Ecard sites compared: prices, free options and what each does best
The ecard sites compared here are American Greetings, Blue Mountain, Jacquie Lawson, JibJab, Hallmark, Punchbowl, 123Greetings, Paperless Post, SendWishOnline and HiWith. American Greetings, Blue Mountain, Jacquie Lawson and JibJab charge about $36 a year for unlimited cards. 123Greetings and Punchbowl send free cards with ads. Paperless Post, SendWishOnline and HiWith charge per card.
Which ecard site for what
- Free, and ads are fine: 123Greetings
- Free cards, cheap plans, your own video message: Punchbowl
- Hand-made animated art, no ads: Jacquie Lawson
- 4,000+ ecards, plus a Jacquie Lawson bundle: Blue Mountain
- Video greetings that say the recipient's name: American Greetings
- Your face on a dancing character: JibJab
- One free card a month from a big brand: Hallmark
- Designed cards with envelopes, paid per recipient: Paperless Post
- One card the whole office signs: SendWishOnline
- The person from your photo inside the card, plus a short video, one card at a time: HiWith
The ten ecard sites side by side
A dash means the site's pages we read don't mention it.
| Site | Price | Free option | Your photo or face | Moving card | Group signing | Schedule ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Greetings | $7.99 a month, $35.99 a year or $49.99 for 2 years | A few free ecards; 7-day free trial for new members | Creatacards take your photos and video | SmashUps where well-known personalities say their name | — | Yes, up to a year ahead |
| Blue Mountain | $7.99 a month, $35.99 a year or $49.99 for 2 years | A few free ecards; free trial | Photos, music, a custom song | SmashUps with photos and music | — | Yes |
| Jacquie Lawson | $8 a month, $36 a year or $50 for 2 years | None listed (and no ads) | Postbox cards: up to 6 photos or 1 video | Hand-made art, animated, with music | — | Yes, for email cards |
| JibJab | $36 a year or $24 for 6 months on the web; $6.99 a month in the apps | A handful of free cards | Your face on animated characters, 1 to 5 faces | Music videos and animated ecards | — | Yes, Send Later for members |
| Hallmark eCards | Unlimited with Hallmark+, plans from $8.99 a month | One free eCard a month for Crown Rewards members | Upload photos on most designs | Hallmark Stars video eCards (Hallmark+) | — | — |
| Punchbowl | Plans from $1.49 a month on sale (normally from $2.99) for 10 cards a month | Free eCards; the top plan removes ads | Add your own video message | Your video message | — | Yes |
| 123Greetings | Free, paid for by ads | Everything | — | Animated and still cards | — | — |
| Paperless Post | Per recipient, in Coins: 25 for $12 down to $0.14 each in bulk | Free designs | Photo designs, envelopes, liners, stamps | — | — | Yes |
| SendWishOnline | Free with ads; premium card $2.99, or $0.75 to $1.98 a card in packs | Free group cards, up to 10 a day | Everyone adds a message | Confetti and slideshow (premium) | Yes, no limit on signatures | Yes |
| HiWith we make it | $4.99 a card; HiWith Pro $7.99 a month for up to 10 cards | One watermarked picture before you pay | The person from your photo in the whole picture, up to 5 people | 4 pictures and a short video | No | No: you send the link yourself |
What ecards really cost: three ways sites charge
A membership. American Greetings, Blue Mountain, Jacquie Lawson and JibJab all land near $36 a year for unlimited cards, and the two-year plans at the first three cut that to about $25 a year. Hallmark+ starts at $8.99 a month and bundles unlimited eCards with Hallmark's streaming shows and store perks. If you join for one card, check how to cancel; American Greetings and Blue Mountain both say you can cancel anytime.
Pay per card or per person. Paperless Post multiplies a design's Coin cost by the number of people you send it to. Its own example: a 5-Coin card to 40 people takes 200 Coins, which is $46. SendWishOnline charges $2.99 for one premium group card. HiWith charges $4.99 for one card, which is one link you can send to anyone.
Free, with ads or limits. 123Greetings is free to send. Punchbowl's free eCards come with ads until you pay for its top plan. SendWishOnline's free group cards show ads and stop at 10 a day.
