Ballotis vs ElectionBuddy
ElectionBuddy publishes two price ladders, ElectionVote and MeetingVote, and its prices are lower than Ballotis for the same voter counts. Ballotis adds an optional tamper-evident audit chain with per-voter receipts, which we have not found on ElectionBuddy's pricing page.
BallotisRecommended
ElectionBuddy Pricing published
Feature-by-feature comparison
| Feature | Ballotis | ElectionBuddy |
|---|---|---|
Free tier Ballotis: 14-day trial, no free plan. Launching a vote needs an election license or a plan. ElectionBuddy free: up to 20 voters. | ||
Published pricing | ||
Voting methods Ballotis creates 6: single choice, multiple choice, ranked choice (instant runoff), star rating, approval, yes/no. ElectionBuddy lists first past the post, cumulative, preferential ballot, STV, scored voting, rating scale and approval. | ◐ | |
Optional tamper-evident audit chain with per-voter receipts Off by default; turn it on in the vote settings before opening. | ? | |
Rule-based fraud checks | ? | |
REST API (read-only for polls and results) | ? | |
Embeddable widgets (live leaderboard, presenter view, nominations-open badge) Embedding the ballot itself so voters vote in place is not available. | ? | |
SMS one-time-code voter auth Not offered. Ballotis voters sign in with an emailed magic link. | ? | |
Custom domain Ballotis: coming soon. | ? |
✓ = ships today · ✗ = not available · ◐ = partial / beta · ? = we could not confirm this on the vendor's own site
When ElectionBuddy is the better choice
We don't pretend ElectionBuddy has no strengths. Pick ElectionBuddy if any of these match you.
- Price matters most — ElectionBuddy lists ElectionVote at $99 for up to 1,000 voters; Ballotis Standard is $149 for up to 1,000 voters.
- You need counting methods Ballotis does not create, such as STV or cumulative voting — ElectionBuddy lists both.
- Your electorate is above 5,000 — ElectionBuddy lists ElectionVote from $299 up to 100,000 voters; Ballotis publishes up to 5,000 and quotes larger.
Why teams switch from ElectionBuddy to Ballotis
- An optional tamper-evident audit chain with per-voter receipts, plus a public verification page (off by default; enable it before opening the vote).
- Rule-based fraud checks and Turnstile captcha on public ballots.
- Read-only REST API and embeddable widgets.
Frequently asked questions
What does Ballotis offer that ElectionBuddy doesn't?
Ballotis offers an optional tamper-evident audit chain: each cast ballot chains its hash to the previous one, voters can get a receipt token, and a public verification page lets anyone re-walk the chain. It is off by default. We did not find an equivalent stated on ElectionBuddy's pricing page, but we have not reviewed its full feature set.
Does Ballotis cost more than ElectionBuddy?
At the sizes we compared, yes. ElectionBuddy lists $99 for up to 1,000 voters (ElectionVote Premium) and $29 for up to 350 voters; Ballotis lists $49 for up to 250 voters and $149 for up to 1,000. The products differ, so compare what each includes.
Can I run an HOA election on Ballotis?
Ballotis runs single choice, multiple choice, ranked choice (instant runoff), star rating, approval and yes/no votes. Whether that meets your bylaws is something to check against them.
Ready to try Ballotis?
14-day trial: set up polls free, no card needed. Launching a vote needs an election license or a plan.
Sources
Competitor details checked on 5 Oct 2026 against ElectionBuddy's own site.