What Makes a Great Free Planning Poker Tool in 2025
The planning poker landscape changed significantly over the past few years. Teams expect more than basic card reveals—they want integrations with their existing tools, support for async workflows, historical data analysis, and mobile accessibility. Yet "free" tools must balance these features against sustainability.
When evaluating tools, consider:
- Setup friction: How quickly can you start estimating? Best tools require zero registration and work instantly via link sharing.
- User limits: Does "free" mean 5 users or unlimited? Many tools restrict free tiers to small teams.
- Feature completeness: Which advanced features (integrations, analytics, custom scales) are paywalled?
- Async support: Can distributed teams estimate across time zones without synchronous sessions?
- Persistence: Do estimation sessions and history persist or disappear after each session?
- Integration quality: How well does it connect with Jira, GitHub, Azure DevOps, and other tools your team uses?
The "best" tool depends entirely on your specific needs. A five-person startup has different requirements than a 50-person enterprise team. Let's examine each major option.
Kollabe: The Zero-Friction Leader
Kollabe has surged in popularity with over 217,000 active users across 162,000 sessions. The secret? Absurdly low friction. No registration, no account creation, no email verification. Visit the site, click "Start Session," share the link, and you're estimating in literally 10 seconds.
Key strengths:
- Absolutely zero setup required
- Unlimited participants and sessions
- Clean, distraction-free interface
- Multiple estimation scales (Fibonacci, T-shirt, custom)
- Real-time voting with automatic reveal
- Session history persistence via browser storage
Limitations:
- No integrations with project management tools
- No async estimation support
- Basic analytics only (average, consensus detection)
- Ephemeral sessions unless you save the link
Best for: Small to medium teams wanting dead-simple planning poker without administrative overhead. Perfect for agencies, startups, and teams that don't need deep tool integration. If you value speed over features, Kollabe delivers.
Parabol: The Open-Source Powerhouse
Parabol stands out as a fully open-source solution with a remarkably generous free tier. The cloud version offers unlimited users and unlimited boards completely free, funded by enterprise customers who pay for self-hosting support and advanced features.
Key strengths:
- Truly unlimited free tier (users, sessions, boards)
- Deep integrations: Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps
- Automatic story import with titles and descriptions
- Async estimation workflows supported
- Combined retrospectives and planning poker in one tool
- Self-hostable for security-conscious enterprises
- Active development and responsive maintainers
Limitations:
- More complex interface requiring short learning curve
- Requires registration (though free)
- Some advanced analytics behind paid tier
- Occasional performance issues with very large teams (50+ people)
Best for: Teams already using Jira, GitHub, or Azure DevOps who want seamless integration. Ideal for medium to large development teams that value open-source software and need combined retrospective and estimation tooling. The integration quality justifies the small setup cost.
FreeScrumPoker: Purpose-Built for Distributed Teams
FreeScrumPoker focuses specifically on distributed team needs with features that reduce common remote estimation pain points. The tool emphasizes clarity, accessibility, and time zone accommodation.
Key strengths:
- No registration required for participants
- Excellent mobile experience (often overlooked by competitors)
- Clear visual feedback on who has/hasn't voted
- Spectator mode for stakeholders who observe but don't vote
- Session history and export functionality
- Custom voting scales and timers
- Completely free with no paid tiers at all
Limitations:
- No project management integrations
- Limited analytics beyond basic stats
- Requires moderator to create session (participants join)
Best for: Distributed teams prioritizing mobile accessibility and stakeholder involvement. Works exceptionally well for teams with varying levels of technical sophistication where the simple interface reduces barriers to participation.
Zenhub: GitHub-Native Planning Poker
Zenhub takes a different approach by embedding planning poker directly into GitHub's interface. For teams living in GitHub already, this native integration eliminates context switching.
