Paperless Post

Paperless Post is an invitation and event-management service for hosts who want more design choice than a basic event notice. It suits celebrations and business gatherings, particularly when guest responses need managing; the main trade-off is paying per guest for one-off events and upgrading for some controls.

Overview

Founded in 2009, Paperless Post combines custom digital invitations and stationery with tools for sending invitations and coordinating guests. Card invitations and Flyer event pages cover weddings, birthdays, parties, and other occasions. Its broad design options and RSVP tools make it more than a template gallery, but the cost and feature limits deserve attention before choosing it for a large guest list.

Key features

Hosts can customize colors, fonts, layouts, and stickers, and add their own logos, photos, or videos alongside predesigned images. Premium adds premium page styles, a color collection, and a photo gallery. That gives invitations room to match an event’s look, while Basic is limited to card invitations and does not include those Premium additions.

Invitations can be sent by email, text, or shareable link. Text delivery is limited to the US and Canada, so email or a link is the practical choice for international guests. Hosts can track RSVPs, message guests, import guest lists, add co-hosts, and set event capacity. Custom URLs, password protection, Guest Tags, and guest check-in require All Access or Paperless Pro; hosts who need those controls should not assume the lower-priced options will cover them.

Hosts can link to virtual events, add events to online calendars, and include third-party gift registry links such as Amazon. The mobile app supports RSVP and message push notifications, contact importing, and sharing through Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Android users do not receive push notifications, which limits the app’s usefulness for hosts who depend on timely alerts.

Paperless Post says it uses encryption, secure password handling, a web application firewall, trusted third-party payment processors, and ongoing monitoring and updates. It also cautions that internet transmission cannot be made completely secure and that it cannot guarantee absolute data security.

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and covers the first 50 invitations via email or phone number when using the free feature set. That is a useful way to handle a small event, but the cap makes it a poor fit for a larger guest list.

• Basic: $0.50, paid once, billed per guest for a one-off event; includes card invitations. A lower-cost paid option for hosts who need the card format without Premium’s page styles, color collection, or photo gallery.
• Premium: $1.05, paid once, billed per guest; includes card invitations, premium page styles, a color collection, and a photo gallery. It suits hosts who value extra visual options, though the per-guest charge means the total depends on attendance.
• All Access: $1.44, paid once, billed per guest; includes card invitations and the full listed feature bundle. It is the pay-per-event option for hosts who need gated controls such as custom URLs, password protection, Guest Tags, or check-in.
• Paperless Pro: $250 a year, billed $250/year, with 250 annual guests and the full suite of customization and guest-management features. It is positioned for business hosts and larger, more complex events; subscriptions are described as suited to hosts holding three or more events a year.

The per-guest prices make the one-off plans easy to compare, but a large invite list can raise the bill. Pro sets an annual guest allowance, so hosts should weigh that limit against their event schedule before committing.

Platforms

Paperless Post is available on web, Android, and iOS. Email, link, and SMS are the delivery channels; SMS is restricted to the US and Canada. Android users should account for the lack of push notifications when choosing how to follow guest replies.

Who it's for

Paperless Post is a good match for hosts who want designed invitations and RSVP coordination in one service, from a small personal celebration to a business event with more involved guest management. The free cap suits a modest list, while per-guest plans fit occasional events when their included features are enough. Frequent hosts may find Pro more suitable, particularly if they need its full customization and management suite. It is less compelling for hosts who need a large free invitation allowance, rely on Android alerts, or want SMS delivery outside the US and Canada.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Broad design customization, including uploaded media, gives hosts more ways to tailor invitations than basic event notices.
• Pros: RSVP tracking, guest messaging, list importing, co-hosts, and capacity controls support event coordination beyond sending an invite.
• Pros: A free option and several per-guest tiers let hosts choose between a small free event and paid feature bundles.
• Cons: The free feature set stops at 50 invitations, so larger events move into paid pricing.
• Cons: Useful access and check-in controls are gated to All Access or Pro, leaving Basic and Premium short for some event needs.
• Cons: SMS reaches only the US and Canada, and Android lacks push notifications.

Alternatives

For another freemium invitation service across web and mobile, consider Evite; its listed Silver and Gold packages are single-event options with guest limits, while Paperless Post charges per guest on its paid event plans.

Partiful is worth considering when a free core platform matters most; optional premium invite designs cost extra, and ticket purchases carry a fee.

Choose Smilebox if free slideshow creation is the priority rather than Paperless Post’s invitation and guest-management combination.

AInviter is a web-only option to consider for AI-generated invitation designs and a free event allowance capped at about 12 RSVPs.

InviteDrop may suit web users who want five invitations per event with RSVP tracking and email or text delivery on its free plan.

POOK is another web option, with a free publication capped at one invitation and 30 guests, plus a watermark.

Consider Cactoide if you want a free, open-source option that can be self-hosted.

Greetings Island is a freemium alternative available on web and mobile.

Browse more options in Invitation Maker Software or AI Invitation Generators.

Verdict

Choose Paperless Post if you want customizable digital invitations with RSVP and guest-management tools, and can match the per-guest or subscription plan to your event. Its strongest case is bringing design and coordination together; look elsewhere if the 50-invitation free cap, regional SMS limit, Android notification gap, or paid access to advanced controls does not fit how you host.