Seatplan.io vs Seatbee: An Honest Head-to-Head for 2026

2026-05-15 · 6 min read · Planning

Quick Answer: Seatbee is the better fit if you want AI to handle the first pass on your seating, need accurate venue dimensions for free, or plan to revisit your chart over several months. Seatplan.io is reasonable if you have a small guest count, are happy doing every seat assignment by hand, and will finish in under 90 days. Both have free tiers; both charge for collaboration and exports. The biggest difference: Seatbee includes AI seating from $69, Seatplan.io has no AI at any tier.

Choosing between Seatplan.io and Seatbee comes down to four questions: how many guests are you seating, how long will your plan live before the event, do you need AI to handle the heavy lifting, and how much does venue-accurate layout matter to you? The two tools have made different trade-offs on each of these, and the right answer depends on your situation more than on any feature checklist.

Pricing at a Glance

Seatplan.io has a more granular tier structure. They offer a free tier with no save or export, then three paid options: $8 one-time for Save & Manage (PDF exports, 90-day save), $14 one-time for Collaborate (real-time editing, share link, guest QR seat finder, 90-day save), and $20 per month billed annually for Event Manager (unlimited everything plus venue-accurate dimensions).

Seatbee uses a simpler, longer-validity model. Free up to 100 guests with all core features (drag-and-drop, floor plan, manual seating, venue-accurate dimensions). Event Pass at $69 one-time unlocks 250 guests, AI auto-seating, watermark-free exports, Canva place card export, custom QR codes, and collaboration, valid for 6 months. Signature Pass ($119) extends to 500 guests; Pro Pass ($249) extends to 1,000.

Where Seatplan.io Wins

• **Lower entry price for collaboration**: $14 one-time gets you real-time editing and a share link, vs $69 on Seatbee.
• **Clean, focused interface**: Less to learn if you only need basic seating.
• **Good fit for small weddings**: Under 60 guests, you do not need AI and the planning is fast either way.
• **Guest QR seat finder included at the $14 tier**: Useful if you want guests to look up their seat on arrival.

Where Seatbee Wins

• **AI auto-seating included from $69**: Seatplan.io has no AI at any tier — you assign every guest by hand.
• **Auto-arrange tables**: one click and Seatbee lays out your tables in a balanced, room-fitting grid. Manual fine-tuning is always available, but the first pass is automatic.
• **Auto-trace your venue floor plan**: upload a venue floor plan image and Seatbee can trace the room outline automatically, so the editor matches your real space without you placing every wall by hand.
• **Venue-accurate dimensions on every tier**: Seatplan.io paywalls this to $20/month Event Manager.
• **6-month plan validity**: Seatplan.io is 90 days on Save & Manage and Collaborate tiers.
• **Real venue objects**: stage, dance floor, bar, DJ booth, gift table, sweetheart table, head table — drag them into the canvas to match how your room actually looks.
• **Manual floor plan tracing**: prefer to trace by hand? Upload your venue floor plan and trace the room shape yourself.
• **Multiple table shapes and sizes**: round, rectangular, oval, sweetheart, and head tables, each resizable.
• **VIP guest marking**: flag your VIPs visually so seating decisions account for them.
• **Capacity stats with recommendations**: live feedback on whether you have too many or too few tables for your guest count.
• **Customizable QR seat finder**: upload your logo, pick your color, write a custom welcome message that each guest sees when they search their name.
• **Table icebreaker questions**: assign a question to each table so guests who do not know each other have a conversation starter.
• **Built-in place cards**: print place cards directly from Seatbee with one click.
• **Canva export for place cards and seating charts**: drop your guest list into beautiful Canva templates without retyping a single name.
• **Alphabetical display charts**: generate an A→Z guest list with table numbers for the venue entrance.
• **Layout grid with measurements**: see the room scale so you know your tables actually fit.
• **Planner view for venue setup**: a clean per-table view showing seat numbers, ideal for handing off to the venue team on setup day.
• **Dietary export for caterers**: send your caterer a single file with every guest's meal choice and dietary restriction, table by table, ready to use.
• **Parties and groups**: group guests by family, side of the room, or arrival party so they stay together (or apart) when seated.
• **Full guest data tracked per person**: meal choice, dietary, party/group, RSVP, plus-one — all visible at a glance.
• **Click anywhere on the canvas**: the entire seating chart is interactive, not a static export — guests, tables, objects all respond to clicks.
• **Mobile app coming soon**: native iOS app for seating from your phone, with full parity to the web editor.
• **Higher guest caps**: up to 1,000 guests on Pro Pass; Seatplan.io does not advertise an explicit cap.
• **No subscription**: one-time payment vs $20/month for Seatplan.io's top tier.

