Punchbowl alternatives, compared honestly
Who’s in it?
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Four pictures to pick from, no watermark, a link that opens on any phone. We email it to you too.
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This page is written by HiWith, so yes, we’re one of the alternatives, and we’ve tried to be fair anyway. Punchbowl is mostly online invitations with RSVP tracking, plus ecards. HiWith does one narrow thing: a card with the person from your photo in the picture, as four pictures and a short video. So if you’re inviting people to a party, Punchbowl or one of the invitation sites below is the right kind of tool, and HiWith isn’t. If you want a card that stars someone, read on. Below are the prices as we read them on November 9, 2026, what Punchbowl does better, and what we’d pick for what. Every claim about another company links to the page we read it on.
HiWith vs Punchbowl at a glance
| Punchbowl | HiWith | |
|---|---|---|
| What you make | Online invitations with RSVP tracking, and ecards | A card: 4 pictures and a short video of the person in your photo, with your message |
| Its signature | Party planning: RSVP tracking, potluck lists, guest polls and co-hosts, and invitations with kids’ characters like Mickey Mouse, Bluey and PAW Patrol | The person from your photo in the whole picture |
| How the person gets in | Upload your own design for an invitation. Add your message, a video message or a gift card to an ecard | You add one clear photo of each person, and the picture is made with them in it |
| How many people | Up to 50, 100 or 500 guests per event, by plan | Up to 5 people in one card |
| Price | Invitations: listed from $2.99 to $5.99 a month on the web. Ecards: from $1.49 to $2.99 a month. Both are sale prices; the App Store lists higher ones | $4.99 a card, one payment. HiWith Pro: $7.99 a month for up to 10 cards |
| Free | Free ecards. Invitations free during a 7-day trial, then a membership | One watermarked picture of them in the card before you pay. No free finished cards |
| Sign-up | A membership with payment details for the free trial | None needed. Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card |
| Cancel | On the web: Account Settings, then Cancel Membership under Billing | A single card never renews. Pro: cancel anytime in 2 taps |
| Refunds | 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked | Full refund if you don’t love it: reply to the receipt |
| Apps | iOS (4.9 stars, about 111,000 ratings) and Android | Works in the browser; the card is a link that opens on any phone |
Christmas cards made from your photos
What Punchbowl does better
- Invitations. RSVP tracking, nudging guests who haven’t answered, potluck lists, guest polls and co-hosts. HiWith doesn’t do invitations at all.
- Kids’ characters. Punchbowl has invitations with Mickey Mouse, Bluey and PAW Patrol. We don’t use licensed characters.
- Free ecards. HiWith has no free finished card.
- Extras on an ecard: a gift card or a video message, sent by text or email, and scheduled delivery on the higher plans.
- Price if you send a lot: ecard plans start at $1.49 a month on sale, for up to 10 cards a month.
- A long track record: 4.9 stars from about 111,000 ratings on the App Store.
What HiWith does differently
- The person is in the picture: each card is 4 pictures and a short video made with them in the scene.
- You see them in it before you pay: one watermarked picture, free.
- No membership and no sign-up: $4.99 a card, one payment, nothing renews. HiWith Pro ($7.99 a month for up to 10 cards) is there if you send more.
- Photos are private, never used to train AI, and deleted after 30 days unless you keep the card.
- Our limits: no invitations, no RSVPs, no gift cards, no licensed characters, no free finished cards, and far fewer cards to pick from. We’re much newer and much smaller.
Other alternatives, and what each is good for
Prices are what each company’s own page showed on November 9, 2026, except JibJab’s, which we read on November 7. They change. For more ecard sites, see our JibJab alternatives page.
| Good for | Price | Free option | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evite | Party invitations, if ads are fine | Premium is per event: $17.99 up to 12 guests, $36.99 up to 30, $68.99 up to 75, $99.99 up to 750 | Free invitations, with ads |
| Partiful | Casual parties with an event page and RSVPs | Its home page says free online invitations | Yes |
| Paperless Post | Designer-looking invitations and cards, paid by the guest | Coins per guest: a 3-Coin send was $1.44 on its calculator. Or a subscription | Many free designs |
| Greenvelope | One flat price for a guest list, with RSVP tracking | Starting at $19, one time, set by guest count; no subscription | Trial mode: greeting cards to up to 10 people |
| JibJab | Your face on a dancing elf, and a big ecard library | $36 a year or $24 for 6 months on the web; $6.99 a month in the apps | A handful of free ecards |
Which one should you pick?
- A party with RSVPs to track, and you’d like kids’ characters on it: Punchbowl.
- A party, free, and ads don’t bother you: Evite or Partiful.
- A wedding or a bigger event where the design matters: Paperless Post or Greenvelope.
- A free ecard: Punchbowl.
- A funny ecard with a dancing face: JibJab.
- The person themselves in a card, for a few cards a year: HiWith.
Sources
We read each of these on November 9, 2026, except JibJab’s, read November 7. If one is out of date, write to support@winding.ai and we’ll fix it. HiWith’s own prices are in What it costs below.
- Punchbowl invitation plans, trial, guarantee and cancelling: punchbowl.com/upgrade
- Punchbowl ecard plans: punchbowl.com/upgrade/cards
- Punchbowl features and characters: punchbowl.com/
- Punchbowl free ecards: punchbowl.com/ecards
- Punchbowl help center, new events need a membership: help.punchbowl.com/article/525-whats-new
- Punchbowl App Store listing, ratings and in-app prices: apps.apple.com/us/app/punchbowl-invitations-cards/id628215241
- Evite Premium prices: support.evite.com/premium/what-is-premium/premium-pricing and ads on free invitations: evite.com/mobile/terms
- Partiful: partiful.com/
- Paperless Post pricing and Coins: paperlesspost.com/pricing
- Greenvelope pricing and trial: greenvelope.com/pricing
- JibJab prices and free ecards: help.jibjab.com/hc/en-us/articles/200094590-What-s-the-difference-between-a-Free-Account-and-a-Premium-Membership
How it works
- Pick a cardPilots, mermaids, rock stars, one very surprised cake. Every one shows a real example first.
- Add their photosOne clear face each, up to 5 people. A selfie is fine. No sign-up.
- See it free, then payOne picture of them in the card in about 10 seconds. Like it? Apple Pay or Google Pay, and four pictures arrive about 20 seconds later, the video in about 90.
What it costs
One card, or 10 a month. Full refund if you don’t love it.
Is Punchbowl free?
Partly. Punchbowl offers free ecards. Invitations are free during a 7-day trial; after that you need a paid membership, and its help center says new events require one. Web prices were listed from $2.99 a month as a sale price when we read them on November 9, 2026.
What is the best free alternative to Punchbowl?
For invitations, Partiful’s home page says free online invitations with RSVP tracking, and Evite’s free invitations show ads. For ecards, Punchbowl’s own free ones are a fair place to start. HiWith isn’t free: you see one watermarked picture of them in the card, and the finished card is $4.99.
How is HiWith different from Punchbowl?
Punchbowl is mostly invitations and RSVP tracking, with ecards too. HiWith doesn’t do invitations. It makes one thing: a card with the person from your photo in it, as 4 pictures and a short video, for $4.99 a card with no membership.
Does HiWith do invitations or RSVPs?
No. For invitations and RSVP tracking, use Punchbowl, Evite, Partiful, Paperless Post or Greenvelope.
How do I cancel a Punchbowl membership?
On the web, Punchbowl says to sign in, click your name, choose Account Settings, then the Cancel Membership link under Billing. It also lists a 30-day money-back guarantee.
By HiWith (Winding AI, Inc.) · support@winding.ai · Updated