Schedly vs When2meet: the upgrade your team deserves
When2meet has been the go-to free scheduling grid since 2005. It's free, it works, and it's stuck in time. Here's how a modern meeting poll tool compares.
TL;DR Verdict
When2meet shows you a heatmap and stops. Schedly reads your live calendar, collects votes on mobile-friendly ballots, and books the meeting automatically — still completely free.
Schedly vs When2meet: feature by feature
Every capability that separates the two products, side by side.
| Feature | Schedly | When2meet |
|---|---|---|
| Reads live calendar availability | ||
| Auto-books the winning slot | ||
| AI slot ranking & recommendation | ||
| Mobile-optimized voter experience | ||
| Timezone auto-detection | ||
| Calendar sync for host | ||
| No login required for voters | ||
| Booking confirmations & reminders | ||
| Multi-host availability check | ||
| Custom branding | ||
| Real-time response dashboard | Heatmap only | |
| Free to use |
Schedly
Free forever
No credit card required
When2meet
Free
To access premium features
Based on publicly available feature documentation as of June 2026.
The gaps that matter most
Every tool has a checklist. Here's what the checklist doesn't tell you.
Mobile experience that actually works
When2meet's grid interface was designed for desktop in 2005. On a mobile screen, dragging to select availability across a dense time grid is a frustrating, error-prone experience. Most voters on mobile give up or make mistakes. Schedly's voting interface is mobile-first — voters see proposed slots as simple cards and tap to vote in under 30 seconds on any device.
Timezone handling that doesn't require a PhD
When2meet requires every voter to manually select their timezone from a dropdown before they can even see the grid. If they get it wrong (and they do), the whole poll is useless. Schedly auto-detects each voter's timezone on page load and shows them the proposed times in their local time. No dropdowns, no manual selection, no errors.
A meeting that actually gets scheduled
When2meet gives you a color heatmap. You then have to look at the heatmap, identify the best time, open your calendar, create an event, and manually invite everyone. Schedly closes that loop: auto-book the winner, fire calendar invites to every attendee, send reminders on schedule. The poll → booked meeting flow is fully automated.
Live calendar — no more guessing your own availability
When2meet requires you to fill in your own availability manually on a grid. Schedly pulls from your connected Google or Outlook calendar — you see which slots you're genuinely free for, in real time, without filling anything in by hand.
Where When2meet still has an edge
We're not going to pretend every advantage is ours. Here's where When2meet genuinely holds up.
Zero setup required
When2meet requires no account, no signup, no calendar connection. You go to the site, name the event, pick a date range, and share the link. For a one-off personal event with non-work contacts, this frictionlessness has value. Schedly's setup takes about 3 minutes, but the calendar integration is permanent for all future polls.
Universal familiarity in academic/student contexts
When2meet is deeply embedded in university and academic environments. Many students and researchers have used it for years. If your audience is exclusively students or academics who already know the grid interface, you won't face any learning curve.
Our honest take
When2meet is a remarkable piece of software for its era — a free, no-signup scheduling grid that genuinely helped millions of people coordinate. But mobile usage has overtaken desktop, timezone errors are rampant, and nobody wants to manually book a meeting after reading a heatmap. Schedly gives you everything When2meet offers plus a voting experience that works on any device, automatic timezone detection, and a meeting that books itself when the poll closes.
From When2meet to Schedly in minutes
No migration. No data to transfer. Your next poll starts in Schedly.
Create a free Schedly account
Visit app.schedly.io and sign up with Google or email. No credit card needed.
Connect your calendar
Link your Google Calendar or Outlook in one click. Schedly reads your real availability going forward.
Open Meeting Polls and create your first poll
Click the times you want to offer directly from your calendar view. No grid dragging, no manual availability entry.
Share and automate
Send your poll link. Voters click in 30 seconds on any device. The winning slot books automatically — calendar invites go out to everyone.
Common questions
Everything you need to know before you start.
Group scheduling that works on every device
Mobile-first voting. AI slot ranking. Auto-booking. All free.