Why we're open-sourcing omul

The slot was empty

Google "Mentimeter alternative" today and you'll find vendor SEO end to end — but not a single open-source tool that combines maintained code, a polished product and a cloud for thousands of participants. There are good OSS projects in the niche, but none closes that gap entirely.

That's exactly where we come in — with omul, the open-source Mentimeter alternative: unlimited participants, no sign-up, GDPR-compliant and self-hostable — with a product that feels like a commercial tool, because it is one.

Distribution is in the product, not the ad budget

We don't buy ads or send cold emails. Our distribution lives in the product and the business model: every poll is an invitation, every event a stage. Open source is part of that — open code is the most citable, most trustworthy way to spread a tool.

Self-hosters aren't lost revenue to us; they're distribution and the start of the enterprise funnel. That's why self-hosting is free — and stays free.

Why AGPL — and not just "source-available"

We could have picked a license that only lets you look at the code while denying real freedoms (BSL, FSL). Then the claim "open source" would simply be false, and the community dividend would be gone. So: AGPL-3.0 for the product core, MIT for the embed SDK.

The code is free, the name "omul" is protected. You may run, audit and fork omul — just not ship it under our brand. That's the fair deal between open code and a sustainable cloud.

Unlimited free is an infrastructure truth

For us, an extra participant costs a WebSocket connection on a box that's already running — essentially nothing. Our unlimited free tier isn't a bait-and-switch, then, but the honest consequence of the tech. No 50-participant limit, no lockout after the event.

What's free stays free

Other tools have repeatedly tightened their free tiers. We catch that refugee stream — and make a public promise at the same time: what's free today stays free for existing users. The future prices are in the open on our pricing page from day one, so no one has to fear a rug-pull.

Cloud first, merge conservatively

Being open doesn't mean meeting every expectation. Our maintenance policy is deliberately simple: the hosted cloud drives priorities, and we merge contributions conservatively and deliberately. That keeps the project maintainable long-term — and honest about what it promises.

Curious? Try the cloud in under a minute, or grab the code and self-host.