PollUnit vs Simply Voting (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PollUnit grades higher than Simply Voting: 2.4 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PollUnit grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PollUnit
Online polls, surveys and contests with a free tier
Simply Voting
Online election and ballot voting for member organizations
Which one is for you
Pick PollUnit if
- Fits if your polls are for groups under 40 people
- Works for date polls and photo contests among friends or a club
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you run bigger polls: 40 participants a poll on the free plan
- Pricey if you pay monthly, at $11 against $5 billed yearly
- Watch out: paid plans are sold as expiring one-time purchases or renewing subscriptions
- Skip it if you need a form builder, as this is a polling tool
Pick Simply Voting if
- Fits if you run a union, condo board or association election
- Makes sense if members vote once a year and you want it verifiable
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want surveys or forms, as it only does formal elections
- Pricey if your electorate is large, since cost grows per voter past 250
- Watch out: telephone voting, online nominations, weighted votes and segmentation cost extra
- Watch out: managed elections have no published price, and payment is by card before voting
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAPollUnitFair | 1.8GPASimply VotingWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPremium is $5 a month billed yearly, in the forms category's cheapest quarter. Billed monthly it's $11. | C$200 per election for up to 250 voters, rising per voter after that. That's priced per election rather than monthly, so we've set it in the middle. |
| Free plan and trial | BFree for unlimited polls, with 40 participants and 20 files per poll and 1 GB of storage. A small group can live on it. | DOnly elections with 10 eligible voters or fewer are free, which is a test run, not a plan anyone can live on. |
| Features | CSeveral poll types, access controls, embedding, exports and an API. A smaller job than a form builder, and it has no logic-heavy workflows. | CElection manager, voter authentication, anonymous verifiable ballots, several languages and phone or paper options. It does that one job fully, a smaller job than a survey tool. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. You build each poll yourself, though the creation steps are guided. | CNo store rating on record. You set up each election yourself, or pay for a managed one. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only on the listing. It has an API and AI assistant connections, but no integration list. | CWeb only on the listing, with no integrations named. |
| Best for | group votes and date polls | formal online elections for associations and boards |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: PollUnit and Simply Voting. How we grade
Where they differ
- PollUnit also covers surveys.
- Simply Voting also covers reports.
At a glance
| PollUnit | Simply Voting | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5 per month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly) | $200 per election for up to 250 voters |
| Free plan | 40 participants and 20 files per poll, 1 GB storage and an unlimited number of polls. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | Elections with 10 eligible voters or fewer are free. |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PollUnit UG (haftungsbeschränkt) | Simply Voting Inc. |
| Price read from | pollunit.com | simplyvoting.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PollUnit
- The free plan caps a poll at 40 participants; larger groups need a paid plan.
- Each paid plan can be bought as a one-time purchase that expires, or as a subscription that renews.
- Prices above are the annual rate per month; the monthly rate is two to three times higher.
- It is a polling tool, not a full form builder with logic-heavy workflows.
Simply Voting
- Cost is per election and grows with the number of eligible voters.
- Telephone voting, online nominations, weighted votes and voter segmentation are premium features with extra costs.
- Managed elections have no published price, and payment is by card before voting begins unless invoice billing is arranged.
- It is built for formal elections, not for general surveys or forms.
Key features
PollUnit
- Several poll types
- The same tool covers votes, date finding, surveys, task distribution, photo, video and music contests and a free-form table.
- Participant limits by plan
- A single poll holds 40 participants on Free, 200 on Premium, 2,000 on Business and 20,000 on Enterprise.
- Access controls
- Paid plans can restrict access and block repeat votes; Enterprise adds an AI-based fraud check and device and browser analysis.
- Embedding and branding
- Polls can be embedded on a website, and higher plans add own logos, custom themes and a custom poll URL.
- Exports and payments
- Excel and CSV export is a paid feature. Polls can accept payments, with a transaction fee of 4.9% on Premium and 2.9% on higher plans.
- API and AI assistants
- A public API is documented, and an MCP connection lets assistants such as ChatGPT or Claude create and manage polls.
Simply Voting
- Election Manager
- Administrators define dates, ballot questions and the voter list, then watch results come in and download reports.
- Voter authentication
- Passwords are generated per voter and sent by email or post, or the system can plug into an existing sign-in.
- Ballot types
- Supports multiple choice, write-in and preferential questions, with photos and descriptions on candidates.
- Anonymous, verifiable votes
- Votes are encrypted and anonymous, and each voter gets a receipt code that can be checked against the published results.
- Multiple languages
- The voting interface can be enabled in up to 18 languages and is audited against WCAG 2.1 and Section 508.
- Phone and paper options
- Telephone voting, postal mailings and mail-in paper ballots are available as add-ons or through managed elections.
Plans
PollUnit
Free$0
40 participants and 20 files per poll, 1 GB storage, unlimited polls.
Premium$5
per month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly)
200 participants and 100 files per poll, 10 GB storage and ad-free polls.
Business$15
per month, billed annually ($36 billed monthly)
2,000 participants and 500 files per poll, 30 GB storage, plus the Business feature set.
Enterprise$46
per month, billed annually ($105 billed monthly)
20,000 participants and 1,000 files per poll, 100 GB storage, plus the Enterprise feature set.
Simply Voting
Self Administered Elections$200
per election for up to 250 voters
Price rises with voters: the page's calculator adds $0.40 per voter from 251 to 2,000, then $0.15 and $0.11.
Managed ElectionsCustom
Full-service voting with a project manager; quote only.
Ways to pay less
PollUnit
- Annual discount
Save up to 75% with annual payment
PollUnit's pricing page shows lower per-month prices for annual payment than for monthly payment, and its FAQ says the annual plan saves up to 75%.
Simply Voting
- Other savings
15% or more off with an annual plan
Simply Voting's pricing page says organizations can save 15% or more on multiple elections by buying an annual plan; a quote is needed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PollUnit or Simply Voting?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PollUnit starts at $5 per month, billed annually ($11 billed monthly), and Simply Voting starts at $200 per election for up to 250 voters.
Which has a free plan, PollUnit or Simply Voting?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PollUnit has a free plan. Simply Voting does not, though it has a free trial.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.