estimio is an online Planning poker tool for Scrum teams. Teams estimate user stories with Fibonacci-based story points in live sessions. Core Planning poker is free with unlimited sessions and guest voters; premium Pro adds Jira import, AI-assisted estimation, exports, and coaching features.

Is Planning poker free on estimio?

Yes. Core Planning poker is free: create sessions, invite teammates, use Fibonacci cards, reveal votes, and run unlimited refinement meetings—no credit card. Guests can vote without signing up. Pro is optional if you want Jira import, AI suggestions, OCR capture, CSV/PDF exports, or coaching timers.

Can I join Planning poker online without an account?

Yes. Guests join with a six-character session code from the moderator—no signup required to vote or follow along in the browser. Creating sessions is also free once you start a room from the home page.

Is estimio free to use?

Yes—free Planning poker is included for unlimited sessions and guest voters. Premium Pro unlocks advanced tools such as Jira import, AI assistance, exports, and coaching; see the Pricing page for trials.

How does Planning Poker work in estimio?

Planning Poker in estimio works by having team members vote on story points using Fibonacci cards (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100). After all votes are cast, estimio automatically calculates the consensus including median, average, min, and max values. The moderator can reveal votes and discuss estimates with the team.

Does estimio integrate with Jira?

Yes, estimio supports both Jira Cloud and Jira Server/Data Center. You can import unestimated stories from sprints, view issue details, and estimate multiple stories in sequence. The integration is read-only - estimio never modifies your Jira issues.

Does estimio use AI for estimation?

Yes, estimio offers an AI Assistant with three powerful features: AI Story Summary (structured insights), AI Complexity Prediction (pre-estimate advisory), and AI Agent Vote (automatic voting). All AI features use Google Gemini and are available to Pro subscribers. AI suggestions are optional and can be enabled or disabled in your profile settings.

Do I need to create an account to use estimio?

No. Guests join Planning poker with a session code without signing up, and you can start free Planning poker rooms from the home page without an account. Register when you want workspace backlog tools, optional Pro features like Jira import and AI assistance, exports, or subscription billing.

What data does estimio collect?

estimio collects minimal data necessary to provide the service. For guest users, we only store session data temporarily. For registered users, we collect email addresses for account verification and communication. We do not sell your data or use it for advertising. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

How secure is my data?

Security is a top priority. estimio is hosted on Google Cloud Run with encryption in transit (HTTPS) and at rest. Database connections use SSL/TLS. We follow industry best practices for authentication, rate limiting, and data protection. See our Security page for detailed information.

Does estimio work on mobile devices?

Yes, estimio is fully responsive and works on mobile devices, tablets, and desktops. You can join sessions and vote from any device with a modern web browser.

Can I export my session results?

Yes, Pro users can export session results to CSV and PDF formats. This feature is available for registered users. Export includes all votes, consensus values, and story information.

Planning Poker vs. T-Shirt Sizing: Which Estimation Method Works Best?

Last updated: January 2025

Quick Answer

Planning Poker and T-Shirt Sizing are both popular agile estimation methods, but they serve different purposes. Planning Poker (using Fibonacci story points) is better for detailed sprint planning and teams that need precise estimates. T-Shirt Sizing (XS, S, M, L, XL) is faster and better for high-level backlog prioritization. Most agile teams use both: T-Shirt Sizing for initial prioritization, then Planning Poker for sprint planning.

What is Planning Poker?

Planning Poker is a consensus-based estimation technique where team members vote on story points using cards (typically Fibonacci sequence: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 20, 40, 100). Team members discuss differences after voting, then re-vote until consensus is reached.

How Planning Poker Works

Moderator presents a story - The team reviews the user story or task
Team members vote independently - Each person selects a story point card
Votes are revealed - Everyone sees all votes simultaneously
Discussion - If votes differ significantly, team discusses why
Re-vote - Team votes again after discussion
Consensus - Process repeats until team agrees on estimate

Planning Poker Benefits

✅ Precise estimates - Fibonacci sequence provides granular sizing
✅ Team consensus - Forces discussion and alignment
✅ Relative sizing - Compares stories to each other, not absolute time
✅ Sprint planning ready - Estimates directly usable for velocity calculations
✅ Reduces anchoring - Independent voting prevents bias

Planning Poker Drawbacks

⚠️ Time-consuming - Can take 5-10 minutes per story
⚠️ Requires full team - All team members must participate
⚠️ Can be stressful - Some team members may feel pressured
⚠️ Over-precision risk - May create false sense of accuracy

What is T-Shirt Sizing?

T-Shirt Sizing uses familiar clothing sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL) to quickly categorize work items by relative size. It's a simplified estimation method that focuses on speed over precision.

