BrideSpark vs Zola: Which Free Wedding Planner Fits You? (2026)

Short answer: Zola and BrideSpark are both free to plan with. Pick Zola if you want a big registry store and cash funds built into your wedding website. Pick BrideSpark if you want every planning tool (budget, checklist, seating chart, timeline, printable stationery) in one place without being steered towards a store, if you plan with your partner on Android, or if you or your guests need French.

At a glance

How each one stays free

Nothing is free to run, so it helps to know who pays.

Zola says it makes money "on the products and experiences we sell": registry gifts bought through Zola, stationery, and fees from wedding vendors who pay to connect with couples. Its cash funds have a 2.5% card fee, which guests pay unless you choose to cover it; bank transfers are free.

BrideSpark is free for every couple, with every feature included, and we've promised never to charge for planning. We earn from optional printed stationery (if you want your designs printed and delivered) and from some honeymoon booking links. We don't run a registry store, so there's nothing to sell you inside your guest list or budget.

Wedding website and RSVPs

Both give you a free website with online RSVPs that handle several events (say, a welcome dinner and the wedding), meal choices and plus-ones, with replies landing in your guest list.

The differences are around the edges. Zola sells a custom domain if you want yourname.com; BrideSpark sites live on bridesparkapp.com. Zola's website is built around its registry. A BrideSpark site links to whichever registries and cash funds you already use, so guests aren't sent to a particular store. See the BrideSpark wedding website and online RSVPs.

Planning tools

Both cover the essentials: guest list, budget, checklist and seating chart. BrideSpark also includes:

• A day-of timeline built from a few questions, which you can print for your wedding party (wedding day timeline).
• Payment reminders: the budget planner emails you a week before each vendor payment is due.
• Printable stationery in 24 styles, filled in with your names, tables and guests: save-the-dates, menus, table numbers, place cards and more, free to download (printables).
• Vendor search from Google Maps around your venue, with reviews and distance. Vendors can't pay to rank higher (find vendors).

Apps, partners and languages

Zola's app is iPhone only; Zola closed its Android app on 1 January 2023. If one of you uses Android, that matters. BrideSpark works in any phone's browser today, and our iPhone and Android apps are on the way.

Both let your partner plan on the same account. BrideSpark also lets you add helpers, such as a parent or your planner.

Zola's interface is in English, and its help centre says text in another language has to be typed in yourself. BrideSpark is fully available in French (including Canadian French): the app, your wedding website, RSVP pages and guest emails. It's also available in Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian. You choose which language your guests see.

Which should you choose?

Choose Zola if your registry is the centre of your plans and you like the idea of one store for gifts and cash funds, you want a custom domain, and you both use iPhones.

Choose BrideSpark if you want the whole plan in one place (budget, checklist, guests, seating, timeline, stationery and website) without a store attached, you plan together across iPhone and Android, or French matters to your families.

Plenty of couples mix the two. You can keep a Zola registry and link it from a BrideSpark website.

Frequently asked questions

Is BrideSpark really free compared with Zola?

Yes. Every BrideSpark feature is free for every couple, with no paid plan. Zola's planning tools are also free; it earns from its registry store, stationery and vendor fees. With BrideSpark, the only things you might pay for are optional printed stationery or travel you book.

Does Zola have an Android app?

No. Zola closed its Android app on 1 January 2023 and now offers an iPhone app and its website. BrideSpark works in any phone's browser, and its iPhone and Android apps are coming soon.

Can I use my Zola registry with a BrideSpark wedding website?

Yes. Add your Zola registry link (or any other registry or cash fund) to the gift section of your BrideSpark website, and guests will find it next to your RSVP.

Which one works in French?

BrideSpark. The app, wedding website, RSVPs and guest emails are all available in French and Canadian French, and also in Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian. Zola's interface is in English.

Does either charge fees on cash gifts?

Zola's cash funds carry a 2.5% fee on card payments, which guests pay unless you choose to cover it; bank transfers are free. BrideSpark doesn't handle money. It links to the cash fund or registry you choose, and their own fees apply.