The short version
Yes, you can begin with Jitabi without paying, and without a card to begin with. Message the assistant the shape of your event and it drafts a genuine invitation page โ not a watered-down demo โ that you edit by reply, publish and share, then track replies against as guests answer. That first event, from the message to the count, is available on the free plan.
What changes with a plan is capacity and the features that come with a bigger room to fill, not access to the chat itself. The conversation with Jitabi is not the metered part. You are invited to upgrade as your guest list grows, which is a plain way of saying the free start is for a real, small thing you can send today, not a locked teaser.