The self-hostable Slido alternative 2026
Looking for a Slido alternative in 2026? Slido (part of Cisco since the acquisition) is strong on Q&A and deeply integrated with Webex and Teams — but it's a closed cloud service with a participant cap on the free tier and SSO only on the pricey enterprise plan. By contrast, omul offers the same live formats, but runs on your servers or in the EU, is open source (AGPLv3) and caps no participants. This comparison shows both sides — including where Slido 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
- Your data stays in the EU or on your servers — instead of Cisco's global cloud.
- No 100-participant-per-event ceiling and no 3-poll limit like Slido's free tier.
- Self-hostable and open source (AGPLv3) — no lock-in to a corporate stack.
- SSO without an enterprise surcharge of ~$200/month.
Feature by feature
The comparison table
Same core formats, same live experience. The table below shows where omul and Slido differ — based on publicly available information.
| Feature | omul | Slido |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosting on your own servers | yes | no |
| Open source | AGPLv3 | no |
| Data residency | EU or your servers | Cisco cloud, global |
| Participant limit per event | Unlimited | 100 free, then by plan |
| Join without a participant account | yes | yes |
| Polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A, scales | yes | yes |
| SSO / OIDC | yes | Enterprise only (~$200/mo) |
| Pricing model | Transparent, predictable | Per host / plan |
| Data export | yes | yes |
Explained in detail
omul vs. Slido: every feature explained
Is Slido GDPR-compliant?
Slido has been part of Cisco since the acquisition and runs on its global cloud infrastructure. A GDPR-compliant deployment is possible with a DPA, but data processing and sub-processors sit outside your control. You run omul self-hosted or EU-hosted — your participants' data never leaves your zone of control.
What is Slido's participant limit?
Slido's free tier caps at 100 participants per event and three polls per event. If you need more audience or more questions, you have to move to a paid plan. With omul there is no cap on participants or on the number of questions.
What does Slido cost?
Slido tiers by host and plan; the Engage plan starts at around $17.50/month for up to 200 participants. Higher tiers and Enterprise cost considerably more. With omul self-hosting is free, and the hosted option is transparently priced.
Can you self-host Slido?
No — Slido runs only in Cisco's cloud and is closed source. Not so with omul: open source under AGPLv3 and built for self-hosting — full control over data, updates and operations, with no lock-in to a corporate stack.
Does Slido offer SSO?
Single sign-on is available on Slido only with the Enterprise package, which runs around $200/month. Teams that need SSO sooner pay accordingly. With omul, SSO/OIDC is part of the offering — no enterprise surcharge.
Which formats do Slido and omul offer?
Both cover live polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A and scales. Slido is especially strong in moderated Q&A with upvotes and filters and is deeply integrated with Webex and Microsoft Teams; omul offers the same core formats platform-independently via code join.
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
Slido runs on Cisco's global cloud infrastructure. You run omul self-hosted or EU-hosted — your participants' data never leaves your zone of control.
More on GDPR & self-hostingParticipant limits
Slido's free tier caps at 100 participants per event and three polls. With omul there is no cap — participant count and number of questions don't change the price.
Self-hosting & lock-in
Slido lives inside the Cisco ecosystem and only in their cloud. Not so with omul: open source (AGPLv3), running on your infrastructure — independent of any single vendor.
Pricing model
Slido tiers by host and plan, with SSO only on the enterprise package (~$200/month). With omul the pricing is transparent — and self-hosting stays free.
Staying fair
Where Slido is (still) ahead
Slido is a mature product with real strengths. Two areas where it leads omul today:
Cisco integration & enterprise maturity
Webex and Microsoft Teams integration, Cisco certifications and a large support operation: for enterprises already on the Cisco stack, Slido slots in seamlessly.
Polished Q&A
Slido's Q&A with moderation, upvotes and filters is considered a benchmark. While omul covers Q&A, Slido offers more polish here for large, moderated sessions.
Frequently asked questions about the comparison
Is omul a full Slido alternative?
For the core interactive formats — live polls, word clouds, quizzes, Q&A and scales — yes. Slido is especially strong in moderated Q&A and Cisco/Webex integration; on data ownership, self-hosting and participant limits, omul leads.
What's the biggest difference between omul and Slido?
Data ownership and openness: omul is self-hosted or EU-hosted and open source (AGPLv3); Slido is a closed Cisco cloud service. On top of that come the lack of participant limits and SSO without an enterprise surcharge.
Is omul cheaper than Slido?
Self-hosting is free. For the hosted option, Slido's typical ceilings fall away — 100 participants per event on the free tier, SSO only from enterprise (~$200/month). That adds up especially for large events.
How many participants does Slido allow on the free tier?
Slido's free tier allows 100 participants per event and three polls per event. With omul there is no cap on participants or on the number of questions.
What does Slido cost?
Slido bills by host and plan; the Engage plan starts at around $17.50/month for up to 200 participants, and SSO is available only from Enterprise (~$200/month). With omul, self-hosting is free.
Is Slido GDPR-compliant?
Slido runs on Cisco's global cloud; a GDPR-compliant deployment is possible with a DPA, but the data sits outside your control. With omul, self-hosting or EU hosting avoids it.
More alternatives
See all comparisons- 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.
- Poll Everywhere alternativeStrong in US higher-ed, all question types free — but US cloud and only 40 responses per poll.
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)