Online Voting Software Compared: POLYAS, ElectionBuddy & Co.

For secret elections and binding votes in clubs, associations, owners’ associations and companies, dedicated online voting software is the right category. Four well-known providers are POLYAS, Simply Voting, ElectionBuddy and OpaVote. They all handle a voter register, personal credentials and an automatic count, but differ in certification, voting methods, hosting and pricing. This comparison is an editorial assessment based on provider documentation and price pages, status October 2026. We have not run our own test elections.

Comparison table

Tool	Free tier	Ballot secrecy and assurance	Provider location	Particular strength
POLYAS	No permanent free tier found; pricing by voters and package	Separation of identity and vote; BSI certification under Common Criteria protection profile documented for a specific version	Germany	Associations, professional bodies, German-language support
Simply Voting	No permanent free tier found; pricing per election	Secret ballot, audit reporting according to provider	Canada	Wide range of ballot types, long track record with organisations
ElectionBuddy	Yes, for small elections (up to 20 voters according to provider)	Anonymous voting options, audit report	Not stated here	Easy start, pricing by number of eligible voters
OpaVote	Yes, for small elections according to third-party sources	Secret ballot	Not stated here	Ranked choice, single transferable vote and many counting rules

Free tiers and prices change frequently. Check the provider’s current price page before deciding.

POLYAS

POLYAS is a German provider of online voting software for associations, chambers, universities and companies. Its distinguishing feature is documentation: according to the BSI, a version of its core software was certified under the Common Criteria protection profile for online voting products, first in 2016 and again in 2021 for a newer version. That profile requires, among other things, that a cast vote cannot be traced back to the voter and that each eligible person votes only once. For organisations that must justify their choice to members or supervisory bodies, this documentation can be decisive.

POLYAS supports elections and resolutions, and can be combined with live votes during meetings. Pricing is based on the number of voters and the chosen package. Typical fit: associations and federations with several hundred or more members, especially in German-speaking countries.

Simply Voting

Simply Voting is a Canadian provider that has run online elections for organisations of many kinds for years. It supports a broad range of ballot types, from simple yes/no motions to ranked ballots, and offers reporting for election committees. Pricing is per election. For organisations in the EU, ask about hosting location and the data processing agreement before uploading member data.

Typical fit: professional associations, unions and student bodies with diverse ballot types.

ElectionBuddy

ElectionBuddy offers a free tier for small elections, according to its help centre up to 20 eligible voters, and paid plans graded by the number of eligible voters. Note that pricing counts eligible voters, not those who actually vote. The tool supports candidate profiles, write-ins and abstentions, and provides an audit report.

Typical fit: smaller clubs and committees that want to start quickly and test online voting without a contract.

OpaVote

OpaVote specialises in counting methods. Besides plurality voting, it supports ranked-choice voting, the single transferable vote and many variants of these methods. That makes it useful wherever a constitution prescribes a preferential or proportional method. A small free tier exists, according to third-party sources; check the current limits on the provider’s site.

Typical fit: organisations with ranked or proportional elections, academic bodies, student unions and societies with preferential voting rules. Our explainer on ranked-choice voting shows how these counts work.

What to compare before choosing

1. Ballot secrecy: Can administrators see individual votes? How are identity and vote separated? See security and ballot secrecy.
2. Voting method: Does the tool support the method your rules require, including run-offs or ranked ballots?
3. Data protection: Hosting location, data processing agreement, sub-processors.
4. Voter access: Email invitations, printed codes by post, multiple languages.
5. Meetings: Can the tool also run votes live during a virtual general meeting?
6. Reports: What does the election committee receive at the end?
7. Support: Which languages, and is help available on election day?

Which tool suits whom?

• German-speaking association that wants certification and German support: POLYAS.
• Small club or committee testing online voting: ElectionBuddy’s free tier, or see our overview of free voting tools.
• Elections with ranked or proportional methods: OpaVote.
• Larger organisation with varied ballot types and no specific certification need: Simply Voting or POLYAS.
• Only an opinion poll, no secret election: a survey tool is enough, see the survey tools comparison.

For the procedure itself, our step-by-step board election guide covers everything from nominations to minutes.