tableplanner.io
Setting the table…
Setting the table…
The understudy — tableplanner vs PerfectTablePlan
PerfectTablePlan has been the go-to desktop seating tool since the 2000s — genuinely cheap at $29.95, with a mature auto-seating algorithm, a free trial, and a 14-day money-back guarantee. It's earned its long reputation, and it works fully offline.
The catch is where it lives: a downloaded install (licensed for up to 5 PCs/Macs) with plans saved as local files, not a shared cloud chart. If you want to check the chart from your phone at the venue, or have your partner and planner edit at the same time from different places, that's where it stops. tableplanner runs in any browser, on any device, with real-time collaboration and a QR seat finder for guests on the day.
Where we're different
The stuff a bundled seating add-on never bothers with — starting with keeping the peace.
Any browser, not a download
PerfectTablePlan needs an install and lives as local files on up to 5 of your own machines. tableplanner is a link — open it on any device, nothing to install, chart saved to the cloud automatically.
Plan it together, in real time
PerfectTablePlan is edited by one person on one machine at a time. tableplanner lets you and your partner (or planner) open the same chart at once and watch changes live.
QR seat finder for guests
PerfectTablePlan has no guest-facing feature. tableplanner generates a QR code guests scan on arrival to instantly find their seat — no printed chart required.
Side by side
| Feature | tableplanner | PerfectTablePlan |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Any browser — desktop, tablet, phone, nothing to install | Windows/Mac desktop app, install required (up to 5 machines) |
| Real-time collaboration | Yes — edit together live | Not offered — local files, one editor at a time |
| Conflict / "keep apart" detection | Yes — automatic warnings | Yes — built in |
| One-click auto-seating | Yes — respects conflicts & wishes | Yes — mature algorithm |
| QR seat finder for guests | Yes — guests scan & find their seat instantly | Not offered |
| Works offline | No — needs a browser connection | Yes |
| Export & sharing | Stationery-grade PDF, Excel/CSV + share link | PDF, floor plans, place cards, stationery |
| Pricing | One-time €49 — free up to 30 guests | One-time $29.95 + tax, 14-day money-back guarantee |
Being fair
Fair credit: PerfectTablePlan is one of the cheapest one-time options out there at $29.95, with a free trial and 14-day money-back guarantee so there's no risk in testing it. Its auto-seating engine is mature and configurable after two decades of refinement, and it works completely offline — no internet connection needed. The 5-PC/Mac license also covers more than one machine.
The price
PerfectTablePlan is genuinely cheap at $29.95 one-time (plus tax), with a 14-day money-back guarantee. tableplanner is €49 one-time, free to build up to 30 guests first — the gap buys real-time collaboration and the QR seat finder, not a lower price.
No upsells · Yours forever
one-time
No credit card — pay only when you export.
The nosy section
The verdict
Pick PerfectTablePlan if you want the cheapest desktop option, don't need to collaborate live, and like working offline — it's a mature, well-reviewed tool. Pick tableplanner if you want to plan from any device, collaborate live with your partner or planner, and give guests a QR seat finder on the day.
— signed, two people with a horse in this race.
Build your entire chart for free. Pay the one-time €49 only when you're ready to export, print, or share.
50,000+ guests seated · zero scenes caused
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