Compare · as of Oct 2026
Be Thoughtful vs Postable
Postable and Be Thoughtful both address, stamp and mail your cards for you, and both are popular for thank-you notes and holiday cards. The biggest difference is how the message gets onto the card. Postable prints it, in a typed font or a handwriting-style font. Be Thoughtful writes it in real ink with a ballpoint pen.
Postable is also a full stationery shop: wedding save-the-dates and invitations, holiday cards, birthday cards and business cards, with an address collection form and a free address book. This page compares the two fairly, as of Oct 2026, using what Postable publishes.
Side by side
| Be Thoughtful | Postable | |
|---|---|---|
| Handwriting | Written in real ink with a ballpoint pen by a pen-guided handwriting machine at our handwriting fulfillment partner, in the handwriting style you pick | Printed in a typed font or a handwriting-style font; or they send you blank cards to write yourself |
| What you can send | Cards and full letters for birthdays, thank-yous, holidays and more | A full stationery range: save-the-dates, invitations, thank-yous, holiday, birthday and business cards |
| Writing the message | AI drafts a personal note for each person (including each guest’s gift), which you edit | You write the message |
| Card covers | A painted cover made from your letter, your photo or your design | A large design catalog, a card builder, or upload your own design |
| Collecting addresses | An address request link that saves straight to your address book | An address collection form you share by text or email, and a free address book |
| Price | A card starts at $8.95 and a full letter at $10.95, US stamp included | Published all-inclusive per-card prices, lower for larger orders |
| Reminders | Free reminders and a phone calendar | Not listed on their home page |
| Letters from characters | Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny, with optional voice or video | Not offered on their site |
Where Be Thoughtful is better
- Real pen ink. A Be Thoughtful card is written with a pen, so the ink is pressed into the paper. Postable prints its handwriting-style font.
- A personal note for every guest. For wedding or baby shower thank-yous, the AI drafts a note for each person that names their gift, and you edit any of them.
- Full letters and character letters: a full handwritten page, or a letter from Santa, the Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny.
- Free reminders and a calendar for your phone, so the next birthday doesn’t sneak up on you.
Where Postable is better
- Wedding stationery. Save-the-dates and invitations are something Postable does and we don’t.
- A huge design range, a card builder and your own uploaded designs, across many occasions and styles.
- Address collection. Their shareable address form and free address book are well established and designed for weddings.
- Write it yourself. If you want to handwrite your cards personally, they will send you a box of cards and envelopes.
- Very large orders with images on the back, colored envelopes and tracking, at all-inclusive prices.
Who should pick which
Pick Postable if… you want matching wedding stationery from save-the-date to thank-you, prefer printed cards with lots of design choice, or want to write them yourself.
Pick Be Thoughtful if… you want the message written in real pen ink, want help writing a note for each guest, or want reminders and letters from characters.
Good to know
Printed handwriting fonts have come a long way, and many people won’t notice the difference at a glance. Up close, pen ink sits in the paper and the strokes vary slightly, while a printed font is flat. Which one matters to you is a personal choice.
For a big thank-you list, both services save you the stamps and the trip to the post office. With Be Thoughtful you upload or paste your gift list, read a note drafted for each guest, change what you like and pay once for the whole list.
Postable lists prices for large orders on its home page; ours include the US stamp and drop automatically for bigger checkouts.
Questions
Sources
Checked as of Oct 2026. Services change their features and prices, so check their pages for the latest. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we’ll fix it.