Zola is a leading wedding registry and wedding website service. In this Zola review, we examine the key features of Zola’s free online platform that allows engaged couples to register for gifts and plan every aspect of their wedding using convenient tools and a user-friendly system.
Zola was our top rated wedding registry and website builder. Find out why we picked it.
4.4
Nav rating
Zola
Zola offers engaged couples a free, easy to use wedding registry where they can add gifts from any store or ask for cash funds. It provides a modern registry experience.
We spent over 40 hours testing different wedding registries and wedding website builders. We also spent time interviewing couples and wedding planners who have used different providers to create rating criteria that helps
What is Zola Wedding Registry?
Zola is an online wedding registry and planning platform that aims to make creating a registry, planning a wedding, and managing wedding gifts a seamless process for engaged couples. Launched in 2013, Zola offers a universal registry that allows couples to add gifts from any store or website to their registry.
Zola also facilitates cash funds, where guests can contribute money towards honeymoons, home purchases, or other goals. Additional features include free wedding websites, online RSVP tracking, and coordination tools for everything from guest lists to seating charts. With its modern take on gift registries and planning, Zola strives to provide a stress-free way for couples to prepare for their big day.
Who is Zola Best For?
Those who are looking for a wedding registry and wedding website builder that truly does it all will enjoy their experience with Zola. If you are someone who wants a one stop shop for all things wedding planning, Zola is an excellent choice.
How Much Does Zola Cost?
Zola offers couples a free online wedding registry and complimentary wedding website to start planning their big day. There are no upfront fees to create a Zola registry or basic wedding website. Zola makes money when registry gifts are purchased through their site, taking a small commission from participating retailers.
Is Zola Wedding Registry Free?
Optional upgrades like custom URLs or printed wedding invitations have additional fees, but all the core registry setup and wedding planning tools are included for free. The only time Zola charges couples directly is a 2.5% credit card processing fee on cash funds gifts, the site’s cash registry option. Besides that small fee, the registry, website, gift tracking, and other main features come at no cost.
Zola’s free offerings allow couples to customize their registry and manage their wedding planning tasks without paying a premium.
Zola Pros and Cons
When choosing an online wedding registry website, you want to make sure you make the right choice to avoid overcomplicating the process of setting up your registry and your wedding website. Here are the pros and cons of Zola.
Benefits of Zola
- Cash fund is available (lowest credit card fee)
- Comprehensive wedding planning features
- Registry syncs with the most retailers
Disadvantages of Zola
- Thank you list feature is not as easy as competitors.
- Built in registry checklists and tips not as robust as competitors.
Best Zola Features
Today’s wedding planning tools offer a ton of extremely helpful features that make setting up your wedding easy. Here are some of the great features you can expect when you register on Zola.
Online Wedding Registry
One of the cornerstone features of Zola is their online wedding registry that provides engaged couples with a free, universal option to register for gifts from any store or website. Couples can seamlessly add items from anywhere using Zola’s easy-to-use tools to create their dream registry registry in one place.
Free Wedding Website
In addition to gift registries, Zola offers engaged couples free wedding websites to share details of their big day with guests. Couples can build and customize their wedding website using Zola’s templates and tools.
While the basic wedding website is free, couples have the option to upgrade to a custom domain for an additional cost if they want a personal url. Overall, Zola’s free wedding websites provide a convenient online space to keep guests updated.
Wedding Planning
Looking for help finding a venue or vendors such as caterers, photographers or florists? Zola offers a suite of free online wedding planning tools to help couples manage all the details for their big day. From guest list organization to seating charts, Zola provides coordination features to keep everything in one place. Couples can also create schedules, budgets, style boards and task lists to stay on top of wedding planning. Zola aims to make wedding planning simpler by providing an all-in-one solution.
Invitations
Beyond just online tools, Zola also provides beautiful paper suites and invitations to complement its digital offerings. Couples can customize elegant invitations, save-the-dates, thank you cards, and day-of stationery.
Zola offers modern designs across various styles that can be personalized with names, photos and colors. For those who want to carry their wedding aesthetic through every touchpoint, Zola’s paper goods make expressing your vision simple and seamless.
RSVP Tracking
One of the most helpful Zola features is wedding invitation RSVP tracking. Zola offers easy online RSVP tracking so couples can see guest responses in real time. Guests can RSVP through the free wedding website and couples can customize RSVP questions and options. Zola’s centralized system keeps everything organized in one place for streamlined management.
Thank You Note Tracking
Keeping up with who gifted you what can be tough. Luckily, Zola offers a Gift Tracker tool to help couples stay organized with thank you notes. Within the gift tracker, couples can mark when a gift is received and when a thank you card is sent. This allows them to easily track outstanding thank yous and ensure no gift givers are forgotten. The Gift Tracker streamlines thank you management along with tracking gifts received and purchased.
Zola Alternatives
While Zola is our highest rated wedding registry, there are some competitors that offer similar services that may be worth considering. Here are the competitors that you may be considering and how they stack up against Zola wedding registry.
| Feature | Zola | The Knot | Wedding Wire |
| Nav Rating | 4.4 | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| Cash Fund | Yes | Yes | No |
| Cash Gift Fee | 2.5% Fee on Cash Fund Gifts | 3% Fee on Cash Fund Gifts | N/A |
| Syncs to Registries | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Zola vs The Knot
In comparing top wedding registries, Zola scored higher overall ratings than The Knot. Zola received more positive reviews praising its reliability, while The Knot had more complaints of technical issues. A key advantage is Zola’s lower 2.5% credit card fee on cash funds versus The Knot’s 3%. Based on reviews and ratings across registry tools, planning features, and fees, Zola delivered a smoother, more consistent platform for couples planning their wedding.
Not to discount The Knot as a capable wedding registry and website builder, but based on our testing we found Zola to be a slightly better product.
Zola vs Wedding Wire
When comparing Zola and WeddingWire side-by-side, Zola received higher marks. A key advantage is Zola’s cash fund feature which WeddingWire lacks, allowing couples to request monetary gifts. Additionally, both platforms provide wedding planning tools but Zola’s were more user-friendly with a more seamless experience based on reviews. Finally, Zola integrates with more major retailers for broader registry options.
With perks like more flexible registries, smoother planning features, and the ability to collect cash gifts, Zola outperformed WeddingWire as the more robust and highly-rated wedding registry and planning platform.
Final Thoughts
Zola is a leading free online wedding registry, website, and planning platform for engaged couples. Zola stands out with its universal gift registry that syncs registries from any brand or website into one place. Additional perks include free wedding websites with optional custom URL upgrades, intuitive wedding planning tools, and elegant paper suites.
Zola also facilitates cash funds and provides gift tracking with thank you notes. When compared to competitors like The Knot and WeddingWire, Zola scored higher thanks to more positive reviews, lower fees, and a smoother overall experience. For modern couples, Zola delivers an all-in-one solution to streamline registries, websites, and wedding planning with contemporary and user-friendly tools.
