ali khan
Ali Khan
Co-founder
Published On
March 21, 2024
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We tried 5 best Polly.ai Alternatives [In-depth Comparison 2024]

Are you tired of Polly.ai not living up to your expectations? Or are you just unsure about whether to stick with it or explore other options? 

We've got you covered! We've tested 5 of the top Polly.ai alternatives. 

But we're not just comparing apples to oranges here. We've evaluated these Polly alternatives based on a comprehensive set of criteria to ensure you're getting the full picture. 

From advanced analytics and AI-driven insights to seamless communication and meaningful recognition, we've left no stone unturned!

So, grab a cup of coffee ☕, sit back and let’s dive straight into knowing whether polly is the right one or you’re missing on a better tool!

What is Polly.ai (Overview)?

What is Polly.ai?

Polly lets teams quickly ask questions and collect answers. It's made to work with platforms many teams already use for daily communication, like Slack and Microsoft Teams.

What makes Polly stand out is how easy it makes to ask a variety of questions right within the chat tools your team uses every day. 

You don't need to stop your work to go into another app or struggle with hard-to-use features. Whether you want to ask a simple "yes or no" question or something more detailed, Polly has you covered.

Because it integrates into Slack and Microsoft Teams, setting up a poll is as easy as starting a new message. This keeps everything flowing smoothly, without any interruptions to the workday. 

Polly is designed to be straightforward, so everyone on your team, no matter their tech skills, can take part in answering polls.

In short, Polly is all about making it easier for teams to communicate and make decisions together. It fits right into the digital places where teams are already working, helping to collect valuable insights and opinions in a way that's simple and seamless.

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Top 5 Reasons to Consider Polly.ai Alternatives

❌ Lack Privacy

Polly shows everyone's names by default. To hide them, you have to find and change many complicated settings. This makes people scared to share anything too personal or sensitive.

❌ High Learning Curve Comparatively

Polly.ai Customer Review on G2
Source: G2

Even for a quick check-in, like asking about pizza toppings, Polly makes it hard. You have to click and search through too many options just to add a simple "other" choice. 

❌ Basic Free Version

The free trial sounds good until you realize it doesn't let you do much: only 25 answers a month and you can't look back at answers after 45 days. Plus, many useful features are locked behind a paywall. 

❌ Poor Support

When you need help or have questions, getting a response from Polly's support team is going to be tough. 

Look at this review by Alexandro:

Polly.ai review on G2
Source: G2

❌ Basic Data Analysis

The feedback you get is all over the place, with no easy way to see patterns, compare results, or really understand what it all means. Without tools to dig deeper, all you have are surface-level guesses, not the clear insights you need to make good decisions.

Looking for Something Better?

Given these issues with Polly—like needing more privacy, simpler use, better free options, responsive support, and deeper data analysis—you might want to explore other options. 

If making sure everyone feels safe to talk, saving time, and really understanding your team matters to you, there are other tools out there worth a look.

How much does Polly.ai cost?

Polly.ai Pricing for Slack

Polly.ai Pricing for Slack

Polly.ai for Slack Pricing Explained

Free Plan: 

  • Limited to only 25 responses per month, which is hardly enough for most teams. 
  • Results are only stored for 45 days, making it difficult to track progress over time.
  • While it includes basic features like surveys and polls, the restrictions make it impractical for sustained use.

Team Plan: 

  • At $2 per user per month for a single workspace, it's a steep price for features like unlimited responses and CSV exports, which are often included for free in other tools. 
  • The plan lacks advanced features like Q&A and demographic filters, making it less versatile for gathering insights.

Business Plan: 

  • Priced at $4 per user per month, it's a significant investment for features that should be standard, such as Google Sheets integration and authenticated web voting. 
  • Small businesses may struggle to justify the expense, especially when more affordable alternatives exist with similar capabilities.

Enterprise: 

  • With custom pricing requiring a consultation, it's unclear exactly how much this tier costs.
  • Features like admin dashboards and custom data retention policies are valuable for large organizations but may not be worth the undisclosed price tag. 

Overall, Polly's pricing plans have significant limitations and high costs compared to alternatives in the market. 

The free plan is too restrictive for most use cases, while the paid plans are overpriced for the features offered. 

Teams looking for an affordable and comprehensive feedback solution may want to explore alternative options that provide better value for their investment.

Polly.ai Pricing for Microsoft Teams

Polly.ai Pricing for Microsoft Teams

Polly.ai for Microsoft Teams Pricing Explained

Free Plan: 

  • With only 25 responses per month and a limit of 30 days for results history, this plan is practically useless for any team that needs regular feedback. You'll quickly run out of responses and lose access to your data. 

