QR Poll vs StrawPoll: Which One Should You Use?

Short answer: it depends on what you're doing. If you need a quick online poll for your Discord server or Reddit community, StrawPoll is fine. If you need feedback collection in a physical space (conference room, classroom, restaurant, event), QR Poll is built specifically for that.

They solve different problems. Here's where they differ.

The ads thing

StrawPoll's free tier shows ads to your poll respondents. You can't control which ads appear. To remove them, you need a paid plan, and even then you get a monthly quota of "ad-free votes" (500 on Basic, 5,000 on Pro, 50,000 on Business). Go over the quota and the ads come back.

QR Poll doesn't show ads on any plan. Free included. Your respondents see the poll and nothing else.

If you're polling friends about where to eat Friday, ads don't matter. If you're collecting feedback from clients or students with your brand on the line, they do.

QR-first vs. link-first

StrawPoll is designed to share a link online. You create a poll, copy the URL, paste it in a chat or forum. That workflow makes sense for online communities.

QR Poll is designed around the QR code. You generate a poll, print the code, stick it on a table tent or a slide deck or a feedback station. The response page is optimized for mobile because that's how people will access it — standing up, phone in hand, probably in a hurry.

StrawPoll does have QR codes, but it's a secondary feature. QR Poll is the whole product.

Pricing comparison

StrawPoll:

  • Free: Unlimited polls, unlimited votes, ads shown to respondents
  • Basic: ~$8/mo (annual), 500 ad-free votes/month
  • Pro: ~$28/mo (annual), 5,000 ad-free votes/month, CAPTCHA, remove branding
  • Business: ~$52/mo (annual), 50,000 ad-free votes/month, custom logo

QR Poll:

  • Free: 3 active polls, 250 responses/month, no ads
  • Starter: $6/mo, unlimited polls, 1,500 responses/month, no ads
  • Pro: $15/mo, unlimited polls, 10,000 responses/month, no ads
  • Business: $40/mo, unlimited responses, team features, no ads

StrawPoll is cheaper at the low end if you're fine with ads. QR Poll is cheaper at every paid tier if you're not.

Duplicate detection

StrawPoll blocks VPN users and bots by default. They offer CAPTCHA on the Pro tier and above.

QR Poll keeps it lightweight: a flag stored in the voter's own browser skips the form if that browser already responded, backed by IP rate limiting against bursts of abuse. It's honest-user friction, not hard enforcement — clearing site data or switching devices lets someone answer again, and every vote always counts. We'd rather keep every legitimate response than risk dropping real votes in supervised settings like classrooms.

Data and privacy

StrawPoll is a German company and takes GDPR seriously. On paid plans with ads removed, they note that no cookie banners are needed because there's no tracking. On the free tier with ads, tracking scripts from ad networks will load.

QR Poll doesn't run ads on any tier, so there are no third-party tracking scripts on response pages at all. We don't fingerprint or track devices — the only duplicate check is a flag stored in your own browser — and we're not building user profiles or selling data.

When to use StrawPoll

  • You're sharing a poll link in a chat, forum, or social media post
  • You don't care about ads showing up
  • You need something quick and disposable for online audiences
  • You want meeting scheduling (they have a Doodle-style tool built in)

When to use QR Poll

  • You need feedback collection in a physical location
  • Your audience will scan a QR code from a printed sign, slide, or table tent
  • You want a clean, ad-free experience for respondents
  • You care about looking professional in front of clients, students, or guests
  • You need control over duplicate detection without losing legitimate responses

Common Questions

Is StrawPoll free?

Yes, but the free tier shows ads to your respondents. You can't control which ads appear. Paid plans remove ads, but only up to a monthly quota (500-50,000 votes depending on the plan). QR Poll's free tier has no ads at all.

Can I use StrawPoll for in-person events?

StrawPoll has QR codes, but it's designed for sharing links in online communities like Discord and Reddit. The experience is optimized for desktop browsers, not someone standing with their phone. QR Poll is built specifically for in-person feedback via QR codes.

Does StrawPoll have duplicate detection?

StrawPoll blocks VPN users and bots by default, with CAPTCHA available on Pro and above. QR Poll keeps it lightweight: a flag stored in the voter's own browser skips the form if that browser already responded, backed by IP rate limiting against abuse. It's honest-user friction, not hard enforcement — votes always count.

Which is cheaper, StrawPoll or QR Poll?

StrawPoll is cheaper if you're fine with ads on the free tier. At every paid tier, QR Poll costs less: $6/mo vs ~$8/mo at the low end, and $40/mo vs ~$52/mo at the high end. And QR Poll never shows ads on any plan.

Bottom line

StrawPoll is a solid online poll tool that's been around since 2007. If your polling happens on the internet and you don't mind ads, it works.

QR Poll exists because polling in physical spaces is a different problem. The QR code is the entry point, not an afterthought. No ads, fast load times, and a response page that respects the person filling it out.

Try QR Poll free — no credit card, no ads.

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