Yes. Votably is free to use for creating decisions and for voting. There is no paid tier, no account to create, and no download. You make a decision, share one link, and everyone votes from their phone in the browser.

Do I need an account to create a poll on Votably?

No. Neither the person creating the decision nor the people voting need an account. Votably remembers the creator with a browser cookie and also gives them a private admin link so they can get back in from any device.

Do voters need to sign up?

No. Voters open the link and vote. Depending on the anonymity setting the creator picked, they may be asked for a display name, but never for an email address or a password.

Are Votably polls anonymous?

The creator chooses. Anonymous collects no names at all. Named shows who has voted but keeps each person's choices private. Open shows who voted and what they chose. The setting is fixed when the decision is created so voters know the rules before they vote.

How many people can vote in a Votably decision?

Votably is built for groups from three people up to a few hundred. Each decision can have up to forty options. Voting is one vote per phone or browser, which is right for friends, families, classes, and teams rather than for public elections.

How long is a Votably poll kept?

Every decision is deleted 30 days after it is created, along with its votes. Save or share the results card before then if you want to keep the outcome.

When can people see the results?

The creator decides. Results stay hidden while voting is open, and the creator reveals them when ready. A live progress panel shows how many people have voted so nobody has to ask. Revealing ends the voting, and the creator can reopen it to give the group more time.

Does Votably work in WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Slack, or Microsoft Teams?

Yes, anywhere you can paste a link. A Votably decision is a web page, so it works in any group chat and on any phone. There is no bot or app to install. When the result is revealed, a share card image can be posted back to the same chat.

Can one Votably link ask more than one question?

Yes. A decision can hold up to three questions, each with its own voting method, such as dates, then where to go, then what to eat. Everyone answers all of them from one link, and the reveal reads out the winners together on one line.

What happens if it is a tie?

The creator picks the tie-break rule when creating the decision: a deterministic rule, a coin flip, or a spin of the wheel. The tie-break plays out on screen so everyone sees how the winner was chosen.

Do participants in a Votably work session need to log in?

No. Participants in a Votably work session open the facilitator's link, type a display name, and start. There is no login, no invitation email, and no workspace to join. The facilitator gets a separate admin link to run the session from any device.

How many people can join a work session?

A Votably work session accepts up to 1,000 participants, which covers a team, a department, or a large workshop. Sessions are kept for 90 days and then deleted.

Can I export results from a work session?

The priority matrix exports its ranked lists and quadrant placements as CSV. The other work tools share a read-only results link, and the results view is designed to be screenshotted for a slide or a channel post.

Questions people ask about Votably

Everything in one place: how the product works, then one section per voting method, work tool, and comparison.

About Votably

Is Votably free?: Yes. Votably is free to use for creating decisions and for voting. There is no paid tier, no account to create, and no download. You make a decision, share one link, and everyone votes from their phone in the browser.
Do I need an account to create a poll on Votably?: No. Neither the person creating the decision nor the people voting need an account. Votably remembers the creator with a browser cookie and also gives them a private admin link so they can get back in from any device.
Do voters need to sign up?: No. Voters open the link and vote. Depending on the anonymity setting the creator picked, they may be asked for a display name, but never for an email address or a password.
Are Votably polls anonymous?: The creator chooses. Anonymous collects no names at all. Named shows who has voted but keeps each person's choices private. Open shows who voted and what they chose. The setting is fixed when the decision is created so voters know the rules before they vote.
How many people can vote in a Votably decision?: Votably is built for groups from three people up to a few hundred. Each decision can have up to forty options. Voting is one vote per phone or browser, which is right for friends, families, classes, and teams rather than for public elections.
How long is a Votably poll kept?: Every decision is deleted 30 days after it is created, along with its votes. Save or share the results card before then if you want to keep the outcome.
When can people see the results?: The creator decides. Results stay hidden while voting is open, and the creator reveals them when ready. A live progress panel shows how many people have voted so nobody has to ask. Revealing ends the voting, and the creator can reopen it to give the group more time.
Does Votably work in WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Slack, or Microsoft Teams?: Yes, anywhere you can paste a link. A Votably decision is a web page, so it works in any group chat and on any phone. There is no bot or app to install. When the result is revealed, a share card image can be posted back to the same chat.
Can one Votably link ask more than one question?: Yes. A decision can hold up to three questions, each with its own voting method, such as dates, then where to go, then what to eat. Everyone answers all of them from one link, and the reveal reads out the winners together on one line.
What happens if it is a tie?: The creator picks the tie-break rule when creating the decision: a deterministic rule, a coin flip, or a spin of the wheel. The tie-break plays out on screen so everyone sees how the winner was chosen.
Do participants in a Votably work session need to log in?: No. Participants in a Votably work session open the facilitator's link, type a display name, and start. There is no login, no invitation email, and no workspace to join. The facilitator gets a separate admin link to run the session from any device.
How many people can join a work session?: A Votably work session accepts up to 1,000 participants, which covers a team, a department, or a large workshop. Sessions are kept for 90 days and then deleted.
Can I export results from a work session?: The priority matrix exports its ranked lists and quadrant placements as CSV. The other work tools share a read-only results link, and the results view is designed to be screenshotted for a slide or a channel post.

Ranked choice

Is there a free ranked choice poll maker with no sign up?: Yes. Votably is a free ranked choice poll maker that needs no account for the creator or for voters. Add your options, share one link, and everyone ranks them from their phone. Instant-runoff rounds count the ballots automatically until one option has a majority.
Is ranked choice the same as instant runoff?: Yes, ranked choice voting and instant runoff describe the same counting method. Voters rank options in order of preference, and the option with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated round by round, with its ballots moving to each voter's next choice, until one option has a majority.
How many people can vote in a ranked choice poll?: A ranked choice poll on Votably works well for groups of three to fifteen people, which covers most friend groups, families, and small teams choosing between a shortlist of restaurants, trips, or other options.

