What's included
Online services an organization can set up itself to hold anonymous votes on motions or elections with its members.
Online voting tools compared
Five tools organizations use for secret-ballot motions and elections, compared on price, counting methods, and what happens before and after the vote. Checked on 8 October 2026.
How we compared
We make Loomio, so read this with that in mind. Every competitor detail comes from that company's public website, and we say so where a site doesn't state something.
What we looked at
Pricing model, the price of one 300-voter election, published counting methods, secret ballots, discussion before the vote, and whether the source code is public.
Something out of date?
Prices and features change. If we've got something wrong, tell us and we'll correct it.
The comparison
Prices in US dollars, from each company's website on 8 October 2026.
| Feature | Loomio | ElectionBuddy | OpaVote | ElectionRunner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Decision-making platform with discussion, proposals, and secret ballots | Election and meeting voting service | Election and poll service | Election service, built with schools in mind |
| How you pay | Annual plan for the whole organization, unlimited votes | Per election, by number of voters; meeting votes priced per meeting | Per election, by number of voters and candidates | Per election, by number of voters |
| Free option | 14-day trial with up to 10 people | Elections up to 20 voters | Elections up to 25 voters | Elections up to 20 voters |
| One election, 300 voters | Included in a plan: US$499 a year for nonprofits up to 300 members, US$999 otherwise | US$29 (up to 350 voters) | US$30 ($10 per 125 voters) | US$36 (up to 300 voters) |
| STV for multi-seat elections | Yes: Scottish or Meek STV, Droop or Hare quota, round-by-round results | Yes | Yes, plus Condorcet, approval, and Borda | Not listed on its website |
| Secret ballot | Yes, with results hidden until close | Yes | Not described on its website | Not described on its website |
| Member discussion before the vote | Built in | Not included | Not included | Not included |
| Record of past decisions | Every vote kept with its discussion and outcome | Election results | Election results, kept 3 months, then US$40 a year | Election results |
| Public source code | Yes | No | No | No |
Sources: electionbuddy.com/pricing, opavote.com/pricing, electionrunner.com/pricing and /features, loomio.com/pricing. Checked 8 October 2026.
The tools, one by one
Loomio
Best for organizations that vote several times a year
Loomio holds the whole decision: members discuss a motion or candidate statements in the open, then vote by secret ballot, and the outcome stays with the reasoning behind it. It counts STV elections with Scottish or Meek STV, supports quorum, pass thresholds, weighted and delegated votes, and exports STV ballots for an independent recount. One annual price covers every vote. Online voting in Loomio.
ElectionBuddy
Best for occasional elections with a large voter list
A well-established election service with anonymous voting, STV and other voting systems, and a separate product for votes during meetings. Elections are free up to 20 voters, then US$29 up to 350, US$99 up to 1,000, and from US$299 beyond that.
OpaVote
Best for a single election with an unusual counting method
Supports a long list of counting methods, including STV, instant runoff, Condorcet, approval, and Borda. Pay-as-you-go pricing is US$10 for every 125 voters or 20 candidates, with up to 25 voters free and an API on every account.
ElectionRunner
Best for school and student elections
Simple per-election pricing: free up to 20 voters, US$19 up to 100, US$36 up to 300, and a quote above that, with discounts for schools and universities. You can import voters and ballots from a spreadsheet. Its website doesn't list ranked or STV counting.
Simply Voting
Best for large or managed elections, including phone and paper voting
Offers self-administered or fully managed elections, with online, telephone, and paper voting and nominations. Elections with 10 or fewer voters are free; larger ones are priced by voter numbers through a calculator or quote, with savings on an annual plan. We left it out of the table because its prices aren't published.
Which kind of tool do you need?
A ballot service suits you if
- You hold one election a year and nothing else needs a vote
- Members already discuss candidates and motions somewhere that works
- You need phone or paper ballots alongside online voting
Loomio suits you if
- You vote on motions as well as elections, through the year
- Members need somewhere to ask questions and propose amendments first
- You want every result kept with the reasoning behind it
- Open source matters to your members
For us, this really is a legally binding vote. It goes into the trade registry. We needed assurance that this was a proper way of voting, tracking votes and tracking engagement.Matthias Zeitler, Semkovo Co-op