Best paperless invitations: 10 hassle-free websites to organise your guest list

How many hours have you spent licking and sticking envelopes, or writing out names on invitations? It’s a tiresome task that no one truly loves, and at the end of the day, are all those paper cuts really worth the effort? Thankfully, with the world now glued to phones and laptops on a daily basis, it's just as easy to contact people digitally as it is through the post. This is where the paperless invitation becomes a lifesaver.

There are a whole host of benefits when it comes to sending out online invites over printed invitations. First up is money: no more forking out for pretty-coloured card, hundreds of envelopes or the actual cost of sending them by mail. Plus, with a literal click of a button, your invites will land in your guests' inboxes immediately – no more waiting days for them to hopefully arrive in their intended locations.

Speaking of waiting - guests can also respond with a click! The full cycle from sending, to receiving, to getting an RSVP could take weeks but paperless invites can cut it down to minutes, meaning you can get started on further event planning right away.  

The bonuses just keep coming. We’re all human and it's easy to make mistakes; with a paperless invite, changes can be made quickly and easily. Not only does this make the event more fluid for you as an organiser, but it also makes your guests feel confident with the event and its details.  

Paperless invites aren’t just beneficial to you, the event planner and organiser; they’re also much more environmentally friendly. With no physical footprint, these invites reduce the use of paper, ink and road miles used in the postal system. So, what we’re saying is: paperless invites are the new fairy godmother of event planning, and with a simple bibbity, bobbity, boo, your guests will be RSVP-ing in no time. Discover the best online invitation tools on the market right now, most of which are free to use, with the option to upgrade for extra features. 

Paperless Post

What: Receptions, openings, fundraisers and gatherings – Paperless Post has an invite for every occasion. The content team is made up of artists, designers, and letterers, who create original artwork for online invitations that deliver a sophisticated voice. Paperless Post collaborates with designers and lifestyle brands to create distinctive designs that are sure to suit any event you may be planning. Simply filter invites by occasion, select a template, and then customise the design with all the relevant information. Easy peasy.
Ideal for: Corporate events, announcements, holiday cards, birthdays, weddings and parties
Key functions: RSVP tracking, instant communication with guests, customisation
Does it offer a free version? Yes, it offers a selection of both free and paid invitation templates
Start designing with Paperless Post

Evite

What: With the slogan ‘life’s better together’, Evite prides itself on its wide range of paperless invitations that are suitable for every occasion, from simple birthday invites, to business meetings, down to more unusual events like Oktoberfest or derby days. The website allows you to select a template from thousands of professionally-designed invites, or upload and create your own; then simply add your event details and send them with a click. They don’t just specialise in email invitations either, with the option to send your paperless invite via text or social media.
Ideal for: Corporate events, celebrations, birthdays, weddings, holidays, sports, announcements
Key functions: RSVP tracking, event reminders, gift ideas, eGift cards, Bitcoin gifting, text invites
Does it offer a free version? Yes, it offers a selection of both free and paid invitation templates
Start designing with Evite

Eventbrite

What: Eventbrite is a great tool for finding and creating events, with plenty of resources available for planners to get the party in full swing! Rather than designing specific invites, this platform serves as a central hub for your guests to RSVP on your own personal event page. Launch a free RSVP website and get the word out to your guests by a paperless invitation with RSVP links to your event website. This link enables a swift response from your guests and directs them to all the information they need. Your Eventbrite page allows you to easily promote your event, send follow-up emails, and keep your event details up-to-date.
Ideal for: Corporate events, conferences, festivals, classes, workshops and concerts
Key functions: RSVP tracking, event promotion, planning resources
Does it offer a free version? Yes, it's free to create invites for free events, but fees apply for paid ticketed events
Start designing with Eventbrite

Canva

What: Canva is every marketer’s best friend, although this handy design tool can be used by everyone from expert event planners to novices who want to create a snazzy invitation for their birthday. There are thousands of customisable templates to choose from, and personalisation is easy. While Canva doesn’t have a built-in RSVP tracking tool just yet, it’s possible to integrate with CreatEcards which allows you to turn your design into a digital invite with RSVP management.
Ideal for: Birthdays, weddings, parties, Christmas, hen dos, events, annoucements
Key functions: Customisable templates, downloadable in multiple formats, share with others for collaborative editing, integration with RSVP apps
Does it offer a free version? Yes, it's free to design digital invitations
Start designing with Canva

Poply

What: Poply is a much smaller player in the world of paperless invites, but if you’re looking to keep things simple, then it could be a good choice. This easy-to-use tool offers a concise selection of templates focused around parties, although there are a few corporate options if you’re hosting a conference or retirement dinner. Its main selling point is that it offers interactive, full screen invites that you can customise with your own photos and videos. There’s a free version available for up to 12 guests, but you’ll have to a pay a fee for larger gatherings and extra features.
Ideal for: Kids’ birthdays, adult birthdays, baby showers, cocktail parties, dinner parties, business events, graduation celebrations
Key functions: RSVP tracking, add photo and videos, messaging function, send invites via email or text, full screen view, bulk import contact lists
Does it offer a free version? Yes, it's free for events of up to 12 guests
Start designing with Poply

