What Zola's seating chart does
Zola's seating chart is part of its wedding planning platform. You drag round or rectangular tables onto the plan, set the seat count, and choose from round, 1-sided, 2-sided and 4-sided table shapes. Confirmed guests are pulled in from your Zola guest list, and you can tag them by meal choice, dietary restriction or a custom label.
It works on a computer and in the Zola iOS app, and a chart started on one syncs to the other. When the plan is done, Zola lets you download it as a PDF or an Excel sheet to print or share with your venue.
How much the Zola seating chart costs
You can try it free for up to 15 guests. To add more guests you unlock the Premium Version, which Zola lists at $14.99 on its blog and in the App Store. Most weddings have more than 15 guests.
SeatPlan.io works the other way round. The whole designer is free with no guest or table cap and no signup, so you can seat everyone first. You pay once only when you want to save the chart and export it, and the price for your country is shown below.
When SeatPlan.io is the better fit
Stay on Zola if your guest list, RSVPs and stationery already live there and your plan is simple. Use SeatPlan.io if you want to build the room from your venue's floor plan, plan on Android or any browser, edit with a partner or planner at the same time, hand the caterer an Excel seat list, or give guests a QR code that shows them their table.
You don't have to choose up front. Zola lets you download your guest list from a computer, and SeatPlan.io imports that file in a minute, so you can keep Zola for RSVPs and plan the seating here.
Where Zola's seating chart stops
- Free for up to 15 guests; adding more needs the Premium Version, which Zola lists at $14.99
- Runs on desktop and the Zola iOS app; Zola points Android users to its mobile website
- Guests come from your Zola guest list, so it suits couples already planning on Zola
- Built for weddings, with no setup for classrooms, corporate dinners or conferences
- Tables are dragged into place by hand, with no import from a venue floor plan
Details about Zola were checked against its public website on 20 October 2026. Features and prices can change, so confirm anything you rely on with Zola.
Zola vs SeatPlan.io for seating charts
| Feature | Zola | SeatPlan.io |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free for up to 15 guests; Premium Version ($14.99) to add more | Free to design with no guest or table cap; one-time payment to save and export |
| Where it runs | Desktop and the Zola iOS app; mobile website on Android | Any browser on Mac, Windows, iPad or Android |
| Tables | Round, 1-sided, 2-sided and 4-sided tables | Round and rectangular tables, chair rows, and areas for a dance floor, stage or bar, all resizable and rotatable |
| Venue layout | Tables placed by hand | AI import from a venue photo or PDF, or place tables by hand |
| Guest list | Pulled in from your Zola guest list | CSV import from Zola, The Knot, Joy or any spreadsheet |
| Meals and dietary needs | Tags for meal choice, dietary restriction and custom labels | Meal, dietary and accessibility fields on every guest |
| Print and export | PDF or Excel download | Seating chart PDF (A4, A3, A2, Letter or Tabloid), guest list PDF or Excel, foldable place cards |
| Event types | Weddings | Weddings, classrooms, corporate dinners, galas and conferences |
| Feature | Why SeatPlan.io does it better |
|---|---|
No guest cap while you design | Seat every guest in the free designer before you pay anything. A one-time payment saves and exports the chart; there is no subscription for a single wedding. |
Any browser, any device | Plan on a laptop, finish on an iPad or an Android phone. Nothing to install. |
AI floor-plan import | Upload a venue photo or PDF and AI builds an editable, to-scale layout you then refine. Two imports are included free to try. |
Exports for everyone on the day | A seating chart PDF from A4 up to A2, Letter or Tabloid, a guest list in PDF or Excel for the caterer, and foldable place cards. |
Guests find their own seat | Print a QR sign: guests scan it, type their name and see their table, with no app or account. On Collaborate and Event Manager you can also email each guest an Apple or Google Wallet seat pass. |
Plan together in real time | The one-time Collaborate tier lets a partner or planner edit the same chart live through a share link. |
How to move your guest list from Zola to SeatPlan.io
- On a computer, open your Guest List on zola.com. The Zola app can't export.
- Click the ··· menu at the top right and download the list.
- Want meal choices too? Open Track RSVPs and click Export RSVPs instead.
- Open the SeatPlan.io designer, go to the Guests list, click Import and drop the CSV in.
- Check the guests on the Review Import screen, then click Import and start dragging guests to seats.
- A single Name column works as well as First and Last.
- Meal choices land on each guest, ready for name tags and the catering sheet.
The full walkthrough, with what each column turns into, is in how to import your guest list from The Knot, Zola or Joy.
to seat 80 people
“Took me 6 hours to seat 80 people on paper. Took me 11 minutes on SeatPlan.io.”
for a 120-person wedding
“I had my entire 120-person wedding seated in under 30 minutes.”
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.”
SeatPlan.io vs Zola: common questions
- Is the Zola seating chart free?
- Only for small events. Zola lets you try the seating chart free for up to 15 guests, and you unlock the Premium Version to add more. SeatPlan.io's designer is free with no guest cap and no signup; you pay once only when you save or export.
- How much does the Zola seating chart cost?
- Zola lists the seating chart at $14.99 on its blog and as an in-app purchase in the App Store. Paying unlocks the Premium Version so you can add more than 15 guests.
- Can I use Zola's seating chart on a computer or an Android phone?
- Zola's help center says the seating chart is available on desktop and in the Zola iOS app, and charts sync between them. For Android, Zola suggests its mobile website. SeatPlan.io runs in any browser, including on Android phones and tablets.
- Can I move my guest list from Zola to SeatPlan.io?
- Yes. On a computer, open your Guest List on zola.com, click the menu at the top right and download the list. For meal choices, use Export RSVPs on the Track RSVPs page instead. Then click Import in SeatPlan.io's guest list and drop the file in. The Zola app can't export, so use a computer for this step.
- Can I print my seating chart?
- Both tools print. Zola lets you download the chart as a PDF or Excel sheet. SeatPlan.io exports the seating chart as a PDF in A4, A3, A2, Letter or Tabloid, a guest list as PDF or Excel for the caterer, and foldable place cards.
- Do I need to stop using Zola to use SeatPlan.io?
- No. You can keep your Zola website, registry and RSVPs and plan only the seating in SeatPlan.io. Re-import the guest list from Zola whenever new RSVPs come in.
Compare with other tools
See how SeatPlan.io stacks up against more alternatives