Seatbee vs Excel / Google Sheets
Excel and Google Sheets are free and flexible — but they have no concept of seating, no rules, no auto-arrangement, and no print-ready output. Seatbee replaces a spreadsheet workflow with a tool actually built for this job.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Seatbee | Excel / Google Sheets |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free up to 100 guests | Free |
| Visual seating chart | Yes — drag and drop | No — text rows only |
| AI auto-seating | Yes | No |
| Rules engine (must-sit-with, keep apart, VIP) | Yes | Manual cross-checking |
| Print-ready chart | Yes | No |
| Place cards / table cards | Yes — auto-generated | Manual mail-merge |
| Floor plan / room layout | Yes | No |
| Reusable for next event | Yes | Copy / paste |
Which one is right for you?
Choose Seatbee if you have more than 30 guests, want a visual chart, or need to print place cards. Use Excel only if you have a tiny event under 30 guests with no complicated relationships.
What Excel / Google Sheets does well
Familiar interface, completely free, no learning curve if you already use spreadsheets.
Where Excel / Google Sheets falls short
Zero seating-specific features. Every visual element and every conflict check is manual.