The best family reunion planning software puts everything in one private place: your family’s website, RSVPs, registration and payments, announcements, photos, and the list of who is coming. If you are stitching together a Facebook group, a Google Form, a spreadsheet, and Cash App, you are doing extra work that one tool could handle for you.
I’m Tonya, the founder of Gettagether. I built it after my family “voluntold” me to handle the tech for our reunion. I looked for one platform that did everything we needed and couldn’t find it. Here is what I learned about choosing reunion software, plus an honest look at your options.
What family reunion software should do
Before you compare tools, know what a reunion actually needs. A good platform should let you:
- Keep it private. Family photos, names, and cities should not be on the open internet.
- Invite people with one link. You should be able to text a link or print a QR code, not walk Aunt Betty through a signup maze.
- Collect RSVPs with guest counts. You need a headcount early to book a venue that fits.
- Handle registration with different prices. Adults, kids, and seniors often pay different amounts.
- Take card payments. Chasing Venmo and Zelle payments by hand is where most planners lose track.
- Send announcements and emails. Updates should reach everyone, not get buried in a group chat.
- Allow more than one admin. No one should plan a reunion alone.
- Share hotel and travel details. Booking links and group codes should be easy to find.
- Save photos and memories. The pictures are often what people care about most.
- Last beyond one event. Your family will gather again. Your setup should not start from zero every time.
You have options
Facebook Groups
Facebook is free and many relatives are already on it. But not everyone uses Facebook, important posts get buried fast, and there is no built-in way to handle registration or payments. You also don’t control the group’s features or how long it stays around.
Google Forms and spreadsheets
These are free and flexible. The downside is that everything is manual. Someone has to match form answers to payments, update the spreadsheet, and answer the same questions over and over. There is no family website to send people to.
Event ticketing tools
Ticketing sites are good at selling tickets. They are built for public, one-time events, though, not for an ongoing private family community with photos, a member directory, and multiple events over a weekend.
Building your own website
Website builders give you full control, but you have to build and maintain everything yourself. RSVPs, payments, and member logins are usually extra add-ons that you have to connect and manage.
An all-in-one reunion platform
A platform made for reunions combines the website, RSVPs, registration, payments, and communication in one place. This is the category Gettagether is in. The tradeoff is a subscription cost, which you can usually cover with a small amount from each registration.
How Gettagether handles it
Here is what you get when you set up your family’s community on Gettagether:
- A private, branded family website with your logo, colors, banner, and welcome message. Member content is never public or indexed by search engines.
- One join link and QR code you can share anywhere. You approve who gets in, or you can send email invitations that let people in automatically.
- Events with RSVPs and guest counts, so you know how many people to plan for.
- Registration with up to five types, such as adult, child, and senior, each free or paid. A family can register everyone in their group and pay at once.
- Card payments through Stripe that go straight to your reunion’s account.
- A shop to sell T-shirts, family history booklets, or other items to raise money early.
- Lodging info with hotel booking links and group codes.
- Announcements and email messages to keep everyone updated.
- A Memory Board for photos and stories, and a Legacy Wall to honor family members who have passed.
- Up to four admins, plus an optional backup owner so the community is never stuck if the main organizer steps away.
- Reports you can download to see who registered and who has paid.
What it costs
Gettagether starts with a 7-day free trial. After that, the Single plan is $9.99 a month or $99 a year for one community. The Multi plan is $19.99 a month or $199 a year for up to three communities. You can cancel anytime. Family members do not pay anything to join.
If you collect payments by card, Stripe charges its standard processing fee, and Gettagether adds a small platform fee of 1% plus $0.25 per transaction. Free events have no platform fee.
How to choose the right tool for your family
Ask yourself these questions:
- Do I need to collect money, or is this a free gathering?
- How many relatives are not on Facebook?
- Do I want family photos and contact details kept private?
- Will other people help me run things?
- Will we have more than one event, like a picnic, banquet, and church service?
- Do we plan to do this again in a year or two?
If you answered yes to most of these, an all-in-one reunion platform will likely save you time and stress.
Frequently asked questions
Is there free family reunion software?
Free tools like Facebook Groups and Google Forms can work for small, simple reunions. Once you need registration, payments, and a private website, most families find a paid platform saves enough time to be worth it. Many planners build the cost into the registration fee.
Can older relatives use reunion software?
Yes, if it is simple. With Gettagether, relatives click one link, create an account, and they are in. It works on phones, tablets, and computers.
Can more than one person manage the reunion?
Yes. Gettagether allows up to four admins per community, so you can share the work with your planning committee.
Do family members have to pay to use Gettagether?
No. Only the organizer pays for the subscription. Family members join free. They only pay if your reunion charges for registration, event tickets, or shop items.
Try it for your family
If you are tired of juggling five different apps to plan one reunion, start your 7-day free trial of Gettagether and set up your family’s private reunion site today.