Doodle alternatives: 6 free & open-source picks
Curated, verified, and actually free. No trials, no crippled tiers. Star counts and last-activity dates checked by hand, not scraped and forgotten.
La mitad útil de Doodle, encuestas de fecha, votos, comentarios y finalización, sin la emboscada de la cuenta.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the hosted service with no install, or run the official single-server Docker Compose stack
dataRallly Cloud stores polls, votes, comments and account data in Rallly's infrastructure; self-hosting stores primary data in PostgreSQL and uploads in bundled Garage S3-compatible object storage or configured external Postgres/S3.
the catch vs DoodleRallly closely matches date voting, but the hosted free service deletes expired inactive polls and the free self-hosted edition permits only one registered account.
setupHosted free polls are deleted after every option is past and 30 inactive days; self-hosting is free for one registered user only, with multi-user administration requiring a perpetual license.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Excelente reemplazo de Doodle escondido dentro de un servidor Nextcloud completo; la encuesta es fácil, la plataforma no.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour server
installInstall or enable the Polls app inside an existing Nextcloud server
dataPolls, options, votes, comments and invitations live in the operator's Nextcloud database; spreadsheet and HTML exports are available, and calendar-conflict hints use the user's Nextcloud calendar data.
the catch vs DoodleNextcloud Polls is a strong poll engine, but installing an entire Nextcloud server and manually handling final calendar follow-through is far more work than sending a Doodle link.
setupThe poll app is easy only after Nextcloud exists; the first obstacle is installing and maintaining an entire Nextcloud server for one small polling job.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Un tipo de evento activo y reservas ilimitadas; las encuestas de reunión se mantienen, los flujos y los equipos no.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup and one calendar connection
dataEvent-type settings, invitee answers, scheduling activity and account data live in Calendly's cloud; confirmed meetings are synchronized to the connected calendar, and the internal storage format is not disclosed.
the catch vs DoodleCalendly's free poll can find a time, but its account- and event-type-oriented workflow is less frictionless for ad-hoc group voting than Doodle's dedicated poll flow.
setupSetup is clean, but the permanent free account is limited to one one-to-one event type and one connected calendar.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Tipos de reserva ilimitados para una persona y reservas pagadas en un calendario; las reuniones grupales y los correos elegantes cuestan extra.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup and one calendar connection
dataBooking types, attendee answers and booking records live in TidyCal's cloud and are synchronized to the connected calendar; the internal storage format is not disclosed.
the catch vs DoodleTidyCal Free is mainly a one-person booking-link product and does not provide Doodle's core anonymous group-availability poll workflow on the free plan.
setupThere is no technical install hurdle, but free accounts get only one calendar connection and omit automatic video links, group meetings, custom emails, exports, analytics and API access.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Una página de reservas, pero conserva formularios, pagos, confirmaciones, encuestas y el truco de superposición de calendario.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup and one calendar connection
dataBooking-page configuration, form answers and appointment records live in YouCanBookMe's cloud, with events synchronized to the connected calendar; the internal storage format is not disclosed.
the catch vs DoodleYouCanBookMe's single free booking page is more configurable but less immediate than Doodle for a one-off group poll, and additional pages or calendars require payment.
setupThe setup itself is clean; the first hard limit is one booking page and one connected calendar.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Encuestas, superposición de calendario, fechas límite de votación y finalización son gratis; además no hay anuncios.
licenseproprietary, free
runstheir cloud
installHosted signup and calendar OAuth connection
dataScheduling links, availability, poll votes, answers and booking records live in zcal's cloud and synchronize to connected Google or Microsoft calendars; the internal storage format is not disclosed.
the catch vs Doodlezcal Free is a capable poll replacement, but Doodle still has the more established participant workflow, calendar integrations, organization controls, and large-group familiarity.
setupCalendar OAuth is straightforward; team routing, deeper branding and some business controls require a paid plan.
facts verified 2026-08-10
last updated 2026-08-10 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rallly | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 5,200 | 2026-08 |
| Nextcloud Polls | AGPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 284 | 2026-08 |
| Calendly Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, ios, android, browser-extension | — | — |
| TidyCal Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
| YouCanBookMe Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web, browser-extension | — | — |
| zcal Free | proprietary, free | they host it | web | — | — |
People still pay for Doodle because people pay because one double booking or missed invite can cost more than years of subscription fees. The recurring cost buys OAuth refresh, webhooks, timezone databases, race conditions, reminders, deliverability, privacy, and uptime, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $180 a year.
Is there a free alternative to Doodle?
Yes: Rallly, Nextcloud Polls, Calendly Free and 3 more. Every tool on this page is either open source or genuinely free to use long-term: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Should I just build my own Doodle?
Our verdict is PARCIAL. The core loop is buildable, but a dependable replacement becomes a real weekend or multi-day project. For Doodle, run group availability polls and convert the selected option into a calendar event. The hard boundary is participant familiarity, calendar connections, reminders, branding, and hosted delivery, plus calendar integrations and reliability. If you'd rather build, the exact one-shot prompt is free at puedovibecodearlo.app/doodle.
