01The short list
Wedding website builders fall into two groups. Wedding platforms (Zola, Joy, The Knot, Minted) are free, come with RSVPs and a guest list, and make their money from registries, stationery and vendor advertising. General website builders (Squarespace, Wix, Google Sites) give you more design freedom but leave RSVPs, guest lists and registries to you.
Prices and features below are from each platform's own pages where they could be read, and otherwise from Paperlust's comparison, which records pricing as of July 2026.
| Builder | Website | Custom domain | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zola | Free, 600+ templates | From $17.99 | A registry and website in one account |
| Joy | Free, website and app | About $20 to $40 a year | Flexible RSVPs, events per guest, a guest app |
| The Knot | Free | Paid option via its help center | Couples already using The Knot for vendors |
| Minted | Free core site | Paid vanity URL | Matching the site to Minted stationery |
| Squarespace | No free plan, 14-day trial | Free for the first year on annual plans | Design-led sites without built-in RSVPs |
| Google Sites | Free | None (sites.google.com address) | A simple information page at no cost |
02How to choose between them
Start with the registry. If you want cash funds and gifts in one place, Zola is built around that, and its website is free: Zola's own page says its sites are "free to create and publish", with the custom domain as the only paid exception. Joy is free too and works with registries elsewhere, linking out to Zola, The Knot or Amazon.
Then look at RSVPs. Joy says guests do not need an email address or an account to RSVP; creating an account is optional and comes after the RSVP. Joy also lets you show specific events, such as a rehearsal dinner, only to the guests invited to them. That matters more for big or multi-day weddings than any template.
- Registry in the same place: Zola.
- Several events with different guest lists: Joy.
- Planning vendors through one marketplace: The Knot.
- Stationery and website that match: Minted or Zola.
- A site that does not look like a wedding template: a general builder, with RSVPs through a form.
03When a general website builder makes sense
Couples who care about design often find wedding templates samey: the same script fonts, the same floral borders, the same layout. A general builder lets you choose your own type, colors and structure, and the site can match an invitation you designed yourself. Wedding color palettes and Cormorant Garamond pairings are good starting points.
The cost is the tooling. Squarespace has no dedicated RSVP system, only form blocks, and no guest list or registry integration, according to Paperlust's comparison. You collect RSVPs in a form and manage the list in a spreadsheet. For a wedding of 60 that is fine; for 250 guests with meal choices and plus-ones it becomes a part-time job.
04What every good wedding site needs, whichever builder you use
The builder matters less than the content. Guests open the site for a handful of answers, usually on a phone, often the week of the wedding. What to put on a wedding website covers each section in detail.
- 1Date, time and place firstOn the first screen, with the ceremony and reception addresses linked to a map.
- 2ScheduleEvery event guests are invited to, with start times and dress code.
- 3Travel and hotelsNearest airports, hotel blocks with booking deadlines, and parking.
- 4RSVPOne clear button, a deadline and meal choices if you need them.
- 5FAQKids, plus-ones, dress code and gifts, answered before anyone has to ask.
What people who tried it say
Developers who built their own wedding sites on Hacker News say the website earns its keep for RSVPs and travel details, especially with guests in other cities or countries, while paper invitations still carry the formal invite for many families.
- Show HN: Open-sourcing my wedding website on my first anniversaryHacker News
Couples with guests in several countries say the website did the work paper could not: RSVPs, directions and travel in one place. Others sent paper invitations as the formal invite and used the site only for details and RSVPs.
- Show HN: I built my wedding website using PolymerHacker News
One commenter worried about publishing the date and venue openly; another pointed out that newspapers print the same details. Others noted the site showed nothing without JavaScript and joked about what happens when a home-built server goes down the week of the wedding.
Looking for more first-hand opinions? Search Reddit for “best wedding website builder”. We link the live threads rather than summarizing them, so you read them in full.
Our take
use Zola or Joy unless you have a specific reason not to. RSVP handling and a guest list save more hours than a nicer template ever will. If design matters to you, put the effort into the invitation and keep the website plain and fast.
Where this falls short
Prices and features change, and some platforms show different prices by country. Check each platform's own pricing page before you buy a domain or premium design.
If you want a wedding site that looks designed rather than templated, Orlume builds one from a description and publishes it in one click; use a form service or Google Form for RSVPs.
Free to start · No card required · Live in one click
Sources
- 1.Free wedding websites · Zola
- 2.Just the FAQs · Joy
- 3.Wedding website builders compared: Joy, Zola, The Knot and the rest · Paperlust
Researched and written by the Orlume team · Updated October 2026
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