The open-source Mentimeter alternative 2026
Looking for a Mentimeter alternative in 2026? Then omul is the open-source (AGPLv3) Mentimeter alternative: unlimited participants, no sign-up, GDPR-compliant and self-hostable. Live polls, word clouds, quizzes and Q&A deliver the same live experience as Mentimeter — but with no participant limit, full data ownership and no vendor lock-in.
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.
Why switch
Four reasons to switch from Mentimeter to omul
GDPR without compromise
Data in the EU or on your servers, a DPA included, no third-party trackers. Data protection officers and works councils give the green light.
Self-hosted & open source
Run omul on your own infrastructure — the open-source alternative to Mentimeter, licensed under AGPLv3. Full control, no vendor lock-in.
No participant limits
No paywall after the first dozen votes. Whether 20 or 2,000 participants — everyone takes part, at no extra cost.
Fair, predictable pricing
A transparent pricing model instead of per-presenter licenses that get pricier with every speaker.
Feature comparison
Everything you know from Mentimeter
Every format that makes your presentations interactive is covered — and omul adds data ownership on top. Here's the head-to-head.
| Feature | omul | Mentimeter |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting on your own servers | yes | no |
| Open source | AGPLv3 | no |
| Data residency | EU or your servers | EU cloud (AWS Ireland), vendor-run |
| Participant limit per event | Unlimited | Capped on free plan |
| Join without a participant account | yes | yes |
| Polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A, scales | yes | yes |
| SSO / OIDC | yes | Enterprise only |
| Pricing model | Transparent, predictable | Per presenter |
| Data export | yes | yes |
Price comparison
Mentimeter pricing in detail — dated and sourced
Mentimeter bills per presenter and annually only. For comparison: omul prices the workspace, not the presenter — and self-hosting stays free.
| Plan | Price | Free cap / scope | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mentimeter Free | €0 | 50 participants / month | — |
| Mentimeter Basic | €168 / year (€144 from 2nd presenter) | Unlimited participants | Per presenter · annual only |
| Mentimeter Pro | €336 / year (€300 from 2nd presenter) | + branding removal, export | Per presenter · annual only |
| Mentimeter Enterprise | custom | + SSO/SAML | Per presenter · annual |
| omul | €0 Free · €19/mo Pro · €0 self-host | Unlimited participants & presenters | Per workspace · monthly + annual |
Cost calculator
What does Mentimeter cost your team?
Mentimeter bills per presenter (Basic: €168 for the first, €144 for each further one per year). By contrast, omul Pro is flat per workspace — unlimited presenters included. Drag the slider and see the difference.
- Mentimeter Basic
- €1,464 / year
- omul Pro
- €228 / year
flat · unlimited presenters
Savings per year
€1,236
With self-hosting (AGPLv3) you pay €0 — for any number of presenters.
Mentimeter prices as of 03.07.2026, source: mentimeter.com/pricing
Sovereignty
Data ownership — but precise
A blanket “US cloud” accusation against Mentimeter would be wrong: Mentimeter hosts in the EU by default (AWS Ireland). The honest difference is sovereignty — with omul everything runs on your own infrastructure instead of in someone else's cloud.
Your own infrastructure, not someone's cloud
No us-east-1, no parallel-region setup: omul runs where you put it — in your own data center or the EU cloud of your choice.
Open source, not a black box
The code is open source under AGPLv3 and auditable. You don't have to trust a vendor — you can check, including what happens to questions and answers.
No “inspiration” clause
Unlike some cloud terms, omul does not reserve the right to reuse your questions for “inspiration” or product improvement. Your content is yours.
Explained in detail
omul vs. Mentimeter: every feature explained
Is Mentimeter GDPR-compliant?
Mentimeter hosts in the EU by default (AWS Ireland), so a blanket “US cloud” accusation would be wrong. The real sticking point is elsewhere: the sub-processors and data flows of someone else's cloud can only be controlled so far, and the source code is closed. You run omul self-hosted or EU-hosted — your participants' data never leaves your infrastructure in the first place, and the code is open source and auditable.
Mentimeter: participant limit on the free plan
Mentimeter's free plan allows 50 participants per month; the limit can be exceeded exactly once, with an 8-hour grace window (as of 03.07.2026). Anyone who presents regularly slides into a paid plan over participant count alone. With omul there is no cap — whether 20 or 2,000 people vote, the price is the same.
What does Mentimeter cost?