Standard Plan:

  • At $49 per month for just 500 responses, this plan is overpriced. That works out to nearly $0.10 per response, which is a steep price to pay for basic features like unlimited results history and sending by chat message.
  • You can find more affordable options that offer similar or better features.

Pro Plan: 

  • While this plan offers more responses (2,500 per month), you have to commit to a 12-month subscription at $24 per month. That's a total of $288 per year, which is a significant investment for most teams.
  • Plus, there's no guarantee that you'll actually need or use all those responses every month.

Enterprise Plan: 

  • This plan offers "unlimited" responses and advanced features like custom data retention and audit logs, but at what cost? The pricing is custom, which can be expensive. 

Overall, Polly.ai's pricing plans are not transparent, flexible, or affordable for most teams. 

The free plan is too limited to be useful, while the paid plans are overpriced and require long-term commitments. You can likely find better value for your money with other polly alternatives that offer more transparent pricing and flexible plans.

Top 5 Polly.ai Alternatives

Polly Alternative #1: Wrenly

Wrenly simplifies the process of understanding and improving company culture, ultimately saving time and resources while boosting employee satisfaction and engagement.

Wrenly Key features

  • Health Score Calculation: Wrenly's AI algorithms analyze employee feedback in real-time, generating a comprehensive health score that provides leadership with a clear, actionable overview of their company's cultural well-being.
  • In-the-Moment Feedback: Employees can share their thoughts, concerns, and suggestions at any time, ensuring that leadership always has a pulse on the organization's climate. Leaders can respond privately or publicly, fostering open communication and trust.
  • Survey Analysis: Wrenly's AI helps leaders dig deeper into survey responses, identifying the root causes of employee frustration and dissatisfaction. The platform automatically incorporates survey comments into the overall culture score report, providing a holistic view of employee sentiment.
  • Anonymous Feedback: This feature allows everyone to share their thoughts or concerns without revealing their identity. It’s beneficial for those who may feel uncomfortable sharing openly, ensuring all voices can be heard.

Look at what Stuart, CFO of a mid-sized company has to say in his review:

Wrenly review on G2
Source: G2
  • Peer Recognition and Rewards: Wrenly encourages employees to recognize and appreciate each other's efforts, fostering a positive and supportive work environment. In contrast, Polly primarily focuses on surveys, lacking the ability to facilitate peer-to-peer recognition.

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You also get a free AI health score during your trial.
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  • Two-Way Anonymous Communication: One of Wrenly's standout features is the ability for leaders to reply to specific anonymous users who have answered a survey, enabling them to seek clarification or follow up on their responses. Polly, on the other hand, only supports one-way communication, restricting the depth of insights that can be gathered.

Real customers have praised Wrenly for its ability to transform anonymous feedback into meaningful, impactful discussions that drive significant business changes. 

Wrenly review on G2
Source: G2

By providing hard data and actionable insights, Wrenly empowers leaders to make informed decisions and improve their company culture within the first week of implementation.

Wrenly Pricing

Wrenly Pricing

Wrenly Pricing Explained

Free Forever: $0 per month 🚀

  • 3 surveys, 5 feedbacks, 10 recognitions per month. A generous free plan to get you started. 
  • Ideal for small teams looking to improve their feedback culture without any upfront costs. 

Standard: $4 per user/month (billed annually) 🚀

  • Includes everything in Free, but with unlimited usage.
  • Wrenly AI Assistant, AI Health Score Report, and Pubic Feedback Moderation are included 
  • Wrenly provides powerful features to keep your team engaged and motivated. 

Enterprise: Custom quote 🚀

  • Includes everything in Standard, plus advanced features.
  • Demographic Filters and All Data Exports are available for in-depth analysis.
  • Priority Support, Launch & Rollout Strategy, and a Dedicated Success Manager are provided.

Wrenly Vs. Polly. Which is better?

Wrenly Vs. Polly. Which is better?

👉 Polly is simpler, while Wrenly offers more features with a slightly steeper learning curve.

👉 Wrenly offers a comprehensive suite of features, while Polly focuses on basic surveys and public suggestion boxes.

👉 Wrenly has advanced AI capabilities, while Polly does not offer any AI features.

👉 Wrenly offers an automated points & rewards system, while Polly does not have this feature.

👉 Wrenly provides both public and private suggestion boxes, while Polly only offers public suggestion boxes.

