letsparty vs Punchbowl
Punchbowl needs a paid membership to send an invitation, and its guest limits count every person, children included. letsparty has a free plan for small parties, prices the rest per party, and counts invitations: a family of four on one invite counts once.
From each one’s own pages, checked October 25, 2026. Sources are at the bottom.
The short version
- Pick Punchbowl for its character and licensed designs, or if you send invitations often enough that a monthly membership pays off.
- Pick letsparty for a one-time party without a subscription, no ads on any plan, and texts from your own phone.
What one party costs
| Invitations | letsparty | Punchbowl |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Free | A membership from $2.99 a month (Plus, up to 50 people); no free plan |
| 30 | $29 (Party) | A membership from $2.99 a month (Plus, up to 50 people); no free plan |
| 50 | $29 (Party) | A membership from $2.99 a month (Plus, up to 50 people); no free plan |
| 100 | $29 (Party) | A membership from $4.99 a month (Premium, up to 100 people); no free plan |
letsparty counts invitations: one per household or couple, however many people are on it. Punchbowl counts every person, so a family of four is four. letsparty’s launch prices are being finalized.
Where letsparty is different
- Texts come from your own phone number, so guests see a name they know. Punchbowl texts from its own number.
- No ads on any invite, free ones included. Punchbowl’s free invitations show ads.
- Priced per invitation, not per person: a family of four on one invite counts once. Punchbowl counts every person.
- A free plan for small parties (up to 15 invitations). Punchbowl has no free plan for sending.
Where Punchbowl is better
- Exclusive Disney and kids' character designs that parents search for by name
- Mature party tooling: adults, children and infants tracking, potluck, polls, gift registry and money collection
- Low monthly entry price for unlimited events during a busy party season
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Sending, and what guests need
| letsparty | Punchbowl | |
|---|---|---|
| A free plan | Yes Up to 15 invitations a party. | No No permanent free plan for sending new invitations. New customers can send free during the 7-day trial. After canceling, the free iOS/Android app can still manage an existing event. |
| Ads on free invitations | No | Yes There is no free tier, but Plus and Premium invitations show ads; only Platinum and Business remove them for host and guests. |
| Texts are sent from | Your own phone One tap sends them all from an iPhone after a one-time setup, or one at a time from any phone. | Its own number (or paste the link yourself) Texts come from Punchbowl's own number. WhatsApp and Facebook invites are also supported. The shareable link needs a paid membership, and a custom link needs Platinum. |
| Invitations by email | Yes | Yes |
| Guests need an app | No | No Punchbowl help: guests don't need an account to RSVP. |
| Guests sign up or verify to answer | No Each household’s own link already knows who they are. | No Punchbowl help: guests don't need an account to RSVP. |
Features side by side
“Not confirmed” means we couldn’t find it on their pages, not that it’s missing.
| letsparty | Punchbowl | |
|---|---|---|
| RSVPs tracked as they come in | Yes Sent, opened and answered, for every household. | Yes Includes who viewed the invitation |
| A meal choice for each person | Yes A question beside each name, with choices like “Chicken, Fish, Veggie”. | Not confirmed Not found |
| Kids counted on their own | Yes Asked on every RSVP unless you turn it off. | Yes 'Track adults, children, and infants' setting |
| Plus-ones limited or off | Yes How many guests each invitation can bring, or none, and a plus-one for one guest alone. | Yes Host can turn off added guests or set how many each guest may bring |
| A head-count limit and waitlist | Yes · Party plan Past the limit, yeses join a waitlist you let in. | Partly RSVP limit stops 'Yes' replies once reached; no waitlist found |
| Reminders and nudges | Yes A “can you make it?” email before the RSVP date and a reminder before the party. | Yes Multiple reminders can be set; guests receive event reminders |
| A date poll | Yes Guests mark the dates that work; you pick, and the poll turns into the RSVP. | Not confirmed General guest poll only (Premium and Platinum); no date poll found |
| Co-hosts | Yes Plan together in a shared group with one address book, or add a co-host to one party. | Yes Premium and Platinum |
| A what-to-bring sign-up | Yes · Party plan A sign-up with limits, and write-ins. | Yes Potluck list on the invitation |
| Guests’ photos in one place | Yes · Party plan A photo wall from a table QR code, with a slideshow. | Not confirmed Not found |
| Guest comments or a wall | Yes · Party plan Notes from guests before the party. | Partly One-on-one guest chat and broadcast announcements |
| Your own photo on the card | Yes Photo designs put your picture on the card. | Yes Photo-enabled designs take an uploaded photo |
| An invite that opens like an envelope | Yes Every invite opens like an envelope with their name on it; other openings (a wax-sealed letter, a gift box, French doors) are on the Party plan. | Partly Envelope liner and stamp can be customized; animation not confirmed |
| Designs | 334 On the design wall today, each one a live invite you can open. | Not confirmed Punchbowl says 'hundreds of free online invitations'; exclusive Disney and character collections |
| Save-the-dates | Yes Save-the-date designs and a save-the-date start in the planner. | Yes Save the Dates (can be converted to an invitation) |
| Several events on one invite | Yes · Host Pass plan Make it a weekend: each guest gets one link to the parties they’re invited to, and answers each one. | Not confirmed Multi-day events supported; multiple sub-events under one invite not found |
| A wedding website | Yes · Wedding plan Your story, every event, travel, the registry and questions, with an optional password; guests RSVP on their own invites. | Not confirmed Not found |
| Thank-yous | Yes · Party plan A thank-you message to everyone who came; thank-you cards in your designs with the Host Pass. | Partly Digital Cards product (separate membership) |
| Guests confirm their address | Yes Guests confirm their own address and phone. | Not confirmed Not found |
| Printed invitations | No Digital only. | Not confirmed Not found |
| Add to calendar | Yes Apple, Google and Outlook, plus a feed that keeps every party current. | Yes Help article on adding an invitation to your calendar |
Questions
Is Punchbowl free?
No. Sending new invitations needs a paid membership after a 7-day trial that asks for a card up front. Plans were shown from $2.99 a month on October 25, 2026.
Does Punchbowl count kids toward the guest limit?
Yes. Punchbowl says a guest is anyone on the list, including partners and children in a family.
Sources
Punchbowl
- Plan names, list and shown prices, guest limits, features, trial, ads FAQ (A/B variant 'Challenger 1') (2026-10-25)
- Paid membership required for new events (2026-10-25)
- Annual plans charged for the full year up front (2026-10-25)
- Ads removed only on Platinum or Business (2026-10-25)
- Texts sent from Punchbowl's own number (2026-10-25)
- No guest account needed (2026-10-25)
- Share link needs a paid membership (2026-10-25)
- Adults, children, infants tracking (2026-10-25)
- Plus-one controls (2026-10-25)
- RSVP limit (2026-10-25)
- Poll feature (2026-10-25)
- Potluck, co-host, reminders, registry, money collection articles (2026-10-25)
- Own photo on design (2026-10-25)
- Envelope liner and stamp customization (2026-10-25)
Punchbowl is a trademark of its owner; letsparty isn’t affiliated with it. Prices and features change: check their sites before you choose. See something out of date? Write to invites@letsparty.rsvp and we’ll fix it.