The Aesthetic Difference

This one is hard to capture in a feature list, and it is subjective — but it matters. Seatbee's editor was designed for the wedding aesthetic from the start. The default palette is warm cream, soft gold, and muted neutrals. Tables read like dinnerware. Venue objects (stage, dance floor, bar, head table) are named and styled to look like the things they represent, not generic rectangles. Capacity indicators sit unobtrusively on each table ("6/8 seated") instead of crowding the view. When you show your chart to your partner, your planner, or your venue, it looks like a wedding plan.

Open Seatplan.io and Seatbee side by side and form your own view. The two tools approach the editor visually in different ways, and which one feels right is partly personal taste — but for couples who care about how the planning tool itself feels (and many do, because they live in it for months), it is worth seeing them next to each other before deciding.

The AI Question

For weddings under 60 guests, AI seating is a nice-to-have. You probably know exactly where everyone should sit, and the planning is mostly about laying out the tables. For weddings over 100 guests, AI is the difference between an afternoon and a long evening. Seating 120 guests by hand means considering 120 placement decisions, each of which has knock-on effects (move Aunt June and now Uncle Tom is at the wrong table). AI handles the first pass — placing everyone according to your rules and groupings — so you only need to make the judgment calls at the margins.

Seatplan.io has no AI at any tier. If your wedding is large enough that AI would help, Seatplan.io is not a complete tool for the job. This is the single biggest reason to choose Seatbee over Seatplan.io for any guest count above ~80.

The Validity Question

Wedding seating is not a one-sitting task. RSVPs trickle in over months, the headcount changes, plus-ones get added and dropped, dietary restrictions surface late, and family politics evolve. Most couples revisit their chart at least 10 times between first draft and final lock.

Seatplan.io's Save & Manage and Collaborate tiers save your work for 90 days. If you buy in May for an October wedding, your plan is gone by August — unless you upgrade to Event Manager ($20/month). Seatbee's Event Pass holds your plan for 6 months from purchase, which matches how most weddings actually plan. For longer engagements, the Pro Pass ($249) gives the same 6 months but with 1,000-guest capacity.

The Venue Dimensions Question

Knowing whether 12 round 60-inch tables actually fit in your reception room — with proper aisles, dance floor, and head table positioning — is genuinely useful. It is the difference between a polished plan and a frustrating walkthrough when you realise three tables need to come out.

Seatbee includes accurate room dimensions on every tier, including free. Set your room size, set your table sizes, and the visual layout reflects reality. Seatplan.io paywalls this to the $20/month Event Manager tier. For couples planning a single wedding, paying $240 per year for a feature you need once is hard to justify.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Which Should You Choose?

For a small wedding (under 60 guests) where you already know your seating, where you do not need AI, and where you will finish planning quickly, Seatplan.io's $14 Collaborate tier is a fair choice and the cheapest path to a basic collaborative seating chart.

For a medium-to-large wedding (80+ guests), for any couple who wants AI to handle the first pass, for anyone planning over several months, or for anyone who cares about venue-accurate dimensions without paying $20/month, Seatbee is the better tool. The $69 Event Pass includes things Seatplan.io paywalls at $20/month, and it does not expire after 90 days.

For wedding planners running multiple events per year, Seatbee's Pro Pass ($249 one-time, 1,000 guests, AI included) competes directly with Seatplan.io's Event Manager ($240/year recurring). The one-time payment is simpler accounting and you keep access for 6 months per pass.

Pick the tool that fits how seating actually gets built: in stages, over months, with AI doing the first pass and you doing the judgment calls.

Try Seatbee Free — Create Your Seating Chart

A Note on Trying Both

Both tools have free tiers. Spend 20 minutes in each before paying. Build a small mock plan with 5-6 tables and 30-40 guests in both. Whichever interface "clicks" with how you think about seating is worth more than a $10 price difference on the paid tiers. The right tool is the one you actually finish using.

Try Seatbee Free — Create Your Seating Chart

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Decide Between Seatplan.io and Seatbee

A short framework for picking the right seating chart tool based on your situation

1. Count your guests honestly. Under 60 guests, both tools work fine. Over 100 guests, AI matters more than price.
2. Estimate your planning timeline. If you will finish in under 90 days, Seatplan.io's short save window is fine. If your plan will live for months, Seatbee's 6-month validity is the safer bet.
3. Decide if you need accurate venue dimensions. If yes, Seatbee includes this on every tier. Seatplan.io paywalls it at $20/month.
4. Check whether you need collaboration. Seatplan.io's Collaborate ($14) and Seatbee's Event Pass ($69) both include real-time collaboration; Seatbee includes more collaborators by default.
5. Try the free tier of each. Both let you build a basic chart without paying. Picking the tool that "clicks" with how you think is worth more than a $10 price difference.

Related Guides

• Best Free Wedding Seating Chart Tools in 2026
• AI Seating Chart Generator: How It Works
• Seatbee vs Canva for Wedding Seating Charts
• Wedding Seating Chart Template: Free Guide