What is planning poker?

Planning poker is an agile estimation technique where team members independently vote on the effort required for a user story using cards from a Fibonacci-like scale, then reveal votes simultaneously to avoid anchoring bias.

Is SmartEstimationHub free?

Yes, SmartEstimationHub is completely free to use. No signup or account is required. Create a session, share the link, and your team can start voting immediately.

What estimation scales are supported?

SmartEstimationHub supports three scales: Fibonacci (classic planning poker: 0, ½, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100), T-shirt sizing (XS, S, M, L, XL), and AI Development time buckets (<1h, 2–4h, 1d, 2–3d, 1wk, 2wk+).

How do I run a remote planning poker session?

Pick an estimation scale, enter a project name and add your team members, then share the generated invite link in Slack, Teams, or email. Voters join by clicking the link and picking their name. Everyone votes on each story; the facilitator reveals votes when ready and re-votes on ties. The whole session runs in the browser — no installs, no accounts.

How is SmartEstimationHub different from Jira Planning Poker or Miro?

SmartEstimationHub is fully anonymous — no signup, no logins, no data stored after the session ends. It doesn't integrate with issue trackers, which means it's faster to spin up for one-off estimation sessions and safer for teams that can't send data to third-party trackers.

Do voters see each other's votes before the reveal?

No. Voters see who has voted (a checkmark next to each name), but the actual card values stay hidden until the facilitator clicks Reveal. This prevents anchoring bias and encourages independent judgement.

What happens to my session data?

Sessions are ephemeral. When the facilitator ends the session, all room data is discarded. Idle rooms are automatically cleaned up after 30 minutes of inactivity. We do not retain votes, story names, or participant names after the session expires.

Can I re-vote after the reveal?

Yes. After the facilitator reveals votes, they can click Re-vote to clear the board and let the team vote again on the same story. This is useful for reaching agreement after discussion of a wide-spread first round.

Is there a mobile app?

No native app is required. SmartEstimationHub is a responsive web app that works on any modern browser — desktop, tablet, or phone. You can also install it as a Progressive Web App from the browser menu on Android and iOS.

Which planning poker scale should your team pick? A pillar guide

Q: How do I run a remote planning poker session?

Pick an estimation scale, enter a project name and add your team members, then share the generated invite link in Slack, Teams, or email. Voters join by clicking the link and picking their name. Everyone votes on each story; the facilitator reveals votes when ready and re-votes on ties. The whole session runs in the browser — no installs, no accounts.

Q: How is SmartEstimationHub different from Jira Planning Poker or Miro?

SmartEstimationHub is fully anonymous — no signup, no logins, no data stored after the session ends. It doesn't integrate with issue trackers, which means it's faster to spin up for one-off estimation sessions and safer for teams that can't send data to third-party trackers.

Q: Do voters see each other's votes before the reveal?

No. Voters see who has voted (a checkmark next to each name), but the actual card values stay hidden until the facilitator clicks Reveal. This prevents anchoring bias and encourages independent judgement.

Q: What happens to my session data?

Sessions are ephemeral. When the facilitator ends the session, all room data is discarded. Idle rooms are automatically cleaned up after 30 minutes of inactivity. We do not retain votes, story names, or participant names after the session expires.

Q: Can I re-vote after the reveal?

Yes. After the facilitator reveals votes, they can click Re-vote to clear the board and let the team vote again on the same story. This is useful for reaching agreement after discussion of a wide-spread first round.

Q: Is there a mobile app?

No native app is required. SmartEstimationHub is a responsive web app that works on any modern browser — desktop, tablet, or phone. You can also install it as a Progressive Web App from the browser menu on Android and iOS.

8 min read · Fibonacci vs T-shirt vs AI dev hours · when to switch

Picking a planning poker scale is a decision most teams make once, in a hurry, and then quietly regret two sprints later. This is the full comparison — Fibonacci, T-shirt sizing, and AI development hours — with clear guidance on which one fits your team today and when to switch.

Start a free planning poker session →