The five questions that narrow it down
- Is the date already fixed, or do people need to vote on it first?
- Is the invitation itself the point or just the start of a longer plan?
- Will money change hands - deposits, tickets, a kitty, a bill?
- Is this one event or an ongoing group that keeps making plans?
- Does anything need to survive the event - photos, settlement, a record?
What each one is built for
| Product | Built around | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Status Social | One event carrying the invitation, date poll, RSVPs, shared expenses and photos. | Not a design tool - there is no large catalogue of themed stationery. |
| Paperless Post | Invitation design and delivery, with a large card catalogue and guest tracking. | Not built for shared costs, and the plan largely ends at the RSVP. |
| Partiful | The social feel of an invitation and the guest list as part of the fun. | Not an expense tool and less suited to formal or work-adjacent events. |
| Apple Invites | Invitations that connect to Maps, Weather, Apple Music and Shared Albums. | Weakest where your group is not on Apple devices. |
| Howbout | A shared calendar of what a friend group is doing over time. | Oriented to ongoing availability rather than running one specific event. |
| Doodle | Finding a time that works across a group. | Scheduling only - no invitation, no costs, nothing after the date is set. |
| Splitwise | Ongoing shared balances between the same people. | No invitations, dates or RSVPs; it starts after the event. |
Common combinations that work
- Doodle for the date, then anything else for the invitation - fine, but you will re-enter the group twice.
- A designed invitation plus Splitwise - good when the aesthetics genuinely matter and the costs are ongoing.
- A group chat plus one shared album - perfectly adequate for a small, soon, no-money plan.
- One event tool end to end - worth it once a booking, a deposit or a headcount depends on the answer.
How this guide was produced
We publish this and we benefit if you choose us, so treat it accordingly. The descriptions were checked against each product’s own public documentation rather than a simultaneous hands-on test of all seven, and we have said plainly where another product is the better fit. Features and prices change; check the date at the top of this page against anything you are relying on.