How many cards before a membership wins?
| Cards a year | 123Greetings | A $36 yearly membership | HiWith, $4.99 each |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0 | $35.99 to $36 | $4.99 |
| 5 | $0 | $35.99 to $36 | $24.95 |
| 7 | $0 | $35.99 to $36 | $34.93 |
| 15 | $0 | $35.99 to $36 | $74.85 |
So HiWith costs less than a yearly membership only up to seven cards a year. HiWith Pro ($7.99 for up to 10 cards in a month) helps when you send a batch at once, like at Christmas, but one month of American Greetings or Blue Mountain costs the same $7.99 with no card limit. If you send a card most months, a membership is the better deal, and Punchbowl's cheapest plan, at its current sale price, is cheaper still.
Each ecard site in a paragraph
American Greetings
$7.99 a month, $35.99 a year, $49.99 for 2 years. 7-day free trial for first-time members.
Its membership page lists 4,000+ ecards (its join page says over 1,000). Members get reminders for important dates and can schedule cards up to a year ahead, sent by email, text or social media. Creatacards take your photos and video, and SmashUps have well-known personalities call friends and family by name. A small set of free ecards works with a free account. Best for: a classic card, sent on time.
Blue Mountain
$7.99 a month, $35.99 a year, $49.99 for 2 years; free trial. With Jacquie Lawson, $53.99 a year.
4,000+ ecards with unlimited sends, the same count American Greetings gives. You can add photos, music, a custom song or a digital gift card, schedule delivery and send by email, text or social media. Best for: someone who sends lots of cards to lots of people.
Jacquie Lawson
$8 a month, $36 a year, $50 for 2 years. Adding Blue Mountain is $18 a year more.
Animated cards drawn by hand on paper first, with music chosen for each one, from an English artist who started the site in 2002. It is paid for by memberships only, with no ads. Postbox cards take up to six of your photos or one video. Email cards can be booked for a future date. Best for: a calm, beautiful card for someone who'd treasure it.
JibJab
$36 a year or $24 for 6 months on the web; $6.99 a month in the apps. A handful of free cards.
You add 1 to 5 faces and they star in a music video or an animated ecard. Its App Store listing counts 1,500+ ecards, GIFs, videos and photo packs. Members get Send Later by email. Best for: a funny card where your face is the joke.
Hallmark eCards
One free eCard a month for Crown Rewards members; unlimited with Hallmark+, plans from $8.99 a month with a 7-day free trial.
Most designs let you upload photos and add your own message. eCards go by email from the website, or by text from the Hallmark Cards Now app. Hallmark+ adds video eCards with Hallmark Channel actors, plus its streaming shows. Best for: one card a month from a name everyone knows.
Punchbowl
Free eCards. Plans listed from $1.49 a month on sale (10 cards a month), $2.49 (50) or $2.99 (500, no ads); 7-day free trial, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Send by email or text, now or on a date you pick, and add a video message or a gift card. Punchbowl also does online invitations. Best for: someone who wants free or nearly free cards and a video of themselves saying it.
123Greetings
Free. The site shows ads.
Thousands of animated and still cards for birthdays, holidays and other occasions, delivered instantly by email or as a link you can paste into WhatsApp. Best for: a quick, free card when the thought matters more than the design.
Paperless Post
Free designs, or Coins: 25 for $12 ($0.48 each) down to 1,000 for $140 ($0.14 each).
Polished designs with envelopes, liners and stamps, sent by email, text or a link, and it shows you who opened them. Premium touches cost Coins per recipient, so a big list costs more. Best for: a stylish card to a list of people.
SendWishOnline
Free group cards with ads; premium $2.99 a card, or $9.90 for 5, $36 for 20, $75 for 50, $150 for 200.
A group card: you start it, colleagues sign it with no limit on signatures, and it goes out on the date you set. Premium removes the ads and adds confetti, a slideshow, your logo and a PDF. Credits last a year. Best for: a farewell or birthday card from the whole office.
HiWith we make it
$4.99 a card, one payment, nothing renews. HiWith Pro: $7.99 a month for up to 10 cards, renews until you cancel, no free trial. Full refund if you don't love it.
HiWith makes greeting cards from your photos: add a photo of someone, pick a card, and get four pictures and a video of them in it, sent as a link. Up to 5 people fit in one card. You see one watermarked picture free in about 10 seconds, and pay only if you like it. It works in the browser with no sign-up; the iPhone and Android apps aren't in the stores yet. Photos stay private, are never used to train AI, and are deleted after 30 days unless you keep the card.
Best for: a few funny, personal cards a year where the person is the star.
How to choose an ecard site
- Count your cards. Under seven a year, a free site or a per-card site costs less. More than that, a $36 membership wins.
