The brand-new Apple Invites app is a streamlined way to create invitations for your next gathering, whether that’s a big Super Bowl bash or a quiet monthly book club meeting. It’s a slick app that fits right in with the Apple ecosystem: your invites can include custom art generated by Apple Intelligence (if your device supports it), create shared photo albums, share (and collaborate on) party playlists in Apple Music, and track RSVPs. I found that the app makes creating invitations and managing events easy, and it’s neatly integrated with iCloud – even though it will also send invitations to Android users.
Apple Invites is entering a crowded market of event apps with similar features, so it’s hard to say if users will want to switch to Invites. The most direct competition is Partiful, which also lets users create easy custom invitations, manage RSVPs, make shared photo galleries, and more. I find Partiful leans a bit more into social networking, allowing you to connect online with new friends from events and invite them to your next bash – and because it’s available on both Android and iOS it has better cross-compatibility.
Partiful isn’t the only one. Paperless Post and Greenvelope both offer fancier invitations with the aesthetic of a paper letter, and Evite has helped people make custom digital event invitations for over 20 years now. Apple may have an edge with ease of use (particularly for iPhone owners), but it’s a small edge at best.
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Even with this stiff competition, I recommend trying out Apple Invites if you’re on iOS. Here’s what you need to know about the app.
What does Apple Invites cost?
You need an iCloud+ subscription to use Apple Invites. Most other event invitation apps also have a subscription or fees for sending invitations, and the lowest tier iCloud+ subscription is just $0.99, which is inexpensive compared to competitors. However, Partiful is completely free, something that makes the app stand out amongst the event invite options.
Does Apple Invites work on Android?
The app is iOS only, but you can also access Invites on the web through iCloud. Android users can accept invites and could conceivably create their own invitations via the web interface (if they have an iCloud+ subscription). But the web interface is a little clunkier than the app, and the photos and music features interface with other Apple apps – it’s definitely more appealing to iPhone users.
How to use the Apple Invites app
To get started, download the application from the App Store. It’s free but requires iOS 18 or higher, which means you need an iPhone 11 or newer to install it. To use Apple Intelligence features, you need an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max, or any iPhone 16 model. The app works just fine without Apple Intelligence, but you won’t be able to create custom art for invitations.
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From there the app walks you through making invitations with just a few clicks. There are no endless templates to browse, and the options are on the minimal side: give the event a name, a location, and an image, and create a shared album or playlist if you want to. Then you can send out your invitations via Messages, email, or by sharing a link. Recipients can respond to say they’re attending, not attending, or might be attending.
The simplicity isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and the app has all the basic features you need. It’s also very easy to create an event and send invites. But if you want more features or fancier invitations, check out our longtime favorites: Paperless Post and Greenvelope.
[Image credit: Screenshots via Techlicious, phone mockup via Canva]
