PointRoom combines a simple planning poker workflow with a Western saloon table. The core job stays the same: give each person time to estimate independently, reveal together and discuss what the different cards mean.
The current app is free to use and does not ask for a payment or an account setup. Here is what it does today, including the practical limits.
The estimation essentials
- Create and join through an invitation link, a six-character code or a QR code.
- Private, changeable votes until the host reveals the round.
- A fixed Fibonacci-style deck with 0 and ½, plus unknown and coffee cards.
- Realtime voting progress, shared reveals and connection indicators.
- Manual reveal or auto-reveal after all joined members vote.
- Revote, an editable accepted estimate and a temporary session ledger.
Privacy is part of the voting workflow
Before reveal, each member can access their own card and the voting progress, while other members' card values stay hidden. This is enforced in the backend, rather than only by drawing a face-down card in the interface.
Live channels carry updates and brief social events, not hidden vote values. Only room members can use the room's private realtime channel. An anonymous authentication session keeps a player identity stable without asking for an email address.
A little personality, with an off switch
Pick from 16 cowboy and cowgirl portraits. Eight emotes let you greet the room, think, laugh, toast or ask for coffee. Paper tosses and cowboy quick draws travel to another member's seat and disappear; they never change anybody's vote. A brief western badge and card deal mark each new round.
Effects and synthetic spoken reactions are optional and separately controlled. Sound starts muted. Quiet table hides social activity locally, and reduced-motion preferences simplify the paper flight. The same table is usable without enabling any audio.
| Interaction | What happens | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Emote | Brief reaction shared in the room | One per player every 2 seconds |
| Quick draw / Paper toss | Targeted animation for another room member; no effect on votes | One move per player every 5 seconds, shared between both |
| Sound and voice | Local playback of optional cues | Your own switches and volume |
Use the same room on desktop or mobile
PointRoom runs in a browser. On smaller screens, Table, Posse and Ledger navigation keeps the session reachable without a permanent sidebar. Share the QR code when a teammate wants to join from a phone.
The app does not include a meeting call, chat or microphone recording. Use your existing communication tool alongside it. Live estimation needs an internet connection; PointRoom is not an offline planning tool.
The current limits, clearly stated
If you need a permanent audit trail or automatic issue-tracker updates, plan a separate process for those requirements. Copy accepted estimates to your backlog before the room ends. On the current free hosting setup, service availability also depends on the hosting providers.
| Item | Current behavior |
|---|---|
| Price | Free; no payment flow |
| Room lifetime | 24 hours from creation |
| Room membership | Up to 50 people |
| Visual seats | Up to 10, plus the full roster |
| Room creation | 12 per hour per anonymous user |
| Card decks | One fixed Fibonacci-style deck |
| Persistence | Temporary room and ledger; no permanent workspace |
| Integrations | No automatic issue-tracker import or sync |
| Spectators | No separate spectator role |
Start with the simplest useful session
Create a room, add one clear story and invite a colleague. Compare the lowest and highest estimates before deciding whether to accept, revote or split the work. Add the personality features only when they help your team enjoy the conversation.
A shared estimate starts with a shared table.
Create a free room, invite your team and try one clear story. No signup needed.
Create a free planning poker room