Cactoide vs Evite

Cactoide is a free, open-source event RSVP platform for web use or self-hosting. Organizers create events without accounts, receive a unique URL, and share it through platforms or messaging apps. Guests follow the link and enter their name without registering. Events can accept unlimited responses or use a capacity limit, and special invite links can restrict participation to people who have them. Public events may be discovered and shared across connected Cactoide instances. Event pages provide ICS or webcal calendar links, with Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, and Outlook listed as compatible. Self-hosting documentation uses Docker Compose and a database; operators can enable federation with the FEDERATION_INSTANCE environment variable and configure instance details. The project is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and described as community-supported. Its README positions it as an alternative for small companies and groups. Proper internationalization is not implemented, although translation files are included.

Evite is an online invitation and event-planning service for sending invitations and coordinating guests. Hosts can customize invitations, send them by email, text, or link, track RSVPs, message guests, and send automatic reminders. Free Event Pages provide textable invitations for casual gatherings; hosts and guests can create or respond in a browser without downloading an app. Pages can include sign-up sheets for guests to claim items or tasks. Evite also offers digital greeting cards that can be scheduled or sent instantly and a free tool for coordinating what guests bring and volunteer arrival times. Hosts may upload custom invitation designs, and Evite says its Canva app can send a design directly to Evite. Premium invitations are ad-free and include a matching envelope, stamps, and additional photo and text cards; prices depend on guest-list size. Listed single-event packages range from $17.99 a month for Silver, covering 12 guests, to $99.99 a month for Diamond, covering 750. Evite Pro costs $249.99 a year for up to 2,500 guests per invitation.