A wedding is a 12–18-month project, so a monthly price is really a 12–18× price — and 'one-time' only counts if nothing expires afterwards. Below: what to check, the apps whose pricing pages we could read and cite, and how Vowlist fits.
By the maker of Vowlist — guest list, budget and checklist free; the RSVP link is $79 once, no subscription. We name a competitor only with a link to their own page and the date we checked it.
Three questions separate a real one-time price from a subscription in disguise: Does it renew? (a "one-time" that becomes monthly after year one is a subscription with a delayed start.) Does anything expire? (hosting, the RSVP link, guest logins, exports.) Can you leave with your data? (a CSV of guests and replies, at any time, without asking.) If the answer to the first two is no and the third is yes, it is one-time. Everything else is a plan.
Why it matters more for weddings than for most software: you will use the app hardest in the last two months, when you least want a billing surprise, and you will want the guest list after the day (thank-you notes). A price that stops when you stop paying is priced for the wrong month.
Only apps whose own pricing page we read on August 18, 2026 appear here, quoted in their words with a link. Prices change; the link is the source of truth, not this table.
| App | Price | What it covers | What's free | Refund | Expiry / renewal | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vowlist | $79 once | Shareable RSVP page + one link per household, guest replies, meals, dietary notes, reply export. Guest list, budget, checklist and CSV export are free without paying. | Guest list · budget · checklist · CSV export — free, no card, no guest cap | 30 days, any reason | None — the RSVP link and your data stay for the life of your wedding; export or delete any time | our refund page checked 2026-08-18 |
| WedSites | Basic $39 · Standard $99 · Pro $199 (one-time) | Their words: Basic = wedding website builder, all themes, 6 months hosting; Standard adds guest list database, online RSVPs, custom RSVP form, paperless invitations, 12 months hosting; Pro adds seating chart, budget calculator, timeline, 24 months hosting. | Not stated as a free tier on the page we read | Their words: "14-day money-back guarantee" | Hosting is included for 6 / 12 / 24 months by plan; after that "$5 per month when paid yearly" (their words) — so one-time price, time-limited hosting | wedsites.com/pricing checked 2026-08-18 |
Listed so you do not have to check them yourself — quoted from their pricing pages on August 18, 2026. Not a criticism: subscriptions suit some couples; just not "pay once".
| App | Their pricing, in their words | What it covers (their list) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appy Couple | "$99 per year" or "$12 a month" — "Pay anually or go monthly. Cancel at anytime." | Website + app + digital invites, guest list, RSVP tracking (their list) | appycouple.com/pricing checked 2026-08-18 |
| Riley & Grey | "$39 /month or $299 for a year"; also a "$39 one-time" reserve plan that is credited toward the membership | Website with custom domain, digital invitations, registry (their list) | rileygrey.com/pricing checked 2026-08-18 |
No wedding website, no registry, no seating chart, no vendor marketplace. Vowlist is the guest list, the budget, the checklist and the RSVP link — the working part. If you want a website too, most couples pair a free site builder or a simple page with a Vowlist RSVP link; the RSVP without a website guide walks through it. The price is $79 once, no renewal, nothing expires, export any time, 30-day refund.
Guest list, budget, checklist and CSV export are free — no card, no cap. When you want guests replying online, the RSVP page (one link per household, no app or account for guests, we never email them) is $79 once. Start free → · See the guest page →