Key strengths:
- Seamless GitHub integration (appears directly in issue pages)
- Asynchronous voting by default—distributed teams vote on their own time
- Automatic estimate syncing to GitHub issues
- Generous free tier for public repositories and small teams
- Historical velocity tracking within the GitHub interface
Limitations:
- GitHub-only (useless if you use Jira, Azure, or other tools)
- Free tier limited to 5 users for private repositories
- Learning curve if you're new to Zenhub's workflow
- Some features require paid tiers
Best for: Small teams (under 5 people) using GitHub for issue tracking who want planning poker without leaving their existing workflow. The async-first design particularly suits teams with significant time zone spread.
Planning-Poker.app: Feature-Rich with Linear Integration
Planning-Poker.app differentiates through its Linear integration—uncommon among free tools. Linear is rapidly gaining adoption among modern product teams, making this integration valuable.
Key strengths:
- Linear integration on free tier (unique advantage)
- Multiple estimation scales including custom definitions
- Session templates for recurring estimation patterns
- Basic team analytics
- Export estimates to CSV
Limitations:
- Requires registration for full features
- Free tier limited to 10 users
- Advanced features (Jira integration, detailed analytics) require paid plan
- Smaller user base means less community support
Best for: Teams using Linear for project management, especially startups and product teams that have adopted Linear's modern approach. The 10-user limit works for most small to medium teams.
PlanITpoker: The Ad-Supported Free Option
PlanITpoker takes a unique sustainability approach: completely free forever through ad support. Unlike freemium models with paywalled features, everything remains accessible at no cost.
Key strengths:
- Unlimited users and sessions permanently free
- All features available to free users
- Multiple rooms for parallel estimation sessions
- Custom card sets and decks
- Mobile-responsive design
Limitations:
- Advertisements can be distracting during sessions
- No integrations with project management tools
- Basic interface with minimal polish
- Privacy concerns about ad tracking (for security-conscious teams)
Best for: Teams comfortable with ad-supported software who want unlimited free access without feature restrictions. Good for budget-conscious organizations that don't require integrations.
Scrumpy Planning Poker: The Minimalist Choice
Scrumpy embraces minimalism with a focused feature set and clean interface. Sometimes less is more, especially when too many options create decision paralysis.
Key strengths:
- Extremely clean, distraction-free interface
- Fast performance even with large teams
- No registration required
- Keyboard shortcuts for power users
- Dark mode support
Limitations:
- Very basic feature set (intentionally minimal)
- No session history or analytics
- No integrations
- Sessions expire after 24 hours of inactivity
Best for: Teams that want absolutely minimal friction and complexity. Perfect for occasional planning poker users or teams that prefer separate, specialized tools rather than all-in-one platforms.
PlanningPoker.live: The Enterprise-Grade Free Option
PlanningPoker.live positions itself as enterprise-ready with ISO 27001 compliance—extremely rare among free tools. This makes it suitable for regulated industries.
Key strengths:
- ISO 27001 certified (unique for free tools)
- GDPR compliant with data privacy guarantees
- SSO support even on free tier
- Session encryption and security features
- Detailed audit logs
Limitations:
- Free tier limited to 8 users per session
- Some security features require paid tier
- Steeper learning curve due to enterprise focus
- Overkill for simple planning poker needs
Best for: Teams in regulated industries (healthcare, finance) requiring compliance certifications. Also suitable for security-conscious enterprises that need audit trails and data protection guarantees.
Feature Comparison Table
| Tool | User Limit (Free) | Integrations | Async Support | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kollabe | Unlimited | None | No | Zero-friction setup |
| Parabol | Unlimited | Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Azure | Yes | Integrated workflows |
| FreeScrumPoker | Unlimited | None | No | Mobile + distributed teams |
| Zenhub | 5 (private repos) | GitHub | Yes | GitHub-native teams |
| Planning-Poker.app | 10 | Linear (free), Jira (paid) | Partial | Linear users |
| PlanITpoker | Unlimited | None | No | Ad-tolerant teams |
| Scrumpy | Unlimited | None | No | Minimalists |
| PlanningPoker.live | 8 | Basic | Partial | Compliance needs |
Choosing the Right Tool for Your Team
Decision frameworks help navigate this crowded landscape:
If you use GitHub exclusively: Zenhub provides unmatched native integration. The async voting aligns perfectly with pull request workflows.