Mentimeter bills per presenter and annually only — Basic is €168/year for the first presenter licence and €144/year for each further one, Pro €336 and €300 (as of 03.07.2026, source: mentimeter.com/pricing). Every extra presenter raises the cost. With omul self-hosting is free, and the hosted option can also be billed monthly and cancelled monthly.
Can you self-host Mentimeter?
No — Mentimeter runs only in its own cloud, and the source is closed. Not so with omul: open source under AGPLv3 and built for self-hosting — you run it on your own infrastructure, can audit the code and stay independent of any single vendor.
Does Mentimeter offer SSO?
Mentimeter unlocks single sign-on (SAML/SSO) only on the Enterprise plan. Even small teams that need SSO are pushed to the most expensive tier. With omul, SSO/OIDC is part of the offering — no enterprise requirement.
Which formats do Mentimeter and omul offer?
Both cover the core interactive formats: live polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A and scales that the audience joins with a code. Mentimeter adds an extensive slide editor with dozens of slide types; omul focuses on the live interaction and leaves slide design to your usual presentation tool.
No credit card · Free self-hosting · Open source (AGPLv3)
Switching
From Mentimeter to omul in three steps
- 1
Recreate your content
Rebuild your questions in minutes — the formats are the same ones you already know.
- 2
Share the code
Your audience joins with a 6-digit code. No account, no app, no onboarding.
- 3
Present live
Results appear in real time on the screen — exactly the live experience you're used to.
Import your Menti questions in 60 seconds
An importer brings your existing Mentimeter questions straight into omul — no copy-paste. Switching then takes minutes, not hours. Coming soon.
Staying fair
Where Mentimeter is (still) ahead
A comparison that only shows your own strengths isn't one. Three areas where Mentimeter leads today:
Larger template library
Mentimeter bundles polling with a full presentation editor and dozens of slide types. With omul the focus is the core interactive formats, leaving slide design to the tool you already use.
Established ecosystem
A PowerPoint add-in, years on the market and a large user base: Mentimeter is already familiar to many teams and deeply woven into existing workflows.
Maturity & brand recognition
Mentimeter has been around for years and is correspondingly polished. By contrast, omul is younger but catches up fast on the formats that matter in the room — and wins where privacy is the deciding factor.
Frequently asked questions about the Mentimeter alternative
Is omul a free Mentimeter alternative?
You can try omul for free. As a self-hosted, open-source tool (AGPLv3), it runs on your own infrastructure with no license fees; the hosted option comes with transparent pricing.
Is omul GDPR-compliant and where is data stored?
Yes. You run omul self-hosted or EU-hosted — data stays in the EU or on your own servers. There are no third-party trackers, and a DPA is standard.
Can I self-host omul?
Yes — omul is built for self-hosting and licensed under AGPLv3. You keep full control over data and infrastructure, with no vendor lock-in.
Do participants need an account?
No. Your audience joins with a 6-digit code on any device — no sign-up, no app, no personal data.
Is there a participant limit?
No: omul does not cap the number of participants per event — from a small workshop group to a large town-hall audience.
Does omul support the same formats as Mentimeter?
Yes. Live polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A and scales are all included — the interactive formats you know from Mentimeter.
What is Mentimeter's participant limit?
Mentimeter's free plan allows 50 participants per month; the limit can be exceeded exactly once, with an 8-hour grace window (as of 03.07.2026). With omul participants are never capped — on any plan.
How much does Mentimeter cost per year?
Mentimeter is billed annually only: Basic is €168 and Pro €336 per presenter per year, each further licence €144 and €300 (as of 03.07.2026, source: mentimeter.com/pricing). With omul you get free self-hosting plus a hosted option with monthly billing.
Is Mentimeter GDPR-compliant?
Mentimeter hosts in the EU by default (AWS Ireland); a GDPR-compliant deployment is possible with a DPA. The sub-processors and data flows of someone else's cloud still need review, and the source code is closed. With omul the question does not arise, because you self-host or stay EU-hosted.
Keep comparing
omul against the other tools
Mentimeter isn't the only live-polling tool. See how omul stacks up against the other providers — or dig into why data ownership makes the decisive difference.
GDPR & self-hosting in detailMore alternatives
See all comparisons- 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.
- Wooclap alternativeEU-based, ISO 27001 & GDPR — the fairest cloud in the field. The omul edge: self-hosting & open source.
Ready to switch?
Try the Mentimeter alternative that keeps your data yours
Create your first live poll in under a minute — no setup, no credit card.
No credit card · Free self-hosting · Open source (AGPLv3)