The short version
Poll Everywhere is a mature, institutional tool — its Canvas gradebook integration and SMS text-in fallback are genuinely hard to match, especially for large campus lecture classes. PollSlide is built for presenters who don't want to insert activity slides into their deck at all: paste one QR box onto any existing slide, run polls, surveys, quizzes and study sets from a single plan, and let Polly AI draft from a PDF or your own notes instead of just a typed topic.
Feature by feature
| What matters | PollSlide | Poll Everywhere |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPoint add-in available today | ~ | ✓ |
| Live results over a Keynote slide while you present | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works the same way on Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides or a PDF — one method | ✓Copy a QR box onto any slide in any tool; nothing to rebuild | ~Separate native integrations per app; importing a deck into a different tool can break already-embedded activities |
| Native add-in already published for your slide app | ~PowerPoint add-in is in review with Microsoft; Google Slides integration is planned, not shipped | ✓Native PowerPoint, Keynote (Mac) and Google Slides integrations, plus a Live App overlay for other software |
| Polls, surveys, quizzes and study sets — one product | ✓ | —Built around live, synchronous activities; no documented async study/review mode |
| AI drafts questions from your own PDF or notes | ✓Polly AI works from a topic, an uploaded PDF, or pasted notes | ~Generates multiple-choice questions from a typed topic; no documented ability to read an uploaded deck or PDF |
| AI turns open-text answers into themes + sentiment | ✓ | — |
| SMS text-in voting (no app, no data plan needed) | — | ✓A real advantage for audiences with limited phone data or no ability to install anything |
| Native LMS gradebook integration (e.g. Canvas) | — | ✓Deep higher-ed install base, with roster import for attendance |
| Free companion app floats results over your presentation automatically | ✓macOS only today; the QR-on-slide method itself needs zero install on any OS | ~A Live App overlay covers other software; the deepest experience is inside their own native add-ins |
| Free tier for real sessions | ✓3 saved presentations, 25 participants/session, 5 Polly generations/month — no card required | ✓Free "Intro" plan: up to 40 people (700 for the first 30 days), per its plans page |
| Team quiz scoring rewards accuracy, not just table size | ✓Score averages per player, so a bigger team doesn't automatically win | —Scoring mechanics for their team competitions aren't publicly documented |
Why presenters switch to PollSlide
One method, every deck
Paste a QR box onto any slide in Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides or a PDF and present as normal — no add-in to install, and nothing to rebuild if you switch tools later.
AI that reads your material
Polly drafts questions from a topic, an uploaded PDF, or your own notes — and turns open-text answers into themes and sentiment as they come in.
One suite, one plan
Polls, surveys, quizzes and study sets in a single plan, with a free tier that runs real sessions.
Pricing at a glance
| Plan | PollSlide | Poll Everywhere |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 — 25 participants per session, 3 saved presentations | Free — up to 40 people per poll |
| Individual | Pro — $12/month, or $10/month billed annually | Present — $10/month, or $120 billed annually |
| Teams | Team Small $39/month (up to 5) · Team Large $199/month (up to 25) | Engage and Teams plans, priced per organisation |
| Large organisations | Enterprise — custom | Enterprise — custom |
Prices in US dollars where shown, checked on 7 October 2026 on each company's own pricing page. They change — please confirm on our pricing page and the other company's before you decide.
🤝 When Poll Everywhere might be the better fit
Poll Everywhere has been refining live classroom and meeting polling since 2007, and it shows: campuses standardized on Canvas get native gradebook and roster integration that PollSlide doesn't offer, and SMS text-in voting is a genuine fallback for audiences without reliable phone data or the ability to install anything. If that institutional depth — or a text-in option — is what you need, Poll Everywhere is worth a look. PollSlide is the better fit when you want polls, quizzes, surveys and study in one plan, AI that works from your own material, and nothing to rebuild when you switch presentation tools.
Questions people ask
Is PollSlide a good Poll Everywhere alternative?
Yes, if you want polls, surveys, quizzes and study sets in one plan, plus AI that turns open answers into themes. Poll Everywhere is a long-established choice with SMS text-in voting and deep LMS integration, which PollSlide does not offer.
Can I keep using my PowerPoint or Keynote slides?
Yes. Paste your poll's QR code onto any slide and your audience answers on their phones. On a Mac, the free PollSlide companion floats live results over your slideshow — Keynote, PowerPoint or a PDF — and shows the right poll when that slide is on screen.
Does Poll Everywhere work inside PowerPoint and Keynote?
Yes. Poll Everywhere lists PowerPoint integration on all its plans and offers a presenter add-in for PowerPoint and Keynote on Mac. PollSlide works over Keynote, PowerPoint, Google Slides or a PDF with a QR on the slide; its PowerPoint add-in is in review with Microsoft.
How do PollSlide and Poll Everywhere prices compare?
PollSlide has a free plan for 25 participants per session and Pro at $12 a month ($10 billed annually). Poll Everywhere's free plan allows up to 40 people, and its Present plan is $10 a month or $120 billed annually, priced per organisation. Checked 7 October 2026.
Does my audience need to download an app?
No — with either tool. In PollSlide, people scan the QR or go to pollslide.com/join and answer in their phone's browser, with no app and no account.
Try PollSlide over your next slide
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