Seat MakervsCreatelyDesign and spreadsheets
Seat Maker vs Creately for Event Seating Diagrams
Choose Seat Maker for named guest assignments and fixed-seat controls when you want to work directly on the seating plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.
Try a real seat change8 fictional guestsAlex is fixed in seat 1. Shuffle the other guests, or select two people to swap.
Why choose Seat Maker?
See what you can do.
Put every guest in a seat
Lock VIPs. Shuffle the others. Swap two guests. Undo a change.
Try the seat controls
Start with your guest names
Import a list, review the fields, then place your people.
Try guest-list import
Give the plan a clear handoff
Use native image/PDF exports or explore the browser output tools.
Explore sharing & exportsReal Seat Maker views with fictional names. Native offline edits work in saved iPhone/iPad plans; online sync and RSVPs need internet.
The key differences.
Full feature breakdown ↓| Your decision | Seat Maker | Creately |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Guest seats & room changes | Collaborative diagrams & shared room drawings |
| Tools | VIP locks, shuffle & undo | Infinite canvas, table/seat shapes and color grouping |
| Offline edits | Saved native plans on iPhone & iPad | Not verified in reviewed sources |
| Price | Free browser tools; paid online access & native upgrades | Free: up to 40 shapes per diagram |
Vendor-described capabilities. Unknown features are not scored as missing. Full terms & sources below.
The details, when you need them.
Pricing, transfers & official sourcesFull feature comparison8 topics, including devices and offline access
Creately combines a collaborative canvas, event shapes and stakeholder comments. Seat Maker provides a dedicated seating workflow with guest records and table assignments. Try a realistic room rather than a small template, especially when evaluating free shape allowances and final printouts.
| What matters | Seat Maker | Creately |
|---|---|---|
| Planning focus | Named guests, individual seats and a practical room plan. | Collaborative visual planning with reusable diagrams and event templates. Source ↗ |
| Guest and planning tools | Import names, arrange individual seats, lock VIP seats and shuffle other guests. | Infinite canvas, table/seat shapes and color grouping. Shared editing, comments and stakeholder tagging. Source ↗ |
| Layouts and handoff | Room layout tools and native image/PDF exports. Browser tools include drafts, signs and place cards. | Notes, attachments, presentation mode and export options. Source ↗ |
| Access and devices | iPhone/iPad app, free browser tools and a paid online planner. Features vary by surface. | Online collaborative diagramming platform. Source ↗ |
| Offline work | Saved native seating plans can be edited offline. Online RSVPs, sync and published websites require internet. | Offline behavior was not established in the reviewed official materials. Source ↗ |
| Price and access terms | Free browser tools. Paid online access and separate native upgrades. Review the complete offer before purchase. | Current pricing page: Free US$0 with up to 40 shapes per diagram; Pro and Business offered but numeric amounts not exposed in the retrieved pricing page. Source ↗ |
| Moving your data | Review a guest-list import. Rebuild room geometry and rules separately. Later updates need reconciliation. | Retain the original diagram and comments. Source ↗ |
| A reason to choose it | You want to work directly on guests and seats, and keep a local native plan for offline venue edits. | Your team wants an adaptable diagram canvas with comments, notes and presentation tools. Source ↗ |
Plans & pricingWhat is free, what is paid and what expires
Seat Maker
Start with account-free browser planning tools and an editable local draft. The full online planner requires paid access. Native upgrades have separate in-app offers.
Checkout shows the current currency, renewal period and total before purchase.
View online access options →Creately
Current pricing page: Free US$0 with up to 40 shapes per diagram; Pro and Business offered but numeric amounts not exposed in the retrieved pricing page. An older seating landing-page FAQ gives different plan names/prices, so do not reuse those rates.
Official plan terms ↗Reviewed October 21, 2026. Confirm editors, exports, tax, renewal and access expiry for your region. A suite’s fee covers more than seating.
Bring your guest listImport, rebuild and review
Retain the original diagram and comments. Transfer guest names to a clean list and rebuild structured table assignments, then reconcile the final chart against the original.
- 1Keep an originalSave the source list and a dated visual plan.
- 2Test a small importReview names, duplicates, groups and accepted fields.
- 3Rebuild & reconcileCheck capacities, fixed seats and unassigned people.
A PDF is a visual reference, not an editable room transfer. A CSV snapshot does not create live sync; choose where future changes will be maintained.
Try Seat Maker’s guest-list import →When Creately makes senseIts strengths and documented workflow
Your team wants an adaptable diagram canvas with comments, notes and presentation tools.
- Infinite canvas, table/seat shapes and color grouping.
- Shared editing, comments and stakeholder tagging.
- Notes, attachments, presentation mode and export options.
Collaborative visual planning with reusable diagrams and event templates.
Editorial workflow illustration from Creately’s official documentation. Official positioning: “Visual Tools to Better Organize Events”.
Try a realistic sample120 fictional guests · downloadable CSV
Start with 120 fictional guests, 12 four-person families and four fixed VIPs in 16 eight-seat tables. Cancel Guests 105–108, add Guests 121–124, move Guests 117–120 into the four vacated seats and remove Table 16. The final plan has 120 guests and 120 seats. Keep families together, Guests 053 and 061 apart, and Guests 049–052 in their fixed seats.
Review imported names before setting groups and locks. Extra CSV fields may need manual mapping. This is a reproducible exercise, not a completed competitor benchmark.
Sources & comparison methodOfficial references · reviewed October 21, 2026
Seat Maker publishes this comparison. Recommendations are editorial judgments. Competitor features and prices come from official product, help and pricing materials reviewed October 21, 2026; no paid-account or timed head-to-head benchmark was performed.
- Creately: product & workflow ↗creately.com
- Creately: official reference 2 ↗creately.com
Native images are Seat Maker v3.2.2 on iPhone 17 Pro; browser images are actual tool captures. Names are fictional. No competitor interface has been recreated.
Suggest a correction →Quick answers.
When should I keep Creately?
Your team wants an adaptable diagram canvas with comments, notes and presentation tools.
Can I move my Creately plan into Seat Maker?
Retain the original diagram and comments. Transfer guest names to a clean list and rebuild structured table assignments, then reconcile the final chart against the original.
Can I try Seat Maker before buying?
Yes. The public browser planning tools accept your own names and save a local draft without an account. The full online planner and native app upgrades have separate purchase terms.
What should I check about Creately’s price?
Current pricing page: Free US$0 with up to 40 shapes per diagram; Pro and Business offered but numeric amounts not exposed in the retrieved pricing page. An older seating landing-page FAQ gives different plan names/prices, so do not reuse those rates.
Can I edit my plan without Wi-Fi?
Seat Maker’s saved native seating plans support local offline edits. Account sync, online RSVPs and published websites require internet. For Creately: Offline behavior was not established in the reviewed official materials.
Make your seating plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.