Comparison
A free Doodle alternative without accounts, ads or slot limits
Doodle made the scheduling poll famous. Its free plan has changed over the years, though, and for a quick "when are we all free?" among friends, the limits now get in the way. Here's an honest comparison.
What changed with Doodle's free plan
According to Doodle's own help center (checked October 2026):
- Organizers need an account. You can start a poll without one, but you have to sign up for a free or paid account to finish creating it. Participants can still answer without one.
- Group polls are limited to 10 time slots on the free plan.
- The free plan shows ads, to organizers and participants. Ad-free use is part of the paid plans.
- Reminders and deadlines are paid features.
Ten slots is fine for "which of these three dinners?", but it rules out a real availability grid. Three evenings with hourly slots is already 18.
Side by side
| whenfor.us | Doodle (free plan) | |
|---|---|---|
| Organizer account | Not needed | Required to finish a poll |
| Participant account | Not needed | Not needed |
| Ads | None | Shown to organizers and participants |
| How people answer | Drag over all the times they're free | Vote yes/no on proposed time options |
| Time slots | Every slot in your date and hour range | Up to 10 per group poll |
| Time zones | Each person sees their own local times | Supported |
| Final time | Organizer picks it; calendar file and shareable picture | Organizer picks it |
| Price | Free | Free plan; paid plans from $15/month |
Polls vs. painting your availability
A Doodle-style poll asks people to vote on options someone picked in advance. That works when you already have a short list. When you don't, it's guesswork: the time that works for everyone may not be on the list at all. With whenfor.us, everyone marks every time they're free, and the overlap finds times nobody thought to suggest. More on that in availability poll vs. date poll.
When Doodle is the better choice
Doodle does much more than group polls: booking pages for clients, sign-up sheets and calendar integrations for teams. If you need those, or your company already pays for Doodle, it's a solid tool. whenfor.us does one thing: get a group of people to one time, quickly and for free.
Questions people ask
Do I need an account to use whenfor.us?
No. Neither the organizer nor the people answering need an account, an email address or an app.
Is there a limit on time slots?
No slot limit. The grid covers every slot in the days and hours you choose, for up to 31 days.
Is whenfor.us really free without ads?
Yes. There are no ads and no paid plan.