- Decide whether ads are fine. Free sites pay for themselves with ads. Jacquie Lawson has none; Punchbowl and SendWishOnline remove them when you pay.
- Pick what "personal" means to you. Your words on beautiful art (Jacquie Lawson, Blue Mountain). Your face on a cartoon (JibJab). Your own video message (Punchbowl). Your photos in a design (Paperless Post, Hallmark). The person in the whole picture (HiWith).
- For the office, use a group card. SendWishOnline lets everyone sign one card; it's the one on this page built for that.
- If you forget dates, pick one that schedules. American Greetings, Blue Mountain, Jacquie Lawson, JibJab, Punchbowl, Paperless Post and SendWishOnline can send later. HiWith can't.
- Think about how it arrives. If the person lives on their phone, pick a site that sends by text or gives you a link.
Where HiWith fits, honestly
Where it's the better pick
- The person from your photo is in the whole picture, as 4 pictures and a short video.
- You see a free watermarked picture before paying.
- No sign-up and no membership for one card.
- Cheaper than a membership if you send seven cards a year or fewer.
Where others are better
- Free cards: 123Greetings, Punchbowl, SendWishOnline.
- Price for frequent senders: any $36 membership.
- Choice: 4,000+ ecards at American Greetings or Blue Mountain, 1,500+ at JibJab.
- Group signing, scheduling and invitations: HiWith has none.
- Hand-made art: Jacquie Lawson.
Questions people ask about ecard sites
What is the best free ecard site?
For cards that cost nothing at all, 123Greetings: there is no fee to browse or send, and the site is paid for by ads. Punchbowl also has free eCards, SendWishOnline has free group cards, American Greetings and Blue Mountain keep a small set of free cards for free accounts, and Hallmark gives Crown Rewards members one free eCard a month. HiWith is not free: you see one watermarked picture for free, and the finished card is $4.99.
Are 123Greetings cards really free?
Yes. Its FAQ says there is no cost to browse the library or send cards, and no paid subscription. The site carries ads, which is how it pays for itself.
Is SendWishOnline free?
Its group cards are free, with ads on the card page and a limit of 10 cards a day. A premium card is $2.99, or less in packs (down to $0.75 a card for 200), and removes the ads and adds confetti, a slideshow, your logo and a PDF download.
Can I send an ecard without signing up?
Yes. HiWith needs no account: you pay for one card with Apple Pay, Google Pay or a card. 123Greetings says its free cards can often be sent as a guest. American Greetings, Blue Mountain and JibJab need at least a free account, and Jacquie Lawson a membership.
Which ecard sites let you schedule a card?
American Greetings (up to a year ahead), Blue Mountain, Jacquie Lawson (cards sent by email), JibJab (Send Later, for members), Punchbowl, Paperless Post and SendWishOnline. HiWith does not schedule: the pictures are ready about 20 seconds after you pay, and you send the link when you like.
Is an ecard membership worth it?
If you send more than about seven cards a year, yes: $36 a year is roughly what seven $4.99 cards cost ($34.93). For one or two cards, a free site or a per-card site costs less, and nothing renews.
What is the best way to send an ecard?
The way the person already reads messages. Most of these sites send by email. American Greetings, Blue Mountain, Jacquie Lawson, Punchbowl and Paperless Post also send by text (Hallmark from its app), and HiWith and 123Greetings give you a link to paste into a text or WhatsApp. If they rarely open email, pick one that sends by text or gives you a link.
About this page
Published by Winding AI, Inc., the company that makes HiWith. HiWith is one of the ten sites here, so we have a stake in it; we've tried to be fair anyway and say where others are free, cheaper or do more. No other company paid to be here, and no link earns us a commission.
On November 7, 2026 we read each company's own pricing and help pages, listed below. Prices change and some are sales, so check before you buy. Found something out of date? Write to support@winding.ai and we'll fix it.
HiWith elsewhere: hiwith.ai · X · LinkedIn · Facebook. Winding AI, Inc.:.
Sources (read November 7, 2026)
- American Greetings: member benefits, join
- Blue Mountain: member benefits
- Jacquie Lawson: prices, Postbox cards, future-date sending
- JibJab: free vs premium, App Store listing
- Hallmark: eCards, Hallmark+, Crown Rewards
- Punchbowl: plans, eCards
- 123Greetings: free ecards FAQ
- Paperless Post: pricing, Coins
- SendWishOnline: pricing, FAQ
- HiWith: about and prices, refunds