Cactoide

Paid Self-hostedWeb

What Cactoide is

Cactoide is a free, open-source event RSVP platform for groups that want to share events without requiring accounts from organizers or guests. Organizers create an event through a form and receive a unique URL to share through platforms or messaging apps. Guests can respond by entering their name after opening the link. Organizers can allow unlimited RSVPs or set a capacity, and special invitation links can limit who responds. Public events can be discovered and shared across connected Cactoide instances. Event pages include calendar addition through ICS or webcal links, with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar and Outlook listed as compatible. Cactoide runs on the web and can be self-hosted; its project README describes setup with Docker Compose and a database. The software is licensed under AGPL-3.0. The README presents it as an option for small companies and groups. It also notes that full internationalization is not implemented, although translation files are included. The project is community-supported, with direct contact listed as [email protected].

Who it suits

Cactoide may suit small companies and groups that want link-based event invitations and RSVP collection without account creation. It also suits operators prepared to self-host and configure connected instances for federation.

What it does well

Organizers and guests can participate without accounts.
Organizers can set RSVP capacity limits.
Special links can restrict event responses.
Calendar links support ICS or webcal.
Free and licensed under AGPL-3.0.

What to know first

Proper internationalization is not implemented.
Self-hosting setup uses Docker Compose and a database.
Support is community-based.

Getting started

Open the Cactoide website to create an event.
Create the event through its form without an account.
Share the event's unique URL with invitees.
For self-hosting, set up Docker Compose and a database.
To enable federation, configure FEDERATION_INSTANCE, an instance name, and an instance list.

Verdict

Cactoide combines account-free RSVP collection with capacity controls, invitation links and federation for public events. Its internationalization limitation and self-hosting requirements matter for groups choosing how to run it.

Questions

Is Cactoide free and open source?

Yes. It is free and licensed under AGPL-3.0.

Do organizers or guests need accounts?

No. Organizers can create events without accounts, and guests RSVP by entering their name from the event link.

Can I host Cactoide myself?

Yes. The project documents self-hosting with Docker Compose and a database.

Does Cactoide connect to calendars?

Event pages provide ICS or webcal calendar links. Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook are listed as compatible.

Can Cactoide events be federated?

Public events can be discovered and shared across connected instances. Operators enable federation through the FEDERATION_INSTANCE environment variable and configure an instance name and instance list.

Who supports the project?

Cactoide is community-supported. The project provides [email protected] for direct contact.

Facts from Cactoide's own pages

Audience: The project README describes Cactoide as an alternative to Meetup, Eventbrite, and Partiful for small companies and groups. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Calendar integration: The project README documents ICS or webcal calendar links compatible with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook, with automatic time zone handling. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Capacity: Organizers can choose unlimited RSVPs or set a limited event capacity. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
Event creation: Organizers can create events through a streamlined form without an account. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
Federation: Connected Cactoide instances can discover and share public events across the network. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
Federation setup: The README says instance operators can enable federation with the FEDERATION_INSTANCE environment variable and configure an instance name and instance list. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Intended audience: The project describes itself as an alternative to Meetup, Eventbrite, and Partiful for small companies and groups. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Internationalization: The README says proper internationalization is not implemented, though the project includes language translation files. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Invite-only events: Special invite links let organizers limit RSVPs to people with the link. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
Known limitation: The README says proper internationalization is not implemented, though language translation files are included in an i18n folder. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
License: The project is licensed under AGPL-3.0. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Open source: The project is licensed under AGPL-3.0. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Product: Cactoide is a federated, mobile-first event RSVP platform for creating events, sharing unique URLs, and collecting RSVPs without registration. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
RSVPs: Guests can RSVP by opening an event link and entering their name without creating an account. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
Self-hosting: The README documents running Cactoide with Docker Compose and a database. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Sharing: Each event gets a unique URL that can be shared through platforms or messaging apps. · cactoide.org, 9 Oct 2026
Support: The README describes the project as community-supported and provides [email protected] for direct contact. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026

Where Cactoide stands on Freedom251

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