Pick a day & time

Is there a free group scheduling poll with no sign up?: Yes. Votably's pick a day poll is a free group scheduling tool that needs no account for the organizer or for anyone responding. Share one link, everyone marks each date yes, maybe, or no, and a heat map shows the day that works for everyone.
How do you find a date that works for everyone?: Votably lines up every voter's yes, maybe, or no answers on a heat map, so the date with the fewest conflicts stands out immediately. There's no manual tallying: add the candidate dates, share the link, and the overlap becomes visible as responses come in.
Can I ask where to go and what to eat in the same poll as the dates?: Yes. On Votably you can add up to two more questions under the dates, each with its own voting method, such as an approval vote for the place and a quick poll for food. Everyone answers all of them from one link and the reveal reads out the whole plan together.
Can I offer exact times like 9:10 and 9:40?: Yes. Votably's pick a date and time poll can split each date into whole days, times of day, or specific clock times. Set a start, an end, and a step, then turn off any times that do not apply. Times show exactly as typed and are not converted between time zones, which suits a tee time or a dinner booking.

Swipe match

What's a good app to decide where to eat with friends?: Votably's swipe match is built to decide where to eat with friends without an endless group chat thread. Add a shortlist of restaurants, share one link, and everyone swipes right on what they'd accept. Whatever gets approved by the whole group becomes the match.
Is there a movie picker for groups?: Yes. Votably's swipe match works as a movie picker for groups: add the shortlist of movies or shows, share the link, and everyone swipes right on what they'd watch and left on what they wouldn't. Anything approved by everyone becomes a match the whole group can watch together.
How many people can swipe together?: Swipe match on Votably works best for small, casual groups of two to eight people, which suits deciding where to eat or what to watch with a close group of friends or a partner.

Quick poll

Can one poll have more than one question?: Yes. A Votably quick poll can carry up to three questions in one link, and each can use a different voting method, such as a date poll for when and an approval vote for where. Voters answer all of them together, and the reveal shows every result at once.
Is there a free online poll maker with no sign up?: Yes. Votably is a free poll maker that needs no sign up for the creator or the voters. Add your options, share one link, and results tally live as votes come in, with nothing to install and no account required at any step.
What is a poll with a link?: A poll with a link is exactly what it sounds like: Votably generates a single shareable link for the whole poll, and anyone who opens it can vote immediately from their phone's browser, with no separate app, invite code, or account needed.
How many people can vote?: A quick poll on Votably works well for groups of two to thirty people, which covers everything from a quick two-person tiebreaker to a larger team, classroom, or community group casting a fast vote together.

Approval

What is an approval voting example?: An approval voting example: a group picks a restaurant by checking off every option they'd be happy eating at, not just one favorite. Votably tallies every checkbox, and whichever restaurant was approved by the most people wins, without anyone needing to strategize their vote.
What are the pros and cons of approval voting?: Approval voting's main advantage is simplicity: voters just check every option they'd accept, with no ranking and no risk of splitting votes between similar choices. Its main limitation is that it can't capture how strongly someone prefers one approved option over another, unlike a ranked or star rating.
How many people can vote?: Approval voting on Votably works well for groups of three to thirty people, making it a good fit for consensus decisions like book club picks, team choices, or any vote where broad agreement matters more than a single favorite.

Score it

What is the STAR voting system?: STAR stands for Score Then Automatic Runoff. Voters rate every option from 0 to 5 stars, the scores are added up, and the two highest-scoring options move into an automatic runoff where every ballot counts toward whichever of the two it rated higher, deciding the final winner.
Star voting vs ranked choice: what's the difference?: Star voting vs ranked choice comes down to how preference is expressed. Ranked choice asks voters to put options in order, while STAR voting asks them to rate each option 0 to 5 stars and then runs an automatic runoff between the top two scorers. Votably supports both methods.
How many people can vote?: Score voting on Votably works well for groups of three to twenty people, which suits comparing a shortlist of finalists, candidates, or vendors where nuance matters more than a strict ranking.

Budget split

Is there a free budget split vote with no account needed?: Yes. Votably's budget split vote is free, needs no account for the creator or voters, and works from a single link that anyone can open on their phone to spread points across the options.
Is there a free points allocation poll for group gifts?: Yes. Votably's budget split vote works well as a free points allocation poll for group gifts: everyone spreads the same budget of points across gift ideas, and the idea with the most points wins, no account required.
What is a good free group gift vote tool?: Votably's budget split vote is a free group gift vote tool: give everyone the same points budget, let them spread it across gift ideas, and the option with the strongest combined support wins, with results hidden until the creator reveals them.

Bracket

Is there a free bracket vote maker?: Yes. Votably is a free bracket vote maker with no sign up for the creator or for voters. Seed your options into a knockout bracket, share one link, and the group votes on each matchup while you advance the rounds.
What is a tournament bracket with voting?: A tournament bracket with voting seeds a list of options into a knockout bracket, like March Madness, and instead of scores deciding each matchup, the group votes on which option advances. Votably's bracket runs the matchups, tallies each vote, and lets the creator move the winner into the next round.
How many people can vote?: A bracket on Votably works well for groups of three to twenty people, which suits an office contest, a friend group narrowing a big list, or a book club settling a best-of debate matchup by matchup.

Head to head

Is there a free head to head vote tool with no account?: Yes. Votably's head to head vote is free, requires no account for the creator or voters, and runs from a single link, so a group can compare every pair of options straight from their phones.
How many comparisons will voters see in a pairwise comparison?: Votably builds every possible pair from the option list automatically, so with 6 options voters see 15 quick head-to-head comparisons, and the option winning the most comparisons takes the decision.
What method decides the winner of a head to head vote?: Votably tallies how many head-to-head matchups each option wins across every pair, a scoring approach called the Copeland method, and the option beating the most rivals is declared the winner.

