What you actually need from a Doodle alternative
Doodle made the date poll famous: you suggest a few dates, people tick the ones that work, and you pick the winner. When you go looking for alternatives, it helps to be clear about what matters for your group.
For friends, family and clubs, three things count more than anything else:
- Nobody has to sign up. Every extra step loses people. Grandma won't create an account to tell you she's free on the 14th.
- It works well on a phone. Most links get opened from a group chat, often in the five minutes between two other things.
- The result is obvious. Everyone should see at a glance which day wins, so you're not stuck counting ticks.
Anything beyond that (calendar sync, reminders, branding, integrations) is useful at work, but rarely makes a difference for a birthday dinner.
Suggesting options vs. letting people mark their days
There are two ways to run a group poll, and they suit different situations.
Classic date poll: you suggest the options
You pick, say, four possible evenings. Everyone votes yes or no on each. This is quick when you already know the venue is only free on certain dates, or when you have a few fixed options anyway.
The catch: if none of your four options works, you start over. And you've guessed the options before knowing anyone's schedule.
Day poll: you set a window, people mark every day they're free
You say "sometime in October" and everyone taps all the days that work for them. The poll looks at every day in the window and shows the best one. For trips it can even look for, say, three days in a row that work for the whole group.
The catch: it only finds days, not times. For most social plans that's fine. The time is easy to agree on once the day is set.
| Classic date poll | Day poll (AskForDates) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides the options | The organizer | Everyone marks their own days in a period you set |
| Times of day | Yes, if you add them as options | No, days only |
| Several days in a row (trips) | Each possible stretch has to be its own option | Built in: the poll finds the best stretch |
| Best for | Meetings, fixed options | Parties, dinners, trips, reunions |
| Risk | None of the options fits | A very long window can feel like a lot to fill in |
Our free Doodle alternative, step by step
We built the AskForDates poll for the situations in the right-hand column. It's free, and nobody needs an account, including you as the organizer.
- Say what you're planning. A birthday, a trip, a party, a reunion, Friendsgiving or something else. Give it a title like "Jess turns 40".
- Pick one day or several days in a row. For a weekend away, choose how many days you need (2 to 30).
- Set the rough period. For example the next six weeks, or June to August.
- Share the link via WhatsApp, iMessage, email or wherever your group talks. Everyone types their name and taps their days. A day that's possible but not ideal gets marked "if needed".
- Watch the result fill in. A heatmap shows who's free when, and the poll highlights the best day or the best stretch of days.
- Lock in the date. Everyone sees it, can add it to their calendar and you can share the final date with one tap.
When to use something else
We'd rather you pick the right tool than ours at any cost. Use a different kind of tool if:
- You need exact times. A 45-minute call across time zones needs time slots. Look at a slot grid like when2meet or similar tools.
- People book you. For client calls or office hours, a booking page linked to your calendar saves everyone the poll.
- Your company already has a scheduling tool. At work, stick with what your colleagues know and what fits your company's rules.
- It's just two of you. "Thursday or Saturday?" in a message is faster than any poll.
Group poll ideas where a day poll shines
- Birthday parties. Find the Saturday most friends can do, then book the place. Our birthday invitation wording guide helps with the invite afterwards.
- Class reunions. Hundreds of schedules, months of lead time, one evening. See how to plan a class reunion and ideas for the night itself.
- Bachelorette or bachelor weekends. Three days in a row for eight people is exactly the kind of puzzle a poll solves better than a chat.
- Family gatherings. Grandpa's 80th, a holiday get-together, a family vacation.
- Game nights and supper clubs. A quick monthly poll keeps the group going.
A message to send with your poll
Hi friends! Let's finally do that dinner 🍝 Tap every evening you could make it in the next month (no sign-up, I promise): [link]
I'll pick the day with the most people on Sunday.
Hi everyone, we'd love to get the whole family together for Grandpa's 80th. Could you mark all the days in May that work for you? It's just a link, no app needed: [link]
If a day only works in a pinch, choose "if needed". Thank you! ❤️
Tip: Name the deadline and how you'll decide. "The day with the most people wins" sounds simple, but it saves you from awkward negotiations later.
For a full guide with every step from the first message to the final reminder, read how to find a date that works for everyone. More guides live in Parties & planning.
psst … this makes it easier
Find the day that works for everyone
- Create a poll and drop the link in the group chat
- Everyone taps the days they're free and the best one shows up instantly
- Free, no account, no app
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free Doodle alternative?
Yes, there are several free poll tools. AskForDates is one option for social plans: you create a day poll without an account, share the link and everyone marks the days they're free. It's made for finding a day, not a time slot.
What's the difference between a date poll and a day poll?
In a classic date poll the organizer suggests a few options and everyone votes on them. In our day poll the organizer sets a period, for example two months, and everyone marks every day that works. The poll then finds the best day or the best stretch of days on its own.
Can I suggest specific times like 7 pm?
Not with AskForDates. The poll is day-based, so it's great for a dinner, a party or a trip, but not for comparing exact meeting times. For that, a tool with time slots is the better fit.
Do my friends need to sign up to vote?
No. They open the link, type their name and tap their days. No account, no email address and no app download.
What happens to the poll afterwards?
Once you lock in a date, everyone can add it to their calendar. The poll stays online until 60 days after its date range and is then deleted automatically.