Mentimeter's free plan allows 50 participants per month, added up across all your presentations. Once a month, you can go over that. Below you'll find exactly how the count works, and how many participants you get for free with Kahoot!, Wayground, Slido and Sparqel.
How does Mentimeter count participants?
According to Mentimeter's help centre, the limit works like this:
- Per month, not per presentation: every participant counts until you reach 50 in total. A presentation with 30 people and another with 25 already takes you over the limit.
- One exception per month: once a month you may have more than 50 participants.
- Reached the limit: you can't start a new live presentation. The one that's open stays usable for another 8 hours.
- New month: the counter resets on the day of the month you created your account, not on the first of the month.
- Forms don't count: people who take part via Menti Form or Menti Pulse don't count towards the limit.
The pricing page says "unlimited participants once per month" for the free plan, and "50 participants per month" in the comparison table. That's the same rule, seen from two sides. If you don't want a limit, the paid Basic plan starts at $11.99 per presenter per month (billed annually), with unlimited participants.
An example
You teach a class of 28 students. The first lesson with Mentimeter counts 28 participants. The second lesson takes you to 56, over the limit. You use your exception for that month, and for the third lesson you have to wait until the counter resets. To see what else Mentimeter offers for free, read the Mentimeter alternative.
How many participants do other apps give you for free?
| App (free plan) | Free participants | Counted per | More participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentimeter (Free) | 50 | Month, across all presentations | Unlimited, from $11.99 per month |
| Kahoot! (Go) | 10 | Game | 50 from $3 per month |
| Wayground (Basic) | 100 | Session | Up to 1000, price not public |
| Slido (Basic) | 100 | Event | Not checked |
| Sparqel | 50 | Game, no monthly limit | No paid version |
Monthly prices apply when you pay annually.
Kahoot!
The free plan is called Kahoot! Go. According to the pricing page, it allows 10 players per game. The comparison table on the page for schools says 40, but the FAQ on that same page says 10. Bronze ($3 per month, billed annually) gives you 50, Silver 100, Gold 200 and Kahoot! One 800.
Strong at: very large groups on a paid plan, apps and a big library of ready-made quizzes.
Wayground (formerly Quizizz)
The free plan is now called Basic (formerly Starter). According to the help centre, it allows 100 participants per session, and up to 1000 on a paid plan. The plans page says you can store up to 20 activities for free and can't use every question type. Prices for paid plans aren't on the site.
Strong at: homework and self-paced practice, with lots of ready-made activities for education.
Slido
We couldn't read Slido's pricing. According to answers from the Slido team on their own forum, the free Basic plan allows up to 100 participants per event, with 3 polls and 1 quiz per event (5 polls in some regions). A free event lasts up to 7 days.
Strong at: questions from the audience during a presentation or meeting.
Sparqel
Sparqel allows 50 players per game, including assignments that people play at their own pace. There's no monthly limit: if you play five times a week with a different group, 50 people can join every time. All question types, reports and the Excel export are free, and there's no paid version. Read on Free? why that's possible.
Less strong at: groups of more than 50 at once. For that you need a paid plan from one of the other apps, or you split the group over two games.
Which one fits your group?
- Up to 10 people, quiz questions only: Kahoot!'s free plan is enough.
- Up to 50 people, several times a month: Sparqel, because there's no monthly limit.
- One big presentation a month: Mentimeter's free plan, using your exception for that month.
- Up to 100 people at once: Wayground or Slido.
- Even bigger groups: a paid plan, for example Kahoot! One (800) or Mentimeter Basic (unlimited).
Want to compare more than the number of participants, such as question types and prices? Read free quiz apps compared.
All names mentioned are trademarks of their respective owners. Sparqel is an independent project and is not affiliated with any of these providers.