2x2 matrix

Is there a free 2x2 matrix tool with no sign up?: Yes. Votably's 2x2 matrix is free, needs no sign up for the creator or voters, and runs from a single link so a group can plot options on a decision matrix online from their phones.
Can I customize the axes on a 2x2 matrix online?: Yes. Votably lets the creator rename both axes when setting up a 2x2 matrix, so the default value versus effort grid can become urgent versus important, or any two dimensions the decision needs.
Is there a decision matrix online that works for a whole team, not just one person?: Yes. Votably's decision matrix is built for groups: every voter plots each option independently, and Votably averages the placements, unlike single-user planning templates that only ever capture one person's judgment on a static grid.

Spin the wheel

Is there a free spin the wheel decision maker with no sign up?: Yes. Votably's spin the wheel decision maker is free, needs no sign up for the creator or voters, and runs from a single link that opens straight to the wheel on any phone.
Is Votably a good wheel of names alternative?: Yes. As a wheel of names alternative, Votably's wheel is weighted by real group votes instead of giving every typed-in name an equal, flat chance, which makes the spin reflect what people actually want.
How is a weighted wheel different from a plain random wheel?: A weighted wheel like Votably's lets voters add weight to the options they like before spinning, so options with more support get bigger slices and better odds, while a plain wheel gives every option an equal slice regardless of preference.

Veto rounds

Is there a free veto vote tool with no account?: Yes. Votably's veto vote is free, needs no account for the creator or voters, and runs from a single link, so a group can eliminate options round by round straight from their phones.
How many rounds does a veto vote take?: Votably eliminates one option each round of a veto vote, so it takes as many rounds as there are options minus one, though the creator can end it early once a clear survivor is likely.
What is the difference between a veto vote and a regular poll?: A regular poll asks what people want most, while Votably's veto vote asks what they want least and removes the most-vetoed option each round, which is useful when a group can't agree on a favorite but agrees on what to rule out.

This or that

Is there a free this or that game online?: Yes. Votably's this or that game is free to play online with no sign up. Add the options, share one link, and each person taps through a fast chain of either-or picks until personal champions face off to crown the group's overall favorite.
Where can I find this or that game questions?: Votably's this or that game works with your own real options, like restaurants or trip destinations, or with fun this or that game questions loaded in for a quick icebreaker round with no real decision at stake.
How many people can play?: This or that on Votably works well for groups of two to fifteen people, which suits a quick round with a close group of friends or a slightly larger office or classroom icebreaker.

Wishlist

Is there a free group wishlist vote with no account?: Yes. Votably's group wishlist vote is free, needs no account for the creator or voters, and runs from a single link where anyone can add ideas and vote straight from their phone.
What is a brainstorm then vote poll?: A brainstorm then vote poll, like Votably's wishlist, collects everyone's ideas into one shared list first and only opens voting once collecting is closed, so quieter suggestions get a fair chance before anyone approves a favorite.
Can a group wishlist vote skip straight to voting?: Yes. Votably lets the creator add the options directly instead of collecting ideas first, so a group wishlist vote can skip the brainstorm step whenever the list is already decided.

Fair lottery

Is there a free provably fair random picker with no account?: Yes. Votably's provably fair random picker is free, needs no account for the creator or entrants, and runs from a single link, publishing a commitment before the draw so nobody can rig it.
Is there a free raffle picker online for who pays?: Yes. Votably's raffle picker online works well for deciding who pays: every entrant gets an equal shot, and a published commitment lets the whole group verify afterward that the draw wasn't rigged.
How does a provably fair random picker prove the draw wasn't rigged?: Votably publishes a commitment, a cryptographic hash of the seed, before the draw happens, then reveals the seed afterward so anyone can recompute the hash and confirm it matches, proving nothing changed after the fact.

Priority Matrix

Is there a free priority matrix tool I can use online with my team?: Yes. Votably's priority matrix tool is free online, with no login for participants and no account required from the facilitator. Everyone opens the same share link, compares items head to head on their own phone, and the results land in a quadrant chart the whole team can see.
Can I turn this into an Eisenhower matrix online?: Yes. Votably's priority matrix lets you relabel the two axes to urgent and important instead of importance and difficulty, so the same head-to-head comparisons sort your items into the four classic Eisenhower matrix quadrants, all run online with no login.
What is a decision matrix online tool used for?: A decision matrix online tool is used to rank a list of options against shared criteria so a group can agree on what to do first, instead of debating from memory or relying on whoever speaks loudest in the meeting.
How is Votably different from ranking items on a shared spreadsheet?: Instead of everyone typing scores into a shared sheet, Votably has participants answer one head-to-head comparison at a time, which is faster to do from a phone and harder to skew by anchoring on someone else's numbers already in the sheet.
Does a priority matrix work for remote or hybrid teams?: Yes. Every comparison in Votably's priority matrix happens on each participant's own device, so a remote or hybrid team gets the same session as a group sitting around one table, with no travel or scheduling needed to take part.

Bull's-eye

Is there a free bullseye prioritization tool for teams?: Yes. Votably's bullseye prioritization tool is free for teams, with no login for participants and no account needed from the facilitator. Everyone joins with a display name from a share link and drags items onto the rings from their own device.
What is bullseye prioritization used for?: Teams use bullseye prioritization to force a ranked call on a list of items, such as features, goals, or stakeholders, by making the center ring too small to hold everything, so the group has to decide what truly matters most.
How is bullseye different from a priority matrix?: A priority matrix ranks items along two axes like importance and difficulty, while Votably's bullseye tool sorts items into three concentric rings by how central they are, which makes it a faster, rougher cut at the same kind of decision.
Can facilitators set items aside instead of ranking them?: Yes. Turning on Votably's parking lot setting gives the group a place to put items that are out of scope for the current ring exercise, so the three rings only hold the items actually being prioritized.
Is there a prioritization tool for teams that works fully remote?: Yes. Votably's bullseye tool runs entirely online, so every participant drags items onto the rings from their own device wherever they are, and a remote or hybrid team gets the same session as an in-person workshop.

