Doodle alternatives: 3 open-source picks
Doodle costs $15/mo — $180 a year. These 3 alternatives replace it for $0, led by Rallly, Nextcloud Polls and Cal.com. All 3 are open source. License, stars and last commit checked by hand on 2026-08-29. No trials, no crippled tiers.
Doodle’s useful half, date polls, votes, comments and finalization, without the account ambush.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour machine or their cloud
installUse the hosted service with no install, or run the official single-server Docker Compose stack
dataRallly Cloud stores polls, votes, comments and account data in Rallly's infrastructure; self-hosting stores primary data in PostgreSQL and uploads in bundled Garage S3-compatible object storage or configured external Postgres/S3.
the catch vs DoodleRallly closely matches date voting, but the hosted free service deletes expired inactive polls and the free self-hosted edition permits only one registered account.
setupHosted free polls are deleted after every option is past and 30 inactive days; self-hosting is free for one registered user only, with multi-user administration requiring a perpetual license.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Excellent Doodle replacement hiding inside a whole Nextcloud server; the poll is easy, the platform is not.
licenseAGPL-3.0+
runsyour server
installInstall or enable the Polls app inside an existing Nextcloud server
dataPolls, options, votes, comments and invitations live in the operator's Nextcloud database; spreadsheet and HTML exports are available, and calendar-conflict hints use the user's Nextcloud calendar data.
the catch vs DoodleNextcloud Polls is a strong poll engine, but installing an entire Nextcloud server and manually handling final calendar follow-through is far more work than sending a Doodle link.
setupThe poll app is easy only after Nextcloud exists; the first obstacle is installing and maintaining an entire Nextcloud server for one small polling job.
facts verified 2026-08-10
Open scheduling infrastructure with booking pages, round-robin, routing forms, and app integrations
licenseAGPL-3.0 (+EE)
runsyour server
setupnot verified by us yet — check the repo README
facts verified 2026-08-29
What each one is, in full: Rallly · Cal.com
last updated 2026-08-29 · no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real
how to choose a Doodle alternative
Easiest to get running
Rallly — they host it, so there is nothing to install.
Most proven
Cal.com, with 37,000 GitHub stars — the largest community of the 3, which usually means more answers when something breaks.
Needs real ops to self-host
Nextcloud Polls is capable but expects someone to run a server, updates and backups. Budget for that before choosing it.
what you give up by leaving Doodle
- participant familiarity, calendar connections, reminders, branding, and hosted delivery
- multiple calendar providers
- team routing and round-robin
- payments
- timezone edge-case maturity
None of the picks above covers all of it. The full verdict says which gaps matter.
Doodle alternatives at a glance
| tool | license | running it | platforms | stars | active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rallly | AGPL-3.0+ | they host it | web, self-hosted | 5,200 | 2026-08 |
| Nextcloud Polls | AGPL-3.0+ | self-host, real ops | web, self-hosted | 284 | 2026-08 |
| Cal.com | AGPL-3.0 (+EE) | docker to self-host | self-hosted, web | 37,000 | 2026-08 |
why people still pay for Doodle
People still pay for Doodle because people pay because one double booking or missed invite can cost more than years of subscription fees. The recurring cost buys OAuth refresh, webhooks, timezone databases, race conditions, reminders, deliverability, privacy, and uptime, not just the visible interface. If none of that applies to you, any pick above saves $180 a year.
questions about switching from Doodle
Is there an open-source alternative to Doodle?
Yes: Rallly, Nextcloud Polls, Cal.com. Every tool on this page is open source: no trials, no crippled tiers.
Can open source really replace Doodle?
Our verdict is YES. Cal.com (37k stars), Rallly (5k stars), Nextcloud Polls (284 stars) are mature open-source replacements for Doodle — self-host with docker and stop paying $15/mo. The full verdict, and what you give up by switching, is at caniopensourceit.online/doodle.
What is the easiest open-source Doodle alternative to set up?
Rallly — they host it, so there is nothing to install.
What is the most popular open-source Doodle alternative?
By GitHub stars, Cal.com (37,000). Rallly is next with 5,200.