GuestlistOnline vs Partiful FAQ

Question 1

Is Partiful really free?

Accepted Answer

The invitation product is: unlimited events, up to 1,000 guests invited through Partiful per event, 10 text blasts per event, and no ads. Two things cost money. Some invitation designs are paid, and Partiful does not publish their price. And if you sell tickets, Partiful takes a per-ticket service fee it also does not publish — it says the fee depends on event size and ticket price, shows it during setup, and lets you absorb it or pass it to the buyer. Its own worked example is a $112 ticket that pays out $100. Free tickets are free.

Question 2

Can I sell tickets on Partiful outside the US?

Accepted Answer

No. Partiful ticketing launched in June 2026 for US hosts only, and the platform is used in more than 100 countries without it. If you are outside the US, you can still send Partiful invitations, but the money has to happen somewhere else. GuestlistOnline sells tickets through your own Stripe Connect account — euros, dollars or pounds, iDEAL included — at 5% + 0.25 per ticket in the ticket currency with payment processing already in that rate, and nothing at all on free events.

Question 3

Does Partiful work offline at the door?

Accepted Answer

Partiful does not publish an offline check-in mode. QR scanning runs in the Partiful mobile app on ticketed events, and manual check-in runs in the browser, both of which assume a connection. GuestlistOnline check-in is a PWA that installs from the browser on iOS and Android with no app store: it caches the guest list before the event, scans and validates locally while offline, and syncs every scan back when the signal returns. If your venue is a basement, a warehouse or a field, that is the difference between a queue and a door that keeps moving.

Question 4

Can I migrate my Partiful guest list?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Export the guest list from Partiful as a CSV — it includes check-in status and the answers to your RSVP questionnaire — and import it into GuestlistOnline, mapping the columns you want to keep. Names, email addresses, RSVP status and answers come across. What does not come across is the Partiful-specific layer: the text-blast history, the comment wall, your mutuals and the Explore listing, and the ticket QR codes, which GuestlistOnline reissues.

Question 5

Which is better for a wedding?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the wedding. Partiful is built around a text-message RSVP loop that guests answer in seconds, which suits a young crowd and an informal day. For a seated dinner it starts to strain: there is no dietary field, so allergies live in a free-text questionnaire answer; the interface is English only, which is awkward for family abroad; and guests have to verify a phone number by SMS to RSVP at all. GuestlistOnline has a dietary field on the guest list, plus-ones with names, guest pages in seven languages, a gift fund, and QR check-in if you run a reception with a door.

Feature	GuestlistOnline	Partiful
Costs & payouts
Free plan limits	Free: 1 event, 50 guests. Per Event €19.99, Pro €29/month or €249/year	Free for every event: up to 1,000 guests invited through Partiful, 10 text blasts, no ads
Ticket fee	no fees on free events; paid tickets 5% + 0.25 per ticket in the ticket currency, processing included	Per-ticket service fee, not published — varies by event size and ticket price, US hosts only
Payouts	Stripe Connect in your own name, iDEAL included — payouts on your own Stripe schedule	Connected Stripe account, paid out 3–7 business days after the event (first payout up to 14)
Guest list & RSVP
Guest import	CSV import with names, email addresses and mapped columns	Bulk invite from an email list and phone-contact sync in the app; a CSV import with phone numbers is not documented
Plus-ones	Plus-ones with names and your own wording on the registration page	Plus-ones on or off, with names and a group size limit
Dietary requirements	Dedicated dietary field on the guest list, filterable and exportable	No dietary field — you add the question to the RSVP questionnaire
Waitlist & approval	Capacity limit that closes registration when full, plus guest approval	Capacity with an automatic waitlist that texts the next guest, plus guest approval
Promoter tracking	Promoter links with commission tracking per promoter	Promo codes and a host rewards programme, but no per-promoter attribution
Check-in & door
QR check-in	QR code per guest, scanned in the browser or the PWA scanner, on every paid plan	QR codes on ticketed events only; scanning happens in the Partiful mobile app
Offline mode	Full offline scanning — the list syncs before the door opens, scans run locally, results sync back	Not published
Door staff roles	6 team roles, from organisation owner down to door staff	Cohosts, check-in staff invited by link, and organisation admins
Branding & communication
Text messages	Email invitations, reminders and templates — no SMS blasts	SMS invitations and RSVPs, 10 text blasts per event, automatic reminders
Custom domain & white-label	Custom branding from Per Event, full white-label on Enterprise	Pages live on partiful.com; custom domains and white-label are not available
Platform
Languages	7 languages across the dashboard and the guest pages	English only
Data location	Hosted in the EU	Processed in the US; the privacy policy (19 Aug 2026) states Partiful does not sell personal data but shares it with advertising partners for advertising
Export	CSV export of guests, RSVPs, answers and check-in status	CSV export of the guest list including check-in status and questionnaire answers
Best for	Private events, clubs, weddings and anything with a door	House parties, birthdays and meetups where guests RSVP by text

GuestlistOnline
vs Partiful

Feature comparison

What each one costs