Framing Ladder

Is there a free how might we template I can use online?: Yes. Votably's framing ladder is a free how might we template that runs online with no login for participants. Everyone joins with a display name, adds rungs to the ladder from their own device, and the group turns the best reframing into a prompt together.
What is a how might we statement used for?: A how might we statement is a short, open-ended prompt built from a reframed problem, worded so a team can brainstorm several possible answers instead of jumping straight to one solution too early in the process.
What is a problem framing template used for in design thinking?: A problem framing template helps a team agree on the real problem, and the right altitude to state it at, before generating solutions, since solving the wrong framing wastes the ideas that follow. Votably's framing ladder runs this as a shared online board.
How does climbing why and how work on a framing ladder?: Asking why moves you up Votably's framing ladder to a broader goal behind the problem, and asking how moves you down to a more concrete, actionable angle on the same problem, giving the group several framings to choose from.
Can I send a framing ladder result into another tool?: Yes. The chosen how might we, in what ways might we, or how to prompt can be sent directly from Votably's framing ladder into another work tool, such as dot voting, without retyping it by hand.

Rose, Thorn, Bud

Is there a free online retrospective tool without login?: Yes. Votably's Rose, Thorn, Bud tool is a free online retrospective tool without login for participants. Everyone joins with a display name and a link, writes notes from their phone, and the facilitator reveals the board when the group is ready.
What does rose, thorn, bud mean in a retrospective?: Rose stands for what is going well, thorn for what is not working, and bud for an idea that has potential but is not fully developed yet, giving a team room for feedback that a simple two-column retro leaves out.
Is there an anonymous retrospective tool for teams?: Votably's private collect mode keeps every note hidden as people add it, so no one can see anyone else's answers until the facilitator reveals the whole board at once, giving the session an anonymous retrospective feel even though participants join with a display name.
Can I use Rose, Thorn, Bud for something other than a sprint retro?: Yes. Votably's Rose, Thorn, Bud tool works for any project check-in or feedback session where a group needs a fast, honest read on what to keep, fix, or watch, not only end-of-sprint retrospectives.
What happens to the notes after a Rose, Thorn, Bud session?: The facilitator can drag notes between columns in Votably to spot recurring themes, or send the notes on to an Affinity Map session to cluster them further before deciding what to act on.

Dot Voting

Is there a free dot voting tool online without login?: Yes. Votably's dot voting tool is free online with no login for participants and no account for the facilitator. Everyone opens a share link, adds a display name, and spends their dots from their own phone.
What is dot voting in agile teams?: In agile teams, dot voting is a fast prioritization method where each person spends a fixed number of dots across backlog items, retro actions, or roadmap ideas, and the items with the most dots move to the top of the list.
Is Votably's dot voting tool actually free to use?: Yes. Votably's dot voting tool is free online with no account required for the facilitator or the participants, and there is no limit on how many sessions a team can run.
What is dotmocracy?: Dotmocracy is another name for dot voting: a group prioritization method where dots stand in for votes and each person's fixed dot budget is spent across options, not just cast for one favorite like a normal vote.
Can I hide the vote count while people are still voting?: Yes. Turning on Votably's hidden mode keeps the tally out of view until the facilitator reveals it, so early votes cannot influence later ones and the group votes on the options rather than the leaderboard.

Affinity Map

Is there a free affinity mapping tool for teams?: Yes. Votably's affinity mapping tool is free for teams, with no login for participants and no account needed from the facilitator. Everyone joins with a display name and drags notes into clusters from their own device.
Is there a free affinity diagram tool I can use online?: Yes. Votably is a free affinity diagram tool that runs online with no login for participants. Notes can be pasted or imported in bulk, and everyone drags related notes together until themes emerge and the group can label them.
What is affinity mapping used for?: Affinity mapping is used to find themes in unstructured input, such as brainstorm ideas, user research notes, or open-ended survey answers, by grouping related items together before naming the groups, rather than sorting them into categories decided in advance.
How is affinity mapping different from dot voting?: Affinity mapping sorts unstructured notes into themes, while dot voting ranks an already-defined list of options, so many teams run Votably's affinity mapping first and its dot voting tool second on the resulting themes.
Can I bulk-import notes instead of typing them one by one?: Yes. Notes can be pasted in bulk, one per line, into Votably's affinity mapping tool, and then dragged into clusters from there as the group starts to see themes in the raw input.

Votably vs Doodle

Is Doodle free to use?: Doodle has a free plan, but as of 2026 it requires an account before you can create a poll, and it shows ads to both the organizer and everyone invited to vote. Votably, by contrast, needs no account for either side and never shows ads on a poll.
What is a free Doodle alternative that doesn't need an account?: Votably is a free scheduling poll that needs no account for the organizer or for voters. You create a Pick a Day decision, add candidate dates, and share one link; everyone responds from their phone with no signup, unlike Doodle, which now requires an account on its free plan.
Can Votably sync with my calendar like Doodle can?: No, Votably does not offer calendar sync, booking pages, or recurring meeting scheduling. It is built for a one-off group date poll shared as a link. Doodle does offer calendar sync and booking pages, which makes it the better fit for ongoing one-on-one scheduling.
How many people can vote on a Votably date poll?: Pick a Day works well for groups of roughly three to twenty people, though there is no hard cap enforced. Everyone votes yes, maybe, or no on each date from their own phone, and the creator reveals a heat map once enough responses are in.
Does Votably show ads, the way Doodle's free plan does?: No. Votably does not show ads to the person creating a decision or to anyone voting on it, on any decision type. Doodle's free plan, by contrast, shows ads to both the organizer and the people they invite as of 2026.
How long does Votably keep a date poll, compared to Doodle?: Votably deletes a decision, including a date poll, 30 days after it is created, whether or not the creator revealed the results. Doodle does not enforce a similar automatic deletion window on the free plan, so old polls and their responses can persist until you remove them yourself.

