In the fast-paced world of Agile software development, accurate estimations are paramount to delivering projects on time and within scope.
One of the methods that has revolutionized team estimations is Planning Poker. While numerous tools exist to conduct these sessions, the real challenge is finding apps that seamlessly integrate with the platforms we use daily.
As a prominent team collaboration tool, Slack has seen a surge in integrated Planning Poker apps.
In this blog, we’ve listed the best 3 Planning Poker apps tailored for Slack:
- Team O’clock
- Poker planner
- Actioner
From features, usability to unique capabilities, we'll provide a comprehensive comparison to help you make an informed decision for your team.
Whether you're a project manager, Scrum master, or a developer, read on to enhance your estimation game!
Team O’clock is a tool that allows you to run retrospectives, daily standups, and planning poker meetings no matter the location. It also has a Slack integration.
During a backlog refinement meeting, you can use the slash command ( /planpoker [story or task name) to estimate the effort on a user story or task.
Team O’clock Pricing
The Team O’clock Free plan includes 5 monthly active users and Slack integration. However, customizations such as changing the estimation method of poker planning require an upgrade. A monthly subscription to the following plan costs 30 dollars.
Poker Planner is a free, open-source Slack app. It allows teams to perform these estimations directly in Slack without needing external software.
The Poker Planner Slack app offers customizable poker points, allowing teams to adjust the system to their unique needs. This tailoring extends to persistent settings, where the app intelligently remembers user preferences in each channel or conversation, such as participants and their chosen poker points. Based on team preferences, the auto-reveal option provides flexibility in unveiling voting results, ranging from a swift 1 minute to a more prolonged 7 days.
To ensure security and control, a protected session functionality prevents unintended access and alterations to the created sessions. Lastly, to aid in consolidating the team's inputs, the app can compute the average point from the estimations, streamlining the decision-making phase.
Poker planner pricing
Poker planner is a free, open-source application.
Actioner is a no-code Slack app builder with a directory of ready-to-use Slack apps. Planning poker is one of these apps built on Actioner.
Its key features include hosting poker sessions directly within Slack, allowing anonymous estimates to reduce bias, facilitating consensus building through discussions, and simplifying tracking for reviewing and comparing estimates.
The app's workflow begins by initiating a session in Slack, inviting team members to a game channel where issues are added. Once started, participants submit their estimations and comments, followed by a card reveal. The process concludes with comparing estimates, aiding in informed project planning decisions.
Planning poker by Actioner pricing
Actioner’s free plan includes 10,000 credits(node executions) per month with unlimited workflows, users, and apps. You can also request a custom plan depending on your team size, issue amount, and frequency of planning poker.
Comparison of Planning poker Slack apps
With a multitude of Planning Poker apps available for Slack, it can be a challenge to discern which one aligns best with your team's needs.
Each app carries its unique features, integrations, and capabilities. To simplify your decision-making process, we've compiled a detailed comparison of the three front-runners: Team O'clock, Poker Planner, and Actioner.
This side-by-side examination will offer a clear perspective on which app might be your team's next favorite tool, from dedicated game channels to Jira integrations.
Dedicated game channel
Dedicate a Slack channel for your planning poker games
Team O’clock Slack integration:
❌
Customizable poker points
Tailor the poker points to fit your team's needs
Team O’clock Slack integration:
✅
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
String-based task average evaluation
Evaluate the average for string-based estimation methods
Team O’clock Slack integration:
❌
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
Automatically archiving
Archive the dedicated Slack channel when the game ends
Team O’clock Slack integration:
❌
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
Ability to select who can add an issue or reveal the cards
Team O’clock Slack integration:
❌
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
Ability to remove an issue from the game
Team O’clock Slack integration:
❌
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
Jira integration
Automatically discover Jira issues & update a Jira issue story
points when using planning poker
Team O’clock Slack integration:
✅
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
Total estimation report
Analysis of estimated sprint efforts
Team O’clock Slack integration:
❌
Planning poker by Actioner:
✅
Elevate your agile journey with Actioner
In Agile development, having the right tools to facilitate accurate task estimation. Actioner’s Planning Poker app is robust and versatile for teams looking to incorporate seamless planning sessions within Slack.
Ready to enhance your team's estimation process? Install Actioner's Planning Poker app for Slack and ensure streamlined and bias-free estimations.
In Actioner's app directory, you can find other Slack apps for DevOps teams to elevate your agile journey.
If you have questions or need further insight, join Actioner Slack community. Let's elevate your planning poker sessions together!
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