👉 Wrenly is designed for leadership and people teams seeking a comprehensive solution, while Polly is suitable for teams with basic needs.

👉 Polly is slightly more affordable, but Wrenly offers more features and value for the extra cost.

Polly Alternative #2: Simple Poll

Polly Alternative #2: Simple Poll

Simple poll helps create simple questions and forms inside Slack to help team members talk more, share ideas, and communicate better. 

This makes it easy for everyone to join in and share their thoughts without leaving Slack, making your team work together better and make decisions with everyone's input

Simple Poll Key Features

  • Easy Polls: This feature is popular because it makes it possible for anyone, even if they're not tech-savvy, to quickly ask a question and gather feedback directly in Slack. 
  • Integration with Slack: The fact that Simple Poll works right within Slack without needing to go to an external page is a huge plus. It means you can ask your question where everyone is already talking, making it super easy for your team to vote on what they think. 
  • Anonymous Polls: The ability to create anonymous polls is particularly appreciated. This means you can ask sensitive questions and get honest answers without anyone knowing who said what. 
  • Simple for Quick Decisions: It is praised for its suitability for making quick decisions with a single variable. This is great for straightforward questions, like choosing between two options for lunch, because it keeps everything clear and to the point.
  • Efficiency in Data Organization: This feature helps in quickly understanding the general opinion of a group, akin to organizing a classroom vote to decide on the next class activity efficiently.

Simple Poll Pricing

Here's a concise table summarizing the key features of plans:

Simple Poll Pricing

Simple Poll Pricing Explained

Here's a more straightforward breakdown of pricing structure:

  • Free Plan: Offers no cost access with limitations, including 100 responses, 30 polls, and 10 surveys per month. Ideal for small teams or for trying out the basic features.
  • Premium Monthly: Priced at $59 per workspace per month for workspaces with 1 to 24 members, this plan provides unlimited responses, polls, and surveys, catering to teams requiring more extensive polling capabilities.
  • Premium Annual: This plan costs $49 per workspace per month, billed annually. It offers the same unlimited access as the monthly premium plan but at a reduced rate for annual commitment.
  • Enterprise Plan: Designed for larger organizations, this plan offers custom pricing. It includes full Slack Enterprise Grid support, a dedicated customer success manager, and a tailored 60-day onboarding program, among other advanced features.

SimplePoll's pricing tiers are designed to cater to a wide range of needs, from small teams just getting started to large enterprises seeking comprehensive polling solutions within Slack.

Simple Poll Vs. Polly. Which is better?

Simple Poll Vs. Polly. Which is better?

Here are the key points from comparing Polly and Simple Poll:

👉 Simple Poll shines with easy Slack integration and user-friendly design, ideal for quick polls.

👉 It offers straightforward anonymous polling, addressing privacy needs effectively.

👉 Polly faces criticism for slow support responses, while Simple Poll users dislike its recent price increase.

👉 Both platforms could improve in customization and making polls feel more personal. Wrenly has better customization of polls comparatively.

👉 Managing past polls is somewhat easier with Simple Poll despite its limitations.

Choosing between Polly and Simple Poll depends on your team's priorities: ease of use and Slack integration with Simple Poll, or potentially richer features but more complexity with Polly. Ultimately, it serves as a solid Polly alternative.

Polly Alternative #3: Karma

Polly Alternative #3: Karma

A complete tool for business chats: includes rewards, achievements, quick surveys, and automatic one-on-one meetings. It's easy to start using in less than 5 minutes and doesn't require training for your team.

Karma Key Features

Here are the top features people like:

  • Recognition Anytime, Anywhere: People love that with Karma, you can say "thank you" or "great job" to your team members no matter where you are. It makes everyone feel happier and more connected because they feel appreciated.
  • Values in the Spotlight: Karma lets you talk about your company's important values whenever you give someone a compliment. This helps everyone remember what your team stands for, making it special.
  • Easy to Use: Users find Karma very simple to start using and mix into tools they already use, like Slack. This ease makes it quickly become a favorite tool for teams.
  • Custom Rewards: You can choose different kinds of "thank you" rewards with Karma, making it fun and personal for your team. This customization is a big reason people like it.
  • Better Team Spirit: Lastly, people say Karma helps keep the team spirit high, especially when working from afar. It's like a virtual pat on the back that makes everyone feel closer and more positive.

