AhaSlides vs Open Response
AhaSlides
ahaslides.comOpen Response
osu-mc.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | AhaSlides | Open Response |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $0.25/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 9 | 1 |
| Spec score · Student Response Systems | 9.3 (#1) | 8.7 (#9) |
| Spec score · Audience Response Systems | 9.2 (#6) | 8.4 (#40) |
| Accessibility | The audience app meets WCAG 2.1 AA and AhaSlides publishes a VPAT. | The project says full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is pending a complete audit. |
| Analytics | Reports and analytics show engagement rates and participant performance, and response data can be exported to Excel. | The project lists grading and analytics for polling sessions. |
| Founded | 2019 | 2021 |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Live polling | Yes | Yes |
| Quiz mode | Yes | Yes |
| Self hosting | AhaSlides does not offer private-server hosting or separate customer infrastructure. | Institutions can deploy an instance on a server with Docker and Docker Compose. |
| Support | AhaSlides describes a 24/7 support line and lists priority support on its Pro plan. | The project directs users to its GitHub issues and discussions for questions and additional information. |
Plans
AhaSlides
- FreeFree
- Essential$23.95 a month
- Pro$49.95 a month
- Edu Small$2.95 a year
- Edu Medium$5.45 a year
- Edu Large$7.65 a year
- Essential$95.40 a year
- Pro$191.40 a year
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
AhaSlides
AhaSlides is interactive presentation software for running live polls, quizzes, word clouds, and Q&A with an audience. Participants can join on a phone using a code or QR code without downloading an app, and responses can be anonymous. Reports show engagement rates and participant performance, with response data exportable to Excel. The product range also includes an AI presentation maker, survey creator, poll maker, quiz generator, and online course platform. Integrations include PowerPoint, Google Slides, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, Google Drive, ChatGPT, and an MCP server; AhaSlides says these are included on the Free plan. That plan costs nothing and allows up to 50 participants, 5 quiz questions, and 3 poll questions, with unlimited presentations per month. Essential costs $23.95 a month and supports up to 100 participants; Pro costs $49.95 a month and supports up to 2,500 participants. AhaSlides runs on the web, macOS, and Windows. It was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Singapore.
Open Response
Open Response is free, open-source polling software for real-time classroom engagement. Instructors can run polls with multiple-choice and multiple-answer questions, and participants receive live feedback through WebSockets. The project also lists quiz mode, grading, analytics, and role-based access for students, instructors, and administrators. It includes a RESTful API and a WebSocket server. Canvas compatibility comes through CSV export of participation and grades. Open Response is listed for web, Linux, macOS, and Windows, and institutions can self-host it on a server with Docker and Docker Compose. Its interface is described as responsive and mobile-ready. The project was founded in 2021 and is targeting small-scale beta testing in the 2026–2027 academic year. Several items remain incomplete or planned: open-ended, sketch, and location questions are unsupported; roster management and email notifications are in development; test coverage is incomplete; and WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and FERPA-related SSO work are pending.