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spark pollMentimeter alternative
Mentimeter Alternative for Classroom Polls
Live polls, word clouds, and audience Q&A built for the classroom — without per-presentation limits. Free for teachers, forever.
Free tool from Close the Gap Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
Start polling free
Start polling free
One email gets you a free teacher account. Run your first live poll in minutes.
No credit card. One email, no password — we send a one-time magic link. Free for teachers, forever.
- No per-session question caps
- Word clouds & anonymous Q&A
- No student logins
- Built by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
Why teachers switch
Why look for a Mentimeter alternative?
The usual reasons are free-plan limits — a cap on questions per presentation and features you have to pay to unlock. Spark Poll removes those caps for the classroom and keeps it free, because a nonprofit funds it.
60 seconds to live
How it works
- 1
Create a question
Make a poll, word cloud, scale, or open-ended question in a few clicks.
- 2
Students respond
They join with a code on any device — no login required.
- 3
Results visualize live
Answers render on the screen in real time as the room responds.
Feature spotlight
Word clouds, polls, and anonymous Q&A — all free
Every question type you reach for during a lesson, with results that visualize live. Word clouds form as students type; open-ended and anonymous questions land in a live feed.
Single select
Multiple-choice with a live results bar chart.
Word cloud
Open words cluster and grow as the room answers.
Open ended
Long-form responses land in a live feed.
Ranking
Students rank options; you see the consensus order.
Scales
Sentiment and agreement on a sliding scale.
Pin on map
Drop pins on a map for geography and origins.
Honest comparison
Spark Poll vs Mentimeter, side by side
A fair, plainly-stated comparison — including where Mentimeter may still be the better fit.
| Feature | Spark Poll | Mentimeter |
|---|---|---|
| Price for classroom use | Free, forever | Free tier; paid plans to unlock more |
| Questions per session on free plan | Unlimited | Limited on the free plan |
| Word cloud | Yes | Yes |
| Open-ended / audience Q&A | Yes | Yes |
| Anonymous responses | Yes | Yes |
| Participant login required | No | No |
| Slide / presentation designer | Simple, classroom-first | Rich, polished designer |
| Export & analytics | Free | Fuller analytics on paid plans |
| Who funds it | Nonprofit · 501(c)(3) | For-profit company |
Price for classroom use
- Spark Poll
- Free, forever
- Mentimeter
- Free tier; paid plans to unlock more
Questions per session on free plan
- Spark Poll
- Unlimited
- Mentimeter
- Limited on the free plan
Word cloud
- Spark Poll
- Yes
- Mentimeter
- Yes
Open-ended / audience Q&A
- Spark Poll
- Yes
- Mentimeter
- Yes
Anonymous responses
- Spark Poll
- Yes
- Mentimeter
- Yes
Participant login required
- Spark Poll
- No
- Mentimeter
- No
Slide / presentation designer
- Spark Poll
- Simple, classroom-first
- Mentimeter
- Rich, polished designer
Export & analytics
- Spark Poll
- Free
- Mentimeter
- Fuller analytics on paid plans
Who funds it
- Spark Poll
- Nonprofit · 501(c)(3)
- Mentimeter
- For-profit company
Where Mentimeter may still be the better pick
- A richer slide and presentation designer with more themes.
- A wider range of visualization types and customization.
- More advanced analytics and export on paid tiers.
- Enterprise integrations and longer brand maturity.
Comparison reflects publicly available plan information about Mentimeter as of June 2026; plans change, so confirm current details on mentimeter.com. 'Mentimeter' is a trademark of its respective owner. Spark Poll is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Mentimeter.
In the classroom
What teachers use it for
Warm-up word clouds
Open class by surfacing what the whole room is thinking in one view.
Anonymous questions
Give shy students a safe way to ask what they really want to ask.
Live opinion polls
Take a quick vote to drive a discussion forward.
Comprehension checks
Confirm a concept landed before you move on.
End-of-class feedback
Close with a fast pulse on how the lesson went.
Frequently asked
Mentimeter alternative FAQ
Is Spark Poll free vs Mentimeter?
Yes. Spark Poll keeps its classroom features free with no per-session question caps, because it is funded by a nonprofit rather than paid subscriptions.
Is there a limit on questions per presentation?
No. You can ask as many questions in a session as your lesson needs — there is no free-plan question cap.
Can responses be anonymous?
Yes. Students answer without logging in, so polls and Q&A can be fully anonymous — which is exactly what gets quieter students to participate.
Do you have word clouds and Q&A?
Yes. Word clouds, open-ended responses, scales, ranking, and pin-on-map are all included free, alongside multiple choice.
Do students need an account?
No. They join with a 6-digit code or QR link on any device — no account, no app.
Who builds Spark Poll?
Close the Gap Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has reached more than a million students since 2019.
Start polling your classroom for free
Create your free teacher account and run a live word cloud or poll today.