Karma Pricing 

Here's a concise table summarizing the pricing and key features of Karma's plans

Karma Pricing

Karma Pricing Explained

Here's a more straightforward take on Karma's pricing:

  • 30-Day Free Trial: Offers a no-cost way to explore features before committing financially. It's a good opportunity to see if it fits your team's needs without initial investment.
  • Annual Cost for 5 Employees: $180 for smaller teams. The cost is respective to your team size. This plan breaks down to an annual investment that aims to improve team communication and performance tracking on Slack.
  • MS Teams Integration: For teams preferring MS Teams, The cost for a team of min 10 is $30. The cost is respective to your team size.. 

Karma Vs. Polly. Which is better?

Karma Vs. Polly: Comparison

👉 Polly and Karma offer distinct benefits tailored to different team needs—Polly for feedback and decision-making, Karma for recognition and positive culture.

👉 Polly shines in facilitating decision-making with its variety of poll types, enhancing the efficiency of feedback collection directly within Slack and Teams.

👉 Challenges for Polly include the need for improved user support and simplifying its interface to ensure ease of use for all team members.

👉 Karma could benefit from enhancements in user/group management, simplification of the reward customization process, and more detailed reporting features.

👉 The choice between using Polly or Karma depends on a team's priorities: structured feedback and decision-making versus building a recognition-rich culture.

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Polly Alternative #4: Matter

Polly Alternative #4: Matter

Matter helps you say "thank you" and give rewards to your team for their good work and achievements. 

Matter Key Features

Here are the top 5 features of Matter that stands out:

  • Feedback and Recognition: One feature many users like is the ability to give and receive feedback easily. It helps people talk about how they can improve and appreciate each other's work. This feature seems to make everyone feel noticed and supported.
  • Custom Kudos: Another popular feature is the option to customize kudos. This means you can make your own special message with different titles, colors, and pictures. It looks like this makes giving thanks more personal and meaningful.
  • Integration with Slack: Many reviews mention how well Matter works with Slack. This makes it easy for people to use Matter without leaving their main way of talking with their team online. It seems to help people say thank you more often and keep a good atmosphere at work.
  • Automated Reminders: The reminders that Matter sends out, especially for something called Feedback Friday, are appreciated because they help teams remember to recognize each other's efforts. It's interesting to see how a simple reminder can make people think about their week and make sure they say thanks to their colleagues.
  • Engagement and Community Building: Lastly, Matter is often praised for how it helps teams feel more connected and builds a sense of community, especially for those working remotely. It looks like it creates a friendly place where everyone knows their hard work is seen and valued.

These features make Matter popular because they focus on making it easy and meaningful to show appreciation at work.

Matter Pricing

Here's a concise table summarizing the pricing and key features of Matter's plans:

Matter Pricing

Matter Pricing Explained

Matter's pricing unfolds across various plans to fit team engagement and feedback needs:

  • 30-Day Free Trial: Offers a risk-free peek at all features without needing a credit card.
  • Free Plan: Ideal for small teams, with unlimited users, weekly kudos limits, and essential celebration messages.
  • Pro Plan: $3 per user/month annually ($4 monthly) unlocks unlimited kudos, customizable rewards, analytics, and premium support features.
  • Surveys Add-on: Enhance the Pro plan with detailed surveys and analytics for an additional $2 per user/month annually ($3 monthly).

This setup ensures teams of all sizes find a suitable option for enhancing their recognition and feedback culture affordably.

Matter Vs. Polly. Which is better?

Matter Vs. Polly : Head on comparison

👉 Polly supports both Slack and Microsoft Teams, offering broader platform compatibility compared to Matter's focus on Slack.

👉 Polly is ideal for decision-making through polls, while Matter excels in fostering team morale with feedback and recognition.

👉 Polly's setup and privacy settings may challenge some users, whereas Matter's repetition and notification management need refinement.

👉 Slow support response and missing features are notable concerns for Polly users; Matter could improve by expanding kudos options and allowing post edits.

👉 Teams should choose Polly for polling and decision-making needs, and Matter for enhancing team culture and recognition.

Polly Alternative #5: HeyTaco

Polly Alternative #5: HeyTaco

HeyTaco is a user-friendly app designed to facilitate employee recognition and surveys within organizations. 

While HeyTaco doesn't have some advanced features like automatic rewards, AI analysis, or private idea sharing, it's still a great choice for smaller teams or businesses that want an affordable and straightforward way to promote positivity and gather basic feedback.