Votably vs When2meet

Do I need an account to use When2meet or Votably?: No. Neither When2meet nor Votably requires an account to create an event or to respond to one. Both let anyone with the link join immediately from a browser, which makes them different from Doodle, whose free plan now requires the organizer to sign up first.
Is When2meet anonymous?: No, When2meet shows the name each participant types in next to their marked availability, so responses are not private. Votably offers a fully anonymous mode on every decision type, including its date poll, so a group can find a day that works without anyone seeing who picked what.
What's the difference between Doodle, When2meet, and Votably?: Doodle adds calendar sync and booking pages but, as of 2026, requires an account and shows ads on its free plan. When2meet is a free, no-account availability grid with no other features. Votably is a free, no-account date poll that also covers fourteen other kinds of group decisions.
Can I set a deadline or minimum votes for a Votably scheduling poll?: Yes. Votably lets the creator set an optional deadline that closes voting automatically, and an optional quorum that unlocks the reveal once a set number of people have responded. When2meet has neither feature; its grid is simply visible to anyone with the link at any time.
Does Votably work on WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams, like When2meet?: Yes. Votably is just a link, so it works anywhere you can paste one, including WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. When2meet works the same way, since both tools skip apps, bots, and integrations in favor of a plain web link anyone can open.
How long does Votably keep a scheduling poll?: Votably deletes a decision 30 days after it is created, including any date poll made with Pick a Day. When2meet does not advertise an automatic deletion policy, so events can remain reachable by their link well after the meeting they were created for has passed.

Votably vs StrawPoll

Do I need an account to create a poll on StrawPoll or Votably?: No, both let you create a basic poll without an account. StrawPoll asks you to sign up only for extras like image uploads or saving your poll history, while Votably never requires an account from the creator or from anyone voting, on any of its fifteen decision types.
Is StrawPoll anonymous?: StrawPoll offers one anonymous poll type among several formats. Votably takes a different approach: every decision type, from a quick poll to a ranked choice vote, offers anonymous, named, and open modes, so a group picks how much identity is attached to a vote for any method, not just one.
Can I embed a Votably poll on my website, the way I can with StrawPoll?: No, Votably does not offer an embed option for websites. StrawPoll supports embedding a live poll on a blog or page, which makes it the better choice for public polls meant to run outside a group chat. Votably is built to be shared as a link inside a conversation instead.
How many people can vote on a Votably quick poll?: A Votably quick poll comfortably handles groups from about two to thirty people, though there is no strict limit enforced. Voters pick one option, pick several, or spread dots across options depending on the mode the creator chose, and results tally live once the creator allows it.
Does Votably work on WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams, like StrawPoll does?: Yes. Votably is just a link, so it works anywhere a link can be pasted, including WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, Slack, email, and Microsoft Teams. StrawPoll's polls can also be shared as a link in those same places, though StrawPoll additionally supports embedding on a standalone webpage.
How long does Votably keep a poll compared to StrawPoll?: Votably deletes every decision, including a quick poll, 30 days after it is created. StrawPoll does not enforce an equivalent automatic deletion window, so a poll and its votes can remain reachable by its link indefinitely unless the creator removes it, especially useful for StrawPoll's public and embedded polls.

Votably vs Wheel of Names

Is Wheel of Names free to use?: Yes, Wheel of Names is free and does not require a signup to spin a wheel. Votably is also free with no signup, but its Spin the Wheel works differently: the group votes on the options first, and the spin is weighted by that preference instead of treating every entry equally.
Do voters need an account to use Votably's wheel, the way they might sign up on Wheel of Names?: No. Nobody creating or voting on a Votably decision needs an account, and Wheel of Names does not require an account to spin either, though it offers an optional free account for saving wheels to the cloud. Neither tool puts an account between you and a quick decision.
How does Votably's Spin the Wheel differ from Wheel of Names?: Wheel of Names spins a wheel built from whatever list you type in, giving every entry an equal chance. Votably's Spin the Wheel has the group vote first, adding weight to the options they actually like, so the spin favors what people voted for rather than treating every option the same.
Can I use images or sound effects on Votably's wheel, like on Wheel of Names?: No, Votably's wheel does not support custom images on slices or sound effects, features Wheel of Names offers in depth, including an Unsplash image gallery and a large sound library. Votably keeps the wheel plain and puts its effort into the weighted vote that happens before the spin.
What is Votably's Fair Lottery mode for, and does Wheel of Names have anything similar?: Fair Lottery is a plain random draw for things like who pays or who picks. It publishes a commitment before the draw so the result can be verified afterward as not rigged. Wheel of Names does not offer an equivalent provably fair mode; its spin is not designed to be independently checked.
How long does Votably keep a decision, compared to a saved Wheel of Names wheel?: Votably deletes a decision 30 days after it is created. Wheel of Names lets a free account save up to a few wheels to the cloud for reuse well beyond that, which suits a teacher or team that spins the same list repeatedly rather than deciding something new each time.

