Updated October 2026. We make Replied, so we have a stake in this. We’ve tried to be fair: prices below come from each company’s own pricing page on October 21, 2026, and we say plainly when another tool is the better pick.
“Text message RSVP” means two different things, and most comparison lists blur them:
- Guests RSVP by replying to a text. The guest gets a text and answers it, like “yes, 4”. No link, no form, no app, no account.
- The invitation arrives by text, but guests RSVP on a web page. The text holds a link, and the guest taps it and fills in a form. Most “text invitation” tools work this way.
The difference matters most for guests who don’t like tapping links: grandparents, church members, older relatives, and anyone who’s wary of links from unknown numbers. If everyone on your list is comfortable with links, a free link-based tool may be all you need.
Quick comparison
| Service | How guests RSVP | Price (Oct 2026) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replied | Reply to a text. No link, app or account. | From $14.99 per event (25 households); $59.99 for 100 households | Any event with guests who won’t click links; churches, clubs and planners with repeat events |
| Partiful | Link; guest enters name and phone, then a verification code | Free (optional paid Plus extras) | Casual parties with friends |
| Joy | Wedding website RSVP page | Free; texting is a paid add-on | Couples who want a free wedding website and registry |
| RSVPify | Web form | Free tier for small events; paid plans | Corporate, nonprofit and ticketed events with detailed forms |
| TextMyGuests | Not an RSVP tool: mass texting to guests | $34 (400 messages) to $229 (4,000), plus $2/month | Wedding-weekend announcements and updates |
| Evite | Link | Free with ads; premium $17.99 (12 guests) to $99.99 (750) | Kids’ birthdays and general parties |
| Paperless Post | Link | Free for first 50 guests; then paid “coins” | Design-forward invitations |
| Dearest Guest | Texts, with replies collected for you | $3 per guest, $99 minimum | Couples who want wedding texting done for them |
| Daisy Chat | Text reply or a personal link | $50 (40 guests) to $250 (400 guests), one time | Weddings that want an AI bot to answer guest questions |
| ouRSVP | Form embedded in your own website | $5 to $45 per month | Couples building their own wedding site |
Replied
How it works: each event gets its own RSVP phone number. You either print that number on paper invitations (“Text your RSVP to 555-…”) or send the whole invitation by text from Replied. Guests text back, and Replied’s automated texting collects each household’s answer, headcount and (if you turn it on) meal choice by text, then tallies everything in your dashboard.
Pricing: one-time per event, by household, not by guest. The Smiths (party of 4) count as one. 25 households is $14.99, 100 is $59.99, 200 is $69.99, and up to 1,500 households is $389.99. A $7.99/month plan covers organizations with events every month, and a $19.99/month Pro membership takes 30% off every event for planners.
Good at: getting replies from people who ignore links; follow-up texts to anyone who hasn’t answered; meal choice counts; household headcount limits; group texts to everyone who’s coming; CSV export.
Not the best fit if: you want a free tool, a wedding website, a registry, or event-page photos and comments. Replied only does invitations, RSVPs and guest texts.
Partiful
A free, well-designed party invite app. Guests open a link, and to RSVP they give their name and phone number and confirm it with a texted code. Partiful sends reminders and lets hosts send up to 10 “text blasts” per event. It launched an optional paid Partiful Plus subscription in October 2026 for extras like themes. Pick it for casual parties where everyone is comfortable tapping links. See our Replied vs Partiful comparison.
Joy
A free wedding website with registry and online RSVP, with unlimited guests. Text messaging is a paid one-time “Messaging Plus” upgrade (US and Canada), and its texts link guests back to the website to RSVP. Pick it for a free all-in-one wedding website. See Replied vs Joy.
RSVPify
Strong web RSVP and registration forms: custom questions, ticketing, check-in. It has no built-in texting; RSVPify’s own help center suggests connecting a texting service through Zapier, or pasting your event link into a text. Pick it for corporate and nonprofit events with detailed registration needs. See Replied vs RSVPify.
TextMyGuests
A mass-texting service for weddings and events, priced by message pack ($34 for 400 messages up to $229 for 4,000, plus $2 for each month the event runs). It’s built for announcements, not RSVP tracking; its own site recommends collecting phone numbers as you gather RSVPs somewhere else. Pick it for wedding-weekend updates like shuttle times. See Replied vs TextMyGuests.
Evite
The long-running invitation site. Free invitations carry ads; premium designs are priced per event by guest count ($17.99 for up to 12 guests through $99.99 for up to 750). Invites can be sent by text, and guests RSVP through the link without an account. Pick it for kids’ birthdays and classic party invitations.
Paperless Post
Beautiful designer invitations sent by text, email or link. The first 50 guests are free, then you buy “coins,” which works out to roughly $0.50 to $1.44 per guest depending on the design. Pick it for showers, galas and weddings where the design matters most.
Dearest Guest
A done-for-you wedding texting service: a person reviews your message plan, and guest replies are collected in a dashboard. It costs $3 per guest with a $99 minimum, so a 150-guest wedding is $450. Pick it for couples who want someone else to plan and run their wedding texts.
Daisy Chat
Wedding guest texting with an AI chatbot that answers guest questions about parking or dress code. Guests can RSVP by text or through a personal link. One-time pricing runs from $50 (up to 40 guests) to $250 (up to 400). Pick it for weddings that want guest questions answered automatically.
ouRSVP
An RSVP form you embed in your own Squarespace, Wix or WordPress site, from $5 to $45 a month. No texting. Pick it for couples who already built their own wedding website.
How to choose
- Everyone on your list is comfortable with links, and you want free: Partiful for parties, Joy for weddings.
- Some guests won’t tap links or fill in forms (older relatives, church members, club members): use a reply-by-text service like Replied.
- You run events every month (a church, club, venue or planner): look for a monthly or pro plan rather than paying full price per event.
- You need ticketing or long registration forms: RSVPify.
- You just need to blast updates during the wedding weekend: TextMyGuests.
Frequently asked questions
Can guests RSVP by replying to a text message?
Yes, with a service built for it. With Replied, a guest can text back for the whole household, like “yes, 4”, and the reply is recorded and counted automatically. Many “text invitation” tools only text a link to a web form.
Is there a free text message RSVP service?
Partiful and Joy are free, but guests RSVP through a link, and Joy charges for texting. Sending real text messages costs money, so services where guests reply by text are paid. Replied starts at $14.99 per event.
Do guests need to download an app?
Not for any of the services above. With Replied there’s also no link or account: guests just reply to a text.
What’s the cheapest way to collect RSVPs by text for a wedding?
It depends on how pricing is counted. Replied prices by household rather than by guest, so a 150-guest wedding of about 60 households fits the 100-household tier for $59.99. Per-guest services charge for every person.
Start your event with Replied → or text 585-676-4530 to try a live demo RSVP first.