Comparison

Polls for iMessage vs HCS

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Polls for iMessage

Easily create and manage group polls directly within iMessage conversations. Customize poll settings like anonymity, editing rights, and multiple voting options. Share results live and even declare a winner with fun animations.

Highlights
  • Create polls directly in iMessage
  • Live poll result updates
  • Customizable voting options (anonymous, multiple votes)
  • Control poll editing permissions
  • Declare a winner with animations
  • Picture polls and link integration
Features
Read full description

Free and unlimited forever Create polls, vote, and view the results directly in iMessage —— How it works —— • Create polls, vote, and view the results in iMessage • Updates to the poll are shown at the bottom of your conversation and update live for everyone to see —— Features —— Customize Polls with 4 new controls: • See Who Voted: Leave it on to let everyone see who is voting on what. Toggle it off to keep it anonymous • Edit Poll: Leave it on to let everyone help with the poll, or toggle it off and you’re the boss, no one else can edit • Multiple Votes: Leave it on, sometimes we like more than one thing, so let people like multiple options. Toggle it off and friends can only vote on one option, but can change their vote if they need to • Declare a Winner: Leave it on and the winner will be declared once everyone votes. Toggle it off, when everyone votes on your poll everything stays the same, just no confetti - Create a picture poll with photos from your camera roll - Smart Calendar helps you coordinate, if you type a date, we’ll make it look pretty - Add links to polls, like Yelp for restaurants or Airbnbs for rentals - New cards give you even more space for more awesome options —— Team —— Jeff Hanna, Kevin Hanna, Dominic King —— Business Development —— Interested in working with us? You can reach us at partner@pollsforimessage.com

About

HCS

Features
Read full description

*This app was made and intended for HCS-Hosted subscribers.* Tomorrow's features are available today, even on the go. The HCS mobile app gives your business or organization unparalleled voice, call, and feature quality from the convenience of your users' mobile devices. Backed by 911inform - HCS' phone service and mobile app provides safe and secure communications and emergency management tools. Features: - Calling - Messaging (Coming soon) - Public and Private Channels - Voicemails and Call History - Guaranteed Uptime - Guaranteed Call Quality - Threat Notification - Call Transcription and Notes (Coming soon) - LTE Local Survivability - RAY BAUM's Act Compliance - Kari's Law Compliance - Alyssa's Law Compliance - Calendar and Schedule Integration (Coming soon)

Screenshots

Polls for iMessage4 screens
HCS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: HCS at none against Polls for iMessage's shown. HCS also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). Polls for iMessage's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Polls for iMessage ships an update monthly, HCS fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Polls for iMessage versus HCS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolls for iMessageHCS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (11K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews84.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings11K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size62 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPolls for Messages, Inc.911inform, LLC

Bugs and requests

Polls for iMessage

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to delete the app
  • Polls failing to send due to internet connection issues
  • Votes being counted multiple times

Requested features

7 requests
  • Option to disable others from adding poll options
  • Option to limit number of votes per person
  • Option to hide poll results until completed
  • Ability to edit poll options after creation
  • Support for adding images/GIFs as poll options
Show 2 more
  • Customizable poll templates
  • Integration with calendar/scheduling apps

HCS

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Polls for iMessage

No in-app purchases

None

HCS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Polls for iMessage free?
Polls for iMessage is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is HCS free?
HCS is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Polls for iMessage or HCS have ads?
Polls for iMessage shows ads; HCS does not.
Which is updated more often, Polls for iMessage or HCS?
Polls for iMessage ships an update monthly, and HCS fortnightly. Most recently, Polls for iMessage was updated on October 22, 2026 and HCS on October 7, 2026.

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