Short answer: Doodle invented the group date poll and still works fine. People look for an alternative because the free tier carries ads and upsells for every participant, deleted polls expire, and it can't see your real calendar without a paid plan. LeapSync availability boards do the same job with private links instead of accounts, no ads ever for participants, two board styles (paint free/blocked days on a calendar, or vote yes / if need be / no on proposed dates), and on Pro your real calendar availability shows on the board automatically. Every plan includes a board, even the free trial.
What Doodle does well
Doodle is the name everyone knows, so participants recognise the format instantly. Its 1:1 scheduling and large-organisation features are mature, and it integrates with the big conferencing tools.
Where LeapSync is different
No ads, no accounts, for anyone. You add participants by name; each gets a private magic link. They open it, answer, done. Nobody is asked to sign up or shown an ad. Only the organizer has a LeapSync account.
Two ways to answer. A date poll (propose dates, vote yes / if need be / no, with totals and a highlighted best option) or an availability calendar where everyone paints free and blocked half-days across a whole date range. The second one is what actually works for planning trips, offsites, and family events.
Your real availability on the board. On Pro, tick one box and the board shows which half-days you're actually busy, straight from your connected Google and Outlook calendars. Busy or free only, never event titles, and you control which calendars feed it, your working hours, and how big a meeting must be to count.
Finish with a calendar invite. Pick the winning option and everyone gets an "Add to calendar" (.ics) button.
Part of a calendar toolkit. The same account does real-time two-way Google ↔ Outlook sync and a Calendly-style booking page. Paid plans start at $1/month.
Side by side
LeapSync boards
Doodle
Participants need an account
Never (private links)
No, but heavily prompted
Ads shown to participants
Never
On the free plan
Date poll (yes / if need be / no)
Yes
Yes
Paint availability across a date range
Yes (half-day granularity)
No (specific slots only)
Organizer's real calendar shown on the poll
Pro, opt-in, busy/free only
Connected calendar on paid plans
Two-way calendar sync included
Yes
No
Starting paid price
$1/mo (annual launch price)
~$6.95/user/mo
Compiled 11 July 2026. Verify current Doodle pricing and features with the vendor.
Who should stay on Doodle
If your organisation already runs Doodle at enterprise scale, or you rely on its 1:1 booking with conferencing integrations, switching may not be worth it. For everyone organising a trip, a board meeting, a team offsite, or a family reunion, a LeapSync board does the job without making your participants create yet another account.
Find a date that works for everyone, without the email ping-pong.
LeapSync availability boards show no ads to anyone. Every plan includes a board, participants answer through private links with no account, and paid plans start at $1/month.
Do participants need to create an account?
No. The organizer adds people by name and each person gets a private magic link. They open it and paint their days or vote. Only the organizer has a LeapSync account.
Can the poll show my real calendar availability?
Yes, on the Pro plan and strictly opt-in per board: participants see which half-days you're busy based on your connected Google and Outlook calendars. They see busy or free only, never event titles, and you choose which calendars feed it and your working hours.
What happens when a date is chosen?
The organizer picks the final option and the board shows a banner with an Add to calendar (.ics) button, so everyone can put the chosen date in their own calendar in one click.
How is a LeapSync board different from a Doodle poll?
Besides date polls, LeapSync also offers an availability-calendar mode where everyone paints free and blocked half-days across a whole date range. That works better for trips and multi-day planning than voting on a handful of fixed slots.