Best video greeting card apps for US users fall into four groups: template video cards, group video compilers, group card boards, and AR video greetings. Search the app store and you will find celebrity shout-outs, group tribute makers, and gift card wallets, all promising the same thing. That makes it hard to know which app fits a birthday, a retirement, or a message to someone far away. This guide sorts nine popular options by what they actually do, what they cost, and who should skip them.

Prices come from each company’s own pricing or help pages in September 2026 wherever they were published. Where a company does not publish a firm number, or where sources disagree, we say so. Last updated: September 28, 2026.

The quick answer

The kinds of video greeting apps

Before comparing prices, it helps to know which category you need, because the wrong category is the most common way to overspend.

• Template video cards (American Greetings, JibJab, Hallmark) give you a finished animation you personalize with a name, photo, or short message. They are fast and funny, but they are not a way to send your own footage.
• Group video compilers (Tribute, VidDay, Folksee) collect video clips from many people through a link, then stitch them into one video. They solve the “chase twelve people for files” problem.
• Group cards (Kudoboard, Thankbox) are shared message boards where people add text, photos, GIFs, and sometimes video. They lean toward workplace occasions and gift collections.
• AR video greetings (MessageAR) are the newest category. You record a message, and the recipient opens a link to see it appear in their own space through their phone camera, instead of playing it inside a chat window.

1. MessageAR: best for emotional one-to-one moments

How it works: With MessageAR, you record a short video and get a “magic link.” When the recipient opens it on their phone, your video is placed in their real surroundings through the camera. It runs through the link, so nothing needs to be installed on their end. You can watch a live demo of the AR reveal before you send your first one.

Pricing:

• Basic: $2.99 per video. 10-second HD video, link live for 14 days.
• Premium: $4.99 per video. 30-second HD video, link live for 30 days, priority support.
• Custom: quote-based, for businesses, events, and larger group tributes.

What we like:

• The price is per video, so you know the cost before you send. There is no subscription or coin system.
• Recording thirty seconds of yourself is an easier bar than writing something sincere in a blank card.
• It suits long-distance birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and baby news, where the reveal matters as much as the words.

Where it falls short:

• Clips are capped at 10 or 30 seconds, which is tight for a long message.
• Group tributes are quote-based rather than a published flat rate, so a big group takes an extra step to price.
• AR is a newer format, so less tech-comfortable recipients may need a quick “tap the link I sent” heads-up.
• It does not handle invitations or RSVPs.

Skip it if: you need a long compilation from 30-plus people at a known flat price, or you are just inviting people to a party.

Visit MessageAR and create your first AR greeting

2. American Greetings: best for variety and celebrity videos

American Greetings is one of the biggest names in ecards. Its SmashUps are personalized video greetings that use the recipient’s name and let you pick details like age or hobby, and some feature celebrities. Creatacard lets you add your own photos and video, plus a signature, and either send it digitally or print it at home.

Pricing: Membership is $35.99 per year, $49.99 for two years, or $7.99 per month, plus tax where required. Some pages show promotional rates as low as $29.99 per year, so the price you see can vary by offer. A free account gets a limited set of cards for top occasions, and a 7-day trial is available.

What we like:

• The library is enormous, covering birthdays, holidays, thank-yous, and just-because cards.
• Members can schedule cards up to a year ahead and get date reminders, which helps if you forget birthdays.
• Its AI writing helper is handy when you are stuck on what to say.

Where it falls short:

• SmashUps and Creatacard both sit behind the paid membership.
• SmashUps are template videos. Your own face and voice appear only through Creatacard’s photo and video uploads.
• A trial that auto-renews is easy to forget, so set a reminder.

Skip it if: you send one card a year. Per-card or per-video pricing costs less.

Visit American Greetings

3. JibJab: best for a fast laugh

JibJab has been a fixture of internet humor since 2007. You upload a photo, its face-mapping puts you (or your boss, or your dad) into a dancing animation, and you send the result as a video ecard. It takes about two minutes.

Pricing: JibJab’s help center lists $36 per year or $24 for six months, both billed upfront on the web. If you subscribe inside the iOS or Android app, monthly membership is $6.99. Yearly membership is not yet available in the Android app.

What we like:

• It is very quick and very funny, with no writing or planning.
• Annual pricing works out cheap per video if you send a lot.
• A web membership includes the mobile apps.

Where it falls short:

• Everything is template-driven, so it cannot carry your own footage or a heartfelt message.
• Some reviewers find the price steep for novelty content, and some complain about auto-renewal, so check billing terms before you subscribe.
• Paying monthly in the app costs far more per month than the annual plan.

Skip it if: the occasion is sincere, like a retirement, a memorial, or an anniversary.

