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Vowesta vs Zola
Zola's strength is the registry and matching paper goods; Vowesta's is that everything, including seating, raffle tools, AI planning and the Kept camera, is free and ad-free. Both offer free websites with RSVP and guest list tools.
About Zola
Zola is a US wedding company known for its registry, which combines store products, cash funds and experiences, and for its free wedding website builder. It also sells paper invitations and offers planning checklists and a vendor marketplace.
Vowesta is a free wedding planning platform from RentalTide Inc.: website, RSVPs, guest list, seating, invitations, registry, raffle tools, AI planning and the Kept guest camera. There is no premium tier and no advertising. Revenue is a 2.5% fee on money guests send through a couple's site.
Side by side
| Feature | Vowesta | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Free wedding website | Included free | Included free |
| Custom domainZola sells custom domains as a paid add-on. Vowesta charges the registrar's yearly fee only. | Included free | Paid plan or add-on |
| Unlimited guests and RSVPs | Included free | Included free |
| Meal choices and dietary notes on RSVP | Included free | Included free |
| Drag and drop seating chart | Included free | Included free |
| Universal registry plus cash funds | Included free | Included free |
| Cash fund feeBoth deduct a processing fee from cash gifts. Vowesta: 2.5% plus card processing. Zola publishes its fee on its registry pages. | Partly, see note | Partly, see note |
| Email invitations and save-the-dates | Included free | Included free |
| Printed invitations | Not offered | Paid plan or add-on |
| Raffle and stag and doe ticket sales | Included free | Not offered |
| AI wedding planner and design studio | Included free | Not offered |
| Disposable camera for guests (Kept) | Included free | Not offered |
| Ad-free experience | Included free | Not offered |
| Dashboard in French and Spanish | Included free | Not offered |
- Included free
- Paid plan or add-on
- Partly, see note
- Not offered
Zola column based on their public pages, read 2026-09, at zola.com. Features and prices change often. Check each provider before deciding, and tell us at hello@vowesta.com if something here is out of date.
Which should you pick?
Pick Zola if
- You want registry, website and printed stationery from one brand.
- Your guests are mostly in the US and know the Zola registry.
- You want a shop-style registry with curated products.
Pick Vowesta if
- You want zero upsells: no paid domains, no premium templates, no ads.
- You need raffle or stag and doe tools.
- You want AI help with budget, timeline, palette and seating.
- You want a guest camera where nothing is visible until the roll develops.
Questions couples ask
Is Zola free?
Zola's website builder, guest list and registry are free to use. Custom domains, printed invitations and some products are paid. Vowesta is free with no paid tier; the only cost is a 2.5% fee on money guests send.
Can I use Zola's registry with a Vowesta website?
Yes. Vowesta's registry is universal: paste a link to your Zola registry, or to any store, and it appears on your Vowesta site alongside cash funds.
Does Vowesta print invitations?
No. Vowesta sends designed email invitations and save-the-dates that link to your site, and generates QR codes you can put on printed cards from any printer.
Which has the lower cash gift fee?
Vowesta charges nothing for planning tools. A 2.5% fee applies only when a guest sends money through your site, and it comes out of the gift. Zola publishes its own fee; compare before deciding where to collect cash gifts.
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