Best wedding planning platform for your situation

Pick the line that sounds like you. Each verdict comes from the same checked facts as the comparison table.

Jump to

Our pick: WedBuild

Free to start

WedBuild: website, RSVPs, guest list and checklist free for up to 50 guests, with no time limit.

  • Essentials is free for up to 50 guests with no time limit: website, RSVPs, guest list, invitations, checklist and the day's itinerary.
  • Every new account gets 7 days of every Pro tool, with no guest limit and no card, so you can try the seating chart and budget before paying anything.
  • If you upgrade, it's one payment (A$99 or A$199) for 2 years, not a subscription.

Consider instead

  • Joy if your guest list is over 50 and you only need a free website, RSVPs and a registry. WedBuild vs Joy
  • Zola if you're in the US and want a free website with a registry store. WedBuild vs Zola

Watch out: WedBuild's free plan stops at 50 guests. WedSites has no free plan you can publish on.

Our pick: WedBuild

Replacing spreadsheets

WedBuild: one guest list runs RSVPs, dietaries, the seating chart and the budget, so nothing is typed twice.

  • A guest's RSVP updates the guest list, dietary answer included, and the seating chart reads the same list.
  • The budget tracks invoices and payments (Standard and Pro), and on Pro vendor quotes feed into it.
  • Guest lists import from Excel or CSV on every plan.

Consider instead

  • Say I Do if you only need the website, RSVPs and seating on one list, with no budget. WedBuild vs Say I Do

Watch out: The seating chart and budget are on Standard (A$99) and Pro (A$199) after the 7-day trial.

Our pick: WedBuild

Australian weddings

WedBuild: Australian-made, priced in AUD, free to start, and texts reach Australian mobiles.

  • Prices are in AUD: free for up to 50 guests, then A$99 or A$199 once.
  • Text packs to guests (from A$19 for 50) reach Australian mobile numbers.
  • No supplier leads: it doesn't pass your details to vendors.

Consider instead

  • Easy Weddings if you're still choosing suppliers and want an Australian directory beside free tools. WedBuild vs Easy Weddings
  • Say I Do if you want an Australian website and RSVP app, and don't need a budget. WedBuild vs Say I Do
  • WedSites if you want a Melbourne-made website you design from scratch, and will pay for Pro to get seating. WedBuild vs WedSites

Watch out: Zola, Joy and The Knot are US platforms; Zola's prices are in US dollars.

Our pick: WedBuild

Professional planners

WedBuild Planner: every client wedding in one workspace, from A$29.99 a month, with a 14-day free trial.

  • One list of every client wedding, with what's overdue, due today and due this week across all of them.
  • Every wedding runs on the full Pro toolkit with unlimited guests, and couples join free as partners.
  • Team logins, read-only sharing for venues and vendors, and plans from Solo (up to 5 weddings, A$29.99 a month) to Unlimited (A$199.99 a month).

Watch out: None of the other platforms we compare mention a workspace for planners on the pages we read.

Our pick: WedBuild

Guest-heavy weddings with complex seating

WedBuild Pro: seating rules, Smart Seating, a room designer and a QR seat finder, with unlimited guests.

  • Unlimited guests on Standard and Pro, with seating rules, a chart check and more than one seating version.
  • Pro adds a visual room designer, Smart Seating that seats everyone automatically, and table cards with a dietary legend.
  • On the night, guests scan a QR code and see their table and seat.

Consider instead

  • Zola if you're in the US and want a drag and drop chart beside a registry. WedBuild vs Zola

Watch out: WedSites' seating is a list of named tables with no visual floor plan, per its help centre. Joy offers table tags only.

Our pick: Zola

A registry with your website

Zola or Joy: both run their own registry beside a free website. WedBuild doesn't have one.

  • Zola sells registry gifts and stationery, with a free website and planning tools.
  • Joy runs a registry beside a free website and guest list.

Consider instead

  • Joy if you want a free website and registry and a large guest list, without seating. Zola vs Joy
  • WedBuild if you'll keep the registry elsewhere and want your planning in AUD, in one app. WedBuild vs Zola

Watch out: Both earn from vendor connections or leads. Check registry shipping to your country on each site.

Our pick: The Knot

Still finding vendors

The Knot in the US, Easy Weddings in Australia: both are directories with free planning tools.

  • The Knot is a marketplace to discover, compare and message US vendors.
  • Easy Weddings lists over 5,000 Australian suppliers.

Consider instead

  • Easy Weddings if you're marrying in Australia.
  • WedBuild if you've found your vendors and want to compare their quotes against your budget, with no leads passed on. WedBuild vs The Knot

Watch out: Vendors pay these platforms for leads, so expect to be contacted.