On card gifts, Zola is kinder: 2.5% that you can choose to absorb, while Joy’s card fee goes to Stripe and is paid by the guest, plus a $1.70 fee each time you move the balance to your bank.
Which is better for planning?
Zola. Joy has no seating chart, no checklist and only a thin budget tool, so most Joy couples run a spreadsheet alongside it.
Zola’s budget suggests allocations from your total and sends payment reminders, and its checklist is tied to your wedding date. The seating chart pulls guests from your list and exports to PDF or Excel. The catches: it lives in the iOS app, and there has been no Zola Android app since January 1, 2023. If budget or seating is your main worry, our wedding budget apps and seating chart apps guides go further.
Which is better for guests and RSVPs?
Joy, narrowly. Both handle per-event RSVPs and meal choices well, but Joy’s guest tools are deeper and couples often call its RSVP flow the best they tried.
Joy supports households, named or blank plus-ones, A/B list tags, dietary and custom questions, and CSV export of all or selected guests. Zola matches most of this and adds a Contact Collector link and free envelope addressing. Fresh Reddit threads cut against both: some Joy couples call it buggy and could not email only the guests who said yes to one event, while some Zola couples report RSVPs going missing. Neither has a clean record, so check your RSVP list against a few guests you know have replied. Our RSVP app guide compares more options.
Which is better for planning together?
Joy. It lets partners, parents or a planner each have their own admin login and edit at the same time. Zola allows one partner invite and no separate planner logins.
Which is better for privacy?
Joy, because it has no vendor marketplace, so signing up does not lead to vendor sales calls. Neither is ad-free behind the scenes.
Zola’s vendors pay for leads, and couples report heavy marketing email after signing up. Zola’s privacy policy says it shares personal information with advertising partners and occasionally shares its postal mailing list. Joy’s policy says it “sells” some identifiers and internet activity under California’s definition and shares them with ad networks. Both offer opt-outs.
If you want planning tools without ads or any vendor marketplace, Amovera is the private, pay-once option at $129; it has no registry or website, so couples often pair it with a free Joy or Zola site.
Pick Zola if… / pick Joy if…
Pick Zola if:
- You want the budget, checklist and seating chart in the same account as your website and registry.
- You are on an iPhone and do not mind $14.99 for seating past 15 guests.
- You are registering mainly for physical gifts and want the 20% completion discount.
Pick Joy if:
- The website and RSVPs are what you need most, especially for several events.
- Parents or a planner need their own logins.
- You or your partner use Android.
- You want to avoid vendor marketplaces, and your guests will send cash through Venmo, PayPal or Cash App.
Read the full Zola review and Joy review, compare Joy vs The Knot, or see every app side by side on /compare.
The two apps at a glance
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.
Frequently asked questions
Is Zola or Joy better?
Zola is better if you want planning tools in the same place as your website, since it has a budget tracker, checklist and seating chart. Joy is better for RSVPs, planning with several people and Android users, and it has no vendor marketplace. Neither has a clear edge on the website itself; couples on Reddit argue both ways.
Is Joy really free?
The website, guest list, RSVPs, digital invites and registry are free with unlimited guests. Texting guests needs Messaging Plus, a one-time purchase with no published price, and a custom domain costs about $19.99 a year. Card gifts to cash funds carry a Stripe fee paid by the guest.
Which has lower cash fund fees, Zola or Joy?
Both have fee-free options: Zola via Venmo, Joy via Venmo, PayPal or Cash App. On card gifts, Zola charges 2.5% and lets you cover it; Joy passes a Stripe fee to the guest (3.5% in its own August 2026 example) and charges you $1.70 per bank transfer.
Does Joy have a seating chart?
No. Joy's help center and pricing page list no seating chart tool, and it has no planning checklist either. Zola has a seating chart, free up to 15 guests and $14.99 to unlock beyond that in its iOS app.
Is Joy a good wedding registry?
For cash funds, yes: Joy charges no fee on Venmo, PayPal or Cash App gifts and has a universal registry with a 20% completion discount. Some couples complain that returned items become Joy store credit rather than refunds. Zola's registry is more established for physical gifts but has a 1.2 Trustpilot score driven by shipping complaints.