Greenvelope

What: The in-house design team at Greenvelope works with a community of stationers, illustrators, calligraphers, graphic artists, and painters from around the world to create exclusive, contemporary designs for every style. Different packages, dependent on the size of your guest list, range in price but still ring in fairly cheap. Get started by selecting a design, personalising the colours and details and importing a guest list. Greenvelope removes all the stress of planning with its messaging service that enables check-ins and updates with guests as well as survey questions to collect information on food selections or music.
Ideal for: Corporate events, weddings, birthdays, announcements, family/friend gatherings
Key functions: Customisation, messaging service, RSVP tracking, guest surveys, daily updates and auto reminders
Does it offer a free version? No, although it does offer a free trial mode which allows you to explore its designs
Start designing with Greenvelope

RSVPify

What: From invite, to RSVP, to showtime; RSVPify makes organising large scale events a piece of cake. Start with a template and customise it to reflect your branding with different layouts, custom questions for collecting guest’s decisions, and the option to add secondary events to your page. Go live in minutes and easily track RSVP’s with a visible traffic-light system showing your invitees responses. As far as paperless invitations with RSVP tracking goes, this one is really efficient - plus, there's a seating chart maker to take away the stress of seating plans.
Ideal for: Large corporate events, small corporate events, non-profit organisations, holiday events, birthdays, weddings and private parties
Key functions: Email invitations, secondary events, event website security, guest data collection, seating chart maker, customisation, RSVP tracking
Does it offer a free version? Yes, it offers a free plan for up to 100 guests
Start designing with RSVPify

Punchbowl

What: Online invitations with Punchbowl can be sent via email or text, appearing on your guests' phones within minutes of you setting up your event. Pick a design, customise the details and then head to your guests page to import the contact details of all your invitees. Send off your paperless invitations with RSVP links attached as well as a message and all the event details your guests will need. All it takes is three easy steps to get your guests in-the-know.
Ideal for: Birthdays, children’s events, announcements, religious ceremonies, corporate events, weddings 
Key functions: RSVP tracking, text or email invites, customisation
Does it offer a free version? No, although it does offer a seven-day free trial before you buy
Start designing with Punchbowl

Papier

What: Known for their pretty stationary and unique cards, Papier now give you the option of sending invites to your guests’ inboxes rather than through the letterbox. Aimed at wedding planning, simply sign in to the website and start putting in the details of your special day. Every RSVP received from your guests is automatically uploaded to your page, minimising the stress of manually organising the event. From save the date cards, to official invites, to messaging guests for menu choices and dancefloor requests, Papier’s digital organising tools will take you from proposal to honeymoon with ease.
Ideal for: Weddings, announcements 
Key functions: RSVP tracking, guest surveys and instant messaging
Does it offer a free version? Yes, but it only offers free online invitations for engagement parties
Start designing with Papier

Etsy

What: If you’d prefer to give your business to small independents, head to Etsy for your paperless invitations. You’ll have to personally search for invitation templates on the site, but there are still plenty of unique, original designs to choose from. Each shop may have slightly different formats for inputting your event’s information, but they are still easy to customise with some also offering digital RSVP features. Plus, with so many independent designers selling their templates, your invite is sure to look entirely unique and different to anything your guests have seen before.
Ideal for: Small corporate events, birthdays, weddings, announcements 
Key functions: Customisation, some RSVP tracking options
Does it offer a free version? No, online invites from Etsy are sold by independent designers and usually have a small cost
Start designing with Etsy

Are digital invitations free?

It's absolutely possible to create digital invitations for free. It just depends on which platform you use to design your online invites. Digital invitation tools that are totally free to use include Canva and Evite, while many platforms offer free plans with limitations, such as RSVPify, Poply and Paperless Post (some designs are free, others cost 'coins'). If you're looking for a simple editing tool with basic built-in features, there are plenty of platforms available that allow you to create and send digital invitations for free. 

How do you send digital invitations?

Digital invitations are sent, well, digitally, but there are lots of different ways you can do this, such as via email, text, or by sharing a custom link through messaging apps or social media.

Can I track RSVPs with digital invitations?

Yes, absolutely! Many platforms allow you to collect RSVPs for free with digital invites, although do check this beforehand as some require you to upgrade to access this functionality. Usually, this will simply require the recipient to click on a link on your digital invite to say whether they're able to attend. 

So, you've decided on a date, a venue and who your inviting, but what else is left to do before you put on the event of the season? Use our party planning checklist to arrange a party that will get your guests talking in all the right ways! Planning a wedding? We've also rounded up the best free wedding website builder tools that will have you looking like a pro.