How to Choose an Online Invitation Service
There are dozens of online invitation services, and most of them are fine for somebody. The trick is working out which kind of host you are before you compare features. This guide is published by Blast, which makes video invitations, so it is only fair to say up front that several of the questions below lead away from us. Follow them honestly and you will know what to look for.
Write down three facts first
How many people are you inviting? How do you normally reach them: a class chat, email, the mail? And how much does the look of the invitation matter for this event? Nearly every answer below follows from those three.
Do you want something guests can hold?
If the invitation is meant for the fridge, the baby book or a grandmother's memory box, you want a printed card, and no online service replaces that. Order paper, or print a small run for the people who will keep it and use a link for everyone else.
Is the event formal enough for an envelope?
For a traditional wedding, a black-tie evening or a religious ceremony, many guests expect an invitation in the mail. Look for a stationer or a print-and-mail service. An online invitation can still handle the replies, if you add its link to the printed card.
Is it a casual get-together?
For a barbecue, a game night or pizza after the recital, free is the right price. Use a free card or a text message with the time and address. Paying for an invitation here buys you nothing your friends will notice.
Do you need a head count?
If you are paying a venue per child or ordering food for a number, RSVP is the feature that matters most. Look for a reply button on the invite itself, a place for guests to say how many are coming and to mention an allergy, and one list for you with every answer. Without it, you will be adding up texts by hand on the night before.
Will your guests put up with a sign-up?
Every extra step loses replies. If guests must create an account, confirm an email or download an app before they can answer, some won't bother, and the first to give up are grandparents and the parents you barely know. Test it: open the invite on someone else's phone and see how far you get without logging in.
How do your guests talk to each other?
If the class parents live in a group chat, you need a link you can paste there. If your family runs on email, you need something that looks right in an inbox. Some services send the invites for you and need each guest's email or number, which gives you a record of who opened it. Others hand you one link to share anywhere, which is more flexible and asks less of you.
What will it cost for your list?
Services charge in four ways: free with ads, per guest, by subscription or a flat fee per event. Work out the total for your own guest count, check whether it renews, and make sure you can see the finished invite before paying. The guide on invitation costs, linked below, walks through the arithmetic.
Do you want it to move and play music?
A static card is quick and often free. An animated invitation with music does more for a milestone or a themed party, where the invite is part of the fun. If you want video, look at how many themes actually suit your event, not at the size of the catalog.
What if the plan changes?
Venues move, start times shift, rain arrives. Ask every service the same thing before you pay: can I change the details after the invite is out, and will guests see the change on the link they already have?
Where Blast fits, and where it doesn't
Blast is an animated video invitation with music, sent as a link by text, WhatsApp or email. It fits the host who answered yes to the head count, the no-sign-up and the music questions: guests RSVP from the invite without an account or an app, there is no guest limit, and it is free to create and send, with no subscription.
It is the wrong choice if you want a printed keepsake, a formal mailed invitation, a plain static card, or just a text for a casual evening. In those cases, go with paper or a text and don't look back.
Themes to start from
Browse themes
Related guides
Should guests have to create an account to RSVP?
Ideally not. Each extra step, such as signing up or downloading an app, means fewer replies. Services that let guests answer straight from the invite are easier on everyone, older relatives most of all.
Is it better to share an invitation as a link or have the service email it?
It depends on your guests. A link can be pasted into a text, a group chat or an email, so it is the most flexible. Sending through the service can show who opened the invite, but it needs an address for every guest.
Is a free invitation service good enough?
For casual events, yes. Check what guests see around the invite, such as ads or branding, and whether replies are tracked on the free tier. For a milestone, or when you need a firm head count, a service with RSVP tracking is worth it.
When is Blast not the right invitation service?
When you want a printed card, a formal invitation in the mail or a static image. Blast makes animated video invitations with music, shared as a link, and nothing else.