Whenabouts vs Doodle: a straight head-to-head
Full disclosure: Whenabouts is our product. So we've stuck to what Doodle says about itself on its own website and help centre (checked October 2026), and we've been clear about where Doodle wins. Spoiler: it wins quite a lot, just not for the curry club.
If you only want the "no sign-up Doodle" angle, our Doodle alternative page covers that. This page is the side-by-side, plus five real situations and which tool we'd honestly pick for each. Weighing up more than two tools? See our round-up of free group date planners in the UK.
The one-line difference
Doodle is a scheduling tool built around meeting times: group polls, booking pages, 1:1s and sign-up sheets, with calendar and video-call connections.
Whenabouts is a date picker for friend groups. You're picking a day or an evening, not a 45-minute slot, and nobody makes an account.
Side by side (as of October 2026)
| Whenabouts | Doodle | |
|---|---|---|
| Organiser account | Not needed | Needed to finish creating a group poll (Doodle help centre, since Aug 2025) |
| Participant account | Not needed | Not needed; voters give a name and email |
| Price | Free, with an optional tip | Free plan; Pro listed from $11 a month billed annually |
| Free plan limits | Everything's free; invite as many friends as you like | One Group Poll (up to 20 time slots), one Booking Page, one 1:1, basic Sign-up Sheets, one calendar connection |
| Ads | None, and no third-party trackers | Removed on Pro and above |
| What people vote on | Days, set to evening, daytime or any time | Specific dates and times |
| "Maybe" | Yes | Yes ("if need be") |
| Final date | Shown to anyone who opens the link, with Add to Google Calendar and a .ics file | Doodle notifies participants when the organiser picks the final time |
| Calendar sync and invites | No | Pro syncs meetings to your calendar and sends invites |
| Video links | No | Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Webex on Pro |
| Deadlines, reminders, hidden participants | No | Pro |
| Booking pages and sign-up sheets | No | Yes |
| Picking the activity | Spin the Plan wheel | No |
Five scenarios, and our honest pick
1. Twelve mates, one Saturday in December
Pick: Whenabouts. Nobody wants an account for this, you included. Make a plan, set "Which days work?" to Weekends (that's Saturday and Sunday), hit the WhatsApp button, and everyone taps what they can do. Whenabouts shows the best date.
2. A 30-minute call with three clients next Tuesday
Pick: Doodle. You need specific times, probably a video link, and calendar invites sent for you. That's Doodle's home turf, and Whenabouts doesn't do time slots at all.
3. A hen do weekend, Friday and Saturday only
Pick: Whenabouts. Tick just Friday and Saturday under "Which days work?", set a range of a few months, and let people mark the weekends they're free or "maybe". Then read our hen or stag do guide for the rest.
4. Team planning sessions across London and New York
Pick: Doodle. It shows times in each person's local time zone, and Pro adds deadlines and reminders. Whenabouts thinks in days and evenings, not exact times, so it isn't the tool for this.
5. The office Christmas do
It depends. If you just need "which Thursday in December?", Whenabouts is quicker and nobody signs up. If you want a deadline, automatic reminders and invites dropped straight into everyone's work calendar, that's Doodle Pro. More on the Whenabouts route in work Christmas party scheduling.
Where Doodle is genuinely better
- Times, not just dates. If the exact hour matters, use Doodle.
- Calendars and invites. Pro syncs to your calendar and sends invites. Whenabouts doesn't touch anyone's calendar; people add the date themselves from the link.
- Telling people. Doodle notifies participants when the final time is picked. Whenabouts emails nobody, so you'll need to post "it's on!" in the chat.
- Admin tools. Booking pages, sign-up sheets, deadlines, reminders, hidden participants and branding on paid plans.
Where Whenabouts is better
- No account for anyone. Not the organiser, not the group. More on that in free group scheduling, no login.
- Built for the group chat. One link and a WhatsApp share button.
- Free, with no ads. There's an optional "Buy us a coffee?" tip with a "No thanks" button, and that's it.
- Light on tracking. First-party analytics only, behind a consent banner. No third-party trackers.
- It helps with the "what". Spin the Plan picks the activity when the group can't.
How Whenabouts works
- Create a plan. Name it, set a date range, and pick evening, daytime or any time. Choose which days work: any day, weekdays, weekends or individual days.
- Share one link. WhatsApp or anywhere else. Everyone taps the days they're free, or "maybe".
- Lock in the best date. Whenabouts shows the date that suits the most people. Once you confirm, anyone who opens the link gets Add to Google Calendar and a .ics download.
Frequently asked questions
Is Whenabouts better than Doodle?
For friend groups picking a day or evening, we think so, as it needs no account and has no ads. For timed work meetings with calendar invites and video links, Doodle is the better tool.
Do I need an account to make a Doodle poll?
Doodle's help centre says you need a free or paid account to finish creating a group poll. People voting don't need one.
Is Doodle free?
There's a free plan with one Group Poll, one Booking Page and one 1:1. Pro adds unlimited polls, deadlines, reminders and no ads.
Does Whenabouts send calendar invites?
No. Once you confirm, anyone who opens the plan link can tap Add to Google Calendar or download a .ics file. Nothing is emailed.
Can Whenabouts schedule specific times?
No. You choose evening, daytime or any time, and people pick days. For exact meeting times, use Doodle or a similar tool.