Zola Seating Chart Alternative: SeatCanvas for Any Browser (2026)
Zola's planning suite is free, well-built, and runs your whole wedding — registry, website, RSVPs, checklist. But the seating chart lives inside the iOS app only: no desktop, no Android, and the free tier caps at 15 guests. SeatCanvas is purpose-built for the chart — any browser, a far larger free tier, imports your own CSV, exports a vendor-ready PDF.
Who should use what
Pick SeatCanvas if
Couples who want a dedicated seating chart in any browser — no iOS required, no Zola account needed, import your own guest CSV and export a print-ready PDF.
Pick Zola if
Couples already running their whole wedding on Zola (registry, website, RSVPs) who want seating baked into the same iOS app.
Feature comparison
| Feature | SeatCanvas | Zola |
|---|---|---|
| Drag-and-drop seating | ✓ | ✓ |
| Browser-based (no app required) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Works on Android + desktop | ✓ | ✗ |
| Permanent free tier | ✓ | ◐ |
| Unlimited guests on a one-time unlock | ✓ | ✓ |
| External CSV guest import | ✓ | ✗ |
| Print-ready PDF export | ✓ | ✓ |
| Excel/spreadsheet export | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cloud save + sync | ✓ | ✓ |
| Full wedding planning suite (registry, website, RSVPs) | ✗ | ✓ |
| Table shapes (round, rectangular, custom) | ✓ | ◐ |
| Spanish-language interface | ✓ | ✗ |
Pricing
SeatCanvas
Free + $9.99 one-time
Free up to 40 guests
Unlimited guest seating, one-time payment
Zola
Free up to 15 guests; paid in-app unlock for unlimited (Zola iOS app)
Free tier: Seating chart free for up to 15 guests in the Zola iOS app. Zola's broader planning tools (registry, checklist, website) are free with no guest cap.
The seating chart is a feature inside the Zola iOS app. The free tier handles 15 guests; unlimited seating requires a one-time in-app purchase. Requires a Zola account. No Android app or desktop browser access for the seating chart.
How to migrate
- Sign in to Zola on any browser and open the Guest List tool at zola.com/wedding-planning/guests.
- Click 'Export RSVPs' in the upper right corner. Download the .csv file — it includes guest names, RSVP status, and meal choices.
- Open the SeatCanvas planner in any browser — no iOS device required.
- Click the guest list icon and choose Import CSV. Upload the Zola export file.
- Use the column-mapping step to match Zola's 'Name' column to SeatCanvas's name field. Zola stores names as a single combined column — choose 'Full name' in the mapping dropdown.
- Draw your room layout on the SeatCanvas canvas, drag guests into seats, and export the finished chart as a PDF for your venue.
Zola’s planning suite and the seating chart
Zola is a genuine force in US wedding planning. The registry platform connects to major retailers. The free website builder is fast and well-designed. The checklist, RSVP tool, and vendor search are all free. Couples who use Zola often spend the year before their wedding living inside it.
The seating chart gets included. It’s inside the Zola iOS app: your guest list syncs automatically, you arrange tables, you drag names into seats. For couples already on Zola and on an iPhone, it’s convenient.
Two things send people looking for an alternative. The seating chart is iOS only — no desktop browser, no Android. And the free tier covers 15 guests, which doesn’t reach most weddings.
What Zola does better
The full planning suite. Registry, website, RSVPs, vendor search, checklist — none of this exists in SeatCanvas. Zola is designed to run your entire wedding. If you want one place that handles invites through seating to vendor communications, Zola has that and SeatCanvas doesn’t.
The native iOS app is genuinely smooth. Zola has invested heavily in the mobile experience. If you’re managing your wedding from your iPhone and already have Zola, the seating chart loads fast with your guest list already there.
The guest list sync is real. Open the seating chart and your Zola guests are right there — no import step, no CSV column-mapping. For couples who’ve been building their guest list in Zola’s RSVP tool, that continuity matters.
