InviteDrop vs. Blue Mountain: An Honest Comparison for Your Ecard Needs
When it comes to sending digital greetings, you have more choices than ever. Two popular options you might be weighing are InviteDrop and Blue Mountain. Both offer ways to send ecards, but they cater to different needs and have distinct strengths. This guide provides an honest, side-by-side comparison to help you decide which service is best for your next card-sending occasion. If you're looking to send a card on InviteDrop, you'll find details here on how we compare.
Blue Mountain: A Deep Dive into Its Strengths
Blue Mountain, along with its sister site American Greetings (both under the same ownership), is a well-established name in the digital greeting card space. Their primary strength lies in their truly enormous catalogs. With over 4,000 cards available on each site, you're likely to find a design that fits almost any occasion or recipient. This vast selection is a significant draw for users who prioritize variety and choice.
Blue Mountain also offers a "Creatacard" maker, which provides some customization options. With Creatacard, you can include up to 6 photos or 1 video in your digital greeting. You also have the flexibility to add a typed or drawn signature, giving your card a more personal touch. For those who prefer a physical keepsake, Blue Mountain supports print-at-home options, allowing recipients to enjoy a tangible version of their ecard.
In terms of access, Blue Mountain offers a 7-day free trial, which lets you explore their offerings before committing. They also have a limited selection of free cards available, so you can send a basic greeting without a subscription. For unlimited access, their subscription models are straightforward: $7.99 per month, $35.99 per year, or $49.99 for two years. This tiered pricing provides flexibility depending on how frequently you plan to send cards.
Where Blue Mountain's Features Fall Short
While Blue Mountain excels in catalog size and basic customization, there are a few areas where its offerings are more limited. One notable absence is open/view notifications. If you're someone who likes to know when your card has been opened by the recipient, Blue Mountain does not provide this feature. This can make it difficult to gauge whether your message has been received and seen.
Another significant difference is the lack of group signing capabilities. If you're planning to send a card from multiple people – perhaps for a coworker's birthday or a farewell message from a team – Blue Mountain does not support this. Each card is designed for a single sender, which can be a drawback for collaborative greetings.
InviteDrop: A Modern Approach to Digital Greetings
InviteDrop takes a different approach, focusing on a more interactive and collaborative card-sending experience, along with features designed for modern communication. Our standout feature is undoubtedly group-signed cards. This means multiple people can contribute their messages to a single card via a simple share link. This capability is genuinely useful for office celebrations, family greetings, or any event where many individuals want to send a collective message. This feature is not available with Blue Mountain, American Greetings, Jacquie Lawson, or Hallmark eCards.
When a recipient opens an InviteDrop card, they experience an animated envelope reveal, complete with a wax seal animation, before the card opens to show your personal message, up to two photos, and your signature. This adds a touch of charm and anticipation to the receiving experience. This kind of opening animation is a key part of our offering, creating a more engaging moment for the recipient.
For senders, InviteDrop provides open tracking. You'll know exactly when your recipient opens the card, giving you peace of mind and insight into your card's delivery. We also offer per-recipient personal messages, allowing you to tailor each message even within a group send, and scheduled sending, so you can prepare your cards in advance and have them delivered at the perfect moment.
Delivery with InviteDrop is flexible and convenient. You can send cards via email, SMS text, or a shareable link, and no app download is needed for either sender or recipient. This makes it easy for anyone to send or receive a card, regardless of their tech savviness.
Customization extends beyond the message itself. With InviteDrop, you can customize the envelope, liner, and stamp, giving your card a unique look before it's even opened. Recipients can also engage with emoji reactions and reply directly to the sender, fostering a more interactive exchange.
Perhaps one of the most appealing aspects of InviteDrop is its accessibility: you can send cards free for up to 5 recipients per card. This makes it an excellent option for smaller groups or individual sends without any cost.
Beyond Blue Mountain: Other Competitors and Their Niches
While Blue Mountain offers a vast catalog, it's worth noting other services that cater to specific preferences:
- Jacquie Lawson: Known for its genuinely artful, hand-drawn animated card "films" with commissioned music, Jacquie Lawson focuses on high-quality, minute-long animations. Their classic cards don't offer font, color, or photo customization, though their newer Postbox line supports up to 6 photos or 1 video. They do not offer group signing or a free tier on the web.
- Hallmark eCards: Leveraging the iconic Hallmark brand, this service offers a free ecard per month with the Crown Rewards program, with unlimited sends requiring a Hallmark+ subscription. Their digital cards do not feature opening animations, and there's no documented scheduling or open tracking. They also do not support group signing.
- Group-card services (e.g., GroupGreeting, Kudoboard, Thankbox, SendWishOnline): These services are legitimate choices specifically designed for multiple people to add messages to one card or board. They excel in facilitating collaborative greetings, much like InviteDrop's group-signing feature, though their specific pricing and feature sets vary.
Which Ecard Service Is Right for You?
Choosing between InviteDrop and Blue Mountain, or indeed any other ecard service, comes down to your priorities. If your primary need is access to an enormous catalog of pre-designed cards and basic photo/video integration, Blue Mountain offers an extensive selection that is hard to beat. Its print-at-home option is also a nice bonus for those who appreciate a physical card.
However, if you value a more modern, interactive, and collaborative experience, InviteDrop is a compelling alternative. Our unique combination of group-signed cards, an engaging animated opening reveal, open tracking, and the ability to send free for up to 5 recipients per card sets us apart. For collective greetings, knowing when your card is opened, and enjoying a visually appealing delivery, InviteDrop provides a truly differentiated offering.
Ultimately, the best service is the one that meets your specific needs for sending heartfelt digital greetings. Whether you prioritize sheer volume of choice or a feature-rich, collaborative experience, both InviteDrop and Blue Mountain offer valuable ways to connect. We invite you to explore the possibilities and send a card on InviteDrop for your next special occasion.
