Comparison

Punchbowl vs Zazzle Events

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Punchbowl

Create and send personalized digital invitations and greeting cards for any occasion. Choose from thousands of designs, including popular characters, and track RSVPs easily. Send cards via text or email with options for photos, video messages, and gift cards.

Highlights
  • Thousands of invitation designs
  • Popular character themes
  • Personalize with photos
  • Send by text or email
  • Track RSVPs in real-time
  • Greeting cards with video messages
  • Digital gift cards
Features
Read full description

Personalize and send beautiful invitations and greeting cards for FREE with Punchbowl®. Choose from thousands of party invitations including the largest selection of kids character invites. Exclusive designs feature Mickey Mouse, Frozen, Elmo, Bluey, PAW Patrol, Peppa Pig, Spider-Man & more! Invite guests by email or text and track RSVPs on-the-go. Send thoughtful free eCards for birthdays, holidays, or to say thank you! The MUST HAVE app for busy parents, Punchbowl has been featured in publications such as Parents, Real Simple, O Magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and Women's Health. FIND THE PERFECT INVITATION: • Thousands of beautiful online invitations • ‘Characters Kids Love’ collection features hundreds of beloved, iconic characters from Disney, Hasbro, Marvel, Mattel, Nickelodeon, Sesame Street & Universal • ‘Handmade Art’ collection features hand-crafted designs • Popular categories include Birthdays, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Graduation, Weddings, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Year's PERSONALIZE & SEND INVITES ON THE GO: • Best invitation maker for all your celebrations • Add a photo to select designs • Quickly build Guest Lists with convenient import options • Send party invitations online by email or text message MANAGE ONLINE INVITATIONS WITH RSVP: • Track RSVPs in real time from the app • Add more guests, follow-up with anyone who hasn't responded • Chat with guests one-on-one or broadcast announcements to your entire list • Add a Potluck List, Poll, Co-Host & more RSVP TO INVITATIONS: • Respond to email invitations or text invitations as a guest • View the guest list, get directions, see To-Do Items from the host DELIVER GREETING CARDS BY TEXT OR EMAIL: • Gorgeous free ecards with the look and feel of a traditional paper greeting card • Popular categories include Birthday, Thank You, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day & Christmas • Deliver a thoughtful gift card inside your greeting • Add a heartfelt video message to any card • Upload a photo to select designs & personalize your message with our card maker • Send cards by email or text instantly, or schedule for delivery later DIGITAL GIFT CARDS • Gift cards are redeemed directly with the selected retailer in the USA only and can’t be used for in-app purchases • Recipients receive a secure redemption link via email or text PAID SUBSCRIPTION OPTIONS: • A subscription unlocks exclusive designs and benefits such as the ability to upload a photo to your design, add a video message to a card, collaborate with a co-host, poll your guests, schedule a card, or remove advertising • Plus subscriptions are available for $5.99/month or $47.99/year • Premium subscriptions are available for $19.99/month or $71.99/year • Platinum subscriptions are available for $29.99/month or $95.99/year • Extra subscriptions are available for $35.99/year • Advanced subscriptions are available for $47.99/year • Preferred subscriptions are available for $59.99/year • Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase • Subscriptions automatically renew for the same price and duration period as the original "monthly" or "annual" subscription unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal • Your subscription can be managed and the auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the iTunes Account Settings after purchase • Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service Links to our Terms of Service & Privacy Policy can be found below: • Privacy Policy: https://www.punchbowl.com/privacy-policy • Terms of Use: https://www.punchbowl.com/terms-conditions For more information about Punchbowl, visit https://www.punchbowl.com Questions? Suggestions? We'd love to hear from you. Email us: help@punchbowl.com

About

Zazzle Events

Create and send personalized video or photo invitations for any occasion. Manage RSVPs, send reminders, and communicate with guests all within the app. It also offers features like ticketing, sign-up lists, and photo sharing.

Highlights
  • Personalized video/photo invitations
  • Fast RSVPs via text
  • Event reminders and updates
  • Group chat for guests
  • Ticketing and sign-up lists
  • Photo collection from guests
Features
Read full description

Design and share personalized video or photo invitations in seconds. Stress-free planning with fast RSVPs, reminders, and group chat—all in one app. Invite guests by text, email, or social media. Featured by the App Store as App of the Day and New Apps We Love, The New York Times, TechCrunch, New York Magazine, and HuffPost. —— SEND STUNNING INVITES ◉ Smart, beautiful flyers Look like you hired a pro designer in just a few taps. Zazzle Events suggests on-theme photo and video flyers from a hand-curated library based on your event details—or builds options around any image or video you upload—so you’re never starting from a blank page. ◉ Powered by Zazzle’s design quality Zazzle, the global leader in design and custom products, to bring their creativity into your events, including access to Premium Flyers for select occasions. ◉ Amazing designs for every occasion Gorgeous video and photo invites with unique typography and layouts. Perfect for Birthdays, BBQs, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, Weddings, Graduations, Girls’ Night Out, Sports Leagues, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and countless more. —— GET FAST RSVPs & STAY ORGANIZED ◉ Fast RSVPs by text Guests can simply reply to the text to RSVP—no app download required—so you get responses lightning fast. ◉ Automatic directions An hour before the event, your guests get a text with a link to a map and directions. ◉ Event updates Send instant text updates when details change or just to say thanks for coming. ◉ Event chat Turn group chat on or off. When enabled, guests can share excitement, coordinate, and react in one place—even if they don’t all have each other’s contact info. —— CAPTURE & SHARE EVERY MOMENT ◉ Point-of-view camera (no app download) Guests can use our disposable camera–style App Clip to capture their point of view at your event. ◉ Collect ALL the photos After the event, Hobnob automatically asks guests to share their photos so you can see everything from the party in one place. —— POWERFUL TOOLS FOR HOSTS & ORGANIZERS ◉ Ticketing Collect money for adults, kids, or other ticket types right from your invite. ◉ Sign-up lists Perfect for potlucks, wish lists, back-to-school supplies, volunteer slots, and more. ◉ Time polls Find the best time for your event before you send an invite. ◉ Great for business Seminars, clubs, event planners, trunk shows, and other organizations use Hobnob to give their events a professional, on-brand presentation without extra tools. —— ORGANIZE YOUR GROUPS ◉ Effortless groups Organize and chat with the groups you actually spend time with in real life. ◉ One-tap guest lists With one tap, turn any group into a guest list to invite everyone at once. ◉ Event history See all the events and photos you’ve shared with each group in one place. —— Terms of Use: https://hobnob.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://hobnob.app/privacy/

