Polling software automates the feedback solicitation process.
As a product or marketing teams manager, understanding your audience is critical for successful marketing campaigns, and user polls are undoubtedly the best way to do so. However, creating and managing live polls require immense thought and planning. Some of the challenges you might encounter during the process include obtaining consensus from the right audience, capturing opinions in real time, and boosting engagement levels.
With the right polling software, you can overcome all these challenges quite easily. Polling software helps users collect real-time feedback from a wide range of audiences. It automates the creation, management, and analysis of online live polls.
While there are many paid polling products available in the market, investing in these tools can be expensive. Thankfully, several systems offer a free version to users so that they can try the product before upgrading to its paid version.
This article highlights the seven best free polling software solutions (listed alphabetically) based on user reviews and ratings. (Read how we selected these products).
1. AhaSlides: Offers timer for individual questions
AhaSlides is an online presentation tool that enables users to create multichoice polls and custom presentations. As a presenter, you can choose to view the statistics on your device, either in the form of a bar chart, donut chart, or pie chart. The results displayed by AhaSlides show up on your device and the audience’s device in real time.
The tool features a template library that contains several poll slides. You can invite participants to join a live polling session via a unique code. AhaSlides also allows users to add images and GIFs to their polls. You can also change backgrounds and fonts even while polling is underway.
AhaSlides comes with a countdown-to-question timer that provides participants five seconds to read the question before answering them. Once everyone has answered, the tool displays a leaderboard to display individual standings and scores. The software allows you to export poll results as PDFs, Excel sheets, or a set of JPG images. The cloud-based solution offers customer support via phone, email, and chat.
Key Features
- Customizable branding
- Customizable templates
- Online polling
- Presentation tools
- Q&A management
- Reporting/analytics
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$4.95 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Live Q&A in AhaSlides
2. Mentimeter: Offers Q&A moderation
Mentimeter is online presentation software that uses polls, quizzes, and word clouds to facilitate engagement among audiences. You can use the software to ask multiple-choice questions from an audience either in a live setting or as part of a survey. You can also add images and GIFs to questions with Mentimeter.
Mentimeter also allows users to add Q&A slides to their presentations. The software comes with a moderation feature that allows presenters to moderate incoming questions. It also has a skip slide feature that allows users to skip or hide certain slides in their presentation while presenting them to the audience. Mentimeter allows users to export poll data as PDFs or Excel files for analysis and create a custom link to share results with the audience.
The online poll tool features pre-designed poll templates for opinion, straw
Key Features
- Collaboration tools
- Customizable branding
- Live results sharing
- Polls/voting
- Presentation tools
- Q&A management
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$11.99 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Adding images to polls in Mentimeter
3. Slido: Tracks users with maximum upvotes
Slido is an interactive polling and Q&A platform for live, hybrid, or remote meetings. The software allows users to create interactive polls and enables participants to vote from any device using a link or a QR code. As a Slido user, you can create multiple poll types, including open textOnce you activate a poll, Slido displays the results on the right-hand side of the admin dashboard. You can use the present mode on the dashboard to share your screen with participants or access the participant mode to view how the results will look on the participant’s device.
The software not only allows you to track the number of active and joined users using the analytics feature but also check the most influential users who received maximum upvotes.
Slido also allows you to export questions, ideas, and results to Excel, PDF, or Google Sheets for future reference. The software integrates with several video conferencing and presentation platforms, such as Webex, PowerPoint, Microsft Teams, and Google Slides. Slido offers customer support via phone, email, and chat. The cloud-based platform also offers a mobile app for Android and iOS users.
Key Features
- Anonymous feedback
- Customer segmentation
- Customizable branding
- Live results sharing
- Mobile surveys
- Presentation tools
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$10 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Tracking event metrics in Slido
4. SurveyLegend: Configures question settings for surveys
SurveyLegend is an online survey software solution that enables users to create polls, custom surveys, and questionnaires on any device, including computers and mobiles. The software allows you to share survey and poll results via public or private links across multiple platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email, or text messages. You can also share raw survey data using Google Drive. This feature is beneficial if you intend to create a custom report with filtered data before sharing it with others.
SurveyLegend also enables you to configure question settings and change the rating types to stars, ternaryAs a SurveyLegend user, you can create graphic surveys and polls by adding visuals and branding elements as per your business’s requirements. You can use the tool to create different types of image-based surveys, such as ranking surveys, clickable image polls, and multiple-choice questions. SurveyLegend supports secure sockets layer (SSL) encryption to ensure that your data is safe and is managed only by authorized users. The cloud-based app offers customer support via phone, email, and chat.
Key Features
- Anonymous feedback
- Customer segmentation
- Customizable branding
- Live results sharing
- Mobile surveys
- Presentation tools
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$15 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Image-based surveys in SurveyLegend
5. Vevox: Offers countdown clock for polls
Vevox is an online polling platform that allows users to create different types of polls, such as multichoice, numeric, ratings, and text polls. The software offers a live questions-and-answers (Q&A) tool that allows you to receive questions, comments, votes, and feedback from the audience. The tool’s moderation and management feature provides complete control over the Q&A board and allows facilitators to preview all messages sent to the board, sort them based on likes, and review each one of them before publishing.
