Pulse – Lightweight, real-time, open-source polling app

Summary: Pulse is a self-hosted, open-source polling tool that delivers real-time vote updates via WebSocket while ensuring privacy through server-side enforcement. It runs on AWS Lambda and DynamoDB, with a minimal frontend under 50KB, enabling fast deployment and low operational costs.

What it does

Pulse provides live-updating polls where votes appear instantly to all viewers without page refresh. It supports anonymous creators and voters, with privacy enforced at the API level, and can be deployed to a personal AWS account using a single CDK command.

Who it's for

It is designed for teams or individuals needing quick, standalone polls without relying on third-party platforms or complex forms.

Why it matters

Pulse addresses the need for simple, real-time polling that is private, self-hosted, and cost-effective, avoiding platform lock-in and cumbersome workflows.