Doodle: Scheduling & polls (Ordering & website)

Last updated 46 mentions

Reviewers report that Doodle’s scheduling and polling features are widely praised for their simplicity and effectiveness in coordinating meetings across time zones and organizations. The overall sentiment is strongly positive, with 30 positive mentions compared to just 7 negative ones, indicating a clear trend of satisfaction among users. Many highlight how Doodle streamlines group scheduling, eliminates back-and-forth emails, and integrates smoothly with tools like Google and Outlook. However, a minority of users have raised concerns about the free version’s heavy ad load, technical glitches such as lost meetings and deleted polls, and recent feature reductions. While these issues are notable, they remain isolated compared to the broader consensus that Doodle remains a reliable and time-saving tool for organizing group events.

What customers praise

Customers consistently praise Doodle for its ease of use and efficiency in scheduling meetings, especially with large or geographically dispersed groups. Many users emphasize how it eliminates the need for lengthy email chains and helps quickly identify overlapping availability. The ability to set up polls and share booking links is seen as intuitive and reliable, with long-term users noting consistent performance over years. The integration with calendar systems like Google and Outlook is frequently highlighted as a major strength.

What customers said:

  • „Using Doodle made scheduling 8 IEP meetings at the end of the school year the easiest…“ - Trustpilot · 5★ ·
    „Using Doodle made scheduling 8 IEP meetings at the end of the school year the easiest part of the process.“
  • „Very useful tool to organise my coaching bookings“ - Trustpilot · 5★ ·
  • „I just send out my booking page, and people schedule themselves.“ - Trustpilot · 5★ ·

Common complaints

Several users report serious issues with the free version, including excessive ads that interfere with usability, particularly on mobile devices. Some describe the ad load as so disruptive that the page becomes unresponsive or fails to function properly. Others mention that their polls were deleted or that meetings disappeared from both Doodle and Google Calendar, with automated cancellation emails sent to participants. A few users also noted that valuable features like text polls and flexible durations were removed in recent updates.

What customers said:

  • „several features I found valuable were removed, such as text polls and flexible…“ - Trustpilot · 1★ ·
    „several features I found valuable were removed, such as text polls and flexible calendar durations.“
  • „My new poll was deleted.“ - Trustpilot · 1★ ·
  • „allowing me to enter all the details of my meeting“ - Trustpilot · 1★ ·

How it has changed over time

While no monthly history data is available, the feedback suggests a shift in user experience over time, particularly around the free tier. Earlier users appreciated the tool’s simplicity and reliability, but recent reviews indicate growing frustration with ad-heavy design, feature cuts, and unresolved bugs. The removal of previously useful tools and the focus on matching competitors’ features rather than innovating have been noted as negative changes. These concerns appear to be concentrated in the lower-rated reviews, suggesting a decline in perceived value for free users.

What customers said:

  • „the interface is heavily impacted by advertising, which reduces readability and…“ - Trustpilot · 1★ ·
    „the interface is heavily impacted by advertising, which reduces readability and usability, particularly on mobile devices.“
  • „I like how Doodle allows me to effortlessly schedule meetings, appointments, and other…“ - Capterra · 4★ ·
    „I like how Doodle allows me to effortlessly schedule meetings, appointments, and other important events.“

Practical takeaways

For most users, Doodle remains a top choice for scheduling due to its reliability and ease of integration. The free version may be limited by ads, but it still serves basic needs for small groups. Users who need advanced features or a cleaner experience often find the paid version worth the cost. The tool is especially effective for recurring or large-scale meetings, and its long-standing reputation makes it a trusted option across education, business, and coaching contexts.

What customers said:

  • „particularly with the automatic Teams meetings it generates“ - Trustpilot · 5★ ·
  • „Easy, trustworthy, integrates easily into both Outlook and Google calendar.“ - Trustpilot · 5★ ·
  • „Doodle saves me from sorting through long email threads when setting up committee…“ - Trustpilot · 5★ ·
    „Doodle saves me from sorting through long email threads when setting up committee meetings.“

Customer voices

Short excerpts - full reviews are available at the original source.

„Doodle is a time saver for me when trying to schedule work meetings since I schedule meetings with people all over the globe.“

„Easy to use setting up and responding to the poll.“

„it not only lost 6 appointments - they just disappeared off both the doodle calendar and my google calendar“

„I appreciated the ease of using the platform for a schedule poll“

„We use Doodle to prevent the endless games of "Calendar Tetris" when trying to coordinate meetings with clients and stakeholders.“

„Great for scheduling larger scale meetings.“

„Within two days we had our meetings scheduled!“

„It’s a great tool for coordinating meetings across teams“