Rock Paper Coin runs your payments. Gatherwise runs the whole event.
Rock Paper Coin keeps your contracts and invoices tidy and moves money between you and your vendors. Gatherwise does that as well — and attaches every one of those documents to the event it belongs to, alongside the run of show, the budget, the guest list and the floor plan.
Effortless event planning starts here.
Paperwork in one place, or the event that paperwork is for?
Every planner needs contracts signed and vendors paid. The question is whether those documents sit in a system of their own, or attached to the event they belong to.
Modern software + CRM for event and wedding planners
Contracts and invoices are attached to an event here, not filed beside one. Book a vendor and the payment dates land on your checklist; open the run of show and the same vendor is already on it.
- Proposals, contracts and online payments included
- Vendor payment dates surface as tasks, not reminders you set
- The run of show, floor plan and budget live in the same event
A shared paperwork hub for the whole event industry
One job, done cleanly: moving documents between the people on an event. Photographers, florists, venues and planners all work in it, which is the appeal — the vendor you are chasing may already have an account.
- Strong proposals, contracts and Stripe-powered payments
- QuickBooks sync, and vendors on the platform already
- The documents, but not the event — no run of show, budget, guest list or floor plan
Side by side, as of mid-2026.
| Capability | Gatherwise | Rock Paper Coin |
|---|---|---|
| Sales & CRM | ||
| Leads and client CRMTrack inquiries, clients and their whole history in one place | Included | IncludedPremium plan |
| Lead inquiry formEmbed it on your site — inquiries arrive as leads, not emails | Included | IncludedPremium plan |
| Client questionnairesSend a form and have the answers land on the event | Included | Not included |
| AI-assisted proposal creation | Included | Not included |
| Proposals, contracts & payments | ||
| Proposals with templates | Included | Included |
| Digital contracts & e-signatures | Included | Included |
| Invoicing & online paymentsCards, ACH, auto-pay, Apple Pay and Google Pay | Included | Included |
| QuickBooks Online sync | Not included | IncludedPremium plan |
| Event timeline & day-of | ||
| Drag-and-drop event timelinesBuild a minute-by-minute run of show, sort or auto-sort | Included | Not included |
| Timeline templatesStart a new event from your own saved structure | Included | Not included |
| Share the timeline as a live URLAlways current, no re-sending files to vendors | Included | Not included |
| Export the entire eventTimeline, tasks, budget, guests and seating in one export | Included | Not includedNo event data |
| Budget, guests & seating | ||
| Budget trackingTrack estimates, actuals and what the client still owes | Included | Not included |
| Auto-calculated category amountsEnter a total budget and see each category split out | Included | Not included |
| Guest lists & RSVPs | Included | Not included |
| Seating charts & floor plans | Included | Not included |
| Tasks, mobile & vendors | ||
| Task checklists | Included | Not included |
| Robust notification system@mentions, comment notifications, mobile push, and daily and weekly task-due reminders | Included | Not includedReminders cover proposals & invoices only |
| Native mobile appiOS and Android | Included | Not included |
| Vendor payments linked to the checklistPayment due dates appear as tasks automatically | Included | Not included |
| Fit & pricing | ||
| Built specifically for event & wedding plannersEvery tool shaped around how planners actually work | Included | Not includedAll event pros — photographers, florists, venues |
| Pricing model | Starts at $29/mo for planning + sales tools | $0–$41/mo + 2.5% payment processing fee — sales tools only |
Comparison reflects publicly available information as of mid-2026. Confirm all details before publish.
Four things that decide it, once the contract is signed.
Vendor money on the same checklist as vendor work
A florist's balance due and the hour they load in belong to one booking. Here they are — payment dates arrive as tasks, beside the run of show they support.
The 2.5% is the number to compare
Rock Paper Coin's subscription is the cheaper line item, but its added 2.5% processing fee scales with every deposit and balance you collect. On event-sized invoices that is the figure that decides it.
Built for a ballroom, not a desk
Native iOS and Android, for the hours when you are on your feet with a clipboard in one hand. Rock Paper Coin is web-only — fine for signing a contract, less so at 4pm on load-in day.
Shaped for planners, not for everyone
Serving photographers, florists and venues equally well means serving none of them specifically. Gatherwise makes the opposite trade: one trade, fitted properly.
Similar price. Very different amount of work covered.
A planner running 30 events a year
Rock Paper Coin looks cheaper on paper — but every online payment carries an added 2.5% processing fee, and there is no timeline, budget, guest list or seating tool at any tier. Gatherwise starts at $29/mo. All figures as of mid-2026.
Thinking about a Rock Paper Coin alternative?
The four things planners ask us most before they move off Rock Paper Coin.
Is Gatherwise a good Rock Paper Coin alternative?
If the paperwork is the only part of your process that lives in software, Rock Paper Coin does that job. Gatherwise suits planners who want the contracts and payments and the event they belong to in one place — timeline, budget, guest list, seating and vendor management on the same client record, rather than a second subscription bolted alongside.
What does Gatherwise do that Rock Paper Coin doesn't?
Rock Paper Coin is built around documents moving between people: contracts out, invoices out, payments in. It has no timeline, budget, guest list or seating tool at any tier. Gatherwise has all four, plus task checklists with reminders and a native iOS and Android app — Rock Paper Coin is web-only.
How does Gatherwise pricing compare to Rock Paper Coin?
Rock Paper Coin is cheaper on the sticker — around $41/mo against $59/mo for Gatherwise Professional — but every online payment it processes carries an added 2.5% fee, which on event-sized invoices is the larger number. Gatherwise starts at $29/mo. All figures as of mid-2026.
How do I switch from Rock Paper Coin to Gatherwise?
Start the 14-day free trial and send your next proposal and invoice through Gatherwise while Rock Paper Coin sees out the contracts already signed in it. Build that event's timeline and seating chart in the same place and you'll know within one event whether it fits. You can cancel anytime.
Weighing up more than one tool?
Most planners shortlist two or three before they switch. Here is how Gatherwise stacks up against the rest of them.
Gatherwise vs HoneyBook
A broad clientflow CRM with strong sales tools, but it stops at the signed contract — no timelines, guest lists or seating.
HoneyBook alternativeEvents platformGatherwise vs Aisle Planner
Long-established and events-focused, priced per project. Gatherwise is purpose-built for how planners actually work day to day.
Aisle Planner alternativeVenue & events suiteGatherwise vs Planning Pod
One toolset spread across venues, caterers and planners. Gatherwise builds for planners only, and the workflow shows it.
Planning Pod alternativeTimeline toolGatherwise vs Timeline Genius
A focused, well-made timeline tool with a decade behind it. Gatherwise matches the timeline and adds the rest of the business.
Timeline Genius alternativeBudget wedding CRMGatherwise vs Harpsen
Inexpensive and wedding-only, covering the sales side. Gatherwise adds the planning half — timelines, guests, seating, vendors.
Harpsen alternativeStart your free trial
Effortless event planning starts here. Bring one live event over and see how it feels.
Cancel anytime