The best free group date planners in the UK
Disclosure first: Whenabouts is our own product, and it's on this list. We've tried to be fair anyway. Every fact about the other tools comes from their own websites or help pages, checked in October 2026. Plans and prices change, so check before you rely on one. There are no affiliate links on this page.
The job here is a specific one: a group of friends needs to agree a date for a night out, a dinner, a hen do or a weekend away, and nobody wants a faff.
The quick answer
- Friend group, one link in WhatsApp, no accounts: Whenabouts (ours) or HerdCats.
- Five options and everyone's already in the chat: a WhatsApp poll.
- Exact hours on a grid: When2Meet, Crab Fit or LettuceMeet.
- Work meetings with calendar invites: Doodle or Calendly.
- Open source: Rallly, Crab Fit or Framadate.
At a glance (as of October 2026)
| Tool | Free? | Organiser needs an account? | Voters need an account? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whenabouts (ours) | Yes, optional tip | No | No | Days and evenings for friend groups |
| WhatsApp polls | Yes | Just WhatsApp | Just WhatsApp | Quick votes in the chat |
| Doodle | Free plan, paid Pro | Yes | No | Work meetings and booking pages |
| When2Meet | Yes | No | No | Hourly availability grids |
| Rallly | Free Hobby plan, paid Pro | Optional | No | Clean meeting polls, open source |
| Crab Fit | Yes | No | No | Simple availability heat map |
| LettuceMeet | Yes | No | No | Grids with a Google Calendar overlay |
| HerdCats | Yes (in beta) | Not for the group | No | Trips with cost-splitting |
| Partiful | Yes | Phone number sign-in | Phone number sign-in | Party invites with a date vote |
| Calendly meeting polls | On all plans | Yes | No | Polling a group, then booking it |
The options, honestly
Whenabouts (our product)
One person makes a plan, shares one link (there's a WhatsApp button), and friends tap the days or evenings they're free, or "maybe". You set evening, daytime or any time, and choose which days work: any day, weekdays, weekends (Saturday and Sunday) or individual days. Whenabouts shows the best date. Once you confirm, anyone who opens the link gets Add to Google Calendar and a .ics file. There's also Spin the Plan for when you can't agree what to do.
- Good: no login for anyone, no app, no ads, no third-party trackers.
- Not so good: no exact times, no calendar sync, and it emails nobody, so you'll need to tell the group when it's confirmed.
WhatsApp polls
The one everybody already has. WhatsApp's August 2026 update added end times, hidden voter names and editing within 15 minutes.
- Good: zero switching, it's right there in the chat.
- Not so good: a poll has a limited number of options, so it's no good for "any night in December", and it gets buried under memes.
Doodle
The big name. Doodle now needs the organiser to have an account to finish creating a group poll; voters don't. The free plan includes one Group Poll, one Booking Page and one 1:1. Pro adds unlimited polls, deadlines, reminders, Zoom, Teams and Webex, and removes ads.
- Good: times, time zones, calendar features and admin tools.
- Not so good: for a friend group, it's more than you need. Full comparison: Whenabouts vs Doodle.
When2Meet
Free and no login. You pick specific dates or days of the week, set the earliest and latest times, and everyone paints their hours onto a grid.
- Good: brilliant when the hour matters.
- Not so good: no confirm step, the site shows ads, and the grid is fiddly on a phone. More in When2Meet alternative for friend groups.
Rallly
An open-source meeting poll you can self-host. The free Hobby plan allows up to three open polls at once, unlimited participants, and keeps polls for 30 days after their final date.
- Good: clean, tidy and open source.
- Not so good: it's meeting-shaped, and the free plan has limits.
Crab Fit
Free and open source. Make an event, send the link, and see a live heat map of when everyone's free.
- Good: very simple.
- Not so good: you see the overlap, but there's no confirm or chase.
LettuceMeet
Pick a date range, everyone fills in their availability, and it overlays the results. You can connect Google Calendar to see your own events underneath.
- Good: handy if you live in Google Calendar.
- Not so good: grid-based, so it's better for times than for nights out.
HerdCats
A UK group-trip organiser, currently in beta. One link for a date poll, then "in, maybe or out" commitments, cost-splitting, payments and an itinerary builder. The group doesn't sign up.
- Good: if you'll be collecting money for a trip, it does a lot.
- Not so good: it's still in beta, and there's more to it than a date picker.
Partiful
A party-invite app with a "Find a Time" feature. Guests vote yes, no or maybe, you pick a time, and responses become RSVPs. Sign-in is by phone number.
- Good: lovely invites.
- Not so good: everyone signs in, and it's an invite app first.
Calendly meeting polls
Available on all Calendly plans. Anyone with the link can vote without an account, with up to 40 time slots and 40 participants. Calendly sends the calendar invites when you book. Votes can't be changed once submitted.
- Good: great for booking a work meeting.
- Not so good: the host needs an account, and it's a work tool.
Framadate
A free, ad-free, open-source date poll from the French non-profit Framasoft. Polls last 180 days by default.
- Good: principled and simple.
- Not so good: it's French-first.
How to choose
- Is the hour important? Yes: a grid tool (When2Meet, Crab Fit, LettuceMeet). No: carry on.
- Is it for work, with invites? Yes: Doodle or Calendly.
- Are you collecting money for a trip? Look at HerdCats.
- Just need a date your mates can make, from WhatsApp, with no sign-ups? That's what we built Whenabouts for. Our guide to finding a date that works for everyone covers the method, whatever tool you use.
Try Whenabouts, free and no login →
Frequently asked questions
What's the best free way to find a date with friends in the UK?
For a friend group in WhatsApp, a no-login date picker such as Whenabouts (ours) or HerdCats is simplest. For exact hours, try When2Meet. For a handful of options, a WhatsApp poll is fine.
Is Doodle still free?
There's a free plan with one Group Poll, one Booking Page and one 1:1, and the organiser needs an account. Pro removes ads and adds unlimited polls.
Which group date planners need no login at all?
Whenabouts, When2Meet and Crab Fit need no account for anyone, according to their sites as of October 2026. HerdCats doesn't ask the group to sign up.
Is Whenabouts really free?
Yes. There's an optional "Buy us a coffee?" tip of £3, £5 or a custom amount, with a "No thanks" button. Everything else is free.
Why is Whenabouts on its own list?
Because it's built for exactly this job. We've said it's ours, kept to facts from each tool's own site, and pointed out where others are better.