Guide
One-Time Purchase Wedding Planning Apps, No Subscription (2026)
Few wedding planning apps charge a single payment; most are free and earn money elsewhere. Who each option is best for, from each company’s own site as of October 2026:
- Altessa: best for couples who want an all-in-one planner, budget to floor plan, for one payment.
- PerfectTablePlan: best for couples who only need seating, on a Windows or Mac computer, for one payment.
- TopTablePlanner: best for couples who want a low-cost browser seating plan for a set 6 or 12 months.
- Zola: best for couples who want free tools and a registry, and are fine with paid extras like a larger seating chart.
- The Knot: best for couples who want free tools next to a large vendor marketplace.
- WeddingWire: best for couples who want free planning tools, including a seating chart, next to a vendor directory.
- Joy: best for couples who mainly want a free website, RSVPs and registry, with optional paid designs and texting.
Last updated October 2026
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Pricing model | Seating chart | Floor plan | Budget | Guest list | Mobile | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altessa | $80 or $120, paid once | One-time purchase | Yes, seat by seat (Premium) | Yes, to scale (Premium) | Yes | Yes, with RSVPs | Phone browser; no app | Couples who want an all-in-one planner, budget to floor plan, for one payment. |
| PerfectTablePlan | $29.95 Home Edition, paid once | One-time purchase | Yes | Yes, scale floor plan | Not listed | Yes, with RSVPs | No; Windows and Mac only | Couples who only need seating, on a Windows or Mac computer, for one payment. |
| TopTablePlanner | £10 for 6 months or £15 for a year | One-off payment for set access | Yes | Yes, not to scale | Not listed | Yes, with RSVPs | Browser on any device | Couples who want a low-cost browser seating plan for a set 6 or 12 months. |
| Zola | Free; seating chart past 15 guests is paid | Free with paid add-ons | Yes, free up to 15 guests | Yes (scale not stated) | Yes | Yes, with RSVPs | iOS app; no Android app | Couples who want free tools and a registry, and are fine with paid extras like a larger seating chart. |
| The Knot | Free | Free, with a vendor marketplace | Not listed | Not listed | Budget estimate (Budget Advisor) | Yes, with RSVPs | iOS and Android apps | Couples who want free tools next to a large vendor marketplace. |
| WeddingWire | Free | Free, with a vendor directory | Yes, free | Yes (scale not stated) | Yes | Yes, with RSVPs | iOS and Android apps | Couples who want free planning tools, including a seating chart, next to a vendor directory. |
| Joy | Free; paid premium designs and texting | Free with paid add-ons | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | Yes, with RSVPs | iOS and Android apps | Couples who mainly want a free website, RSVPs and registry, with optional paid designs and texting. |
Pricing models are as each company describes them on its own site in October 2026. Free tools are paid for in other ways, such as stores, registries, marketplaces and paid extras. “Not listed” means we could not find it on that company’s own site in October 2026, not that it does not exist. Prices and features change; check each site before you buy.
Is Altessa really a one-time purchase?
Yes. Altessa Core is $80 and Premium is $120, each paid once with no subscription and no renewal. Core covers the wedding budget, planning timeline, guest list with RSVPs, vendor guide, calendar sync and PDF exports. Premium adds the Layout Builder, a to-scale floor plan and seating chart, and Style Studio.
A free preview lets you set up your wedding before you buy, and purchases are final, so the preview is the time to decide. The honest limits: there is no vendor marketplace or registry, and there is no native app; it runs in the browser on a computer or phone.
Is PerfectTablePlan a subscription?
No. PerfectTablePlan’s purchase page describes a single payment, not a recurring subscription, and its Home Edition, the one it recommends for people planning their own wedding, is $29.95. The licence key works on up to five computers.
It is a seating program rather than a full planner: guest import, automatic seating, a scale floor plan, RSVP and meal tracking, and printable place cards. It runs on Windows and Mac only, with no phone or browser version, so it pairs best with another tool for the budget and timeline. A free trial saves plans of up to 30 guests.
