Amella vs Joy (WithJoy) 2026: Is a Free Wedding Website Enough?

Joy is one of the most popular wedding platforms in the world — over two million couples, more than 600 templates, and genuinely free. If you're comparing it to Amella, the real question isn't "which has more features". It's: when is free enough, and when is it worth paying once for something better?

We'll answer that honestly, including the cases where Joy is the right choice.

At a glance

What Joy does well

Credit where due: Joy's guest management and Smart RSVP are polished, its registry genuinely charges no fees on cash funds, and its template library is vast. For couples on a strict budget who are happy customising a template and don't need planning help, Joy is a perfectly good choice. We'd rather say that plainly than pretend otherwise.

Why free platforms look the way they do

Joy is free because the website isn't the product — the registry is. The site exists to bring guests to the commerce layer, and the economics shape the experience: templates designed to work for two million couples necessarily look like templates. Guests have usually seen the layout before, at someone else's wedding.

There's nothing wrong with that trade. But it is a trade, and it's worth making knowingly.

Where Amella differs

The site itself is the product. Amella's themes are finished editorial designs — typography, spacing and styling resolved before you arrive. Your site reads like something commissioned, not assembled. Couples pay for their photography, their stationery, their flowers, because those things carry the feeling of the day. Amella's view is that the website — the first thing most guests will see — belongs in that category.

A planner, not just a builder. Amella includes an assistant who knows your date, guests, style and budget, finds vendors on the open web in your style (no paid directory, no one pays to be recommended), drafts your vendor emails, and keeps timeline and budget watched. Joy gives you tools; Amella also gives you help.

Built for here. Amella is made in Auckland for AU/NZ couples — vendor discovery surfaces local vendors, and the whole experience is designed around weddings here rather than adapted from an American default.

Nothing taken from your gifts. Both platforms handle cash gifts without fees, done differently: Joy processes zero-fee cash funds through its platform; Amella's registry shows your own details (bank transfer, PayPal), so gifts go straight from guests to you — Amella just tracks who gave what so your thank-yous are easy.

The honest cost comparison

Joy is free, with a custom domain at roughly $19.99 USD per year. Amella's Wedding Pass is $99 AUD once; Premium is $199 AUD once (NZD at parity) and includes a custom domain for two years — so over a typical 18-month engagement plus keepsake period, the domain alone closes a meaningful part of the gap.

And you don't pay Amella to find out if it's worth it: building, planning, and publishing are free, with RSVPs from up to 15 guests, no card required. You only pay when you're ready to invite your whole list.

Choose Joy if

• Budget is the deciding factor, full stop
• You're happy customising a template yourself
• You want a large US-style registry store built in

Choose Amella if

• You want your site to look designed, not templated
• You'd value an assistant doing the vendor searching and chasing
• You're marrying in Australia or New Zealand and want a platform built for that
• You'd rather pay once for something considered than get something generic free

Frequently asked questions

Is Joy really free? Yes — Joy's core website, RSVP and registry are free, funded by its registry commerce. Custom domains cost about $19.99 per year.

Why does Amella charge when free options exist? Free sites run on shared templates and rarely feel like your day. Amella's themes are finished editorial designs, and the platform includes a working assistant. You pay once, only when you're ready to invite your full guest list — designing, planning and publishing are free.

Can I try Amella for free like Joy? Yes. Build your whole site, plan with the assistant, publish it and collect RSVPs from up to 15 guests — no card required. Payment only happens when you invite everyone.

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Amella is a wedding website and planning platform built in Auckland. Start your site free →