The Kahoot alternative with no participant cap 2026
Looking for a Kahoot alternative in 2026? Kahoot is strong at playful quizzes — but for business use there's no permanent free tier, and even the entry plan caps at around 50 participants (Kahoot 360, ~$228/year, as of 03.07.2026). That is exactly where omul picks up: unlimited participants, open source (AGPLv3), self-hostable and with all live formats — not just quiz. This comparison shows both sides, including where Kahoot is ahead.
No credit card · Free self-hosting · Open source (AGPLv3)
Running in production at HyHyve events
As part of the HyHyve ecosystem, omul runs live at real events — used by teams from companies like these.
The short version
Where omul makes the difference
- Unlimited participants instead of the ~50 cap on Kahoot's entry plan.
- All live formats — polls, word clouds, Q&A, scales — not just gamified quiz.
- Open source (AGPLv3) and self-hostable instead of a closed-source cloud.
- Priced per workspace instead of per host — and self-hosting stays free.
Feature by feature
The comparison table
Same core formats, same live experience. The table below shows where omul and Kahoot! differ — based on publicly available information.
| Feature | omul | Kahoot! |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting on your own servers | yes | no |
| Open source | AGPLv3 | no |
| Data residency | EU or your servers | SaaS (Norway/EEA) |
| Participant limit per event | Unlimited | ~50 on entry plan |
| Join without a participant account | yes | yes |
| Polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A, scales | yes | Quiz-focused |
| SSO / OIDC | yes | Higher tiers |
| Pricing model | Per workspace | Per host, annual |
| Data export | yes | yes |
Explained in detail
omul vs. Kahoot!: every feature explained
Is Kahoot GDPR-compliant?
Kahoot is a Norwegian company under EEA data-protection law — so a blanket "US cloud" accusation doesn't apply here. The difference is self-hosting: on your own servers the data never leaves your infrastructure in the first place, and the code is open source and auditable instead of a black box.
What is Kahoot's participant limit?
Kahoot's business entry plans (Kahoot 360) start at around 50 participants per session (~$228/year, as of 03.07.2026). Larger rooms need higher tiers. With omul participants are never capped — a participant is simply a WebSocket connection.
What does Kahoot cost?
There's no permanent free tier for business use; Kahoot 360 starts at around $228/year for up to 50 participants and bills per host (as of 03.07.2026). With omul the free tier is unlimited and free, Pro is €19/month per workspace, and self-hosting is free.
Can you self-host Kahoot?
No — Kahoot runs only in its own cloud, and the source is closed. By contrast, omul is open source under AGPLv3 and built for self-hosting: auditable code, customisable, no vendor lock-in.
Does Kahoot offer SSO?
Kahoot unlocks single sign-on only on higher 360 tiers. With omul, SSO/OIDC is part of the offering without forcing you onto the most expensive step.
Which formats do Kahoot and omul offer?
Kahoot is strong at playful, competitive quizzes with music and a leaderboard — great for energy in the room. With omul you get quiz too, plus live polls, word clouds, Q&A and scales as equals. If you need more than gamified quiz, omul is broader.
No credit card · Free self-hosting · Open source (AGPLv3)
What it means in practice
The four differences that matter day to day
Privacy & data residency
Kahoot is a Norwegian (EEA) company — so the privacy edge is narrower here, and we say so. Still, omul goes further: self-hosted, the data never leaves your infrastructure, and the code is open source and auditable.
More on GDPR & self-hostingParticipant limits
Kahoot's entry plans cap participants (around 50). With omul there is no cap — whether a classroom or a town hall of thousands, the price stays the same.
Self-hosting & lock-in
Kahoot only runs in its own cloud and is closed source. By contrast, omul is open source (AGPLv3) and runs on your infrastructure — auditable, customisable, no vendor lock-in.
Pricing model
Kahoot bills per host and annually; there's no permanent free tier for business use. By contrast, omul prices the workspace, not the host — and self-hosting is free.
Staying fair
Where Kahoot! is (still) ahead
Kahoot is hard to beat on gamification. Three areas where it leads omul today:
Gamification & energy
Music, countdown, podium and point-chasing: Kahoot brings playful energy to classrooms and trainings like few other tools. By contrast, omul goes for clearer, calmer live interaction.
Huge content library
Millions of ready-made, public Kahoots can be used instantly. A comparably large public template gallery is something omul doesn't have yet.
Brand in education
Kahoot is extremely well known and established in schools and universities. By contrast, omul is younger but wins on being unlimited, open and privacy-friendly.
Frequently asked questions about the comparison
What's the biggest difference between omul and Kahoot?
Reach and openness. Kahoot is quiz-focused, participant-capped and closed source; omul offers all live formats, unlimited participants, is open source (AGPLv3) and self-hostable. Plus it's priced per workspace instead of per host.
Is omul a free Kahoot alternative?
Yes. omul's free tier is unlimited-free — including unlimited participants and no sign-up. Self-hosting under AGPLv3 is free too. Kahoot has no permanent free tier for business use.
What is Kahoot's participant limit?
Kahoot's business entry plans start at around 50 participants per session (Kahoot 360, ~$228/year, as of 03.07.2026). With omul participants are never capped, on any plan.
Can omul do gamified quizzes too?
Yes — omul offers quizzes with points, countdown and a leaderboard. Kahoot is a bit more playful on pure gamification (music, podium); in return omul also covers polls, word clouds, Q&A and scales as equals.
Is Kahoot GDPR-compliant?
Kahoot is a Norwegian (EEA) company and close to EU data-protection law. omul's privacy edge is narrower here; the difference lies in self-hosting and the open, auditable code.
More alternatives
See all comparisons- Mentimeter alternativeThe well-known market leader with a large template library — but a closed cloud, not self-hostable.
- Slido alternativeCisco backing and strong Q&A — but a closed cloud, a per-event free cap and SSO only on enterprise.
- AhaSlides alternativeCheap entry and playful templates — but a cloud SaaS with a 50-cap and no self-hosting.
See for yourself
Try the GDPR-compliant Mentimeter alternative
Create your first live poll in under a minute — no setup, no credit card.
No credit card · Free self-hosting · Open source (AGPLv3)