If you use Jira/Azure/GitLab: Parabol's free tier offers the best integration quality. The ability to import stories automatically saves significant time.
If you use Linear: Planning-Poker.app is currently the only free option with Linear integration, making it the obvious choice despite the 10-user limit.
If you need ultra-fast setup: Kollabe or FreeScrumPoker win on speed. Both work instantly without registration.
If you span many time zones: Parabol or Zenhub's async support becomes essential. Synchronous planning poker frustrates globally distributed teams.
If you're in regulated industries: PlanningPoker.live's compliance certifications may be mandatory for healthcare or finance teams.
If you value simplicity above all: Scrumpy's minimalist approach reduces cognitive load and decision fatigue.
Similar to how security tools must balance protection with user experience, planning poker tools balance features with simplicity. More features don't always mean better outcomes—choose based on your actual workflow needs.
Emerging Trends in 2025
Several trends are reshaping planning poker tools:
AI-powered estimation assistance: Some paid tools now use machine learning to suggest estimate ranges based on historical data. Expect free tools to adopt similar features by 2026 as the technology commoditizes.
Voice-first interfaces: Experimental tools let teams estimate via voice commands during video calls, reducing the need to switch windows. Still early but showing promise for accessibility.
Async-native design: The shift toward async work continues. Tools designed for asynchronous estimation rather than bolting it onto synchronous flows will dominate.
Unified agile platforms: Planning poker increasingly becomes one feature within comprehensive agile platforms rather than standalone tools. Parabol exemplifies this with retrospectives, check-ins, and planning poker combined.
Mobile-first development: More teams estimate from phones and tablets. Tools optimizing for mobile rather than treating it as an afterthought will gain market share.
Getting the Most from Free Tools
Maximize value from free planning poker tools through these practices:
Combine tools strategically: Use a simple tool like Kollabe for quick estimation sessions and a more sophisticated tool like Parabol for integration-heavy sprint planning. Different contexts need different tools.
Leverage browser extensions: Several tools offer browser extensions that enhance base functionality. For example, extensions can auto-fill story titles from Jira without requiring paid integrations.
Document your process: Free tools often lack sophisticated workflow guides. Create team documentation showing exactly how you use the tool to reduce onboarding friction for new members.
Export data regularly: Free tools sometimes sunset or change terms. Export estimation history quarterly so you don't lose velocity data if you need to switch tools.
Provide feedback: Free tool maintainers appreciate user feedback. Report bugs and request features—many of these tools actively incorporate user suggestions.
When to Consider Paid Tools
Free tools work excellently for most teams, but certain situations justify paid options:
- Teams above 10-15 people where free tier limits become constraining
- Need for advanced analytics and velocity forecasting beyond basic averages
- Requirement for dedicated support and SLAs
- Compliance needs beyond what free tools provide
- Multiple concurrent estimation sessions across different sub-teams
- Custom branding for client-facing sessions
That said, many 50+ person teams successfully use free tools by running multiple parallel sessions or combining several free options. Paid tools offer convenience more than capability.
Final Recommendations
For most teams starting with planning poker in 2025, we recommend:
First choice - Parabol: If you use Jira, GitHub, GitLab, or Azure DevOps, Parabol's unlimited free tier with deep integrations provides exceptional value. The learning curve pays off quickly.
Second choice - Kollabe or FreeScrumPoker: If you don't need integrations and value speed and simplicity, either tool works excellently. Choose Kollabe for absolute minimal friction or FreeScrumPoker for better mobile experience.
Specialized choice - Zenhub: For small GitHub-native teams, Zenhub's integration quality justifies its limitations.
Try two or three tools for a few sprints each. The "best" tool is whichever your team actually uses consistently. Tool switching costs are low—if something isn't working, change rather than suffer.
The planning poker tool landscape in 2025 offers remarkable free options. Teams no longer need budgets to access sophisticated estimation capabilities. Choose based on your specific workflow needs, not marketing claims or feature lists. The simplest tool that meets your requirements beats the most feature-rich tool that your team finds frustrating.