Votably vs Miro dot voting template

Do participants need a Miro account to vote on a Miro dot voting board?: It depends on how the board is shared and whether viewers were invited as guests, but Miro boards are generally built around having an account. Votably never requires an account for participants: everyone joins a Dot Voting session with just a display name typed in from the shared link.
Is Miro's dot voting feature free?: As of 2026, Miro's live voting feature is included with Starter, Business, Enterprise, and Education plans, not with the free plan, so a team on Miro's free tier cannot run a live vote without upgrading. Votably's Dot Voting tool is free for everyone, with no plan restriction on live voting.
How many people can join a Votably dot voting session, compared to a Miro board?: Up to 1,000 participants can join a single Votably Dot Voting session, joining with just a name from a link. How many people can view or vote on a Miro board instead depends on your plan's seat and viewer limits, since board access is tied to Miro's account tiers.
Can I export the results from Votably's dot voting tool, like I can export a Miro board?: You can share a read-only link to the results or take a screenshot, but Votably's dot voting tool does not offer a file export. Miro supports exporting a board directly, which is useful if dot voting is only one exercise inside a larger whiteboard session you need to archive.
Does Votably require participants to log in, the way a Miro board might?: No. Participants join a Votably session with a display name from a shared link, with no login and no account. That is simpler than a Miro board, where access and voting can depend on the board's sharing settings and, for the voting feature itself, on the team's Miro plan.
How long does Votably keep a dot voting session, compared to a Miro board?: Votably's work tool sessions, including Dot Voting, are deleted 90 days after they are created, longer than the 30-day window for consumer decisions. A Miro board generally persists as long as your workspace subscription and storage limits allow, since Miro is built for long-term project storage, not automatic expiry.

Votably vs Mural

Is there a free alternative to Mural for retrospectives that needs no account?: Yes. Votably's Rose, Thorn, Bud tool runs a retrospective from a single link with no account for the facilitator and no login for participants. It is free, has no cap on the number of sessions, and includes a private collect mode that hides notes until the facilitator reveals them.
Do participants need a Mural account to join a mural?: Not always. A Mural member can share a visitor link that lets people join a mural without an account, as a visitor with a chosen name. Creating the mural, choosing a template, and managing the workspace still require a Mural account. On Votably, nobody needs an account at any point.
Is Mural free to use in 2026?: Mural has a free plan, but as of 2026 it is limited to three murals, and features such as advanced integrations and guest management sit on paid per-user plans. Votably's work tools are free with no session limit, in exchange for doing fewer things than a full canvas.
Can Votably replace Mural for affinity mapping?: For the sorting exercise itself, yes. Votably's Affinity map collects notes from everyone on a link and lets the group cluster them into themes, then a dot vote picks what matters. It does not replace Mural's freeform canvas, so if the map needs to grow into a journey map or a diagram, Mural is the better home.
Does Votably have a How might we template like Mural?: Votably's Framing ladder covers the same ground as a How might we template. You start from a problem statement, climb up by asking why to find the bigger goal, climb down by asking how to find concrete angles, and turn the best reframing into a How might we prompt the team can run with.
How long does Votably keep a work session compared to a Mural board?: Votably work sessions are deleted 90 days after they are created. A Mural board stays in the workspace for as long as the workspace exists. If you need the board as lasting documentation, screenshot or share Votably's read-only results link before the session expires, or use Mural.

How to Decide Where to Eat With Friends

What is the best free way to decide where to eat with friends?: Votably lets you create a free swipe match or ranked choice poll and share one link with your group. Nobody needs an account, everyone votes from their phone, and options the whole group approves become the answer, so you skip the endless back and forth in a group chat.
Do my friends need an account to vote on where to eat?: No. Votably does not require an account for the person creating the poll or for anyone voting. Friends just open the shared link and vote directly from their phone's browser, which makes it easy to get a fast answer without asking anyone to sign up or install anything.
Can a restaurant vote stay anonymous?: Yes. Votably offers anonymous voting with no names collected, named voting that shows who voted while keeping their choice private, and open voting that shows both. You choose the mode when you create the poll, so you control how much privacy your group gets for the decision.
Does a restaurant poll work in a WhatsApp or iMessage group?: Yes. A Votably poll is just a link, so it works in any chat app including WhatsApp, iMessage, Messenger, Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. There is no app to install or bot to add. Anyone in the group opens the link and votes straight from the chat.
How long does a Votably poll stay available before it's deleted?: A Votably poll is kept for 30 days after you create it, which is plenty of time for a group to decide where to eat. You can also set your own shorter deadline if you want a faster answer, and results stay hidden until you choose to reveal them.

How to Pick a Movie With Friends

What is the best free app to pick a movie with friends?: Votably is a free way to pick a movie together. Create a swipe match or a bracket, share one link with your group, and everyone votes from their phone with no account needed. Titles the whole group approves, or the bracket's final winner, become tonight's pick.
Do voters need an account to pick a movie on Votably?: No. Votably requires no account for the person creating the vote or for anyone joining. Friends open the link and vote directly from their phone's browser, so picking a movie takes seconds instead of a long back and forth in the group chat about who forgot to answer.
Is a movie night vote anonymous?: Yes. Votably lets you choose anonymous voting with no names collected, named voting that shows who has voted while keeping choices private, or open voting that shows both names and picks. You pick the mode that fits your group when you set up the vote.
Does a Votably movie poll work in Discord or a group text?: Yes. It works in any chat you already use, including group texts, Discord, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, because it is only a shared link. There is no bot, app, or integration to install, so anyone in the group can open it and vote immediately.
How long is a movie night vote kept on Votably?: Votably keeps a decision for 30 days after it is created, so there is plenty of time to finish a movie night vote. You can also set a shorter deadline yourself, and results stay hidden until you reveal them to the group.

How to Vote on Book Club Books

What is the best way to vote on book club books?: Votably lets a book club vote with approval voting, where everyone checks off every title they would read, or ranked choice, where members order the shortlist by preference. Both run from one free shared link with no account needed, and the result is a book most of the club actually wants to read.
Do book club members need to sign up to vote?: No. Votably needs no account for the organizer or for any member. Everyone votes straight from the shared link on their phone, which makes it easy to collect a full club's opinion without chasing people to download an app or create a login first.
Can book club members vote without revealing their pick to each other?: Yes. Votably offers anonymous voting where no names are collected, and named voting where the organizer can see who has voted while individual choices stay private. Either mode lets club members give an honest opinion instead of just going along with whatever is already popular.
Does a book club vote work if the club uses WhatsApp or Microsoft Teams?: Yes. A Votably poll is a link that opens in any browser, so it works the same way in WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, Slack, email, or wherever the club already chats, with nothing to install and no bot to add.
How long does a book club vote stay open on Votably?: Votably keeps a poll available for 30 days after creation, which covers a typical monthly book club cycle easily. You can also add your own earlier deadline, and results stay hidden until the organizer chooses to reveal the winning book.

