Seat Makervstableplanner.ioSeating and venue planning
Seat Maker vs tableplanner.io: seating workflows compared
Choose Seat Maker for fixed VIP seats and native offline edits, and test the seat controls before choosing paid access.
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 | tableplanner.io |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Guest seats & room changes | Browser seating & shared event plans |
| Tools | VIP locks, shuffle & undo | CSV/paste guest input and plus-ones |
| Offline edits | Saved native plans on iPhone & iPad | Not verified in reviewed sources |
| Price | Free browser tools; paid online access & native upgrades | €49 one-time export/share unlock |
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
tableplanner.io advertises keep-apart checks, automatic seating and table scoring, alongside collaboration and print tools. Seat Maker offers manual seating, VIP locks and shuffle. Locks are useful for fixed seats, but they should not be treated as equivalent to a relationship-rule engine.
| What matters | Seat Maker | tableplanner.io |
|---|---|---|
| Planning focus | Named guests, individual seats and a practical room plan. | Organize guests and prevent difficult social combinations, then generate stationery and a guest seat finder. Source ↗ |
| Guest and planning tools | Import names, arrange individual seats, lock VIP seats and shuffle other guests. | CSV/paste guest input and plus-ones. Keep-apart conflict detection. Automatic seating and table scoring Source ↗ |
| Layouts and handoff | Room layout tools and native image/PDF exports. Browser tools include drafts, signs and place cards. | Live co-planning. Place/escort cards, dietary sheets and QR seat finder Source ↗ |
| Access and devices | iPhone/iPad app, free browser tools and a paid online planner. Features vary by surface. | Online seating and co-planning service. 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. | €49 one-time unlock for export/share/print; page says across plans without renewal. Source ↗ |
| Moving your data | Review a guest-list import. Rebuild room geometry and rules separately. Later updates need reconciliation. | Export names, groups and rule notes separately. 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 want explicit social conflict checks and automatic arrangements based on guest relationships. 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 →tableplanner.io
€49 one-time unlock for export/share/print; page says across plans without renewal. Free-start messaging is inconsistent with a 30-guest FAQ cap; verify the actual cap before publishing.
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
Export names, groups and rule notes separately. Rebuild and inspect the assignments in Seat Maker; do not assume together/apart rules transfer automatically.
- 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 tableplanner.io makes senseIts strengths and documented workflow
You want explicit social conflict checks and automatic arrangements based on guest relationships.
- CSV/paste guest input and plus-ones
- Keep-apart conflict detection
- Automatic seating and table scoring
- Live co-planning
- Place/escort cards, dietary sheets and QR seat finder
Organize guests and prevent difficult social combinations, then generate stationery and a guest seat finder.
Editorial workflow illustration from tableplanner.io’s official documentation. Official positioning: “Wedding seating, minus the drama”.
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.
- tableplanner.io: product & workflow ↗tableplanner.io
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 tableplanner.io?
You want explicit social conflict checks and automatic arrangements based on guest relationships.
Can I move my tableplanner.io plan into Seat Maker?
Export names, groups and rule notes separately. Rebuild and inspect the assignments in Seat Maker; do not assume together/apart rules transfer automatically.
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 tableplanner.io’s price?
€49 one-time unlock for export/share/print; page says across plans without renewal. Free-start messaging is inconsistent with a 30-guest FAQ cap; verify the actual cap before publishing.
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 tableplanner.io: 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.