Evite and Punchbowl have been around forever. They look similar on the surface: themed templates, RSVP tracking, digital invitations for birthdays and baby showers.
But here’s the thing most people don’t realize. Punchbowl isn’t free anymore. They switched to a subscription model, and even on paid plans, some tiers still show ads to your guests. Evite still has a free tier (with ads), so this comparison isn’t as simple as it used to be.
Here’s what you actually need to know before picking one.
Quick comparison
| Feature | Evite | Punchbowl |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (with ads) / Premium $17.99+ per event | Subscription: $3.99-$15.99/mo (after 7-day trial) |
| Free tier | Yes (ad-supported) | No (7-day trial only) |
| Ads | Yes (free tier) | Yes (Plus and Premium tiers); ad-free at Platinum ($15.99/mo) |
| Design quality | Dated, clip-art feel | Modern, paper-like aesthetic |
| Licensed characters | No | 650+ (Disney, Marvel, Nickelodeon, etc.) |
| RSVP tracking | Yes/No/Maybe | Yes/No/Maybe with headcount |
| Guest messaging | Yes | Yes + broadcast announcements |
| Mobile app | iOS and Android | iOS and Android |
| Max guests | 2,500 (Pro) | 50-5,000 (depends on plan) |
| Potluck organizer | No | Yes |
| Digital gift cards | Limited | Yes (20+ brands) |
| Video messages | No | Yes (on eCards) |
What is Evite?
Evite has been around since 1998. At this point, “evite” is basically a generic word for online invitations.
The free tier gets you thousands of templates, RSVP tracking, guest messaging, and reminders. The catch? Your guests see banner ads on your invitation page. Premium plans remove ads and start at $17.99 per event (up to 15 guests), going up to $99.99 per event (up to 750 guests). Evite Pro costs $249.99/year for unlimited premium invitations.
What is Punchbowl?
Punchbowl launched in 2006 out of Framingham, Massachusetts. For years it was a free alternative to Evite. Not anymore. Punchbowl now requires a subscription after a 7-day free trial.
After the trial, you pick a paid plan:
- Plus (up to 50 guests): $3.99/mo promo, $7.99/mo regular
- Premium (up to 100 guests): $5.99/mo promo, $11.99/mo regular
- Platinum (up to 500 guests): $7.99/mo promo, $15.99/mo regular
- Business (up to 5,000 guests): $39.99/mo promo, $79.99/mo regular
Here’s the part that stings: only Platinum and Business plans remove ads from your invitations. If you’re paying $3.99 or $5.99/month, your guests still see ads. You’re paying for a product that still shows ads. That feels wrong.
Punchbowl’s one big advantage? Licensed character themes. They have 650+ characters from Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Sanrio, and more. If your kid wants a Spider-Man birthday party invitation, Punchbowl is the only platform with the official artwork.
Where Evite wins
An actual free tier
This is the biggest difference in practice. Evite lets you send invitations for free, forever. Yes, there are ads. But you never have to enter a credit card or worry about a trial expiring.
Punchbowl’s “free trial” requires a credit card upfront and lasts 7 days. Multiple users on BBB and Trustpilot report being charged before they realized the trial ended. Some got hit with the full annual amount instead of monthly.
If you just want to send a quick invitation without signing up for a subscription, Evite wins here.
Way higher guest limits
Evite’s free tier supports up to 750 guests per event. Evite Pro handles 2,500. Punchbowl’s cheapest plan caps at 50 guests. You need the $5.99/month Premium plan just to invite 100 people.
If your guest list is bigger than a dinner party, Evite gives you more room without paying more.
No subscription lock-in
Evite charges per event for Premium, or you can use the free tier forever. Punchbowl locks you into a monthly subscription. If you only host a few events per year, you’re paying for months you don’t use.
That makes Evite a better fit if you host occasionally.
More templates for adult events
Evite’s template library is huge and covers every occasion. Punchbowl has good designs, but their catalog leans toward kids’ events and family celebrations. For retirement parties, corporate gatherings, or holiday cocktail parties, Evite has more to choose from.
Where Punchbowl wins
Licensed character designs
This is where Punchbowl pulls away, and it’s not close. 650+ licensed characters from Disney, Marvel, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, Sesame Street, Hasbro, Mattel, Sanrio, and more. If your 6-year-old wants a Frozen birthday party, Punchbowl has the official Elsa invitation. Evite has generic winter themes.
For kids’ parties with character themes, Punchbowl is really the only game in town.
Better-looking designs
Punchbowl’s invitations look more polished than Evite’s. They mimic the feel of physical cards, with envelope liners, stamps, and die-cut shapes. The whole look is more current. Evite’s templates lean toward clip art and haven’t been updated much over the years.
Party planning tools
Punchbowl includes a potluck organizer where guests can sign up for specific dishes, guest polling for things like cocktail preferences, and co-host collaboration. Evite doesn’t have any of these.