What SeatCanvas does instead
Any browser. Laptop, Android tablet, iPhone, Windows desktop — SeatCanvas runs wherever there’s a browser. Zola’s seating chart has no web version and no Android version. If you’re on Android, or your partner prefers a laptop, SeatCanvas is the path.
The free tier covers 40 guests, not 15. For a smaller wedding, that’s free all the way. For a bigger one, the Event Pass is a one-time unlock — not a subscription, and not tied to a single device the way an in-app purchase is.
Standalone use. SeatCanvas takes any CSV. Your guest list from an Excel spreadsheet, from WeddingWire, from another planner — import it, map the columns, start seating. There’s no requirement to have built your guest list inside a specific ecosystem first.
CSV import handles any column layout. Tables come in round, rectangular, or custom shapes — more than Zola’s circular and square. Export to PDF, PNG, or CSV. The PDF is print-ready for venues.
And there’s a Spanish-language interface — relevant for Quinceañeras and bilingual families.
Moving your guest list from Zola
Zola’s guest list tool is browser-based — the export lives there, not in the iOS app.
- Log in to Zola and go to zola.com/wedding-planning/guests.
- Click “Export RSVPs” in the upper right. Download the .csv file with names, RSVP status, and meal choices.
- Open the SeatCanvas planner in any browser. No iOS needed.
- Click the guest list icon → Import CSV → upload the Zola export.
- In the column-mapping step, map Zola’s “Name” column to SeatCanvas’s name field. Choose “Full name” in the dropdown — Zola combines first and last names into one column.
- Draw your room layout in SeatCanvas, drag guests into seats, and export a PDF for your venue.
The seating assignments from Zola don’t transfer — Zola’s chart layout doesn’t export to a portable format. But the guest data does, and redrawing the room takes 10-15 minutes for most layouts.
See the CSV import feature page for column mapping details and the alternatives hub for other comparisons — including SeatCanvas vs AllSeated if you’re also looking at enterprise event tools, and SeatCanvas vs PerfectTablePlan for the desktop-app comparison.
Honest take
Zola’s seating chart is a convenience feature inside a larger product. It’s iOS-only, the free tier stops at 15 guests, and unlocking more is an in-app purchase tethered to the app and a Zola account.
If you’re all-in on Zola and planning from your iPhone, the built-in chart is fine. Use it.
If you need to plan from a laptop, work on Android, or want a purpose-built seating chart that accepts your own CSV and exports vendor-ready PDFs — SeatCanvas is a tab you open. Free up to 40 guests, a one-time unlock for more, no device restriction.
See the full pricing breakdown or start free.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Zola's seating chart free?
The Zola seating chart has a free tier for up to 15 guests, available inside the Zola iOS app. Unlimited seating requires a one-time in-app purchase. Zola's broader planning tools — registry, website builder, guest list, checklist, RSVPs — are free with no guest limits.
- Does Zola's seating chart work on desktop or Android?
No. Zola's seating chart is only available inside the Zola iOS app. There is no web browser version and no Android app for the seating chart. The rest of Zola's planning tools (guest list, registry, website) are accessible via any browser.
- Can I use Zola's seating chart without a Zola account?
No. The Zola seating chart is part of the Zola planning suite and requires a Zola account. Guests must be added to Zola's guest list tool before they can be placed in the seating chart. SeatCanvas requires a Google or Microsoft sign-in and accepts any CSV file — you don't need to rebuild your guest list inside a specific platform first.
- How do I export my guests from Zola to SeatCanvas?
Sign in to Zola on any browser and open the Guest List tool at zola.com/wedding-planning/guests. Click 'Export RSVPs' in the upper right corner to download a CSV of your guest data. Then open the SeatCanvas planner, click the guest list icon, choose Import CSV, and upload the file. In the column-mapping step, map Zola's 'Name' column to SeatCanvas's name field — choose 'Full name' since Zola combines first and last names in a single column.
Try SeatCanvas free
Up to 40 guests free. No credit card required.