WedSites vs Canva
Considering Canva for your wedding website? It is worth noting upfront that this comparison is between two very different types of products: Canva is a graphic design platform that includes website building, while WedSites is a dedicated wedding planning platform. Many couples successfully use Canva alongside other tools, and which approach works best depends on your priorities.
Canva is best known as a graphic design tool for creating social media graphics, presentations, and print materials. They've expanded into website building with free wedding website templates that you can customize using their intuitive drag-and-drop editor and extensive media library. You can publish for free using a Canva domain or connect your own custom domain, create password-protected sites, and organize content into one-page scrollable sites or multiple pages. For RSVPs, many couples successfully pair Canva with Google Forms or Jotform -- this is a common and well-proven combination. Real-time collaboration lets your team review and comment on designs together. Canva does not include native guest list management, wedding planning tools, or email tracking.
WedSites is built for weddings with features like household RSVPs, guest list management, digital stationery with email tracking, multi-language support, and integrated planning tools. While Canva excels at visual design, WedSites focuses on wedding planning functionality. Here is how the two platforms compare.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | WedSites | Canva |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $39 Basic, $99 Standard, $199 Pro (one-time) | Free (Canva Pro subscription for advanced features) |
| Primary Purpose | Wedding planning platform | Graphic design tool with website builder |
| Wedding Templates | ✅ All templates wedding-focused | ✅ Free wedding website templates |
| Template Library Size | Smaller, wedding-focused library | ✅ Thousands of templates across categories |
| Design Tools | ✅ Wedding-optimized customization | ✅ Extensive design tools and media library |
| Drag-and-Drop Editor | ✅ Section-based editor | ✅ Intuitive freeform design |
| Custom Domain | ✅ Native DNS + SSL certificates included | ✅ Custom domain or free Canva domain |
| Custom CSS | ✅ Full design control | Template-based customization |
| Design Asset Library | Upload your photos | ✅ Free library of graphics and photos |
| Privacy Controls | ✅ Password protection, SEO blocking | ✅ Password-protected sites |
| Native RSVP Forms | ✅ Built-in household RSVPs | ❌ Requires Google Forms or Jotform integration |
| AI-Powered Tools | ❌ Not featured | ✅ AI-powered design assistance |
| RSVP Functionality | ✅ Multi-event, custom questions, household grouping | ✅ Works well via Google Forms or Jotform integration |
| Guest List Management | ✅ Households, groups, A/B lists | ❌ No native guest list tools |
| Brand Kit | Manual consistency | ✅ Consistent fonts, colors across designs |
| Digital Stationery | ✅ Included with Standard/Pro | Design tools for creating graphics |
| Email Tracking | ✅ Opens, clicks, delivery monitoring | ❌ Not available |
| Collaboration | Shared account access | ✅ Real-time review, comments, editing |
| Planning Checklist | ✅ Pro: Pre-populated + custom tasks | ❌ Not included |
| Budget Tracker | ✅ Pro: Expense categories and tracking | ❌ Not included |
| Print Materials | Not focused on print | ✅ Matching invitations, menus, programs |
| Vendor Management | ✅ Pro: Contacts, files, payments | ❌ Not included |
| Multi-Language | ✅ Full website translation | ❌ Not built-in |
| Mobile App | ❌ No mobile app | ✅ Full mobile app |
| Seating Chart | ✅ Pro: Drag-and-drop with groups | ❌ Not included |
| Timeline Builder | ✅ Pro: Day-of runsheet | ❌ Not included |
Pricing Comparison
Canva allows you to create and publish wedding websites for free using their free plan, with the option to connect a custom domain. Their free tier is genuinely capable, offering access to thousands of templates, stock photos, and design elements. This is a significant advantage for budget-conscious couples. Canva Pro (subscription-based, typically $12.99/month or $119.99/year) provides advanced features like Brand Kit to keep fonts, colors, and imagery consistent across designs, plus access to premium templates and media.
WedSites offers one-time pricing:
- Basic Plan: $39 one-time, core website features
- Standard Plan: $99 one-time, includes digital stationery and email tracking
- Pro Plan: $199 one-time, with planning tools (checklist, budget, vendors, seating, timeline)
If you only need a visual website with beautiful design, Canva's free plan is genuinely free and well-featured. If you need guest list management, RSVP tracking, email communication, and planning tools, WedSites provides those for a one-time fee with no ongoing subscription costs.
Different Tools for Different Needs
Canva is a graphic design platform that also offers website building. Their strength is creating beautiful visual content like social media graphics, invitations, presentations, and flyers. Website building is a newer addition to their design toolkit. RSVP functionality requires third-party integrations, there is no guest list management, no planning tools, and no email tracking.
Many couples use Canva to design their printed invitations and save-the-dates (where Canva genuinely excels), then discover they can also build a website. This is convenient for visual consistency. A popular and successful approach is pairing a Canva website with Google Forms for RSVPs -- it requires managing two tools, but many couples find this works well for their needs.
WedSites is built for weddings. Features include household RSVPs where families respond together, guest list management with groups and A/B lists, digital stationery with email tracking, and planning tools (checklist, budget, vendors, payments, seating, timeline) on the Pro plan.
