Last reviewed · 9 options · 6 criteria

Invite free online: the free invitation tools, ranked

Short answer: Luma is the best free way to send invitations online, with unlimited events and guests and reminders by email, text and WhatsApp. For a party among friends, use Partiful; for a designed card with RSVP tracking, Evite.

Ranked on: real free tier · rsvp tracking · delivery channels · guest experience · ticketing and fees · what's locked behind payment. How we rank

The ranking

  1. 1

    Luma

    Best for: Work events, meetups, workshops and anything where you want a proper guest list.

    27/30Available today

    The best free all-rounder: the most generous free tier and the widest set of channels.

    Strengths

    • Free plan covers unlimited events and unlimited guests per event.
    • Reminders and messages to guests by email, SMS, push notification and WhatsApp.
    • Approval-only registration, guest check-in and CSV export on the free plan.

    Limits

    • Up to 500 invites or newsletters a week through Luma on the free plan.
    • Paid tickets carry a 5% platform fee on the free plan, on top of the card fee.
    • Looks like an event page, not a designed card: less suited to a birthday you want to look festive.

    Cost: Free plan. Luma Plus is US$59 a month billed annually (0% platform fee, 5,000 sends a week). Card fees are charged by Stripe. Check at luma.com/pricing

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 5/5
    Unlimited events and guests on the free plan.
    RSVP tracking 5/5
    Registration questions, approval, check-in and CSV export.
    Delivery channels 5/5
    Reminders by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp.
    Guest experience 4/5
    Clean on a phone; guests register on the event page.
    Ticketing and fees 4/5
    Tickets, coupons and group buys; 5% platform fee on the free plan.
    What's locked behind payment 4/5
    Plus mainly adds more sends, 0% fees, custom URLs and seats.
  2. 2

    Partiful

    Best for: Birthdays, house parties, dinners and casual get-togethers with friends.

    25/30Available today

    The friendliest free option for social events: one link, no app for guests, replies in seconds.

    Strengths

    • Free to create an invite; guests reply from a link with no app needed.
    • Text blasts reach each guest individually instead of a noisy group chat.
    • Ask guests questions up front, such as dietary needs or song requests, and send automated reminders.

    Limits

    • Built around the link and text: there is no formal email invitation flow like Evite's.
    • Tickets are possible, but fees are published on its ticketing pages rather than one pricing page.
    • The party look suits social events more than formal or work events.

    Cost: Creating an invite is free. Check partiful.com/sell-tickets for ticketing fees and the help centre for any paid extras. Check at help.partiful.com

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 5/5
    Invites, RSVPs and text blasts are free to use.
    RSVP tracking 4/5
    Guest list, custom questions and automated reminders.
    Delivery channels 4/5
    Text blasts built in; email and WhatsApp by sharing the link.
    Guest experience 5/5
    Opens from a link; no app needed to reply.
    Ticketing and fees 3/5
    Ticket sales available; check its ticketing page for fees.
    What's locked behind payment 4/5
    The core invite and RSVP features are free.
  3. 3

    Evite

    Best for: Kids' birthdays, showers, holiday parties and hosts who want a card-style design.

    20/30Available today

    The best free pick if you want a card-like invitation with strong RSVP tracking, as long as a free design suits you.

    Strengths

    • A filter for free invitation designs, plus the option to upload your own.
    • Track who replied and who opened the invitation, set an RSVP deadline and schedule reminders.
    • Share by email, text or link; free SignUp Sheets for who-brings-what.

    Limits

    • Many of the nicest designs are Premium and cost money; free designs are a smaller set.
    • No ticket sales for paid events.
    • What the free version includes beyond the designs (for example, advertising) is worth checking before you send.

    Cost: Free designs available. Premium designs are paid; Evite Pro is US$249.99 a year for unlimited Premium invitations and cards. Check at evite.com/pro

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 3/5
    Free designs exist, but the wider range is Premium.
    RSVP tracking 5/5
    Replies, opens, deadlines, reminders and messages by RSVP status.
    Delivery channels 4/5
    Email and text built in; WhatsApp by link.
    Guest experience 4/5
    Familiar card-style invitation that opens on a phone.
    Ticketing and fees 1/5
    No ticketing.
    What's locked behind payment 3/5
    Designs are the main paywall; the RSVP tools are free.
  4. 4

    Eventbrite

    Best for: Public events, classes and larger ticketed events where new people should find you.

    20/30Available today

    The right free tool for a public or ticketed event; too much machinery for a private invitation.

    Strengths

    • No fees for free events, and unlimited free events.
    • Registration forms, waitlists, automated reminders and a check-in app.
    • A marketplace where people looking for events can discover yours.

    Limits

    • Built for public registration, not personal invitations: it feels like a checkout, not a card.
    • Paid tickets carry a service fee per ticket and a payment processing fee per order (listed by country on its pricing page).
    • Sending more marketing emails needs Eventbrite Pro, a paid add-on.

