Brunchie vs Zola

Zola is the broad all-in-one wedding platform — website, registry, vendors, paper. Brunchie is the coordination layer couples actually feel pain from: seating, expense splitting, a shared photobooth, and day-of check-in, on web and a real Android app. Here's why couples pick Brunchie.

Updated 2026-05-30

Zola is the broad all-in-one wedding platform — a free wedding website, a universal registry, a vendor marketplace, budgeting, and paper goods.1 Brunchie doesn't try to out-Zola Zola on registries and websites. It wins on the narrower, faster layer couples actually feel pain from: a real seating chart, host-private expense splitting, a shared photobooth, and day-of check-in — on the web and a real Android app, free, with no per-guest pricing.

Quick comparison

Brunchie Zola
Primary use Run the wedding (operations) All-in-one: website + registry + vendors1
Pricing Free forever, no per-guest pricing2 Free website + registry; paid paper, custom domain, larger seating1
Platform Web + iOS + Android Web + iOS app; Android app discontinued 20233
Wedding website Hangout link (not a custom domain) Yes — templates, custom domain (paid)1
Registry Checklist (guests claim by checkoff) Yes — universal registry + cash funds1
Seating chart Drag-and-drop, AI auto-assign, PDF import/export — web + apps, unlimited Yes, but iOS app only; free tier capped, premium unlocks more guests4
RSVPs + guest list Built in, no email required for guests Built in, tied to the wedding website1
Expense splitting / settle-up Built in, host-private for weddings Budget tracker + registry cash funds (2.5% card fee)1
Shared photobooth / album Built in (photos, video, voice memos) Not a native feature1
Day-of check-in QR self-check-in built in Not a feature1

Why couples choose Brunchie

  1. The coordination layer, done well. Seating, expenses, the day-of runbook, and check-in are the parts that actually stress couples out — Brunchie makes those the main event, not an afterthought bolted onto a registry.
  2. Seating that isn't locked to an iPhone. Drag-and-drop with AI auto-assign and constraints, floor-plan PDF import, and a print-ready PDF — on the web and on both phones, for any guest count. See seating charts.
  3. Expense splitting with settle-up. Wedding budgets stay host-private; bachelorette and rehearsal-dinner costs split among the friends paying — not just a solo budget spreadsheet. See expense splitting.
  4. A photobooth that's actually in the room. Photos, videos, and voice memos collect in one shared feed — no QR-to-Google-Photos detour. See photobooth.
  5. A real Android app. Brunchie runs on web, iOS, and Android; Zola's dedicated app is iOS-only.3

The honest reason to switch

Brunchie isn't a registry or a custom-domain website builder — if a universal registry is the thing you care most about, keep one. Couples come to Brunchie for everything that happens around the registry: seating hundreds of guests, splitting shared costs, running a host-only day-of timeline, collecting the photos, and checking guests in — the operational work a broad all-in-one platform spreads thin.

Sources

  1. Zola — homepage and feature listing (website, registry, guest list, budget, vendors, paper): https://www.zola.com/
  2. Brunchie — Free forever commitment: https://brunchie.app/free-forever
  3. Zola — "An update on the Zola Android app" (Android app shut down January 1, 2023; mobile web only): zola.com/expert-advice/an-update-on-the-zola-android-app
  4. Zola — seating chart (iOS app only; premium unlocks unlimited guests): zola.com/wedding-planning/seating-chart

Common questions

Is Zola free?
Zola's wedding website, registry, guest list, budget, and checklist are free; paper invitations, a custom domain, and unlimited-guest seating are paid. See zola.com for current details. Brunchie is free with no per-guest pricing — see Free forever.
Does Zola have an Android app?
No — Zola discontinued its Android app on January 1, 2023, and directs Android users to its mobile website; the dedicated app is iOS-only. Brunchie has both iOS and Android apps plus the full web experience.
Does Zola do expense splitting or day-of check-in?
No. Zola's money tools are a budget tracker and registry cash funds (a 2.5% card fee applies), not guest-to-guest expense splitting, and there's no day-of QR check-in. Brunchie has host-private expense splitting with settle-up and QR check-in built in.
Can I import my Zola guest list into Brunchie?
Yes — drop the export (CSV, Excel, PDF, or a screenshot) into the Upload file tab on Brunchie's invite modal, confirm the parsed rows, and send. See the Importing Data guide.

Try Brunchie free

Brunchie replaces the spreadsheet, the group chat, and the half-finished invite list. Free forever for the people we built it for.

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