How to Plan a Group Trip Without the Chaos

What is the best free tool to plan a group trip?: Votably lets a group plan a trip with three separate free polls: pick a day for dates, ranked choice for the destination, and budget split for spending. Each one is a single link with no account required, so the whole group can weigh in from their phone.
Do we need an account to plan a group trip on Votably?: No. Votably requires no account for the organizer or for anyone voting. Everyone joins straight from the shared link, which makes it easy to get dates, destination, and budget decided without asking friends to sign up for another app.
How many people can vote in a group trip poll?: Votably's pick a day poll works well for three to twenty people, ranked choice suits three to fifteen, and budget split fits three to fifteen too. These ranges cover most friend trips, family reunions, and small group getaways comfortably.
Can trip planning polls stay hidden until everyone has voted?: Yes. Votably keeps results hidden until the organizer reveals them, and a live progress panel shows how many people have responded without showing what they picked. This keeps early voters from swaying later ones toward whatever looks like it is winning.
How long do Votably's group trip polls stay available?: Each Votably poll is kept for 30 days after it is created, which is enough time to lock in dates, a destination, and a budget for most trips. You can also set an earlier deadline on any poll if the group needs a faster decision.

How to Vote on Baby Names With Family

What is the best free way to vote on baby names with family?: Votably lets family vote on baby names with a free ranked choice poll or a bracket, shared as one link with no account needed. Results stay hidden until the parents reveal them, so family can react honestly instead of just going along with whatever name is mentioned first.
Can family vote on baby names without seeing each other's answers?: Yes. Votably keeps results completely hidden until the parents choose to reveal them, and anonymous mode collects no names at all. This lets family give an honest opinion on a baby name without feeling pressure from what others in the group already said.
Do parents keep final say after a family baby name vote?: Yes. A Votably vote only gathers opinions. Parents control when results are revealed and can reopen voting or add more time if they want more input. The most popular name is a helpful signal, not a binding decision, so parents still choose the final name themselves.
How many family members can vote on baby names at once?: Votably's ranked choice poll works well for three to fifteen family members, and a bracket can handle a larger group of up to twenty. Both options let extended family weigh in without turning the decision into a crowded group call.
Does a baby name vote work over group text or WhatsApp?: Yes. A Votably poll is just a link, so it works the same way in WhatsApp, group texts, Messenger, or email. Family members open the link and vote from their phone with no account and nothing to install.

Polls for WhatsApp Groups: What Works Best

What is the best free poll for a WhatsApp group?: For a simple pick one question, WhatsApp's built in poll works fine. For anything with dates, ranking, or a hidden reveal, Votably provides a free poll link you can share in the same WhatsApp chat, with no account needed and no bot to install.
Can a WhatsApp poll keep results hidden until everyone votes?: No. WhatsApp shows poll results live as people vote, so later voters can see the running count. Votably keeps results hidden until the creator reveals them, which gives a WhatsApp group a fairer vote when the order people respond in should not affect the outcome.
Can you schedule a date poll in WhatsApp?: WhatsApp's native poll cannot collect dates or availability, only fixed answer options. Votably's pick a day poll fills that gap: each date gets a yes, maybe, or no from everyone, and a heat map shows where the group's availability overlaps, all from one link shared in WhatsApp.
Is there a WhatsApp bot or app for running polls?: No, and Votably does not add one either. There is no bot, app, or integration to install in WhatsApp. A Votably poll is simply a link you paste into the chat, and it opens in the browser for anyone to vote with no account needed.
How long does a poll shared in a WhatsApp group stay open?: A Votably poll shared in WhatsApp is kept for 30 days after creation, giving the group plenty of time to respond. You can also set your own shorter deadline, and results stay hidden until the creator reveals them to the whole chat.

Free Polls for Microsoft Teams (No Forms Needed)

How do I create a poll in Microsoft Teams?: Microsoft Teams includes a built-in Polls app, powered by Microsoft Forms, that lets you post a single question with a few answer choices in a channel or meeting. It is free inside your organization's tenant, though it cannot rank options or compare multiple dates the way a link poll like Votably can.
How do you run an anonymous poll in Microsoft Teams without Forms?: The built-in Polls app can turn on anonymous responses for a single question, but it shows a live tally while voting is open. Votably runs an anonymous poll as a plain link pasted into the same Teams chat, with no Forms setup, and can hide results completely until you choose to reveal them.
Can external guests vote in a Microsoft Teams poll?: Guests outside your organization's Teams tenant often cannot open the built-in Polls app, since it depends on that org's Forms integration. Votably avoids this entirely: it is just a web link, so clients, contractors, or friends outside your company can vote from their phone with no Teams account needed.
Do voters need a Microsoft or Votably account to vote?: No. Nobody needs a Microsoft account, a Teams login, or a Votably account to vote. Votably works as a plain link: the creator sets up the poll, shares the URL in the Teams chat, and everyone votes straight from their phone's browser with no sign-up step at all.
How long does Votably keep a Teams poll's results?: Votably automatically deletes a decision, including all its votes and results, 30 days after it is created. There is nothing to manually clean up, and no results linger in your Teams channel or in Votably's system past that 30-day window.