    Cost: Free events: no fees. Paid tickets in the US: 3.7% + US$1.79 service fee per ticket and 2.9% payment processing per order, per its pricing page; other countries differ. Eventbrite Pro email from US$15 a month. Check at eventbrite.com/organizer/pricing

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 4/5
    Free events cost nothing to publish.
    RSVP tracking 4/5
    Registration forms, waitlists, reminders and check-in.
    Delivery channels 3/5
    Email built in; text and WhatsApp by sharing the link.
    Guest experience 3/5
    Checkout-style registration with more steps than a card.
    Ticketing and fees 3/5
    Full ticketing with per-ticket service and processing fees.
    What's locked behind payment 3/5
    More email sends and ads are paid add-ons.
  5. 5

    Google Forms + your own messages

    Best for: Work events and dinners where you need specific answers (dietary needs, sessions, sizes) and already use Google.

    20/30Available today

    The flexible do-it-yourself option: free and precise, but you do the sending and chasing.

    Strengths

    • Free with a Google account; ask exactly the questions you need.
    • Replies collect in a responses tab or a linked Google Sheet you can sort and share.
    • Send the form by email from Google Forms, or paste its link anywhere.

    Limits

    • It is a form, not an invitation: no design, event page or calendar details unless you write them in.
    • No automatic reminders to people who haven't replied; you chase them yourself.
    • No ticketing.

    Cost: Free with a Google account. Check at Google Forms help

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 5/5
    Free with a Google account.
    RSVP tracking 3/5
    Custom questions and a sheet of replies; no reminders.
    Delivery channels 3/5
    Can email the form; everything else is a link you share.
    Guest experience 4/5
    Opens on any phone; no account needed unless you restrict it.
    Ticketing and fees 1/5
    No ticketing.
    What's locked behind payment 4/5
    Nothing locked for a normal event.
  6. 6

    Facebook Events

    Best for: Community groups, clubs and social circles where everyone is already on Facebook.

    17/30Available today

    Fine when your whole guest list lives on Facebook; a poor choice when it doesn't.

    Strengths

    • Free, and familiar to people who use Facebook.
    • Guests see updates and posts on the event page and in their notifications.
    • Easy to invite members of a Facebook group.

    Limits

    • Guests need a Facebook account to reply, so anyone not on Facebook is left out.
    • “Interested” is not a yes or no, which makes head counts unreliable.
    • No custom questions or export of the kind an RSVP form gives you.

    Cost: Free. Check at Facebook Help Centre: Events

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 5/5
    Free to create and invite.
    RSVP tracking 3/5
    Going / Interested replies; no custom questions.
    Delivery channels 1/5
    Reaches guests inside Facebook only.
    Guest experience 2/5
    Replying needs a Facebook account.
    Ticketing and fees 1/5
    Not a ticketing tool for private invitations.
    What's locked behind payment 5/5
    Nothing to pay for.
  7. 7

    Canva + a group chat

    Best for: Small, informal events where a nice picture in the family chat is all you need.

    17/30Available today

    Good for the look and the reach, weak for replies: fine for ten guests, painful for fifty.

    Strengths

    • Canva's free plan includes invitation templates you can edit on a phone or computer.
    • The finished image or PDF goes anywhere: WhatsApp, text, email, social media.
    • Guests need nothing but the app they already use.

    Limits

    • No RSVP tracking: replies arrive as messages you count by hand.
    • Some templates and elements are for paid Canva plans only.
    • Changing the date or time means sending a new image to everyone.

    Cost: Canva's free plan covers many templates; check canva.com/pricing for paid plans. Check at canva.com/pricing

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 4/5
    Free plan with invitation templates.
    RSVP tracking 1/5
    No built-in replies.
    Delivery channels 4/5
    The image goes through any channel, sent by you.
    Guest experience 3/5
    Easy to see; replying is a message, with nothing to track.
    Ticketing and fees 1/5
    No ticketing.
    What's locked behind payment 4/5
    Some templates and elements are paid.
  8. 8

    Paperless Post

    Best for: Formal dinners, milestones and events where the look of the card matters most.

    16/30Available today

    Lovely to receive, but rarely free: choose it when the design is worth paying for.

    Strengths

    • Design-led cards with envelopes and stationery-style details.
    • RSVP tracking and guest messaging on its cards.
    • Sends invitations by email, with a shareable link as well.

    Limits

    • Most card designs are paid for, so “free” covers a small part of the range at best.
    • Prices depend on the design and the number of guests; they are shown in the editor, not on one public page.
    • No ticketing.

    Cost: Most designs are paid; prices show in the editor for your design and guest count. Check paperlesspost.com for any free designs before you start. Check at paperlesspost.com

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 2/5
    Most designs are paid; check the editor for free ones.
    RSVP tracking 4/5
    RSVP tracking and guest messages.
    Delivery channels 3/5
    Email built in; other channels by link.
    Guest experience 4/5
    A well-made card that opens on any device.
    Ticketing and fees 1/5
    No ticketing.
    What's locked behind payment 2/5
    Most designs cost money to send.
  9. 9

    EvntBuild

    Best for: Hosts and organisation teams who want invitations, replies and tickets in one place, once it opens.

