Guest limits and plans

InviteBird is free to design. You choose a plan when you send, and the plan is sized by how many guests are coming — nothing else. This article explains how guests are counted, what the guest meter is telling you, and what happens as your list grows.

What counts as a guest

Your guest count is everyone attending — each guest on your list plus every additional guest they bring. A guest bringing two companions counts as three. This is the same total used everywhere: your plan, the guest meter on the Guests tab, and the optional Maximum capacity cap. Guests who reply Maybe or Can't make it don't count toward the total — only those coming.

Building versus sending

Before you send, you can build your guest list freely — add, import, and edit as much as you like. Your plan's limit only starts to apply once your invitations go out, so you're never blocked while you're still putting the list together.

The plans

Plans scale by guest count, from small gatherings up to unlimited. Founding prices (currently 50% off) are:

You pay once, at send — there's no subscription for a personal event, and every plan includes the same full set of features. See Plans and pricing for what's included.

The 10-guest cushion

Whatever plan you're on, every plan includes a 10-guest cushion above its stated limit, applied once your event has been sent. That cushion means a few late yeses landing just past your number won't interrupt anything or ask you to pay again — a Hatch event sized for 50, for instance, keeps accepting replies through 60 before the list pauses.

Reading the guest meter

On the Guests tab, a slim strip meters your projected headcount against your plan:

• Under 75% of your limit — nothing shows; no nagging.
• 75–99% — a quiet count line, [N] of [cap] seats spoken for on [your plan], with an Add room link.
• At or past your limit (into the cushion) — an amber card, You've outgrown [your plan], noting that late yeses are still landing and inviting you to unlock more seats before the list pauses.
• Past the limit and the cushion — a red card, The guest list is paused, with the exact upgrade price to reopen it.

If you're on Horizon (unlimited), the meter only ever shows a count — there's no higher plan to move to.

What happens at the cap

Your confirmed guests are always safe. If your guest count climbs past your plan's limit and the 10-guest cushion, new additions pause: the meter shows The guest list is paused and new replies can't be added until you make room. Upgrading reopens the list immediately, and any replies that were waiting are added.

Upgrading pays only the difference

When you move up a plan, you pay only the difference between what you've already paid and the higher plan — never the full price again. The upgrade prompt shows the exact amount before you confirm, and the moment it goes through your higher limit takes effect. See Upgrading your plan for the full walkthrough.

Auto-upgrade: never pause your RSVPs

If you'd rather never think about it, turn on auto-upgrade. When your list grows past your plan, InviteBird moves you up one plan automatically so replies keep flowing and your RSVPs never pause. As your list fills toward the limit, a banner on the Guests tab offers Turn on auto-upgrade; you can also enable it from your billing settings. It steps up one plan at a time, so you only ever pay for the room you actually need, and you can dismiss the banner if you'd prefer to handle upgrades yourself.

Common questions

Does a "Maybe" count against my limit? No. Only guests who are coming — yeses and their plus-ones — count toward your total.

I imported more guests than my plan allows. Everyone who fits comes in, and the rest are held. A Finish import button appears; upgrade or trim the list, then select it to bring the rest in. See Importing your guest list.

What's the difference between my plan limit and a maximum-capacity cap? Your plan limit is about billing and pauses new adds when exceeded (with the cushion). A maximum-capacity cap is a hard limit you set for your venue that closes RSVPs and opens a waitlist. They're separate controls.

Do I lose replies while the list is paused? No confirmed guest is ever dropped. New replies are simply held until you make room; upgrading adds them right away.

Related articles

• Allowing plus-ones and additional guests
• Maximum capacity and the waitlist
• Importing your guest list
• Upgrading your plan