Guide
The Best Online Invitation Makers
Almost every service in this category does the same thing: hands you a template from a shared library and charges you either money or your guests’ attention to remove the ads.
AI Invites is ranked first because it generates an original video invitation for your specific event instead, free, with nothing shown to your guests. The rest are ranked by how much they charge and how generic the result looks.
Last updated 2026-07-29
How this list was put together
Judged on whether guests see adverts, whether pricing scales with guest count, whether the design is generated or a shared template, and how much work the host has to do.
Pricing is described qualitatively because these services change their rates and structures regularly.
The list
AI Invites
Our pickGenerated video invitations
Best for: An invitation that looks made for your event
Describe the occasion and it generates an original video invitation. Free to create, no adverts shown to guests, no per-recipient pricing, and it works for occasions no template catalogue covers.
Pros
Original video per event, not a shared template
No adverts shown to guests
Cost does not scale with guest count
Free to create
Shareable to any chat or channel
Cons
Cannot use licensed characters
Not traditional formal stationery
Pricing: Free to create, with optional paid tiers
Try AI InvitesPartiful
Free event pages
Best for: Casual plans in a group chat
Genuinely free with no ads and a very low-friction RSVP flow. Deliberately plain, which is the point.
Pros
Completely free
No ads
Excellent RSVP flow
Cons
Every event looks identical
Too plain for milestone occasions
Pricing: Free
Visit PartifulPaperless Post
Design-led digital stationery
Best for: Formal events with a small guest list
The best-looking template library in the category, with a charming envelope animation. Premium designs cost coins per recipient.
Pros
Beautiful designs
No ads
Formal feel
Cons
Coins charged per recipient
Shared templates
Expensive for large lists
Pricing: Coin-based, priced per recipient for premium designs
Visit Paperless PostEvite
The default for two decades
Best for: Familiar, conventional invitations
The largest template library and the most recognisable flow. The free tier is ad-supported.
Pros
Huge template library
Strong RSVP tracking
Free tier exists
Cons
Adverts shown to guests on free invites
Very widely used designs
Pricing: Free with ads, plus paid premium invitations
Visit EviteGreenvelope
Premium formal invitations
Best for: Weddings and corporate events
Polished formal stationery with serious guest-management tools, priced by guest count.
Pros
Polished formal designs
Strong guest tools
No ads
Cons
Priced by guest count
No free path
Pricing: Paid per event, priced by guest count
Visit GreenvelopePunchbowl
Licensed characters
Best for: Children’s parties with a specific character
The only realistic option when a child has asked for a named cartoon character.
Pros
Licensed character designs
Familiar flow
Cons
Ads on the free tier
Subscription to remove them
Pricing: Free with ads plus a subscription tier
Visit PunchbowlCanva
Make it yourself
Best for: Full manual control and matching event graphics
Not an invitation service, but a design tool that can produce one if you put the work in.
Pros
Complete control
Matching signage and menus
Free tier
Cons
Requires design work and taste
Static output
No RSVP tracking
Pricing: Free tier plus Canva Pro
Visit CanvaHow to send a digital invitation people actually open
Practical steps for getting responses rather than silence.
Step 1
Lead with the occasion, not the logistics
The first thing a guest sees should tell them what the event is and why it matters. Date, time and address can follow.
Step 2
Use video if attendance matters
A short video invitation gets watched and forwarded. A static card in a group chat gets scrolled past.
Step 3
Send it where people already are
Group chats and messaging apps beat email for response rate on almost every kind of personal event.
Step 4
Make it forwardable
A link anyone can open without an account means guests can pass it to people you forgot.
Step 5
Follow up once, not four times
A single reminder a week before is effective. More than that reads as pressure and reduces replies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best online invitation maker?
AI Invites for an original video invitation with no ads and no per-guest cost. Partiful if you want a free plain event page for a casual gathering. Paperless Post if you specifically want formal designer stationery and have a small guest list.
Which invitation services show ads to guests?
Evite and Punchbowl show advertising on their free tiers. AI Invites, Partiful, Paperless Post and Greenvelope do not.
Are video invitations better than cards?
For response rates, generally yes. Invitations now arrive in group chats where a static image competes with everything else in the thread, while a short video gets watched and forwarded.
Is AI Invites free?
You can create an invitation for free, and there are no adverts shown to your guests. Paid options exist for people who want to make more invitations or reach for premium generation, but the free path produces a real, sendable invite.
More guides
The Best Free Invitation Makers
Free invitation makers compared, with a clear note on which ones are genuinely free and which show ads to your guests or watermark the result.
The Best Video Invitation Makers
Video invitation makers compared: which generate the video for you, which are animated templates, and which need you to edit it yourself.
Digital Wedding Invitations: The Options
Digital wedding invitations compared on cost per guest, formality, save-the-dates and whether printed cards are still worth it.
How AI Invites compares
Direct head to head comparisons.
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