Text My Event vs Punchbowl · Sources checked November 3, 2026
A Punchbowl alternative without a monthly membership
10 free texts to try it · No app for guests · No credit card
The short version
- Choose Punchbowl if
- You host often. One membership covers unlimited events.[9]
- Choose Text My Event if
- You'd rather pay once for one event than keep a monthly membership.
Side by side
Punchbowl details come from its own website and help center, checked November 3, 2026. Numbers in brackets link to the sources.
- Cost to host
- Text My Event10 free texts on your first event, sent to your own number. To text guests, a one-time payment per event: from $19 for 50 texts to $137 for 2,000. No subscription.
- PunchbowlA monthly membership after a 7-day free trial that needs payment details: Plus from $2.99/month for up to 50 guests per event, up to Business from $39.99/month. 30-day money-back guarantee.[9]
- How invitations reach guests
- Text My EventEach guest gets an individual text with your message, and you can include the invitation card as a picture.
- PunchbowlBy text or email. You enter a name and phone number for each guest. Texts go to US and Canadian numbers only, from Punchbowl's own number, and start with your name.[1][2][3]
- How guests RSVP
- Text My EventGuests tap your RSVP link and answer a short form with no login.
- PunchbowlGuests open the invitation in their mobile browser and RSVP.[1][2]
- Updates to guests
- Text My EventTexts to everyone or to groups, now or scheduled, personalized with {First name} and other tokens.
- PunchbowlAnnouncements to all guests or to Yes, No, or Undecided guests, sent by text or email the same way as the invitation.[4][5]
- Reminders
- Text My EventYou write and schedule your own reminder texts. There are no automatic reminders.
- PunchbowlAn automatic reminder at a time you choose, up to 10 days before, to guests who responded, didn't, or both.[6]
- Guest replies
- Text My EventGuests reply to the text. Replies go privately to your shared inbox, where you and co-hosts answer.
- PunchbowlGuests can't reply to Punchbowl's text messages; they get a help message. You can chat one-on-one with a guest in the Messages tab, and their replies are emailed to you and shown there.[3][4]
- What guests see of each other
- Text My EventNothing. Each guest has their own private thread.
- PunchbowlThe guest list is hidden by default. You can show who's invited and how they answered, by name only. Emails and phone numbers are never shown.[7]
- Guest limits
- Text My EventPlans are sized by texts, not guests: from 50 to 2,000 texts per event.
- PunchbowlUp to 50 guests per event on the base plan, 100 on Premium, 500 on Platinum, and 5,000 on Business.[8][9]
- Co-hosts
- Text My EventCo-hosts share the guest list, scheduled texts, and replies inbox.
- PunchbowlCo-hosts on Premium and higher plans.[9]
- Countries
- Text My Event+1 (United States and Canada) mobile numbers only.
- PunchbowlText invitations to US and Canadian numbers; a direct invitation link for anyone else.[2]
Invitation, reply, update
The same three moments in each. Alongside, what a guest sees from Text My Event: one private thread.
Invitation
Reply
Update
Example with made-up names. Personalization fills in each guest’s first name.
Which one fits your event
Punchbowl is the better pick for plenty of hosts. Here's an honest split.
Punchbowl is a better fit when
- You host often. One membership covers unlimited events.[9]
- You want designed invitations, including licensed characters such as Disney on paid plans.[9]
- Some guests should get the invitation by email.[2]
- You'd rather a reminder go out automatically at a time you set.[6]
- You'd like guests to see who else is coming, by name.[7]
Text My Event is a better fit when
- You'd rather pay once for one event than keep a monthly membership.
- Guests should be able to text you back and reach you privately, with co-hosts in the same inbox.
- You want to write your own invitation, reminders, and updates, personalized and scheduled.
What it costs
Published prices, checked November 3, 2026. Text My Event prices are one-time per event, in US dollars.
Text My Event
Pay once per event, no subscription. One message to one guest is one text, however long.
- Lite · 50 texts$19
- Starter · 500 texts$57
- Plus · 1,200 texts$87
- Premium · 2,000 texts$137
Punchbowl
Punchbowl lists monthly membership prices on its membership page, each next to a crossed-out higher price. The page doesn't say whether the lower price depends on the billing term. Sending needs a membership after the 7-day free trial.
- Plus[9]From $2.99/mo
Up to 50 guests per event. Text or email delivery and RSVP tracking.
- Premium[9]From $4.99/mo
Up to 100 guests per event. Adds co-hosts and polls.
- Platinum[9]From $5.99/mo
Up to 500 guests per event. Adds co-hosts and polls, and removes ads.
- Business[9]From $39.99/mo
Up to 5,000 guests per event. All Plus, Premium, and Platinum features.
Worked example: 40 guests, 3 messages
An invitation, a reminder, and a day-of update to 40 guests is 40 × 3 = 120 texts on Text My Event, which fits the Starter plan at $57 for the event. On Punchbowl, 40 guests fits the Plus plan, from $2.99 a month after the 7-day free trial.[9]
Text My Event vs Punchbowl: questions
Can Punchbowl send invitations by text?
