| Feature | Why SeatPlan.io does it better |
|---|---|
Free designer with no signup | Open the designer and start dragging tables in seconds — no account, no email gate, no onboarding wizard before you can see if the tool fits |
One-time purchase option | £8/$8/€8 once for 90 days of save and export covers a single wedding — no monthly subscription for a one-off event |
Real-time co-editing with CRDT sync | Couples, planners, and venues edit the same chart simultaneously with conflict-free CRDT-based sync — a documented, production-grade model, not a black-box collab feature |
Multiple charts per event | Plan ceremony, reception, and after-party as separate charts under one event — or compare layout options side by side |
Built for any event type | Neutral, event-agnostic UI works for weddings, corporate dinners, classrooms, galas, fundraisers, and conferences — not just weddings |
Catering-ready exports | A3 PDF floor plans, Excel seat lists with dietary columns for caterers, and printable place cards — out of the box on the paid tier |
View-only and check-in-only links (B2B) | Send clients a live read-only chart, or share a check-in-only screen with door staff — without exposing the full editor |
Transparent pricing | Every tier (free, £8 one-time, £14 one-time, £25/mo) is published in plain HTML with full feature breakdowns — no signup needed to see what you'd pay |
11 minutes
to seat 80 people
“Took me 6 hours to seat 80 people on paper. Took me 11 minutes on SeatPlan.io.”
<30 minutes
for a 120-person wedding
“I had my entire 120-person wedding seated in under 30 minutes.”
200 guests
with 8 dietary needs and 4 wheelchair users
“200 guests. 8 dietary requirements. 4 wheelchair users. 1 complicated family tree. SeatPlan.io handled all of it.”
Frequently asked
SeatPlan.io vs Seating Chart Creator: common questions
- What's the difference between SeatPlan.io and seatingchartcreator.com?
- Both are browser-based seating chart tools positioned around the free tier. SeatPlan.io's free designer requires no signup and no account — open the page and start dragging tables. Seating Chart Creator gates the editor behind onboarding and a dashboard. SeatPlan.io also publishes its full pricing in plain HTML, supports multiple charts per event, has CRDT-based real-time collaboration, and ships a one-time purchase option (£8) so you don't have to subscribe for a single wedding.
- Do I need to sign up to use SeatPlan.io?
- No. The free designer opens immediately with no account, no email, and no onboarding flow. You only create an account when you decide to save, share, or export — and even then you can pay £8/$8/€8 one-time instead of subscribing.
- Does SeatPlan.io support real-time collaboration?
- Yes — and the model is documented. SeatPlan.io uses CRDT-based sync via a self-hosted LiveCollaboration-AWS service so multiple people edit the same chart with automatic conflict resolution and no manual version tracking. The Collaborate tier (£14/$14/€14 one-time) covers up to two collaborators; the Event Manager subscription extends it for planners.
- Can I use SeatPlan.io for non-wedding events?
- Yes. The UI is event-neutral and the same designer covers weddings, corporate dinners, classrooms, galas, fundraisers, conferences, and banquets. Seating Chart Creator's branding is wedding-and-events specific, which can feel limiting for corporate or institutional use.
- Is SeatPlan.io better for SEO and discoverability?
- Both products focus on the user experience, not SEO ranking — but practically, SeatPlan.io's marketing site is server-rendered with rich, crawlable content, while Seating Chart Creator is a single-page React app with minimal HTML payload. That means SeatPlan.io's pricing, features, and FAQs are visible to search engines (and to you) without running JavaScript.
- Can I import a guest list from one tool into the other?
- SeatPlan.io accepts CSV imports, so any guest list you can paste into a spreadsheet — including one exported from Seating Chart Creator or any other tool — uploads in seconds with names, table assignments, and dietary fields intact.
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