You can build a wedding website without a registry and use a custom domain on general builders like Heya ($6 a month for 1 domain), Wix ($17 per month), or Squarespace ($19 per month), or buy a domain on free wedding platforms like Zola (from $17.99) and The Knot ($19.99 for one year). Below are the steps and platform comparisons.
Heya is ours, so read its row with that in mind. Every other number comes from each company's own pages, checked on October 29, 2026.
The short answer
This table compares wedding platforms and website builders on base price, custom domain cost, RSVP tools, and privacy settings.
| Platform | Base price | Custom domain | RSVP & registry setup | Privacy & search controls |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heya | $0 Free; Pro from $3/mo | 1 domain on Pro Standard ($6/mo); bring your own | External RSVP form (Google Form/Tally); buttons for registry and honeymoon fund | Hide from Google setting |
| The Knot | Free website | $19.99/yr, $39.98 for two yrs, or $99.99/yr (.wedding); or third-party redirect | Built-in RSVP and guest list; customizable registry section | Not stated |
| Zola | Free website | Starts at $17.99; or redirect external domain | Combined gift registry, guest list, and RSVP tracker | Optional password protection; must be Visible to Guests for domain |
| Joy | $0/mo free plan | Paid upgrade or forward existing domain ($20-$40/yr typical at provider) | Built-in RSVP for unlimited guests; all-in-one registry included | Password protection (site or page), search control, page visibility |
| Squarespace | 14-day free trial; paid from $19/mo (Basic) | Free custom domain* included on Basic ($19/mo) and up | No wedding-specific RSVP stated; general CMS and Acuity Scheduling | Built-in SEO tools; password protection not stated |
| Wix | $0 Free plan; paid from $17/mo (Light) | Connect domain on Premium ($17/mo+); 1-yr free domain voucher on annual | Wix events tools track RSVPs; general business builder | Not stated |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Not stated means the provided platform facts do not mention that feature or setting.
Ours is a no-code builder with a wedding template. Free sites cost $0 at yourname.heya.bio. Pro Standard ($6 a month) connects 1 custom domain you own. RSVPs link to an external Google Form or Tally form.
The Knot gives you a free wedding site with 100+ templates, a guest list manager, RSVP tools, and registry sections. Custom domains cost $19.99 for one year, $39.98 for two years, or $99.99 per year for .wedding, or you can redirect a third-party domain without masking.
Zola is free to publish at www.zola.com/wedding/yourweddingkey with over 600 templates, password protection, and a combined registry, guest list, and RSVP tracker. You can redirect an external domain or buy one starting at $17.99, once your site is set to Visible to Guests.
Joy is $0 per month for unlimited guests, with hundreds of templates, online RSVPs, password options, and an all-in-one registry. It makes money when guests buy registry items it sells, and offers paid upgrades like custom domains, which forward to your withjoy.com URL.
Squarespace is a general website builder with a 14-day free trial and paid plans starting at $19 per month on Basic and $29 per month on Core. Both include a free custom domain*, Fluid Engine drag-and-drop editing, and 24/7 support.
Wix has a $0 Free plan with over 2000 templates, and Premium plans starting at $17 per month on Light (displayed for yearly subscriptions paid in full). Premium lets you connect your own domain, remove Wix branding, and track RSVPs.
How your domain works depends on whether you pick a wedding platform or a general website builder. On Joy, domains forward to your withjoy.com URL. On The Knot, third-party domains also forward without masking, while domains bought from The Knot ($19.99 for one year, $39.98 for two years, or $99.99 per year for .wedding) set up automatically, do not renew automatically, and cannot be edited or refunded. Zola domains start at $17.99 (or you can redirect one), and require your site to be set to Visible to Guests.
With our builder, Heya Pro Standard ($6 a month) connects 1 custom domain per account that you already own; we show the DNS records to add at your registrar, check them, and issue the HTTPS certificate automatically. Wix ($17 per month Light) and Squarespace ($19 per month Basic) include custom domains on paid plans.
Free wedding platforms are built around gift registries, even when you just want to put event details online. Joy costs $0 per month, includes an all-in-one registry, and makes its money when guests buy registry items that Joy sells. Zola puts its gift registry, guest list, and RSVP tracker together in one place, while The Knot has registry integration sections so you can link any gift registry in one spot.
General website builders like Heya ($6 a month on Pro Standard), Wix ($17 per month on Light), and Squarespace ($19 per month on Basic) charge a subscription on paid plans that support custom domains. On Heya, our wedding template comes with a Registry section with buttons for your registry and a honeymoon fund.
When you skip the registry page, your site can stick to guest logistics and the schedule. On the home page, put your names, the venue and time, a photo of the two of you, a live countdown to the ceremony, and buttons going straight to your RSVP and schedule. In the schedule section, put the ceremony, dinner, and dancing side by side with start times so everyone knows when to show up.
You can also add a travel page with driving directions, a Google Maps link, hotel block info, shuttle times, the dress code, and expected weather. Then on the RSVP page, give your reply-by date, answer common questions about plus-ones, kids, food, and photos, and link out to your RSVP form.
People often expect a third-party domain to stay in the browser address bar, but The Knot forwards external domains without masking, and Joy forwards domains to your withjoy.com URL. On Zola, a connected domain won't work if you leave your site hidden instead of Visible to Guests. And if you buy a domain on The Knot, check your spelling at checkout, because registrations are non-refundable and cannot be edited.
On our plans, remember that Heya Pro Lite ($3 a month) removes the badge and allows up to 20 pages per site on up to 3 sites, but does not include a custom domain. You need Pro Standard ($6 a month) plus a domain from a registrar.
Open the wedding template in the editor or see what it includes.
We compared dedicated wedding website platforms and general no-code website builders using only documented pricing, custom domain rules, registry features, RSVP capabilities, and privacy settings checked on October 29, 2026. The facts come from squarespace.com/pricing, squarespace.com/websites, helpcenter.theknot.com/hc/en-us/articles/49532117369364-Are-wedding-websites-on-The-Knot-free-to-use, helpcenter.theknot.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042645552-How-do-I-purchase-a-custom-domain-for-my-wedding-website, theknot.com/gs/wedding-websites, withjoy.com/pricing, withjoy.com/wedding-website, wix.com/plans, wix.com, zola.com/wedding-planning/website, zola.com/faq/360001340151-how-do-i-connect-a-domain-name-i-bought-through-zola-to-my-wedding-website-, heya.page/pricing, heya.page/docs.
Plans change often. If a number here is out of date, email hello@heya.page and we'll fix it.
Yes, you can use a general builder like ours, Wix, or Squarespace, though our wedding template includes a Registry section with buttons for a registry and a honeymoon fund. Dedicated wedding platforms like The Knot, Zola, and Joy build registry sections into their free sites.
On wedding platforms, a custom domain starts at $17.99 on Zola and costs $19.99 for one year on The Knot, while Joy says buying from a domain provider typically costs $20 to $40 per year. On general builders, connecting a domain requires our Heya Pro Standard plan at $6 a month (plus registrar registration), Wix Light at $17 per month, or Squarespace Basic at $19 per month.
No, third-party domains on The Knot and Joy use forwarding instead of masking. The Knot lets you redirect a third-party domain without domain masking, and Joy forwards existing domains or domains bought from Joy to the withjoy.com URL.
On Heya, you link a button to a Google Form or Tally form that saves guest replies to a spreadsheet. The Knot, Zola, and Joy all include free built-in digital RSVP collection and guest list tracking right on their platforms.
Heya sites can be found by search engines by default with their own sitemap.xml and robots.txt, and turning on the Hide from Google setting turns that off. If you want password protection, Zola includes optional password protection to keep a wedding website private.
Custom domains on The Knot don't renew automatically, so you have to renew them manually within 30 days before they expire. If the domain expires, The Knot puts your wedding website back on its free address intact.
Start editing the Heya wedding template in your browser with no account required, publish for $0 at yourname.heya.bio, or upgrade to Pro Standard for $6 a month to connect your own domain.