The three shapes
Greenvelope, Paperless Post, and Evite send a designed card to a guest list by email, text or a shareable link, with RSVP tracking attached. Large design libraries, quick to send, and priced for volume: Evite has a free tier that shows ads (its Premium invitations are ad-free and priced by guest-list size), Paperless Post mixes free designs with per-guest "Coins" and an annual Paperless Pro subscription, and Greenvelope charges per mailing, by guest count. The card is the product: polished, and made to be opened and read in a moment.
Zola and Joy fold invitations into a larger wedding toolkit — website, registry, guest list, and RSVP in one account, with the core tools free. Joy sends digital invitations free, with paid upgrades such as premium designs and text delivery. Zola doesn't currently offer digital invitations: it sells paper suites that match its free wedding website, offers digital save the dates, and collects RSVPs on the website. If you're planning a full wedding and want everything in one login, the bundle logic is genuinely strong.
Life Invites makes the wedding invitation something guests watch. It opens on the guest's phone with a touch; music begins and a short film fills the screen, with the invitation beneath it: a live countdown, the schedule, a map, and an RSVP that asks about attendance, meal choice and plus-ones. It can carry a film of the two of you, made from your photographs with AI film tools, then directed and finished by hand. It travels as one link, by WhatsApp, text or QR code, and you approve everything before any guest sees it. Pricing is on our pricing page.
Side by side
| Greenvelope | Paperless Post | Zola / Joy | Life Invites | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What guests receive | An e-card with an animated envelope, liner and music | A Card in an envelope, or an animated Flyer | A wedding website; Joy also has digital invitations, and Zola sells paper ones | An invitation that opens with a touch, to music and a short film |
| Motion & film | Animated envelope opening, with background music | Envelopes on Cards; animation, GIFs and video clips on Flyers | Animated envelopes on Joy's premium cards; animation options on Zola's digital save the dates | A short film fills the screen; your invitation can carry a film of the two of you, made from your photographs with AI film tools |
| Pricing model | Paid per mailing, by guest count; annual memberships | Free designs + per-guest Coins; annual Paperless Pro subscription | Core website, guest list & RSVP free; paid paper and premium designs | See our pricing page |
| RSVP | Tracking, guest list management + event messaging | Tracking, guest messaging + reminders | Full wedding guest list, with online RSVP | Built in: attendance, meal choice & plus-ones |
| How it's sent | Email, text, WhatsApp or a shareable link | Email, text or a shareable link | Joy: email or link, text as a paid upgrade. Zola: paper, with save the dates by link | One link, by WhatsApp, text or QR code |
| Best for | Polished formal & business invitations | Stylish parties at volume | Full wedding planning in one place | Weddings where the invitation should be watched, not only read |
Where each one genuinely wins
Pick Greenvelope or Paperless Post when…
- You're inviting a large list and want pricing tied to your guest count that you can predict
- You want a large, established design library to browse, including designer collections
- The event is lovely but doesn't need a production — a shower, an office party, a casual milestone
- You want email, text and link sending with RSVP tracking built in
Pick Zola or Joy when…
- You're planning a full wedding and want website, registry, guest list, and RSVP in one account, with the core tools free
- You'd rather manage one tool than several
- Matching paper goods from the same vendor matters to you
Pick Evite when…
- A free invitation is the priority and ads are acceptable (Premium removes them)
- It's a casual gathering — game night, a kid's party, a potluck
Pick Life Invites when…
- The invitation should feel like the first moment of your wedding
- You want film and music, not a card: an invitation that opens with a touch and can carry a film of the two of you
- You want it shared as one link, by WhatsApp, text or QR code
- You'd like to approve everything before any guest sees it
The honest summary: for design range and sending a card to a large list, the e-card senders win. For all-in-one wedding logistics, with free digital invitations at Joy, the suites win. Life Invites is for the moment itself — when you want guests to pause because the invitation opened to music and a short film. Some invitations are read. Yours will be watched.