Dibs vs SignUpGenius

SignUpGenius has been the default sign-up sheet in American schools, churches and sports clubs since 2008. Its own 2025 review counts more than 2.3 million organizers and 5.7 million sign-ups created that year. If you have signed up to bring a dish to anything in the US, there is a good chance it was on SignUpGenius. Dibs is new and much smaller. This page sets out where each one is the better choice, using SignUpGenius's own pricing page as checked on October 18, 2026.

The short version

SignUpGenius does a lot more. It handles payments, tickets, fundraising, online stores, waivers, text messages and organization-wide admin. If you need any of those, it is the stronger choice.

Dibs does one thing: sign-up sheets where people claim slots, items or shifts. On its free plan there are no ads, waitlists and custom questions are included, and the sign-up page is built to load fast on an old phone inside a messaging app.

Side by side

SignUpGenius prices are from its pricing page on October 18, 2026: Silver $8.99, Gold $22.49 and Platinum $44.99 a month billed yearly, or $11.99, $29.99 and $59.99 billed monthly. Prices change, so check theirs before you decide.

Where SignUpGenius is better

Money. If your sheet collects money, for a class fee, tickets or a fundraiser, SignUpGenius handles it in the same place. Dibs does not take payments.

Text messages. Paid SignUpGenius plans can text participants. Dibs sends email only.

Big organizations. Districts, leagues and large churches get multiple admins, volunteer-hour reports, an API and single sign-on on higher plans. Dibs has none of that yet.

Familiarity. Many parents already know how SignUpGenius works. That counts for something when you are asking 200 families to use a link.

Where Dibs is better

No ads, ever, on any plan. SignUpGenius's help page says ads may be visible to people signing up through a free account. Removing them is per sheet: Silver covers one. Dibs shows no ads to anyone, and it never will.

Waitlists and questions without paying. On SignUpGenius, waitlists start at Gold ($22.49 a month billed yearly) and custom questions at Silver. Dibs includes both. When someone cancels, the first person on the waitlist moves up and gets an email.

Starting a sheet takes a minute. You type your list ("Desserts x3", "Sat 9-11am: Setup x4") and Dibs turns it into slots as you type. You do not need an account to create one. You get an email link to manage it.

A light page for people signing up. The participant page is plain, server-rendered HTML with a few kilobytes of script, so it opens quickly from WhatsApp, Facebook or a school email on a weak connection.

Swaps without logging in. Every confirmation email has a private link to swap to another open slot or cancel.

What reviewers say about SignUpGenius

SignUpGenius reviews well overall, at 4.4 on Trustpilot from about 4,100 reviews. People praise how easy it is and the automatic reminders. The recurring complaints are the ads on free sheets and an interface that feels dated, especially on phones. SignUpGenius announced a new organizer dashboard in December 2025, so some of that may be changing.

Which should you pick?

Pick SignUpGenius if you need to collect money, send texts or manage many organizers across a school district or league.

Pick Dibs if you want a free sheet with no ads, a waitlist and a quick page for the people you are asking. That covers potlucks, snack schedules, volunteer shifts, conferences and meal trains.

SignUpGenius is a trademark of its owner. Dibs is not affiliated with SignUpGenius. Facts on this page were checked on October 18, 2026. If something here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.