The right poll tool depends on how you stream. For a live, on-stream vote your chat types into, chat-vote overlay tools lead. Not an affiliate? Most of these work anyway. Already on Streamlabs or StreamElements? Their built-in polls work too.
Same poll, two very different moments. A chat-vote overlay keeps the vote in your chat and on your stream, where everyone watches the bars move. A link poll sends viewers to another site, so the vote happens off stream. That gap is what most of this page is about.
First, the four kinds of tool
They are not all the same thing
Most lists lump these together, which is why people pick the wrong one. A link poll and a live chat-vote overlay solve different problems. Sort by what you actually need first.
Live chat-vote overlays
Built for the poll to happen on stream. Viewers type a number in chat and the results fill a bar chart on your overlay in real time. No external page.
A bot command that creates a poll on an external site (usually StrawPoll) and posts the link in chat. Voting happens off your stream, with no overlay.
Nightbot, StrawPoll
Suite tools
Polls as one feature inside a larger streaming suite, run through a bot you add to your channel and configure in a big dashboard.
Streamlabs (Cloudbot), StreamElements
Native Twitch poll
Twitch's built-in poll. Monetized (Affiliate and Partner) only, capped at five short options, and can charge viewers Channel Points for extra votes.
Twitch (built in)
Side by side
Twitch poll tools compared
The honest version. Where a tool only does something through a workaround or a paid tier, it is marked as such rather than a clean yes.
Feature
StreamerGiveaway
Streamlabs
chat.vote
poll.ma.pe
Nightbot
StreamElements
Native Twitch
Works without affiliate status
Vote in chat by typing a number
!vote
StrawPoll link
Workaround
/vote or click
Live poll overlay on stream
Popout only
Runs with no bot added to channel
Cloudbot
Subscriber-only voting
Manual
Manual
Subscriber vote weight
Options per poll
Up to 8
Many
Numbered
Numbered
Up to 30
Workaround
2 to 5
Costs Channel Points to vote
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Never
Extra votes
Saved poll history
Limited
Reuse last
StrawPoll
Breakdown
Free to start
Free; Ultra themes
Affiliate only
Last updated June 2026. Reflects free-tier capabilities. Native poll facts per Twitch's developer docs; tool features and limits change, so double check the current docs before you commit.
The rundown
Every tool, what it is best for, and the catch
Ranked for live, on-stream chat polls, which is what most people searching this actually want. If your need is different, the when-to-use guide below points you the right way.
01
StreamerGiveaway
That is us
Best for: Live, on-stream chat polls on any channel
A free poll tool built for live Twitch streams. Log in with Twitch, write a question and up to 8 options, and viewers vote by typing !1, !2, !3 in chat. The results fill a bar chart on your overlay in real time. No affiliate status, no bot, and nothing for viewers to install.
Strengths
Works on any channel, no Affiliate or Partner status needed
Numbered chat voting (!1 to !8), the simplest thing chat can type
Live overlay for OBS, Streamlabs, XSplit, and Twitch Studio
Subscriber-only voting and an optional subscriber vote weight
Blind results, a timer, and saved poll history
A trusted mod can run the poll from a private link
Trade-offs
Built for live, in-chat polls, not multi-day off-stream surveys
Up to 8 options per poll (plenty for a stream, fewer than a bot's 30)
Pick it when: You want the poll to be a live moment your chat votes on by typing a number, with a styled overlay and sub controls, on any channel.
A genuine poll widget with chat voting via !vote and an on-stream overlay. The widget is free, but it requires Cloudbot enabled in Streamlabs Desktop, and extra widget themes come with a Streamlabs Ultra subscription.
Strengths
Real chat voting and a live overlay
Native if you already run Streamlabs Desktop
Customizable widget styling
Trade-offs
Requires Cloudbot and the Streamlabs Desktop stack
Voting uses !vote <option>, longer than a single number
No subscriber vote weight; extra themes need Ultra
Pick it when: Your whole stack is already Streamlabs Desktop and Cloudbot, so keeping the poll there is convenient.
03
chat.vote
Best for: Minimal numbered chat polls
A lightweight tool focused on the same core idea: viewers vote by typing a number in chat and the result shows on an overlay. The closest match to our core mechanic, and it does include a subscribers-only voting option, with a smaller feature set around it.
Strengths
Simple numbered chat voting
On-stream overlay plus a subscriber-only option
Free and works without affiliate
Trade-offs
No subscriber vote weight or blind-results mode
No saved poll history or studio styling
Small tool, less polish and documentation
Pick it when: You want a bare-bones numbered chat poll and do not need a sub vote weight, styling, or saved history.
04
poll.ma.pe
Best for: A quick real-time chat poll overlay
A real-time poll overlay where chat types a number to vote, with themes and smart vote-matching (so '4head' is not counted as a vote for 4). Actively maintained and focused on doing the one thing simply.
Strengths
Simple type-a-number voting
Themed real-time overlay
Free and no affiliate needed
Trade-offs
No subscriber-only voting or sub vote weight
No blind results or saved poll history
Minimal extra controls
Pick it when: You want a quick, themed numbered-poll overlay and do not need sub controls or history.
