Last Updated on May 11, 2025 by Joy Editors
Budget-conscious couples often struggle to pick between Joy and Minted wedding websites. This choice can impact their planning and budget in several ways.
The differences go way beyond just the price tag. Minted’s templates come from hundreds of artists around the world and take about 10 minutes to set up. Joy shines with its simple interface, unlimited photo storage, and a user-friendly planning dashboard that couples
love. On top of that, it has digital invites and unlimited guest accounts at no extra cost.
These differences can make a real impact on your wedding budget. Both platforms have sections for registries and guest accommodations, but Joy gives you all premium features free. Let’s get into how these wedding website builders match up and see which one saves you more money in 2025.
Website Setup and Customization
The success of any wedding website starts with its setup and design choices. A look at both platforms shows clear differences in how they handle templates, customization, and usability.
Template Variety: Joy’s Simplicity vs Minted’s Artistic Designs
The choice between Joy and Minted often comes down to personal priorities. Joy has hundreds of beautiful design themes that span from floral to minimalistic and elegant. Couples can mix and match these templates to create their perfect wedding website with complete creative control.
Minted showcases over 1,000 wedding website designs from independent artists. Couples can sort these designs by style, color, and season. Their designs match perfectly with wedding invitations and stationery suites. This creates a unified look from save-the-dates to thank you cards.
Minted might have more templates, but many couples love Joy’s straightforward yet beautiful designs. These focus on functionality without overwhelming users with choices.
Customization Flexibility: One Layout vs Multiple Themes
Joy gives you two distinct layout options that reshape the scene of your wedding information. The single-page layout shows a trendy horizontal design to scroll through photos and details. The multi-page layout features a classic vertical look with tabs at the top.
Joy’s customization tools are extensive:
- Color palettes (more palettes coming soon) that match your wedding theme
- Font choices to set the perfect tone
- Graphic accents for multi-page layouts
- CSS customization for tech-savvy couples using single-page layouts
Minted lets you adjust colors, fonts, and layouts, but with more limitations. Multiple sources note that “Designs and websites are not very customizable and have limited layouts, meaning you may not be able to make your website as personal as you desire”. With Minted, you pick from pre-designed packages instead of building your own site.
Setup Time: 10 Minutes with Minted vs Instant with Joy
Time matters when planning a wedding. Minted’s website creation process is “very quick and simple only taking around 10 minutes to set up”. Their platform walks you through template selection, color customization, and wedding detail addition in a structured way.
Joy offers almost instant setup with a user-friendly interface. You can start personalizing your site right away without any learning curve. The platform has a mobile app for both iPhones and Androids. This lets couples update their website quickly while on the move.
There’s another reason these platforms differ: Joy emphasizes that “you can change any part of your design at anytime” without limits. This flexibility is a great way to get things right as wedding details change during planning.
Joy’s instant setup and extensive customization options create the perfect balance of efficiency and creativity for couples who value speed and personalization.
Core Wedding Features Compared
The true value of wedding websites goes beyond just looks and setup. Let’s get into how Joy and Minted wedding platforms stack up when it comes to everything in wedding planning tools.
RSVP Management: Unlimited Guests vs Password-Protected Access
Joy really stands out with its RSVP management system. You can collect guest responses without limits, ask custom questions about meal priorities or song requests, and track all answers live. Joy’s Smart RSVP feature lets you control which guests see certain events, which helps avoid awkward situations when some guests aren’t invited to intimate celebrations like rehearsal dinners.
Minted keeps wedding details private with password-protected access. All the same, their RSVP system doesn’t match the competition, and you get fewer options to collect specific information from guests.
Registry Integration: Built-in vs External Linking
Joy has a zero-fee cash registry built right into the platform. This feature is a great way to get funds for honeymoons, home down payments, or other dreams without paying the processing fees that other sites charge. More of your guests’ generous gifts will reach you.
We found Minted mostly links to external registry options instead of having their own built-in solution. This works fine, but it means you’ll need to manage multiple platforms.
Photo and Video Galleries: Unlimited Storage vs Premium Add-on
Joy’s unlimited photo storage comes free. It also lets guests upload their own photos to your website, which creates an interactive experience before, during, and after your wedding.