How T-Shirt Sizing Works

Team reviews backlog items - Stories are presented one by one
Quick categorization - Team assigns a size (XS, S, M, L, XL)
Minimal discussion - Only discuss if there's significant disagreement
Move to next item - Process is fast, typically 1-2 minutes per item

T-Shirt Sizing Benefits

✅ Very fast - Can estimate 20+ items in 30 minutes
✅ Low pressure - Less intimidating than precise numbers
✅ Good for prioritization - Quickly identifies large vs. small items
✅ Works with large backlogs - Efficient for initial sizing
✅ Easy to understand - Non-technical stakeholders get it immediately

T-Shirt Sizing Drawbacks

⚠️ Less precise - Only 5-6 size categories
⚠️ Not sprint-ready - Usually needs refinement before sprint planning
⚠️ Less discussion - May miss important details or risks
⚠️ Harder to track velocity - Sizes don't map directly to story points

When to Use Planning Poker

Use Planning Poker when you need:

Sprint planning - Estimating stories for the next sprint
Precise estimates - Need story points for velocity tracking
Team alignment - Want to ensure everyone understands the work
Complex stories - Stories with dependencies or unknowns
Small to medium backlogs - 10-30 items per session

Best for: Scrum teams, sprint planning meetings, teams estimating 1-2 sprints ahead.

When to Use T-Shirt Sizing

Use T-Shirt Sizing when you need:

Backlog prioritization - Initial sizing of large backlogs
Quick estimates - Need to size 50+ items quickly
High-level planning - Roadmap or release planning
New teams - Teams new to estimation (less intimidating)
Stakeholder communication - Non-technical audiences

Best for: Product managers, backlog grooming, initial prioritization, large backlogs.

Hybrid Approach: Best of Both Worlds

Many successful agile teams use both methods:

T-Shirt Sizing first - Quickly size entire backlog (XS, S, M, L, XL)
Planning Poker for sprints - Refine M, L, XL items with Planning Poker before sprint planning
Skip small items - XS and S items often don't need detailed estimation

Example Workflow

Quarter 1: T-Shirt Size entire backlog (200 items) → 2 hours
Sprint Planning: Planning Poker for 10-15 sprint candidates → 1-2 hours
Result: Fast prioritization + precise sprint estimates

Comparison Table

| Factor | Planning Poker | T-Shirt Sizing | |--------|---------------|---------------| | Speed | 5-10 min per story | 1-2 min per story | | Precision | High (Fibonacci points) | Low (5-6 categories) | | Best for | Sprint planning | Backlog prioritization | | Team size | 3-10 people | Any size | | Discussion | Extensive | Minimal | | Sprint-ready | Yes | Usually needs refinement | | Velocity tracking | Direct (story points) | Indirect (size mapping) | | Stakeholder clarity | Requires explanation | Immediately clear |

How to Choose the Right Method

Ask yourself:

What's the goal?
- Sprint planning → Planning Poker
- Backlog prioritization → T-Shirt Sizing
How many items?
- 10-30 items → Planning Poker
- 50+ items → T-Shirt Sizing
How much time?
- 2+ hours available → Planning Poker
- 30-60 minutes → T-Shirt Sizing
Team experience?
- Experienced with estimation → Planning Poker
- New to estimation → T-Shirt Sizing
Need precision?
- Yes, for velocity → Planning Poker
- No, just prioritization → T-Shirt Sizing

Tools for Each Method

Planning Poker Tools

estimio: Free online Planning Poker with AI assistance, Jira integration, and real-time collaboration
Jira Planning Poker plugins
Physical Planning Poker cards
Miro/Mural templates

T-Shirt Sizing Tools

Jira backlog with custom fields
Trello with labels
Spreadsheets with size columns
Physical sticky notes with size labels

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Planning Poker Mistakes

❌ Skipping discussion - If votes differ, discuss why
❌ Rushing - Take time to understand the story
❌ Anchoring - Don't let one person's vote influence others
❌ Over-precision - Story points are estimates, not commitments

T-Shirt Sizing Mistakes

❌ Too many sizes - Stick to 5-6 sizes (XS, S, M, L, XL)
❌ No refinement - Remember to refine before sprint planning
❌ Ignoring small items - XS items still need to be estimated
❌ Inconsistent sizing - Use reference stories for consistency

Conclusion

Both Planning Poker and T-Shirt Sizing are valuable estimation methods, but they serve different purposes. Use T-Shirt Sizing for fast backlog prioritization and Planning Poker for precise sprint planning. Many teams successfully combine both: T-Shirt Size the backlog, then Planning Poker the sprint candidates.

The best approach is to start with T-Shirt Sizing to quickly prioritize your backlog, then use Planning Poker to get precise estimates for stories entering your sprint. This hybrid approach gives you speed and precision.

Next Steps

Try estimio's Planning Poker tool: Free online Planning Poker with AI assistance
Learn how to use Planning Poker: Step-by-step guide
Read our User Guide: Complete documentation
Check our FAQ: Common questions about estimation

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