Does TopTablePlanner renew automatically?
No. TopTablePlanner’s purchase page says it is not a recurring subscription: you pay once for a set period, £10 for 6 months or £15 for a year on the personal plans, and the account expires at the end. That is a one-off payment for a fixed window rather than a permanent licence, so time the purchase for the months you will actually seat guests.
It runs in any browser on a computer, tablet or phone, tracks RSVPs and meal choices, and exports PDFs for the venue. Its help page says exact scaling is not supported, and it lists no budget tool.
Is Zola free, or are there paid extras?
Zola says it is free to use, and its website, registry, guest list and budget tool are free. The seating chart is free for up to 15 guests, then the Premium version unlocks more guests; Zola does not list that price on its help page.
Zola says it makes money by selling wedding gifts and stationery through its store. Card contributions to cash funds carry a 2.5% processing fee, and the couple chooses whether guests or the couple pay it, with Venmo as another option. The Zola app is on iOS only.
Does The Knot charge couples anything?
The Knot’s help center says all of its online tools are free to use, including the website, registry, checklist and style quiz, and its planning app is free on iOS and Android. The budget tool, Budget Advisor, gives an estimate based on what couples spend and connects you with in-budget vendors in The Knot Vendor Marketplace.
So there is no subscription to cancel. The trade is that the free tools sit inside a marketplace built to connect you with vendors, which is useful while you are hiring and less so once you have booked. Budget Advisor estimates costs rather than tracking payments.
Is WeddingWire free for couples?
Yes. WeddingWire says its planning tools are free: wedding website, seating chart, checklist, budget tracker, guest list and vendor manager. The budget tracker lets you set a budget, track spending and schedule payments, and the website’s RSVPs sync to the guest list.
Like The Knot, it pairs those tools with a directory of local vendors with reviews, and it has apps on iOS and Android. For couples set on avoiding subscriptions, it is one of the most complete free options; the cost is that the experience is built around finding and contacting vendors.
Is Joy free?
Mostly. Joy says its wedding websites, planning tools and registry are free, with hundreds of free invitation designs and some premium paid ones. Messaging Plus, which unlocks text messages to guests, is a one-time purchase; Joy does not show the price on that help page.
Joy’s guest list collects addresses, imports lists, messages guests and tracks RSVPs, and its app is on iOS and Android. Joy says it takes no fee on cash gifts; card fees go to the payment processor. We could not find a seating chart or budget tool on its product or help pages.
Common questions
Are there wedding planning apps without a subscription?
Yes. Most wedding planning apps have no subscription: Zola, The Knot, WeddingWire and Joy are free to use, and Altessa is a one-time purchase of $80 or $120. Some free apps sell optional extras, such as Zola’s larger seating chart or Joy’s premium designs.
Which all-in-one wedding planning app is a one-time purchase?
Altessa is the all-in-one planner on this page sold as a one-time purchase, $80 for Core or $120 for Premium with the Layout Builder. PerfectTablePlan and TopTablePlanner are paid once too, but they cover seating only.
Why are most wedding planning apps free?
Because they earn money in other ways. Zola says it makes money selling gifts and stationery, The Knot and WeddingWire run vendor marketplaces, and several sell optional extras. A one-time purchase is the other model: you pay for the tool itself.
Is a one-time purchase better than a free wedding app?
It depends on what you need. Free apps are hard to beat for websites, registries and finding vendors. A one-time purchase suits couples who want planning tools with no store, marketplace or upsell attached, and who would rather pay once than trade attention.
Do any wedding apps charge fees on cash gifts?
Card payments usually carry a processing fee. Zola lists a 2.5% fee on card contributions to cash funds and lets the couple choose who pays it, while Joy says it takes no fee and card fees go to the payment processor. Altessa does not handle gift money.
Related reading
See Altessa before you decide
Walk through a sample wedding planned in Altessa with no signup, or start your own free preview.
Competitor details come from each company’s own website as of October 2026 and may have changed. Product names are trademarks of their respective owners.