Seat MakervsSeatPlanningSeating and venue planning
Seat Maker vs SeatPlanning: seating workflows compared
Choose Seat Maker for direct seat control and a saved native plan you can edit offline at the venue.
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
Keep planning at the venue
Edit saved native seating plans offline on iPhone and iPad.
Explore offline planning
Start with your guest names
Import a list, review the fields, then place your people.
Try guest-list importReal 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 | SeatPlanning |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Guest seats & room changes | Browser seating with event-pass options |
| Tools | VIP locks, shuffle & undo | Drag-and-drop layouts and Excel import |
| Offline edits | Saved native plans on iPhone & iPad | Not verified in reviewed sources |
| Price | Free browser tools; paid online access & native upgrades | Event passes; Premium $39/month displayed |
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
SeatPlanning combines seating with RSVP links, collaboration and check-in features. Seat Maker provides browser planning tools and native seating for local offline changes. Compare the online guest lifecycle you need, the exports you can keep, and how long an event pass remains active.
| What matters | Seat Maker | SeatPlanning |
|---|---|---|
| Planning focus | Named guests, individual seats and a practical room plan. | Carry the seating plan from layout and guest import through RSVPs, invitations and QR entry. Source ↗ |
| Guest and planning tools | Import names, arrange individual seats, lock VIP seats and shuffle other guests. | Drag-and-drop layouts and Excel import. PDF/Excel export. Smart seat distribution Source ↗ |
| Layouts and handoff | Room layout tools and native image/PDF exports. Browser tools include drafts, signs and place cards. | Collaborator invitations. RSVP links, custom email invitations and QR check-in Source ↗ |
| Access and devices | iPhone/iPad app, free browser tools and a paid online planner. Features vary by surface. | Browser seating service with event passes and subscription options. Source ↗ |
| Offline work | Saved native seating plans can be edited offline. Online RSVPs, sync and published websites require internet. | Offline editing 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. | Free entry; an Event Pass is one-time per event with 90-day active chart term (amount not rendered); Premium $39/month shown with 1,000 seats/project and 80 tables. Source ↗ |
| Moving your data | Review a guest-list import. Rebuild room geometry and rules separately. Later updates need reconciliation. | Keep the guest spreadsheet, reply records and final exports before any pass expires. 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. | You need its RSVP, collaborator and QR check-in workflow connected to the seating project. 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 →SeatPlanning
Free entry; an Event Pass is one-time per event with 90-day active chart term (amount not rendered); Premium $39/month shown with 1,000 seats/project and 80 tables. Confirm billing terms/currency.
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
Keep the guest spreadsheet, reply records and final exports before any pass expires. Reconcile attendance and table assignments when rebuilding in Seat Maker.
- 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 SeatPlanning makes senseIts strengths and documented workflow
You need its RSVP, collaborator and QR check-in workflow connected to the seating project.
- Drag-and-drop layouts and Excel import
- PDF/Excel export
- Smart seat distribution
- Collaborator invitations
- RSVP links, custom email invitations and QR check-in
Carry the seating plan from layout and guest import through RSVPs, invitations and QR entry.
Editorial workflow illustration from SeatPlanning’s official documentation. Official positioning: “Simplify Event Seating”.
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.
- SeatPlanning: product & workflow ↗seatplanning.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 SeatPlanning?
You need its RSVP, collaborator and QR check-in workflow connected to the seating project.
Can I move my SeatPlanning plan into Seat Maker?
Keep the guest spreadsheet, reply records and final exports before any pass expires. Reconcile attendance and table assignments when rebuilding in Seat Maker.
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 SeatPlanning’s price?
Free entry; an Event Pass is one-time per event with 90-day active chart term (amount not rendered); Premium $39/month shown with 1,000 seats/project and 80 tables. Confirm billing terms/currency.
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 SeatPlanning: Offline editing was not established in the reviewed official materials.
Make your seating plan.
Free browser tools · no account needed. Full online access is paid.