Snapchat’s new feature is a direct attack on an app called Partiful. Partiful is a highly popular digital invitation platform that has quickly become the favorite way for young people to plan parties.
What Makes Partiful So Popular?
Partiful was started in 2020 by Shreya Murthy and Joy Tao, two founders who met while working at the tech company Palantir. The platform is famous for looking more like TikTok than a boring email calendar.
Partiful has seen massive growth recently. It added 5 million new users in just the first half of 2025 alone. Today, it has over 500,000 monthly active users and is growing by 400% every single year.
Because of this success, Partiful was named one of Google’s Best Apps of 2024 and one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies in 2025. It has also raised over $27 million from investors and is valued at $140 million.
Partiful works by sending text message blasts. A host makes a highly visual event page with custom GIFs, memes, and photos. The host then shares a web link via text message. Guests do not even need to download an app or create an account to reply; they just type in their phone number.
Partiful also lets hosts collect money for parties using Venmo or Cash App. It even has a special “Group Order” feature powered by Instacart. This lets guests buy their own party supplies while the host pays a flat $5 delivery fee.
Snapchat hopes to beat Partiful by using its biggest advantage: users are already inside Snapchat talking to their friends. If a platform can host the whole journey—the chat, the invite, the RSVP, and the reminder—it becomes very hard for users to leave that app.
| Feature Comparison | Snapchat Plans | Partiful |
| Delivery Method | In-app private messages | Text messages and web links |
| App Needed? | Yes | No |
| Guest Limit | Up to 200 mutual friends | No limit |
| Cost | Free | Makes money through Instacart orders |
| Look and Feel | Bitmoji cover art | Custom GIFs and photos |
The Business Side: Why Snapchat Needs This
To understand why Snapchat is adding event tools, you have to look at how the company makes money.
In the second quarter of 2026, Snap reported a total revenue of $1.60 billion. This was a 19% increase from the year before. However, the company is still losing money overall, reporting a net loss of $164 million for that quarter.
Two Financial Engines
Snapchat currently has two very different ways of making money.
The first way is traditional digital advertising. In mid-2026, this ad revenue was $1.28 billion, growing by just 9%.
The second way is direct revenue from users. This is called “Other Revenue,” and it grew by a massive 85% to reach $316 million. This money mostly comes from Snapchat+, a premium subscription service that now has over 25 million paying members.
| Snap Inc. Q2 2026 Finances | Metric | Yearly Change |
| Total Revenue | $1.60 Billion | + 19% |
| Ad Revenue | $1.28 Billion | + 9% |
| Other Revenue (Subscriptions) | $316 Million | + 85% |
| Global Users (DAU) | 493 Million | + 5% |
| North America Users (DAU) | 92 Million | – 7% |
While the company is growing globally, it has a problem in North America. Daily active users in North America dropped by 7% down to 92 million. However, these North American users are very valuable. The average revenue per user (ARPU) in North America is high at $9.23.
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel noted that less than 3% of the platform’s monthly users actually pay for subscriptions. This means Snap needs to keep the free version of the app very fun and useful.
Tools like Snapchat Plans are designed to do exactly that. By helping friends coordinate real-life events, Snapchat gives users a reason to open the app every single day. This helps stop users from leaving the platform in North America.
Ad Money and the Chat Hub
While Snapchat Plans does not currently show advertisements or allow companies to make paid invites, the feature is still very valuable.
The chat screen is the most used part of Snapchat. About 85% of users check the chat hub regularly. Snap is already testing new AI-powered product ads inside the chat hub. If users spend more time in the chat organizing events, they will see more of these ads, which makes Snapchat more money. Also, the data gathered from who meets whom and how often they meet could eventually help advertisers target their ads better.
Looking Ahead to Hardware
Finally, Snapchat Plans is part of a larger plan to connect the digital world with the real world.
Snap is getting ready to launch its first set of augmented reality (AR) glasses, known as Spectacles (or Specs). These advanced glasses will go on sale on Monday, September 16, 2026, for a price of $2,195.
By adding helpful daily tools into its mobile app like map tracking, memory saving, and now real-world event invites—Snap is building a stronger foundation. When users eventually buy the new glasses, their digital friendships and real-world plans will already be perfectly synced together inside the Snapchat ecosystem.
People Also Ask
1. What is Snapchat Plans?
Snapchat Plans is a new feature that lets users create, share, and manage real-world events with their friends directly inside the Snapchat app.
2. How many friends can you invite to a Snapchat Plan?
You can invite up to 200 mutual friends to a single event.
3. Is Snapchat Plans public or private?
Every plan is completely private and invite-only. Only the host and the invited friends can see the event details. It will not show up on public feeds or Snap Maps.
4. How do guests get the invitations?
Invitations are sent directly through a one-on-one private chat message. Guests can reply with “Going,” “Maybe,” or “Can’t Go” right inside the chat window without leaving the conversation.
5. Can you add a location to your Snapchat Plan?
Right now, there is no specific button for a location, so users have to type the address in the chat message. However, Snapchat has confirmed it is actively working on adding a location feature very soon.
