Can We Meet vs Outlook Scheduling Poll
Outlook's Scheduling Poll is a strong choice inside Microsoft 365 and lets outside invitees vote through a web link. Can We Meet helps when people's real constraints are not in a shared diary, letting them describe availability in words, while unconnected calendars stay unknown rather than free.
Published and last checked 1 November 2026. Other products' features change; check their sources below.
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What Outlook does well
Inside an organisation on Microsoft 365, Outlook can see colleagues' free/busy information and suggest times. Scheduling Poll proposes options and, according to Microsoft's support pages, people outside your organisation can vote through a web link. Developers can also use Microsoft Graph's findMeetingTimes, which suggests times from attendees' availability, subject to permissions and constraints.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Outlook Scheduling Poll | Can We Meet |
|---|---|---|
| Best environment | Microsoft 365 organisations | Mixed groups using different calendar systems |
| Outside invitees | Can vote via a web link | Reply via a link without an account |
| Availability source | Free/busy data your account and tenant can access, plus votes | Connected calendars you allow, plus constraints people write in words |
| Diaries that cannot be shared | Not visible beyond what policy allows | Not read; the person can describe their working rules instead |
| Suggesting times | Yes, from accessible free/busy data | Yes, from replies and allowed calendars; organiser confirms |
Outlook Scheduling Poll compared with Can We Meet (checked 1 November 2026)
- Best environment
- Outlook Scheduling Poll: Microsoft 365 organisations
- Can We Meet: Mixed groups using different calendar systems
- Outside invitees
- Outlook Scheduling Poll: Can vote via a web link
- Can We Meet: Reply via a link without an account
- Availability source
- Outlook Scheduling Poll: Free/busy data your account and tenant can access, plus votes
- Can We Meet: Connected calendars you allow, plus constraints people write in words
- Diaries that cannot be shared
- Outlook Scheduling Poll: Not visible beyond what policy allows
- Can We Meet: Not read; the person can describe their working rules instead
- Suggesting times
- Outlook Scheduling Poll: Yes, from accessible free/busy data
- Can We Meet: Yes, from replies and allowed calendars; organiser confirms
Use case: a corporate diary you are not allowed to connect
Say your employer does not allow its Outlook calendar to be connected to outside apps. Can We Meet will not read it, and does not try to. You can still tell it your broader rules:
“I work 9 to 5:30, I'm in meetings most Monday mornings, and Fridays are usually clear after 2.”
Can We Meet uses those rules when suggesting times, but marks them as provisional because it cannot see your actual work events. You check the work diary yourself before confirming.
When to stay with Outlook
- Everyone is in the same Microsoft 365 organisation and free/busy sharing is on.
- You need the invite to land directly in Outlook with room booking.
- Your organisation requires approved Microsoft tools only.
Use Can We Meet with your AI assistant
If your organisation allows it, you can ask a supported AI assistant to set up the meeting in Can We Meet and report back on replies. Your employer's policies on AI tools and calendar access still apply.
Can We Meet offers an MCP connector, so a supported AI assistant can start a meeting, fetch the invite link, check replies and confirm a time you choose, all through your own signed-in account. Which assistants can use it depends on each platform and on your plan or organisation settings, so check the connect page for current, step-by-step instructions.
You can use Can We Meet directly in your browser at canwemeet.me, without connecting another AI assistant. Check the site for supported app availability.
Frequently asked questions
Can people outside my organisation vote in an Outlook Scheduling Poll?
Yes. Microsoft's support pages say outside participants can vote through a web link.
Will Can We Meet read my work Outlook calendar?
Only if you connect it and your organisation allows that. Otherwise it treats those times as unknown.
Does Outlook suggest meeting times?
Yes. Outlook and Microsoft Graph can suggest times from the free/busy data your account can access.
Try it on your next meeting
Start without an account, or create a free one and spend a minute teaching Can We Meet how your week works.
Sources and feature notes
Competitor details were checked against these official pages on 1 November 2026. Product names belong to their owners; no endorsement is implied.
- support.microsoft.com: Access Scheduling Poll: Where Scheduling Poll is available in Outlook.
- support.microsoft.com: Find the best meeting time with Scheduling Poll: People outside your organisation can vote through a web link.
- learn.microsoft.com: findMeetingTimes example: Microsoft Graph suggests meeting times from attendee free/busy data, subject to access and constraints.