Ranked Choice vs Approval vs STAR: Free Comparison

Is ranked choice voting the same as instant runoff voting?: Yes. Ranked choice voting and instant runoff voting are two names for the same method: voters rank every option, and the lowest-scoring option is eliminated round by round, with its votes redistributed to the next choice, until one option reaches a majority. Votably's ranked choice decision type runs this automatically.
What is the main criticism of approval voting?: Approval voting can crown a broadly acceptable compromise over an option a majority feels strongly about, since voters never rank a favorite above the rest, they just check everything they would accept. In Votably's worked example, this is exactly how approval voting picks a different winner than ranked choice.
What does STAR voting stand for and how does it work?: STAR stands for Score Then Automatic Runoff. Every option is rated from 0 to 5 stars, the ratings are averaged, and the top two options by average score go through one final head-to-head comparison using those same ratings. Votably's score decision type supports STAR mode for exactly this process.
Can ranked choice, approval, and STAR voting pick different winners from the same votes?: Yes. The worked example above uses one set of seven ballots and gets three different answers: ranked choice and STAR both pick the option with strong first-preference support, while approval and plain score pick the option most people can broadly accept, showing how much the method itself shapes the result.
Do I need an account to run a ranked choice, approval, or STAR poll?: No. Votably's ranked choice, approval, and score decision types are all free, and neither the creator nor any voter needs an account. Share one link, everyone votes from their phone, and the creator controls when results are revealed to the group.

Who Pays? Free Provably Fair Random Picker

What does provably fair mean in a random picker?: Provably fair means the method for picking a winner is locked in and published before the draw happens, using a commitment generated from a secret value. After the draw, the secret is revealed, and anyone can check it matches the commitment, proving the organizer could not have changed the result.
Is Votably's lottery draw actually random and verifiable?: Yes. Votably publishes a commitment the moment a lottery decision is created, before any votes or entries come in, and reveals the seed behind it when the draw happens. Anyone in the group can check that the revealed seed produces the published commitment, confirming the draw was not rigged.
How many names can a random picker or raffle draw hold?: A Votably decision supports up to 40 options, which covers most group raffles, who-pays draws, and name pickers in a single link. Add every entrant as an option, share the link with the group, and the provably fair lottery picks one winner at random.
Do people need an account to enter a Votably raffle?: No. Nobody needs an account to create a raffle draw or to be entered as an option. Votably works as a shared link: the organizer adds the entries, everyone can see the published commitment, and the draw happens with no sign-up required from anyone taking part.
What's the difference between Votably's lottery and its spin-the-wheel tool?: The lottery gives every option an exactly equal chance and proves it with a published commitment, which suits splitting a bill or picking a raffle winner fairly. The wheel lets each person add weight to their favorite options first, so popular picks get better odds before a weighted spin decides.

100 Free This or That Questions for Any Group

What are good this-or-that questions for students?: Easy, low-stakes pairs work best to start, like food or everyday-life questions, since they warm up a classroom fast without putting anyone on the spot. Mix in pop-culture or would-you-rather pairs once the group is comfortable. Votably's this-or-that decision type can run the whole list as a live voted game.
How many people can play a this-or-that game at once?: Votably's this-or-that decision type works best for small groups up to around fifteen people, since it chains head-to-head picks until champions face off. For a much larger room, you can simply read the 100 questions on this page aloud without needing the app at all.
Do players need to download an app to play?: No. Votably's this-or-that and swipe-match decision types run entirely in the browser. Players open a shared link on their own phone and vote directly, with nothing to install and no account required for the person creating the game or anyone joining it.
Can I add my own this-or-that questions instead of using this list?: Yes. Add any pair of options you like to a Votably this-or-that or swipe-match decision, mixing your own questions with any from this list of 100. Share one link, and the whole group plays from their phones with no extra setup needed.
Is this or that the same game as swipe match?: They're related but different. Votably's this-or-that chains rapid head-to-head picks until personal champions face off at the end, while swipe match has everyone swipe yes or no on each option independently, then surfaces the options the whole group would actually accept.

Free Retro Board With No Whiteboard Account

How do you run a free online retrospective without a login?: Votably's work tools run a full retrospective from one shared link. Participants join by typing a display name, with no account or login required for anyone. Set a topic in the Rose, Thorn, Bud tool, collect notes, then vote on priorities with dot voting, all without a whiteboard sign-up screen.
Is a Votably retrospective actually anonymous?: Yes. When anonymous mode is turned on, Votably collects no names at all, and Rose, Thorn, Bud's private collect mode hides every note from the group until the facilitator reveals them together. Nobody can see who wrote a thorn or a rose until that single reveal moment.
How many people can join one Votably retro board?: Up to a thousand participants can join a single Votably work session, far more than a typical team retro needs. Everyone joins from the same shared link with just a display name, and the facilitator gets a separate admin link to manage the session.
Can I export the results of a Votably retro board?: You can share a read-only link or take a screenshot of the results from Rose, Thorn, Bud, dot voting, or affinity map. CSV export is currently available on Votably's priority matrix work tool only, so pair that tool in if a downloadable file matters for your team.
How long does Votably keep a retro board before deleting it?: Votably automatically deletes work sessions, including retrospective boards, 90 days after they are created. There is nothing to archive or clean up manually, and no notes or votes remain in the system once that 90-day window has passed.

One poll, several questions: dates, place, and food

Is there a free poll maker with multiple questions and no sign up?: Yes. Votably lets you put up to three questions in one decision and share it as a single link, with no account for you or your voters. Each question can use a different voting method, everyone answers them together, and the reveal reads out all the winners at once.
Can each question in the poll use a different voting method?: Yes. A Votably decision can combine a Pick a day & time question with an Approval vote and a Quick poll, or any mix of the one-shot types. Each question keeps its own options and its own tally, and the reveal presents every result together.
Do voters have to answer every question?: Yes. The send button on a multi-question Votably decision unlocks once every question has an answer, so the organizer never has to chase partial ballots. Voters can fill the questions in any order and change any answer until they send, and again until the reveal.
How many questions can one Votably link hold?: Up to three. Most plans fit in when, where, and what, and a cap keeps the voting page short enough to finish on a phone in a minute. Questions can be added, reordered, or removed while setting up, and the organizer can edit them later from the room.