05
Nightbot (!poll)
Best for: A quick link-based poll in chat
The !poll command creates a StrawPoll and posts the link in chat. It supports up to 30 options, but voting happens on the StrawPoll page, not on your stream, and there is no overlay.
Strengths
Free, and fast if you already run Nightbot
Up to 30 options
No affiliate needed
Trade-offs
Viewers leave the stream to vote on StrawPoll
No on-stream overlay at all
No sub-only voting or sub vote weight; bot must be in your channel
Pick it when: You already run Nightbot and do not mind sending chat to an external StrawPoll link with no overlay.
06
StreamElements
Best for: Communities already on the SE suite
StreamElements has no dedicated poll tool. Streamers improvise with the Contests feature (viewers !bet loyalty points) or the votekick chatbot module (!yes / !no), and the polished Ground Control path is affiliate-gated. There is a long-standing community request asking SE to build a real poll.
Strengths
Free if you already run StreamElements
Contests and chatbot modules can stand in
Ties into your existing SE loyalty setup
Trade-offs
No dedicated poll feature, only workarounds
SE bot must be added to your channel
The Ground Control poll path is affiliate-only
Pick it when: You run StreamElements for everything and a loyalty-points contest or a yes/no chatbot vote is close enough.
07
Native Twitch poll
Best for: Affiliates who only need a quick 5-option vote
Twitch's built-in poll in the chat panel. Monetized (Affiliate and Partner) only, capped at 2 to 5 options with a 60-character question, and viewers can be charged Channel Points for extra votes. A vote breakdown is saved at your poll popout URL.
Strengths
Built into Twitch, nothing extra to add
Familiar one-click voting, plus the /vote chat command
Fine for a fast yes or no
Trade-offs
Affiliate or Partner required, so new channels cannot use it
Only 2 to 5 options, 60-character question
Extra votes can cost Channel Points; no sub-only voting or vote weight
Pick it when: You are already monetized and a simple 2 to 5 option vote in the chat panel is all you need.
Make it your own
Make the poll look like your channel
The poll overlay runs through our Overlay Studio, so you can match its colors, font, corners, and glow to your brand. Pick a look once and every poll uses it.
LIVE
Twitch Night
What should I play next?1:32
!1
Elden Ring58%
!2
Hades II26%
!3
Hollow Knight16%
100 votes ยท Type !1 ยท !2 ยท !3 in chat to voteStreamerGiveaway.org
The shortcut
When to use which
Your situation
The tool that fits
You are not an affiliate and want a live poll on any channel
StreamerGiveaway
You want numbered chat voting, sub controls, and a styled overlay
StreamerGiveaway
You already run Streamlabs Desktop with Cloudbot enabled
Streamlabs poll widget
You only need a bare-bones numbered chat poll
chat.vote or poll.ma.pe
You already run Nightbot and a StrawPoll link is fine
Nightbot !poll
You are an affiliate and only need a quick 5-option vote
Native Twitch poll
Worth being straight about this: if you live entirely inside Streamlabs or StreamElements, their built-in polls save you a tool. StreamerGiveaway is the pick when you want the poll to be live in your chat, on a styled overlay, on any channel, without an affiliate badge or a bot in your channel.
FAQ
Choosing a poll tool
What is the best free Twitch poll tool in 2026?
For a live, on-stream poll the strongest free options are chat-vote overlay tools like StreamerGiveaway, chat.vote, and poll.ma.pe, plus the free Streamlabs poll widget. StreamerGiveaway adds subscriber-only voting, a sub vote weight, a timer, and saved history, and works on any channel without affiliate status.
Can I run a Twitch poll without being an affiliate?
Yes. The native Twitch poll is Affiliate and Partner only, but chat-command tools like StreamerGiveaway, chat.vote, poll.ma.pe, and Nightbot read votes from chat, so they work on any channel. StreamerGiveaway keeps voting in chat with a live overlay and no bot to install.
Which Twitch poll tool has a live overlay on stream?
StreamerGiveaway, chat.vote, poll.ma.pe, and the Streamlabs poll widget show results on a browser-source overlay. Nightbot posts a StrawPoll link with no overlay, and the native Twitch poll only offers a popout. StreamerGiveaway styles its overlay through its Overlay Studio.
How do viewers vote in a chat poll?
In StreamerGiveaway, chat.vote, and poll.ma.pe, viewers type a number like !1 or !2 in chat. Streamlabs uses !vote followed by the option. Nightbot sends viewers to a StrawPoll page. The native Twitch poll uses the in-app panel or the /vote command.
Do native Twitch polls cost Channel Points?
Every logged-in viewer gets one free vote in a native poll, and streamers can let viewers spend Channel Points for extra votes. Bits voting was removed in 2023. Chat-command tools like StreamerGiveaway never charge Channel Points to vote.
Can a moderator run the poll for me?
With StreamerGiveaway you can hand a poll to a trusted moderator through a private link, so they can set it up and run it without your account login. Bot-based tools generally require the broadcaster or an editor to manage the poll.