    14/30Not yet available

    Not yet available, so it ranks last for now. Its announced plans cover invitations, replies and tickets in one place; join the waitlist if that appeals, and use Luma or Partiful for an invite today.

    Strengths

    • RSVP forms that ask only what applies to your event.
    • Invitations planned by email, text and WhatsApp, and guests reply without an account or app.
    • Tickets paid straight into the host's own Stripe account; check-in from a phone with a live arrivals log.

    Limits

    • Not open yet: you cannot send an invitation with it today. It has a waitlist and no launch date set.
    • Its features are announced but can't be tested yet, so they score 2 out of 5 until it opens, like any untested feature.
    • The free plan is announced as one event and up to 50 guests; larger lists need a paid plan.

    Cost: Announced: free for one event with up to 50 guests; paid plans from A$9 a month for up to 150 guests, with two months free when paid yearly. Check at evntbuild.com

    Scores on each criterion
    Real free tier 3/5
    Its free plan is published (one event, up to 50 guests), but it can't be used yet.
    RSVP tracking 2/5
    RSVP forms are announced but can't be tested until it opens.
    Delivery channels 2/5
    Email, text and WhatsApp are announced but can't be tested yet.
    Guest experience 2/5
    Replying without an account or app is announced but can't be tested yet.
    Ticketing and fees 2/5
    Tickets paid into your own Stripe account are announced but can't be tested yet.
    What's locked behind payment 3/5
    Published pricing: more than one event or over 50 guests needs a paid plan.

Comparison table

Scores from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong) on each criterion, added up to a total out of 30. Ties go to the stronger RSVP tracking. What each score means is on How we rank.

Free online invitation options compared on six criteria, scored 1 to 5
#OptionFree tierRSVPsChannelsGuestsTicketsPaywallTotal
1Luma55544427
2Partiful54453425
3Evite35441320
4Eventbrite44333320
5Google Forms + your own messages53341420
6Facebook Events53121517
7Canva + a group chat41431417
8Paperless Post24341216
9EvntBuildNot yet available32222314

Quick picks by event type

BirthdaysPartifulOne link in the chat, guests reply without an app, and text blasts replace the group chat for updates.Also good: EviteDinnersPartifulAsk guests a dietary question as part of the reply, and remind everyone by text.Also good: EviteWork eventsLumaFree for unlimited guests, with approval, co-hosts, check-in and CSV export; reminders by email and messaging.Also good: Google Forms + your own messagesWorkshopsLumaRegistration questions, approval and tickets; 5% platform fee on paid tickets on the free plan.Also good: EventbriteLarger ticketed eventsEventbriteFree events cost nothing; paid tickets carry a published per-ticket fee that you can pass to buyers. Has a check-in app.Also good: Luma

Where EvntBuild fits

EvntBuild fits hosts who run more than one kind of event (a dinner this month, a ticketed workshop next) and are tired of stitching together a form, a group chat and a ticketing site. It is pre-launch: you can join its waitlist at evntbuild.com and it promises one email when it opens. Until then, it is not something you can send an invitation with, so it is not one of our top picks.

EvntBuild in detail · Join the waitlist at evntbuild.com

Questions people ask when choosing

What is the best way to invite people free online?

For most hosts, Luma: its free plan covers unlimited events and guests and sends reminders by email, SMS, push and WhatsApp. For a birthday or house party among friends, Partiful is friendlier: guests reply from one link with no app. If you want a card-style design with reply tracking, Evite has free designs.

Can guests RSVP without downloading an app or making an account?

With Partiful, yes: its site says guests reply from a link with no app needed. Luma and Eventbrite ask guests to register on the event page. Facebook Events needs a Facebook account to reply. A Google Form opens without an account unless you restrict it.

Can I send invitations by WhatsApp for free?

Every option here gives you a link you can paste into WhatsApp. Luma is the one in this list that also sends reminders through WhatsApp itself on its free plan. See the channel guide for which tool sends through which channel.

What is the catch with free invitation sites?

It varies. Evite and Paperless Post keep many designs behind payment. Luma limits free sends to 500 invites a week and takes a 5% platform fee on paid tickets. Eventbrite is free for free events but charges per paid ticket. Each card above lists what costs extra and links to the page where you can check it.

Which free option is best for a ticketed event?

Eventbrite for public events you want strangers to find, Luma if you prefer a cleaner page with check-in and co-hosts. Both publish their ticket fees: see their pricing pages before you set your ticket price.

How were these options ranked?

Each option is scored 1 to 5 on six criteria: real free tier, RSVP tracking, delivery channels, guest experience, ticketing and fees, and what is locked behind payment, then the scores are added up. The full method is on the How we rank page.

Is EvntBuild available yet?

Not yet. EvntBuild is pre-launch with a waitlist and no launch date set. Its features can't be tested until it opens, so they score 2 out of 5 for now and it ranks last, marked Not yet available.

Ready to send?

Get the wording right with our examples and checklist, then pick the channel your guests actually read: email, text or WhatsApp.

Only ranking updates: when an option changes its free plan or a new one is added.