Visit JibJab

4. Kudoboard: best for workplace group cards

Kudoboard turns a group card into a shared board where coworkers or friends add messages, photos, GIFs, and video. It is popular for farewells, work anniversaries, and birthdays, and higher business plans integrate with tools like Slack and Teams.

Pricing: Single boards are tiered by how many posts they hold. Recent third-party reports put Lite at about $5.99 (roughly 20 posts), Premium at about $8.99 (up to 100 posts, with video posts), and Milestone at about $19.99 (unlimited posts). Multi-board packs lower the per-board cost, and business subscriptions exist. Kudoboard adjusts these prices, so confirm on its pricing page.

What we like:

• You can start a board for free to see whether it fits.
• Video posts, slideshow playback, and custom backgrounds make it feel like a real keepsake.
• The board format suits big, mixed groups better than a single compiled video.

Where it falls short:

• Video posts need at least the Premium tier.
• Reviewers say a busy board can feel more like a message wall than a card.
• Costs stack up if you run boards regularly.

Skip it if: you want one polished video the recipient watches from start to finish.

Visit Kudoboard

5. Tribute: best for polished group video gifts

Tribute, founded in Brooklyn in 2014, helped make the group video gift a popular present. The coordinator invites people by link, each contributor records from their phone or laptop, and Tribute compiles it into one video.

Pricing: Its pricing page lists group video gifts from $35. It is free to start, with no watermarks on the final video. A Concierge service, where Tribute’s team reviews and polishes your clips, is advertised at $99 all-in. Add-ons include a 7-inch Video Book keepsake and a Highlight Reel edit starting at $99. Videos can run up to four hours.

What we like:

• Its editor lets you trim clips, adjust audio, add transitions, and use your own music.
• A live “Party mode” lets contributors and guests watch the finished video together in real time.
• It has physical keepsakes and gift integration for people who want something tangible.

Where it falls short:

• The cost climbs with add-ons. A basic video, a Concierge edit, and a Video Book are very different price points.
• The finished product is still a standard video the recipient watches on a screen.
• The DIY route takes some editing time.

Skip it if: you need something for a small, casual occasion and want to spend under $10.

Visit Tribute

6. VidDay: best for simple group videos

VidDay is one of the best-known group video tools for birthdays, retirements, and work milestones. Guests record through a link without downloading an app, and VidDay assembles the clips into a shareable video.

Pricing: VidDay’s listing describes a pay-when-happy model: you build and preview the video first, and pay only when you are ready to deliver it. The company lists pricing starting at $5, with optional annual plans for unlimited videos. Independent reviewers report typical events landing between about $39 and $79. Because those numbers differ, check the price at the export step before you commit.

What we like:

• You pay after you have seen the result, which lowers the risk.
• Themes, captions, GIFs, photos, and your own music are supported, and no editing skill is required.
• Contributor count does not change the price the way per-person models do.

Where it falls short:

• The final price depends on the options you choose, so it is harder to predict than a flat per-person rate.
• The output is a flat video file.
• Some of the best features cost extra.

Skip it if: you want a fixed price you can calculate before you build anything.

Visit VidDay

7. Folksee: best budget pick for group videos

Folksee’s pricing is unusually simple. You pay per person who records, which suits a group of a known size.

Pricing: About $1 per person who records, dropping to about $0.75 with bulk credits. Your first five contributors are free, credits never expire, and there is no subscription. Each contributor can record up to five videos of up to 45 seconds each, and you can set up to five prompts for people to answer.

What we like:

• The cost is easy to predict: 15 contributors is roughly $10 to $15 after the free five.
• No app, no editing, and no subscription. People record, retake if they like, and Folksee assembles the reel.
• Privacy is a selling point. Reels are private by default, with no ads.

Where it falls short:

• The 45-second cap keeps answers short, which can cut off a longer story.
• You get little creative control over the final edit. Simplicity is the design.
• It is a compiled video, not a greeting with its own animation or design.

Skip it if: you want heavy customization, cinematic editing, or a physical keepsake.

Visit Folksee

8. Thankbox: best for a group card with a gift pot

Thankbox is a group card platform: you create a card, share a link, and everyone adds messages, photos, and GIFs. Its standout feature is a built-in gift collection pot and digital gift cards, so the group can chip in together.

Pricing: Setting up a Thankbox and inviting people to add messages is free, and its pages list about $5.99 to send or schedule it. Premium is $9.99 and adds video in messages, a higher gift-collection ceiling, slideshow playback, and custom designs. Team plans are priced by size, and Capterra lists them from around $34 per user per month. You can split the sending fee by paying it from the gift pot.

What we like:

• The free-to-start, pay-when-sending model lets you test before you spend.
• There is no cap on messages or contributors.
• Scheduling means the card can arrive at a set moment on the day.

