US-based event-planning app Partiful gained 2 million new users in 2025, with 500,000 monthly active users in Q1, marking a 400% increase from 2024, according to Sensor Tower.

Launched in 2020 by Shreya Murthy and Joy Tao, Partiful has become popular among users aged 20 to 30.

The app, which helps organize events like birthdays and weddings, is mostly used in the US, with 90% of its users based there.

After Apple’s event-planning service, Apple Invites, launched in February, Partiful saw no user shift to Apple’s service, which requires an iCloud+ subscription.

The app, which remains free to use, has earned recognition from Apple’s App Store Awards for Cultural Impact and was named Google Play’s “Best App of 2024.”

🔗 Source: CNBC

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Event platforms increasingly segment by demographic, not just event type

The event planning industry, worth over $325 billion in direct spending, has evolved from platforms competing on features to targeting specific demographic sensibilities 1.

Partiful’s success demonstrates this shift, with their humorous, casual designs and SMS-based communication specifically resonating with the Gen Z post-graduate crowd navigating new social circles 2.

This contrasts with Eventbrite’s more professional-oriented approach (4.4 million monthly users) and Evite’s broader reach (20 million monthly users) through a freemium model offering themed templates 2.

The differentiation strategy appears effective, as Partiful shows 400% year-over-year growth while competitors like Punchbowl experienced a 2% decline during the same period 2.

This segmentation reflects a maturing industry where user experience and cultural fit increasingly determine success rather than just functionality.

2️⃣ Communication method drives event platform engagement and attendance

Partiful’s focus on SMS-based invitations rather than email reflects a crucial insight about attendance rates and engagement patterns in today’s communication landscape 3.

Platforms using text messages for primary communication likely achieve higher attendance rates, as SMS open rates exceed 98% compared to email’s typical 20% open rate 3.