Three tools for finding a time a group can meet, built on two different models and three different philosophies about how much tool the job needs.
When2Meet is the minimum viable version. No account for anyone, no paid tier, and a drag-to-paint grid that shows where the group's free time overlaps. It has barely changed since launch, which is both its charm and its problem — the grid is awkward on a phone, and it does nothing after the vote.
Doodle is the full suite. Calendar sync, automatic time zone conversion, reminders, booking pages, and 1:1 scheduling. The free tier is now the most restricted of the three: one active poll, 10 slots, yes/no voting, and ads shown to your invitees.
VoteGenerator sits between them. No account to create, no ads, three active polls, multi-select availability, and seven other poll types beyond scheduling. No calendar sync and no automatic time zone handling.
| Feature | VoteGenerator | Doodle | When2Meet |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model | Vote on candidate slots | Vote on candidate slots | Paint your full availability |
| Account to create | Not required | Required | Not required |
| Account to respond | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Free active polls | 3 | 1 at a time | Unlimited |
| Time slots on free plan | No fixed cap | 10 | Full grid, any range |
| Availability options | Multi-select all that work | Yes / no (free) | Drag to paint any block |
| Ads on free plan | None | Yes, shown to invitees | Reports vary* |
| Mobile experience | Responsive | Responsive | Grid built for desktop |
| Voting deadline | Yes, free | Professional plan | Not offered |
| Automatic reminders | Not offered | Professional plan | Not offered |
| Calendar sync | Not offered | Professional plan | Not offered |
| Time zone handling | Manual, write into label | Automatic | Per-participant |
| Booking pages / 1:1 | Not offered | Yes | Not offered |
| Other poll types | 8 incl. ranked choice | Scheduling only | Scheduling only |
| Instant-runoff ranked choice | Yes, free | Not offered | Not offered |
| Templates | 120+ | Scheduling modes | None |
| Paid tier | $19/month, monthly billing | Around $15/month | No paid tier |
* Reports on whether When2Meet displays advertising differ between recent sources, so we have not stated it either way — check for yourself before sending a link to clients. All figures from vendor documentation and independent 2026 reviews.
The most important difference here is not price or features, it is the model, and picking the wrong one wastes everyone's time.
An availability grid is for discovery. When2Meet asks everyone to paint every block they are free, then shows the overlap as a heat map. Use it when you genuinely do not know when the meeting should be — the grid surfaces windows nobody would have proposed.
A candidate-slot poll is for validation. Doodle and VoteGenerator ask the organiser to propose three to six specific times, then people vote. Use it when you already have options in mind and need a verdict. It takes participants ten seconds rather than a minute of careful dragging.
Asking a group to paint a full week's availability when you already know the meeting is on Tuesday or Thursday is unnecessary work for everyone. Asking them to vote on four slots when none of them work is a wasted round. Match the model to the question.
Worth setting expectations: all three stop at finding the time. None creates the calendar event, sends the invitation, or handles a video link. You find the overlap, then you still open your calendar and do it manually.
Doodle's paid plan gets closest with calendar integration and booking pages, and if that manual step is the part you actually want removed, a booking tool rather than a poll tool is what you are looking for. If the poll itself is the job, all three do it, and the differences come down to friction, cost, and whether you need anything beyond scheduling.