The choice depends on your priorities: design flexibility and free pricing, or integrated wedding-specific functionality.
RSVP Management
Canva does not have native wedding RSVP functionality. The most common approaches are:
1. Integrate with Google Forms (free and straightforward)
2. Integrate with Jotform (more customizable, free tier available)
3. Use Canva's built-in forms with one entry per user
The Canva + Google Forms combination is widely used and works well for many couples. The tradeoff is that your website and RSVP data live in separate tools, which means some manual coordination.
WedSites provides native RSVP forms with household functionality. Families RSVP together with controlled plus-ones. Multi-event RSVP forms collect responses for ceremony, reception, and other events with custom questions for each. Everything integrates directly with the guest list database.
If integrated RSVP management is important to you, WedSites has the advantage. If you are comfortable managing a separate form tool, Canva plus Google Forms is a proven combination.
Design Excellence vs Wedding Functionality
Canva's genuine strength is design. Their drag-and-drop editor is intuitive, their media library is extensive with thousands of stock photos and graphics, and their AI-powered tools assist with design decisions. Real-time collaboration means your partner can review and comment together. For couples who prioritize visual aesthetics and want design flexibility, Canva's tools are genuinely impressive.
The Brand Kit (Canva Pro) keeps fonts, colors, and imagery consistent across all your designs, which is useful if you are creating invitations, programs, menus, and signage alongside your website.
WedSites provides wedding-optimized design with hundreds of fonts and full CSS control. WedSites has a smaller template library than Canva, but templates are specifically designed for wedding content with proven layouts for event details, stories, RSVP forms, and photo galleries.
Both platforms offer design customization. Canva is more powerful for general design work. WedSites is optimized specifically for wedding websites.
Guest List and Communication
Canva provides no guest list management tools. If you use Google Forms for RSVPs, responses go to Google Sheets, which is functional but separate from your website. You would track dietary restrictions, meal choices, and plus-ones in that spreadsheet.
There is no digital stationery platform (though you can design beautiful invitation graphics in Canva for printing or downloading), no email tracking, and no guest communication tools.
WedSites offers guest management: households group families together, custom groups organize guests, A/B lists manage invitation waves, and RSVP tracking captures all responses in the guest database.
The WedSites digital stationery platform (Standard/Pro) sends save-the-dates and invitations with email tracking. See who opened them, who clicked through, and who needs reminders.
Planning Tools Beyond the Website
Canva provides no wedding planning tools. It is a design platform. For planning, you would use separate apps or spreadsheets alongside your Canva website.
WedSites Pro ($199) includes planning tools: pre-populated checklist, budget calculator, vendor management, payment tracking linked to vendors and budget, drag-and-drop seating chart using guest list groups, and timeline builder for day-of runsheet. Note that these planning tools are only available on the Pro plan.
Multi-Language Support
Canva does not include built-in multi-language website capabilities. You would manually create content in multiple languages, which creates navigation challenges for guests.
WedSites includes website translation with a language switcher. All RSVP forms, content, and features work in multiple languages for international weddings.
WedSites Limitations to Consider
- Smaller template library: WedSites has fewer templates than Canva's extensive design library
- No mobile app: WedSites is web-based only, while Canva offers full mobile apps
- No built-in registry: WedSites links to external registries rather than providing native registry functionality
- Planning tools require Pro: Checklist, budget, vendors, seating, and timeline are only available on the $199 Pro plan
Who Should Choose WedSites
WedSites is a good fit if you:
- Need native RSVP functionality: Built-in household RSVPs without third-party integrations
- Want guest list management: Database with households, groups, A/B lists
- Need planning tools: Checklist, budget, vendors, payments, seating, timeline (Pro plan)
- Want integrated communication: Digital stationery with email tracking
- Have an international wedding: Multi-language website support
- Prefer one integrated system: Everything in one platform
Who Should Choose Canva
Canva is a good fit if you:
- Want to design all wedding materials: Create matching invitations, menus, programs, signage, and website in one place
- Already use Canva for other purposes: Familiar with the interface and have existing designs or brand assets
- Need flexibility for DIY print materials: Canva excels at creating printable designs you can order or print yourself
- Want free design tools: Canva's free tier offers extensive capabilities without any payment
- Want consistent branding across all materials: Brand Kit keeps fonts, colors, and imagery unified
- Prefer collaborative design: Real-time editing and commenting with your partner or wedding party
- Prioritize visual creativity: Want maximum design flexibility and access to a large asset library
- Only need a visual website: No native RSVP, guest management, or planning tools required
- Are comfortable with Canva + Google Forms: This widely-used combination works well for many couples
Making Your Decision
Both Canva and WedSites serve couples well in different ways. If you value design flexibility, free pricing, and are comfortable pairing Canva with tools like Google Forms for RSVPs, that is a well-proven approach. If you want wedding-specific features like household RSVPs, guest management, and planning tools in one place, WedSites is built for that. Consider trying both to see which workflow suits your needs.
This comparison is based on research as of February 2025. Features and pricing for both platforms may have changed since publication. Please visit both websites to confirm current offerings.