Where it falls short:

• Video inside messages sits behind Premium.
• It is a card with clips inside it, not a compiled highlight video.
• Team pricing is a different world from the personal use case, so businesses should price it separately.

Skip it if: you want one produced video instead of a scrolling card.

Visit Thankbox

9. Hallmark Cards Now: best for a familiar brand and mailed cards

Hallmark’s app is the most conservative choice on this list. You can send free ecards by text or email, or personalize a paper card with photos and a message and have it mailed, with postage included.

Pricing: The Hallmark Cards Now app is free to download and send ecards. Hallmark+ costs $8.99 per month and includes unlimited free ecards. The Hallmark+ page also lists exclusive video ecards featuring popular Hallmark Channel stars, along with monthly coupons and a free custom card each month. Crown Rewards members can manage points in the app.

What we like:

• Everyone knows the brand, and recipients trust it.
• It is the only app here that combines an instant ecard with a mailed paper card in one place.
• The free ecards need no commitment.

Where it falls short:

• Its video content is those Hallmark Channel star ecards. It is not built for sending your own video message or compiling group clips.
• Some App Store reviewers describe the interface as dated and glitchy at checkout, particularly when ordering a mailed card.

Skip it if: your goal is a personal video, not a branded card.

Visit Hallmark Cards Now

Side-by-side comparison

Which app fits your occasion

• Long-distance birthday, anniversary, or “thinking of you”: MessageAR for a reveal that feels like a moment, or American Greetings if you would rather send a warm, familiar ecard.
• Retirement or milestone birthday with many voices: Tribute for a polished edit, Folksee if the budget is tight, or VidDay if you want to see the result before you pay.
• Coworker farewell or work anniversary: Kudoboard or Thankbox, especially if you also want to collect money for a gift.
• A quick laugh for a friend or the office group chat: JibJab.
• Grandparents who prefer something familiar: Hallmark Cards Now, especially the option to mail a real card.
• Holiday cards for many people: American Greetings, since scheduling and a huge library make it efficient.
• A budget under $10: Folksee for a small group (five contributors are free), a Thankbox at $5.99, or a single MessageAR video at $2.99.

Tips before you pay

1. Look for auto-renewal. Membership products (American Greetings, JibJab, Hallmark+) often renew automatically. Set a reminder if you take a trial.
2. Check app-store pricing. The same subscription can cost more inside a mobile app than on the company’s website.
3. Price the group, not the individual. Per-person pricing wins for small groups. Flat per-video pricing wins for large ones.
4. Test on your own phone first. Send a preview to yourself before the real send to check quality and links.
5. Give a heads-up to less tech-comfortable recipients. A short text (“check your messages, I sent you something”) works for any format.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best video greeting card app overall?

It depends on the occasion. For a one-to-one emotional message, try MessageAR or American Greetings. For group tributes, Tribute, VidDay, or Folksee. For workplace cards, Kudoboard or Thankbox. For a quick laugh, JibJab.

Are there free video greeting card apps?

Several have free entry points. Hallmark Cards Now sends free ecards. American Greetings and JibJab have limited free tiers. Tribute and VidDay let you build for free before paying. Folksee gives you five free contributors, and Thankbox is free to set up and collect messages.

Do recipients need to download an app to watch a video greeting?

For most of these, no. Group video tools like VidDay and Folksee work through a link, and MessageAR greetings open from a shared link. Always test the link on a phone before you send it.

Which app is cheapest for a group video?

For a small group, Folksee at about $1 per contributor, with the first five free, is hard to beat. For a large group, a flat per-video price from VidDay or Tribute may work out cheaper.

What is the difference between an AR video greeting and a regular video card?

A regular video card plays on a screen. An AR greeting uses the recipient’s phone camera to place the video in their real surroundings. It is a different kind of reveal, but you get a short clip rather than a long compiled video.

Can I send a video greeting to someone in Canada or another country?

Digital delivery works across borders because nothing physical has to ship. Mailed cards, such as Hallmark’s paper option, depend on the destination, so check delivery terms first.

The bottom line

There is no single best app, only a best fit for what you are trying to send. Template apps are fast and fun. Group compilers save you from chasing clips. Group cards are practical for teams. And if you want a short, personal message to land as an actual moment, an AR greeting from MessageAR is worth trying for a few dollars.

Start with the occasion and the number of people involved, check the price at the point of payment, and send a test to your own phone first. Whatever app you pick, a video from someone who cares beats a generic “happy birthday” text every time.

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Related reading:

• Best Digital & Video Greeting Card Platforms Compared (2026)
• AR Greeting Card Apps Compared (2026)
• VidDay vs Folksee vs Tribute vs MessageAR (2026)