WhenIsGood and SyncWhen both solve the same problem: helping a group of people find a time to meet. But they take very different approaches to getting there. If you're trying to decide between them, here's an honest comparison.
The Approach Difference
WhenIsGood uses a time grid. You paint your available hours on a weekly grid, other participants do the same, and the tool shows where everyone's availability overlaps. It's similar to When2Meet — a visual, drag-to-mark approach.
SyncWhen uses a polling approach. You propose specific time slots, share a link, and participants vote yes, maybe, or no on each one. The best time is the one with the most yes votes.
These are fundamentally different workflows. The grid approach is more open-ended ("when are you generally free?"), while the polling approach is more directed ("which of these specific times work for you?").
Mobile Experience
This is where the difference is most noticeable.
WhenIsGood's grid interface was designed for desktop browsers with a mouse. Dragging to select time blocks on a phone touchscreen is frustrating — your finger covers the cells you're trying to select, precision is difficult, and the grid often requires horizontal scrolling.
SyncWhen was built mobile-first. Voting on time slots is a series of taps — yes, maybe, or no for each option. It works exactly the same on a phone as it does on a desktop. Given that most people will vote from their phone (since that's where they'll see the shared link), this matters.
Voting Nuance
WhenIsGood offers binary availability: you're either free or you're not. There's no way to indicate "I can do this time, but I'd rather not."
SyncWhen's three-way voting (yes/maybe/no) captures more information. A time slot where 5 people voted "yes" is clearly better than one where 3 voted "yes" and 2 voted "maybe" — even though both technically "work" for everyone. This nuance helps you find the best time, not just an acceptable one.
Real-Time Results
WhenIsGood doesn't update results in real time. You need to refresh the page to see new responses.
SyncWhen uses WebSocket connections to push updates instantly. You can watch votes appear as participants respond — no refreshing needed. This is particularly useful when you're monitoring participation and want to know the moment you have enough votes to make a decision.
Setup Speed
WhenIsGood requires you to configure a time grid — select the days, set the time range, adjust the granularity. It's not complicated, but it takes a minute or two.
SyncWhen lets you add specific time slots and create the poll in under 30 seconds. Since you're proposing specific options rather than an open grid, there's less to configure.
Availability Detail
This is where WhenIsGood has an advantage. The grid approach captures granular availability — you can see that someone is free from 2pm to 4pm but not from 4pm to 5pm. With SyncWhen's poll approach, you only know whether someone is available for the specific slots you proposed.
If you need to find an open window in people's schedules (rather than choosing between pre-defined options), the grid approach gives you more data.
Summary Table
| Feature | WhenIsGood | SyncWhen |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Time grid | Polling |
| Signup required | No | No |
| Mobile experience | Poor | Excellent |
| Voting options | Available/Not | Yes/Maybe/No |
| Real-time results | No | Yes (WebSocket) |
| Setup time | 1-2 minutes | Under 30 seconds |
| Availability granularity | High (drag grid) | Slot-based |
| Interface design | Dated | Modern |
| Ads | No | No |
| Price | Free | Free |
Which Should You Choose?
Choose WhenIsGood if:
- You need to find an open window in people's schedules
- All participants will vote from a desktop computer
- You want granular hour-by-hour availability data
- You're scheduling for a recurring weekly time slot
Choose SyncWhen if:
- You have specific time options in mind and want people to vote on them
- Participants will vote from their phones
- You want yes/maybe/no voting for better results
- You need real-time result updates
- You want the fastest possible setup and voting experience
For most group scheduling situations — "let's pick a time for our meeting" — the polling approach is faster and more mobile-friendly. If you need a WhenIsGood alternative that works better on phones and captures voting nuance, SyncWhen is the stronger choice.
Try SyncWhen
Create a poll in seconds, share the link, and find your meeting time. No signup, no ads, no friction. Try SyncWhen now.