HeyTaco Key Features 

  • Ease of Use: One of the standout features of HeyTaco! is its simplicity. Sending a taco as a token of appreciation through an emoji and a mention is straightforward, making it accessible for everyone on the team. 
  • Slack Integration: The seamless integration with Slack is a major plus, allowing real-time recognition within a platform teams already use. 
  • Reward System: The taco-based reward system introduces a fun and engaging way to acknowledge team efforts. This gamification of recognition can significantly boost morale but might lead to a competitive atmosphere, which could be perceived negatively by some members.
  • Positive Team Dynamics: HeyTaco! encourages a culture of recognition and positivity, which can enhance team spirit and collaboration. However, the emphasis on quantity (giving out a limited number of tacos daily) might detract from the sincerity of the recognition over time.
  • Gamification and Engagement: The gamification aspect, with limits on daily taco giving and achievements for earning more, adds excitement and encourages regular engagement. 

HeyTaco Pricing

Here's a concise table summarizing the pricing and key features of HeyTaco’'s plans:

HeyTaco Pricing

HeyTaco Pricing Explained

  • Free Trial: You can start using HeyTaco! for 30 days without paying. No need for a credit card. If you don't like it, you can stop using it anytime.
  • Standard Plan - $3.00 per person every month: This plan includes many features like giving recognition, setting up custom rewards, and keeping track of important values. When someone gives or receives their first taco, they are automatically added to your bill.
  • Team Plan Option: With this option, you choose specific people to include in your plan. This can help make the cost lower and the process of buying easier.
  • Enterprise Plan: If you have a large team, this plan might be better for you. You need to contact HeyTaco! for the price. This plan includes all the features of the Standard plan but can be cheaper for big groups.

HeyTaco! offers different plans to fit your team's size and needs, all aimed at making work more enjoyable by recognizing and rewarding team members.

HeyTaco Vs. Polly. Which is better?

HeyTaco Vs. Polly Comparison

👉 Both Polly and HeyTaco! enhance team communication and culture within digital workspaces, each with a distinct approach: Polly through decision-making polls and HeyTaco! through recognition and rewards.

👉 Polly is more suited for teams looking for a structured way to collect feedback and make decisions, with a range of poll types that integrate smoothly into Slack and Teams. However, its user experience can be hindered by a robotic feel and issues with support responsiveness.

👉 HeyTaco! excels in creating a fun and engaging environment to boost team morale, leveraging the familiarity of Slack for easy recognition. Nevertheless, its approach might not equally appreciate all contributions, particularly from less vocal team members, and has some challenges with reward management.

👉 Teams must consider their primary needs—whether it's structured feedback and decision support (Polly) or building a positive, engaging culture (HeyTaco!)—when choosing between these tools.

What makes Wrenly different from Polly and other alternatives?

Polly.ai top 5 alternative

In conclusion, when it comes to fostering a positive and engaged workplace culture, Wrenly stands out as a compelling choice among Polly.ai and other Polly alternatives like Matter, HeyTaco, Simple Poll, and Karma. 

While each of these tools has its strengths, they also have some noticeable drawbacks that Wrenly aims to address.

💥 Wrenly's AI-powered analytics provide a clear, real-time picture of your company's cultural health. While other tools collect data, Wrenly goes a step further by turning it into actionable insights.

💥 Wrenly enables employees to share feedback anytime, and allows leaders to respond, creating a genuine dialogue. Some alternatives limit this interaction or lack anonymity, which can hinder honest communication.

💥 Wrenly seamlessly integrates peer recognition, fostering a positive, supportive environment. Tools like Polly focus primarily on surveys, missing this crucial aspect of employee engagement.

💥 Wrenly offers a straightforward, intuitive user experience. In contrast, some alternatives like Simple Poll and Karma can be confusing to set up and navigate.

💥 Wrenly's reporting features provide actionable insights. Other tools, like Karma, have room for improvement in this area, leaving some valuable information uncaptured.

While Wrenly has a lot to offer, it's important to recognize that every organization has unique needs. 

Tools like HeyTaco and Matter, despite their limitations, may be suitable for teams that prioritize simplicity or specific features.

Ultimately, Wrenly provides a comprehensive, user-friendly solution that encourages open communication, offers meaningful insights, and promotes a positive culture. 

It addresses most of the pain points found in Polly alternatives, making it a strong alternative for companies looking to truly understand and enhance their workplace dynamics. 

However, if you need a more comprehensive set of features, robust customer support and value for money. Wrenly can be the right  fit for your business.

Try Wrenly for free (no credit card details required).

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More Articles From Ali Khan

Ali is a co-founder of Wrenly known for his innovative thinking and exceptional drive to create value for every Wrenly customer. His dedication, mentorship, and leadership skills have not only shaped various careers but have also made him an invaluable asset to the Wrenly team.

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