Minted makes photo galleries a premium feature. Their free website doesn’t have good media sharing options, so you’ll need to upgrade to get better photo and video features.
Event Details and Maps: Interactive Tools on Both
Both platforms do well with event details. Joy has Google Maps integration, rideshare app connections, and a hotel Booking Assistant that makes travel easier for guests. Joy can send live updates about transportation, weather changes, and dress codes to keep everyone in the loop.
Minted also has sections for event details and travel information, but doesn’t offer the same interactive tools and live updates that make Joy so helpful for couples and guests.
The comparison shows Joy consistently gives you more detailed tools for free, while Minted saves many similar features for their premium tiers.
Pricing Breakdown and Hidden Costs
The real cost of wedding websites goes beyond what you see in advertisements. Let’s get into how Joy and Minted stack up against each other in terms of cost.
Free Plans: Joy’s All-Inclusive vs Minted’s Limited Free Tier
Joy shines with its completely free platform that has all features without any pressure to upgrade. Joy gives you unlimited storage, guest management, and detailed planning tools without charging a penny. Yes, it is worth noting that Joy states “there are no additional (or hidden) fees to worry about”.
Minted’s simple free tier comes with many restrictions. The platform markets itself as free but limits your access to features that most couples need. Users must upgrade to use the core functions in this two-tier system.
Premium Features: $0 vs $20 One-Time Fee
The contrast becomes clearer in premium offerings. Joy gives you every feature at no cost from unlimited photo galleries and guest uploads to detailed RSVP management. Couples can spend their entire wedding budget on the celebration.
A one-time fee of $20 unlocks Minted’s premium features such as:
- Photo gallery capabilities
- Password protection for wedding details
- Custom domain access
One source points out that “Although Minted offers free wedding websites, users do need to upgrade to a ‘premium’ status to unlock certain features such as a custom URL and website privacy”.
Custom Domains: Included vs Paid Add-on
These platforms handle custom domains differently. Joy lets you forward to a custom URL free of charge. You can also buy a dedicated domain starting at $19.99 yearly.
Minted’s custom domain feature comes only with their premium package. You cannot personalize your wedding URL unless you upgrade first.
Long-Term Value: Free Forever vs Upgrade Pressure
Joy proves its worth in the long run. Couples can use Joy “from start to finish” without extra costs or upgrade pressures. Your photos and memories stay available even after the wedding without renewing subscriptions.
Minted pushes users toward upgrades through feature restrictions. The $20 fee “won’t break the bank”, but budget-conscious couples can avoid this cost by choosing Joy’s equally capable free option.
The Joy vs Minted comparison shows a clear financial advantage. Joy’s transparent, all-inclusive pricing model beats Minted’s limited free tier that pushes premium upgrades.
User Experience and Planning Tools
Wedding planning becomes easier with user-friendly tools and smooth interfaces. A closer look at Joy and Minted’s wedding websites shows some key differences in what they can do for couples.
Planning Dashboard: Joy’s Central Hub vs Minted’s Simple Tools
Joy shines with its complete planning dashboard that works as a command center for wedding preparations. Joy’s dashboard stands out by combining:
- Guest list management with smart tagging system
- RSVP tracking where you can add custom questions
- Event scheduling you can control who sees what
- Registry management without extra fees
This “contemporary user experience” makes Joy a powerful tool to organize your wedding day.
Minted takes a different approach with simple planning tools that focus on their stationery expertise. Their dashboard doesn’t match Joy’s depth of features and only covers basic event details and guest list management.
Mobile Usability: Responsive Design on Both
These platforms handle mobile access differently. Joy gives you a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android that looks just like your website. You can quickly update details and get push notifications about new RSVPs and guest messages.
Minted’s websites work well on all devices but don’t have a dedicated wedding app. Most couples need to manage wedding details in their spare time, which makes Joy’s app much more convenient.
Guest Communication: Digital Invites and Updates
Guest communication is where the difference between Minted and Joy really shows. Joy lets couples:
Send free digital save-the-dates and invitations right from the platform, add announcement banners when plans change, let guests message them directly with questions, and share photos through a digital guest book
Joy creates smooth communication throughout your wedding timeline. Minted matches their digital communications with printed materials but doesn’t have the messaging and update features that make Joy so useful.
