Skip to content

Apple Invites alternative: RSVPlinks vs Apple Invites

Apple's invitation app for iPhone, also on the web. Hosts need iCloud+, and anyone can reply. RSVPlinks is an event page and website builder where guests reply, register or buy tickets in their browser, free for up to 20 replies per event and a one-time $7–$39 above that. Choose Apple Invites if you and your friends are on iPhones, already pay for iCloud+, and want a simple invite with a shared album.

Apple Invites's price: The app is free to download. Creating an event needs an iCloud+ subscription, with no limit on events.1

Create Free Event

Pros and cons

Where Apple Invites does well

  • Guests need no iCloud+ or Apple Account to reply.1
  • Shared albums, Apple Music playlists, Maps and weather on the invite.1
  • AI backgrounds through Image Playground, with Apple Intelligence.1
  • Approve guests before they join.2
  • Up to five cohosts.3

Limits Apple Invites states

  • Hosting needs a paid iCloud+ subscription.1
  • Generated backgrounds need Apple Intelligence.1

Where RSVPlinks does well

  • A host needs no Apple device or subscription.
  • Your own link, a website with sections and a domain.
  • Custom questions, sign-up sheets, a seating chart and door check-in.
  • Selling tickets, or asking a fee with the reply.

Where RSVPlinks falls short

  • The free plan stops at 20 replies per event and 5 events, a much lower limit than several free plans below.
  • No text messages: reminders and blasts go by email, so you can't reach a guest by SMS from here.
  • No native phone app: hosts and guests use the browser, and the dashboard can be added to a home screen.

RSVPlinks vs Apple Invites: side by side

RSVPlinks vs Apple Invites
FeatureRSVPlinksApple Invites
How it chargesFree, or $7–$39 per eventiCloud+ subscription1
Free option20 replies per eventGuests only1
Ads guests seeNone, on any planNot found
What a guest needs to replyA nameNo Apple Account1
Custom questions1 free, up to 10 paidNot found
Your own linkPaid eventsNot found
Animated designsAll freeNot found
Approve each guestYesYes2
Sign-up / potluck listPaid events, free standaloneNot found
Take money with the replyApp payments or 6% + 50¢ by cardNot found
Text deliveryNoNot found
Mailed paperPostcards we mailNot found

A cross means the vendor says it doesn't offer it, or for RSVPlinks that we don't. “Not found” means we looked through its public pricing and help pages and saw nothing either way. It may still exist. A number links to the source.

Apple Invites alternative: FAQ

What is Apple Invites?
Apple's invitation app for iPhone, also on the web. Hosts need iCloud+, and anyone can reply.
How much does Apple Invites cost?
The app is free to download. Creating an event needs an iCloud+ subscription, with no limit on events. This comes from Apple Support: create an event, read on November 1, 2026.
Who should choose Apple Invites over RSVPlinks?
Choose Apple Invites if you and your friends are on iPhones, already pay for iCloud+, and want a simple invite with a shared album.
Is RSVPlinks a free alternative to Apple Invites?
RSVPlinks has a free plan: up to 20 replies per event on up to 5 events, with no ads. A bigger event is a one-time $7–$39, with no subscription.

Sources

Read on November 1, 2026. Vendors change prices and features, so check their pages before you decide.

  1. 1. Apple Support: create an event
  2. 2. Apple Support: approve guests
  3. 3. Apple Support: add a cohost

More comparisons