Planning Poker

Planning Poker is a browser-based estimation game for agile and Scrum teams that size sprint work through anonymous pointing. It suits remote or in-person groups that need a structured way to expose differing estimates, discuss them and vote again. Small teams can start free, while larger sessions and Jira-led workflows depend on paid plans.

Overview

The service centers a shared planning session rather than a solo backlog tool. Participants estimate privately, then the results appear together so an outlying view can be explained instead of being anchored by the first voice. The group can repeat the vote until it reaches agreement, making the workflow useful when a story needs discussion before anyone commits to a number.

Stories can be entered during a game or brought in from Jira, with estimates and notes exported to project-management tools afterward. That keeps the estimation record connected to delivery work, although the integrations and structured file imports are reserved for subscribers. The web-only approach works across devices with a browser, but there is no native mobile or desktop application in the stated platform offering.

Key features

Anonymous pointing is the central strength: it separates individual judgment from group pressure and gives a facilitator a clear reason to open discussion. Teams can customize the game timer, and the free Basic plan includes four pointing scales, an editable score average and printable results. Those controls are enough for straightforward Scrum sessions, though teams needing their own scale must move to a paid plan.

Paid subscriptions add custom pointing scales, ad-free games, Jira integration, and CSV or XML imports. The plans also support imports or exports for Jira, TFS, VersionOne and other agile software, which matters to teams whose backlog lives outside a simple manual workflow. New accounts begin with a 14-day trial of Planning Poker Pro, giving larger groups a short period to evaluate the full participant allowance before paying.

For data protection, story, task and work-item information is encrypted in the database with AES-256-CBC and HMAC-SHA-512 authentication. User data may be stored and processed in the United States. Account deletion permanently removes the account, games, stories, Jira integrations and associated database data; privacy and deletion questions are directed to the maker's website or support email.

Pricing

Basic — free, always free. Each game allows up to five players and is ad supported. It includes four pointing scales, a customizable timer, editable score average and printable results. This is the right fit for a small team that enters stories manually and can work without Jira or file imports; the five-player ceiling and ads rule it out for bigger planning rooms.

Standard monthly — $14.95 a month (billed $14.95/mo) raises the limit to 10 participants per game and adds Jira integration, custom pointing scales, CSV or XML imports and ad-free use. Standard annual — $150 a year (billed $12.50/mo) supplies the same allowance and features at the lower effective monthly rate for teams willing to commit annually.

Pro monthly — $49.95 a month (billed $49.95/mo) supports up to 50 participants per game with the same integrations, import formats, custom scales and ad-free experience. Pro annual — $498 a year (billed $41.50/mo) provides those capabilities at the annual rate. Paid prices are charged per game organizer, so the relevant cost is tied to the person running games rather than a stated per-participant seat fee.

Enterprise uses custom pricing and tailored billing, with Standard and Pro plans, purchase orders, annual invoicing, custom terms and bulk discounts. It is aimed at organizations that need procurement flexibility rather than a published self-serve rate.

Platforms

Planning Poker is offered on the web. That makes it convenient for browser-based remote and in-person sessions, but readers seeking a dedicated Android, iOS, Windows or macOS client should look elsewhere.

Who it's for

Choose Basic for a Scrum team of five or fewer that wants anonymous estimates, timer control and printable outcomes without backlog integration. Standard fits groups of up to 10 that need Jira, custom scales or CSV/XML exchange. Pro is the practical tier for planning events with as many as 50 participants. Enterprise suits organizations requiring annual invoicing, purchase orders or negotiated terms. Teams that need a native app, a larger stated game than 50 participants, or a free Jira-connected workflow should consider alternatives.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Anonymous voting exposes disagreement before discussion, reducing the risk that an early estimate steers everyone else.
• Manual entry plus Jira import and exports can connect estimation to an existing agile backlog.
• The free tier includes a timer, score-average editing and printable results rather than only a bare voting room.
• Annual Standard and Pro billing lowers the effective monthly price for teams prepared to commit.
• Deletion removes associated games, stories and integrations, while database encryption protects stored work-item information.

Cons

• Basic is limited to five players and includes advertising, so even a modestly larger team must subscribe.
• Jira integration, CSV/XML imports, custom scales and ad-free sessions are paid-only capabilities.
• Pricing is per game organizer, which can complicate budgeting when many people regularly host sessions.
• Data is stored and processed in whole or in part in the United States, a consideration for location-sensitive work.
• The product is web-only and the published Pro allowance stops at 50 participants per game.

Alternatives

For construction estimating across Android, iOS and web, Buildxact is the more relevant choice; its free Go plan includes five complimentary credits, AI estimating, proposals and Home Depot ordering.

Trimble Quadri is better when the priority is viewing and commenting on models through its free read-only Quadri Viewer.

Choose Trimble Viewpoint Vista when an ERP deployment, either cloud-hosted or on-premises, is the requirement.

Jestimate is another web-based freemium option with a free tier.

PlanningPoker.live suits readers who prefer an open-source web and browser-extension alternative without a free trial.

STACK is aimed at project measurement and plan management, with a free tier limited to one active project per month.

ConEst IntelliBid is a paid construction-bidding platform whose pricing depends on edition and user count.

Planning Poker Online is another freemium web option with a free trial.

See the broader Project Estimation Software category for more tools.

Verdict

Planning Poker is a strong choice for agile teams that want anonymous, repeatable sprint estimation in a browser, especially when five-person groups can stay on Basic or larger teams need Jira and custom scales. Its main reasons to look elsewhere are the five-player free cap, organizer-based subscription cost, web-only delivery and the absence of a free integrated Jira workflow.