Couples who want to stay organized and communicate clearly will find Joy’s complete planning tools and user-friendly interface work better than Minted’s more basic dashboard.
Which One Saves You More Money?
Budget-minded couples care about costs when choosing a wedding website platform. My detailed analysis reveals key financial differences between these popular choices.
Total Cost for 6 Months: $0 vs $20+
The numbers tell a clear story. Joy gives you a completely free platform without time limits or hidden charges. The platform keeps guest management and photo sharing free forever. Joy keeps it simple and domains start at $19.99.
Minted charges a $20 one-time fee to access what most couples need:
- Custom URL capabilities
- Password protection for wedding details
- Photo gallery functionality
The cost gap becomes evident during six months of wedding planning since Joy offers all these premium features at no cost.
Feature-to-Cost Ratio: Joy’s Free Tools vs Minted’s Premium Add-ons
Joy brings great value with unlimited photo storage, guest accounts, and digital invites at zero cost. The platform stands out because it has no upgrade tiers—every feature comes without a paywall.
Minted takes a different path. The free version lacks core functions that most couples need. Joy gives you better value since you get premium features without spending money.
Best for Budget-Conscious Couples: Why Joy Wins
Joy’s free model makes it the clear financial winner. Statistics show that 74% of engaged couples create wedding websites—yet Joy remains the only platform offering premium features at no cost.
The savings continue after the wedding. Your photos, memories, and guest information stay available without renewal fees or subscriptions.
The choice between Joy and Minted wedding websites becomes clear from a money-saving viewpoint. Joy gives you equal or better features without any cost, making it the smart pick for couples who want quality and affordability.
Comparison Table
| Feature/Aspect | Joy | Minted |
| Base Cost | Completely Free | Free tier with limited features |
| Premium Features Cost | $0 – Joy keeps it simple and domains start at $19.99. | $20 one-time fee |
| Template Options | Hundreds of beautiful designs | 1,000+ artist-created designs |
| Setup Time | Instant setup | ~10 minutes |
| Layout Options | Two distinct layouts (single-page and multi-page) | Limited layouts with fewer custom options |
| Photo Storage | Unlimited free storage | Premium add-on feature |
| RSVP Management | Unlimited guests, Smart RSVP feature, custom questions | Simple RSVP system with password protection |
| Registry Integration | Built-in zero-fee cash registry | External registry linking only |
| Mobile Experience | Dedicated iOS and Android apps | Responsive design only |
| Guest Communication | Free digital invites, announcement banners, direct messaging | Simple communication tools |
| Planning Tools | Detailed dashboard with integrated features | Simple planning tools |
| Custom Domain | Optional (starting at $19.99/year) | Included with premium upgrade |
| Long-term Access | Free forever, no expiration | Requires premium upgrade for full access |
| Photo Sharing | Guest photo uploads, unlimited gallery | Limited to premium tier |
| Event Management | Live updates, transportation integration, weather alerts | Simple event details |
Conclusion
A detailed comparison between Joy and Minted wedding websites makes the winner crystal clear. Joy emerges as the better choice for couples who want full features and want to save money.
Joy’s biggest advantage is that all premium features come free. Couples get unlimited photo storage, detailed guest management, digital invitations, and an accessible planning dashboard without paying anything. Minted has attractive templates but needs a $20 upgrade for features most couples need.
The advantages go beyond just the cost. Joy’s accessible interface lets couples set up their site instantly, while Minted takes 10 minutes. Joy also comes with a mobile app for planning on the go, but Minted only works through a web browser.
The best part about Joy is how it takes away the money stress from wedding planning. Couples can spend their budget on creating memories instead of digital tools. They can access their wedding memories forever without any renewal fees or subscriptions.
Joy makes perfect sense for couples who want quality without spending more. The platform works better than or equal to its competitors and costs nothing at all.
Both platforms have beautiful templates and core website features. But Joy’s steadfast dedication to free premium tools makes it the clear choice for modern couples. The Joy vs Minted debate ends with Joy winning for couples who want both detailed features and smart spending.