Screenshots

Punchbowl4 screens
Zazzle Events4 screens

Verdict

The call

Punchbowl and Zazzle Events both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of Punchbowl's written reviews are positive against 72% of Zazzle Events's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Punchbowl sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Zazzle Events sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Punchbowl against 4.8 for Zazzle Events. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110K and 103K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of Punchbowl's written reviews are positive against 72% of Zazzle Events's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Punchbowl versus Zazzle Events: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPunchbowlZazzle Events
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (110K ratings) — better4.8 (103K ratings)
Positive reviews80.5% of reviews — better71.9% of reviews
Number of ratings110K — better103K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#116 — better#157
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size159 MB197 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPunchbowl, Inc.Zazzle Inc.

Customer experience

Punchbowl

All ratings110,027 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.5%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews875 reviews
Positive80.5%
Neutral5.8%
Negative13.7%

Zazzle Events

All ratings102,671 ratings
Positive96.4%
Neutral2.1%
Negative1.5%
Written reviews270 reviews
Positive71.9%
Neutral8.9%
Negative19.3%

User reviews

Punchbowl

From 110K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 🚀 Great for small businesses
  • 🚀 Convenient for event planning
  • 🚀 Variety of card designs

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App version has bugs
  • 🐛 Formatting issues with invites
  • 🔒 Unclear free trial and subscription details
  • 🔒 Deceptive advertising practices
  • 🔒 Ads on free version

Zazzle Events

From 103K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Streamlines event planning
  • 💡 Unique invite designs
  • 🚀 Convenient text-based invites
  • 👍 Helpful reminders and updates

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Invites not always delivered
  • 🔒 Privacy concerns around data sharing
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🐛 Glitchy RSVP and update features
  • 👎 Limited free version functionality

Bugs and requests

Punchbowl

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Formatting issues with invites
  • Invitations not being delivered
  • Inability to edit invitations after sending
  • Drafts not saving properly
  • Inconsistent font/formatting in invites
Show 1 more
  • Guests unable to access invites due to cookies

Requested features

11 requests
  • Ability to read message before RSVP
  • Improved notification system
  • Option to add photos
  • Integration with gift card retailers
  • Ability to send from personal number
Show 6 more
  • Alphabetized contact list
  • Increased text character limit
  • Potluck sign-up visibility improvements
  • Downloadable guest list
  • Timer to schedule invitations
  • Ability to add guests to existing invites

Zazzle Events

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Location details not saving properly
  • Inconsistent RSVP tracking
  • Blank images being sent out
  • Notifications not working as expected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to edit guest list
  • Improve notification system
  • Allow custom fonts and backgrounds
  • Enable landscape mode on iPad
  • Provide group messaging capabilities

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Punchbowl

Subscriptions9
  • Plus7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Premium7 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Platinum7 Days trial$29.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Extra3 Days trial$35.991 Year
  • Plus7 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • Advanced3 Days trial$47.991 Year
  • Preferred3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Premium7 Days trial$71.991 Year
  • Platinum7 Days trial$95.991 Year
13 purchases

Zazzle Events

Subscriptions13
  • Invitation Maker (Monthly)$3.991 Month
  • Hobnob Standard (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Hobnob Plus (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 10 more
  • Hobnob Essentials (Monthly)$9.991 Month
  • Hobnob Host (Monthly)7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Hobnob Essentials (Annual)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
  • Hobnob Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$22.991 Month
  • Hobnob Standard (Annual)7 Days trial$23.491 Year
  • Hobnob Planner (Monthly)7 Days trial$27.991 Month
  • Hobnob Plus (Annual)7 Days trial$46.991 Year
  • Hobnob Host (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Hobnob Premium7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Hobnob Premium7 Days trial$109.991 Year

Questions

Is Punchbowl free?
Punchbowl is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zazzle Events free?
Zazzle Events is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Punchbowl or Zazzle Events?
Punchbowl is rated higher. Punchbowl averages 4.9 out of 5 from 110K ratings, while Zazzle Events averages 4.8 from 103K ratings.
Do Punchbowl or Zazzle Events have ads?
Neither Punchbowl nor Zazzle Events shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Punchbowl or Zazzle Events?
Punchbowl ships an update every 2 weeks, and Zazzle Events every 2 weeks. Most recently, Punchbowl was updated on September 24, 2026 and Zazzle Events on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Punchbowl or Zazzle Events?
Punchbowl currently peaks at #116 in the App Store charts, and Zazzle Events at #157. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons