Seating Hero — Pay $14 Once, Not Monthly
Seating Hero does the seating job well. The question is whether a wedding you plan once should be a monthly subscription.
Quick verdict
Seating Hero is a drag-and-drop seating chart maker for weddings and events. It imports your guest list, lets you drag guests to tables, can auto-assign guests for you, and exports to PDF or an image.
As of September 2026 it's a subscription, with no free plan: Silver is $11.90 a month for up to 60 guests and one seating plan, and Gold is $14.90 a month (a launch price, listed down from $30) for unlimited guests and plans. Seat the Day is free for up to five tables, and a one-time $14 per wedding after that.
Where Seating Hero wins
- Table shapes. Round, rectangular, oval or custom. Seat the Day's tables are round.
- Auto-assign. Seating Hero can place guests for you. Seat the Day leaves every placement to you, and checks it against your seating notes.
- Beyond weddings. It's built for galas, conferences and company events too, with unlimited plans on Gold. Seat the Day is built for weddings.
Where we're different
| Feature | Seating Hero | Seat the Day |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $11.90–$14.90 a month, or $99 a year | Free up to 5 tables, then $14 once per wedding |
| Free plan | No | Yes, unlimited guests up to 5 tables |
| Guest list | Imported into Seating Hero | Stays in your Google Sheet, synced both ways |
| Drag-and-drop seating | Yes | Yes |
| Table shapes | Round, rectangular, oval, custom | Round |
| Auto-assign guests | Yes | No |
| Share with others | Link | Link, plus a QR code guests use to find their seat |
| Catering counts | Dietary notes | Meal counts for the kitchen, including vendors |
| Photographer shot list and Who's Who | No | Yes, from the same guest list |
Why the pricing model matters for a wedding
Seating charts are usually finished in the last four to eight weeks, and then changed right up to the day. On a monthly plan that's two or three months of billing, and you have to remember to cancel. Seat the Day's $14 covers that wedding for good, with no renewal.
If you plan events for a living and run several a month, Seating Hero's unlimited plan may work out cheaper. That's who a subscription suits.
Your guest list stays yours
Seating Hero imports your list and keeps it there. Seat the Day reads it from the Google Sheet you already use and writes seating back to it, so a late RSVP or a changed meal choice goes in the Sheet once and shows up in the chart.
Common questions
Does Seating Hero have a free plan?
No. As of September 2026, Seating Hero's plans start at $11.90 a month. Signing up needs no credit card, but building a chart means choosing a plan.
How much does Seat the Day cost?
Seat the Day is free for up to five tables. Unlocking a wedding is a one-time $14, with no subscription.
Can I bring my guest list over from Seating Hero?
Put your guest list in a Google Sheet and connect it to your wedding. From then on the Sheet and the chart stay in sync.
The bottom line
Seating Hero is a capable tool on a monthly bill. For one wedding, pay once.
Where the comparison stops
Everything above compares seating charts, because that is what these tools do. Seat the Day treats your guest list as the thing you keep, and seating as one of the things it builds.
The same list also builds a photography shot list covering the whole celebration, from the rehearsal dinner to the after party — with live guest groups and the table numbers your photographer needs during the reception. And Who’s Who, a printed face-reference sheet so a photographer who has never met your family can find your 93-year-old grandmother, and tell the mother of the bride from her sister.
Neither has an equivalent in the tools on this page.
Ready to build yours?
Connect your Google Sheet and start dragging guests to tables. Free for up to five tables, no credit card.
Start your seating chart →