The Best Free Greeting Card Sites

Using the United States Postal Service to send greeting cards seems old fashioned to some, not to mention expensive and time-consuming. Even if a nice birthday card only costs $4 to buy and $2 to send, it's still more expensive using the free Internet. Numerous websites offer complementary ecards and virtual greetings that can be customized and sent via email, with the best also featuring animations, sound effects and music.

123Greetings

One of the most popular websites devoted to free online greeting cards (according to search engines like Google and Bing) is 123Greetings.com. Users can send animated greetings with sound effects and music to friends and family via email, which will include a notice with a link to the online greeting card. Categories include specific holidays (Valentine's Day, Christmas, etc.) or themes (friendship, love, pets, etc.), and users can see the fully-animated virtual card before sending. This is a simple, basic, easy-to-use site that is similar to numerous other free greeting cards sites such as FreeWebCards.com and Regards.com.

JibJab

One of the most fun online sites offering free ecards is JibJab.com, which specializes in hilarious animations that can be customized with user photos. Snapshots can be uploaded to the site, then faces from those photos can be digitally cut out and pasted as moving heads on animated or live action figures. The effect is absolutely ridiculous and thoroughly hilarious, and the links sent to the recipient can be forwarded to others via email or shared using social media networks like MySpace or Facebook. Once the recipient picks up their card, they can then make their own customized greetings to send along to their friends and family.

Virtual Florist

Those wanting something a little different can visit VirtualFlowers.com to send a free online bouquet of flowers with a customizable greeting. As with other free ecards, users scroll through different types and styles—in this case, pretty arrangements of flowers in vases—then can fill out a digital card that goes along with the blossoms and buds. Notices are sent out with links that lead back to the site. Elements of the greeting can be customized, such as color, sound effects, music, and the interface is quick and easy to use.

References

• 123Greetings
• JibJab
• Virtual Flowers