Vevox also allows users to create word cloud polls that reveal popular audience responses with respect to a particular question. The tool also offers a profanity moderation feature for all its polls that automatically filters unpleasant words in the content.
The poll software also offers a dashboard that can be used to run polls and view participation levels in real time. It also allows users to add a countdown timer that automatically closes the polls after a given period of time. Vevox’s integration with Microsoft PowerPoint enables users to create engaging presentations with built-in polls and view results in real time. In case you need any assistance, you can reach out to the customer service team via phone, email, and chat. The cloud-based tool also has a mobile app for Android and iOS users.
Key Features
- Customizable branding
- Online polling
- Phone polling
- Live results sharing
- Presentation tools
- Survey/poll management
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$10.95 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Word cloud polls in Vevox
6. youengage: Features a picture library for polls
youengage is an online survey solution that enables users to create mobile-friendly surveys, polls, quizzes, assessments, and live Q&A for their in-person or virtual events. You can also use the tool to create business calculators, such as a budget calculator, car loan calculator, or mortgage payment calculator. The software offers templates to help users create all these content types, including the calculators.
As a youengage user, you can create multiple-choice questions and adjust the font, size, and pictures for your poll. You can also create rating polls to seek the audience’s opinion and a picture choice poll that prompts the participants to select the best image(s) to suit their answers. The software features a picture library that provides you access to free images and GIFs for your polls.
Once you create a live event with youengage and open the present mode, you can view the number of unique and active participants that have joined your event. There is also a share option in the presentation mode that allows you to share live results with the audience. The cloud-based app offers customer support via phone and email.
Key Features
- Customer segmentation
- Customizable branding
- Customizable templates
- Engagement tracking
- Reporting/analytics
- Survey/poll management
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$19 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Poll template in youengage
7. Zoho Survey: Offers skip logic feature
Zoho Survey is an online survey solution that allows users to create and launch online polls. The software offers a wide variety of ready-to-use questions that can be edited and added to your polls. It also features a colorful gallery of themes that can be used to customize surveys and polls.
Zoho Survey has an intelligent skip logic feature that ensures participants only answer questions that are relevant to them. Based on their answers, you can route respondents to a different page or hide irrelevant questions altogether. This feature can be used both for professional surveys and polls. The software also offers a piping feature that helps you customize follow-up questions based on previous responses.
Zoho Survey offers various options to publish polls. The software provides you with real-time polling results. The polling software also allows you to filter responses. In case you need assistance, you can contact Zoho Survey’s customer service team via phone, email, or chat. The cloud-based system also offers a mobile app for Android and iOS users.
Key Features
- Customizable branding
- Live results sharing
- Mobile surveys
- Multiple question types
- Online polling
- Reporting/analytics
Trial/Free Version
- Free Trial
- Free Version
Cost to upgrade
$25 per month, billed annually
Device Compatibilty
Screenshots
Analyzing reports in Zoho Survey
How to choose the right free polling software
Selecting the best polling software solution can be challenging, especially with so many options available in the market. Let us discuss some important factors that you must evaluate before deciding on a free polling tool.
Consider the availability of pre-designed templates: A lot of polling solutions available in the market offer a robust template library for creating different types of polls. Make sure that the free tool you select offers you a range of customizable templates to start with.
Look for Q&A management feature: Several free polling tools offer users a Q&A module that enables them to receive questions, comments, and feedback from the audience. It also allows them to filter out irrelevant questions, approve, and dismiss any incoming questions before going live on the Q&A board. Before you select a free tool, look out for Q&A management feature.
Consider the customization options: Before you finalize a free polling tool for your business, ask the vendor about the customizing capabilities of the software. There are several free products available in the market that allow you to customize every aspect of your poll, including the appearance, question types, content, and reporting. Select a tool that offers you the flexibility to design and customize polls as per your business requirements and preferences.
Common questions to ask when choosing free polling software
Here is a list of some common questions that you can ask your shortlisted vendors before taking the final decision with respect to the best free polling tool for your business.
Piping is the ability to customize follow-up questions and carry text from one question to another based on the respondent’s previous answers. Some polling apps simply throw up every single question to the respondents whether or not it is applicable to them. If you wish to collect specific data and provide a more useful customer experience, the piping feature could be important to look out for.
Polling software not only helps you create and conduct polls but also allows you to share results with the audience in real time. Consider a free tool that offers multiple ways to share live results with respondents, including email or text messages and customized links, to name a few.
Before shortlisting products for your business, make sure to ask about the integration capabilities of the software. Select a free polling tool that offers integration with popular live streaming, presentation, and video conferencing platforms, such as YouTube, Webex, PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams, Google Slides, and PowerPoint.
How did we choose these products? We didn’t—you did
To find your ideal software match, you need information you can trust so you can save time, stay on budget, and focus more energy on growing your business. It’s why we vet and verify all our user reviews and recommend only the tools endorsed by people like you.
In other words, our product recommendations are never bought or sold, or based on the opinion of a single individual—they’re chosen by your peers, reflecting the views and experiences of our independent base of software reviewers.