Video messages on eCards
Punchbowl lets you record or upload a video message inside a digital greeting card. For birthday wishes or thank-you notes, it adds a personal touch. Evite doesn’t offer video in their cards.
Digital gift cards
Punchbowl lets you attach gift cards from 20+ brands (Amazon, Target, Starbucks, Sephora, DoorDash) directly inside a personalized eCard. The cards never expire. Handy if you want to send a gift without making a separate purchase.
The real cost problem
Both platforms have pricing issues. Just different ones.
With Evite, the jump from free to premium is steep. The free tier works but shows ads. Removing ads costs $17.99 to $99.99 per event. There’s nothing in between.
Punchbowl’s problem is worse. The “free” marketing is misleading. You get 7 days, then you’re on a subscription. Many users on BBB and PissedConsumer report spending time designing an invitation during the trial, only to find out they can’t send it without paying. One BBB complaint describes being charged the full annual amount upfront when they expected monthly billing.
And even on paid plans, only Platinum ($15.99/mo regular) and Business ($79.99/mo regular) remove ads. Paying $7.99/month on the Plus plan and still having your guests see ads? That’s double-dipping.
For a year of hosting on each platform:
- Evite free tier: $0 (with ads)
- Evite Premium (4 events/year): $72-$280 depending on guest count
- Punchbowl Plus (12 months): $47.88-$95.88 (with ads still showing)
- Punchbowl Platinum (12 months, ad-free): $95.88-$191.88
The biggest drawbacks
Evite
Ads on free invitations. Banner ads next to your event details. This is the most-cited complaint about the platform.
The templates look dated. They work, but they look old next to newer platforms.
Delivery problems. Invitations going to spam comes up a lot in Trustpilot and Sitejabber reviews.
Aggressive upselling. You’ll see upgrade prompts throughout the event creation process.
Punchbowl
No real free tier. The 7-day trial with a credit card required is not free. The site and App Store still advertise “free invitations,” which users on BBB call deceptive.
Ads on paid plans. Paying $3.99-$11.99/month and still showing ads to your guests is hard to defend. Ad-free requires Platinum or Business.
Billing complaints. Difficulty canceling, unexpected charges after cancellation, unclear annual vs. monthly billing. These show up repeatedly on BBB and PissedConsumer.
Low guest limits on cheaper plans. 50 guests on Plus. 100 on Premium. If you’re hosting anything beyond a small gathering, you need a pricier plan.
Limited customization. Users report they can’t reposition text or move text boxes on invitations. There’s also no option to set event end times (only end dates).
So which one should you pick?
If you want free (even with ads), you don’t host often, and you need to invite more than 50 people without paying, go with Evite.
If you’re planning a kids’ party with a specific character theme, Punchbowl is worth the subscription. The licensed Disney, Marvel, and Nickelodeon designs are the real reason to pay.
For everything else? Both platforms have real downsides. Evite looks dated and shows ads. Punchbowl charges a subscription and still shows ads on cheaper plans.
There’s a third option worth knowing about
Mixily is free and ad-free. No subscription. No credit card.
Your guests see your event page and nothing else. No banner ads, no trial that auto-charges, no per-event fees.
You can upload your own photos, pull from Unsplash, or add GIFs. Guests RSVP without creating an account. The free plan includes custom RSVP questions, date polling, scheduled invitations, automatic reminders, co-hosting, and password protection.
If you host events regularly, Mixily’s contact dashboard tracks attendee history across events. Your contact lists carry over, so each event gets easier to set up.
| Feature | Evite (Free) | Punchbowl (Plus, $3.99/mo) | Mixily (Free) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ads | Yes | Yes | No |
| Credit card required | No | Yes (for trial) | No |
| Guest limit | 750 | 50 | 100 |
| Custom RSVP questions | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Date polling | No | Yes (polls) | Yes |
| Co-hosting | Limited | Yes | Yes |
| Licensed characters | No | 650+ | No |
| Contact management | Basic | Basic | Full dashboard |
| Account required to RSVP | Prompted | No | No |
Mixily was acquired by The 2-Hour Cocktail Party author Nick Gray in January 2026.
Other platforms worth a look
Paperless Post is the premium pick for formal events. Designer-quality stationery with a Coin pricing system. We wrote a full Evite vs Paperless Post comparison.
Partiful is popular with younger crowds. Free, text-based, social. Google’s Best App of 2024. Here’s our Evite vs Partiful comparison.
Luma is built for professional events and conferences. Ticketing, analytics, Zoom integration. At $59/month for Plus, it’s aimed at serious organizers.
Bottom line
Evite is free but ad-heavy. Punchbowl looks better and has licensed characters, but the subscription pricing and ads-on-paid-plans setup is hard to love.
For kids’ character-themed parties, Punchbowl is worth it. For most other events, try Mixily. It’s free, ad-free, and you can set up your first event in about two minutes.
Questions? Email us.
