CouldBeDown vs When2meet
A When2meet alternative for groups that need the plan to actually happen
CouldBeDown is a When2meet alternative that keeps the paint-your-free-time grid but adds what comes after: the organizer proposes one or more times, people RSVP, and the confirmed plan goes on calendars. When2meet is still the quicker choice when you just need a no-signup poll.
Free. No account needed for you or your guests.
Try the grid with an example weekend
Five invented friends have already marked their evenings. Drag across the times you're free and watch the best overlap move.
Best overlap: Sat 7 PM to 9 PM (5 of 6 free).
The gap between finding a time and it happening
A grid poll answers one question well: when is everyone free? Then it stops. Someone screenshots the result into the group chat, asks whether Saturday at 8 still works, and waits for thumbs-up emojis that may never come. That follow-up is where a lot of group plans quietly die.
CouldBeDown treats the grid as step one. Once enough people have responded, the organizer proposes a slot straight from the overlap, and can propose several (Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, say). Each person answers going or not going, the organizer sees who is actually in, and confirming the plan adds it to Google Calendar for people who connected it and offers an .ics download for everyone else.
What you give up by switching
Responding on CouldBeDown does not need an account either: guests type their name and paint their times. What is tied to Google is the extras. A plan history across devices and Google Calendar busy times need a Google sign-in, and email updates need either an email address or a Google sign-in.
Calendar features are Google-only today. Outlook and Apple Calendar users can still respond and download the .ics file for a confirmed plan, but their busy times will not appear on the grid.
Running a group that meets more than once
If you organize the same crowd repeatedly, CouldBeDown remembers them. People you have shared an event with show up in a friends list, you can sort them into named groups, and starting a plan from a group invites everyone in it. "Plan again" copies a finished event's settings into a new one. Plans do not repeat automatically yet: each new date is a new plan.
CouldBeDown and When2meet side by side
| CouldBeDown | When2meet | |
|---|---|---|
| Paint free time on a grid | Yes, with a heat overlay showing overlap | Yes, it is the core of the tool |
| Respondents need an account | No; guests enter a name (Google sign-in optional) | No; respondents enter a name |
| Propose a final time | Yes, one or several times from the overlap | No built-in step; the organizer announces it elsewhere |
| RSVP after proposing | Yes, going or not going | No |
| Calendar integration | Google Calendar busy times and auto-add; .ics for others | None built in |
| Reusable friends and groups | Yes | No |
| Cost | Free today | Free |
Who CouldBeDown is and isn't for
CouldBeDown is best for
- Groups where the plan needs a commitment, not just a shared preference.
- Friends and teams who meet repeatedly and want to reuse the same guest list.
- Groups where most people already use Google and Google Calendar.
- Organizers who want to offer two or three candidate times and see who is in for each.
Not the best fit when
- It is a one-off poll and the result will be announced in a chat anyway.
- Your group lives in Outlook or Apple Calendar and you want busy times on the grid.
Where When2meet is the better choice
- Speed for strangers and mixed crowds: sharing a link and having people respond without creating or signing into anything is hard to beat.
- Simplicity: a bare grid has almost nothing to learn, which suits a poll you will close within the hour.
- Familiarity: many people already know how it works, so there is no explaining to do.
Frequently asked questions
Do people need an account to respond on CouldBeDown?
- No. Guests type their name and mark their availability. Signing in with Google is optional: it keeps a history of their plans and lets them link Google Calendar. For email updates, guests can enter an email address or sign in with Google.
Is CouldBeDown free?
- Yes, it is free to use right now.
What happens after everyone fills in the grid?
- The organizer proposes one or more times from the overlap. Everyone answers going or not going, and the organizer confirms the plan. Confirmed plans can be added to Google Calendar or downloaded as an .ics file.
Can I import an existing When2meet poll?
- No. There is no import, so you recreate the event by choosing dates, a daily time window and an event length. It usually takes about a minute.
How are time zones handled?
- Each person sees the grid in their own time zone, and the page says which zone is being shown, so a group spread across cities does not have to convert times by hand.
Does CouldBeDown show my calendar on the grid?
- If you choose to connect Google Calendar, your busy times appear on the grid so you can see at a glance when you are already taken. Connecting is optional.
Ready to find a time?
Create a plan, share the link, and watch the overlap appear.