Yes. Punchbowl's help center says it texts invitations to US and Canadian numbers from its own number, and its announcements reach guests by text or email, the same way they were invited.
Can guests reply to a Punchbowl text?
Punchbowl's help center says guests can't reply to its text messages and get a help message instead. Hosts can chat with a guest one-on-one in Punchbowl's Messages tab. On Text My Event, a guest texts back and the reply lands in your private inbox.
Is Punchbowl free?
Punchbowl offers a 7-day free trial that needs payment details, then a monthly membership, from $2.99 a month for Plus on its membership page. Text My Event charges once per event, with no subscription.
Can guests see each other's replies?
No. Each guest gets their own text, not a group chat, so their number and replies stay private. Replies come back to your Text My Event inbox, where you and your co-hosts can answer.
How much does it cost?
Your first event includes 10 free texts to try it on your own phone. To text guests you pay once per event, with no subscription: Lite $19 for 50 texts, Starter $57 for 500 texts, Plus $87 for 1,200 texts, Premium $137 for 2,000 texts. If you need more texts later, moving to a bigger plan costs only the difference.
How do guests RSVP?
Add your RSVP link to any text. Guests tap it, answer on a short form with no login, and their response is added to your headcount. Anything they text back instead lands in your replies inbox.
Sources, checked November 3, 2026
Every Punchbowl detail above comes from Punchbowl’s own pages, read on November 3, 2026. Anything we couldn’t confirm there is marked “Not verified.” Punchbowl may have changed since. Text My Event details come from our product. Punchbowl is a trademark of its owner, and this page isn’t affiliated with or endorsed by Punchbowl.
- [1]Deliver Invites by Text Message · Punchbowl website · accessed November 3, 2026
Hosts enter a name and phone number for each guest and the invitation is delivered by text; guests open it on their phone and RSVP.
- [2]How Do I Send an Online Invitation via Text Message? · Punchbowl help center · accessed November 3, 2026
Text invitations go only to US and Canadian numbers; guests open and RSVP from their mobile browser; other guests can get a direct invitation link; reaching one guest by text and email takes two entries.
- [3]Are My Invitations Sent From My Email Address or Phone Number? · Punchbowl help center · accessed November 3, 2026
Texts come from Punchbowl's own number, which hosts can't change, and start with the host's name; guests can't reply to the text messages and get a help message instead.
- [4]Send Messages to Guests · Punchbowl website · accessed November 3, 2026
Hosts chat one-on-one with guests in the Messages tab or broadcast announcements; messages go by text or email, the same way as the invitation; when a guest replies, the host gets an email and the reply appears in the Messages tab.
- [5]Can I Send Messages to Multiple Guests? · Punchbowl help center · accessed November 3, 2026
Announcements go to all guests or only Yes, No, or Undecided guests; guests who RSVP later see the announcements for their RSVP group.
- [6]Will My Guests Receive A Reminder for the Event? · Punchbowl help center · accessed November 3, 2026
An automatic reminder at a time the host chooses, up to 10 days before the event, to guests who responded, didn't respond, or both; manual reminders go through Announcements.
- [7]How Do I Show or Hide the Guest List? · Punchbowl help center · accessed November 3, 2026
The guest list is hidden by default; hosts can show Yes, No, Not Responded, and Who's Invited; guests' emails and phone numbers are never shown, only names.
- [8]How Many Guests Can I Add to My Event? · Punchbowl help center · accessed November 3, 2026
Base guest lists hold up to 50 guests; 51 to 100 need Premium; 101 to 500 need Platinum; Business allows up to 5,000.
- [9]Membership plans · Punchbowl pricing · accessed November 3, 2026
Plus from $2.99/month (up to 50 guests per event), Premium from $4.99/month (100), Platinum from $5.99/month (500, ad-free), Business from $39.99/month (5,000), each next to a crossed-out higher price; delivery by text or email on every plan; co-hosts and polls from Premium; a 7-day free trial that needs payment details, then the subscription begins; 30-day money-back guarantee.
Reviewed November 3, 2026.
Keep comparing
- Text My Event vs PartifulFree social event pages vs private, host-run texts paid once per event.
- Text My Event vs EviteDesigned email and text invitations vs a text-first thread with private replies.
- Text My Event vs Paperless PostDesigned invitations with RSVP tracking vs a text-first thread with private replies.
- Text My Event vs Group chatOne shared thread for everyone vs a private text thread per guest.
- Birthday party text invitationsInvite, remind, and update birthday guests by text.
- Baby shower RSVPs by textCollect RSVPs with a link guests answer without logging in.
- Corporate event textingUpdates and replies for company events.
- Invitation designsCards you can text to guests as a picture.
Want the full plan list? See pricing.