Side by side

AhaSlides vs Open Response

Both stand on audience response systems. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

AhaSlides

Free plan MacWebWindows

AhaSlides combines audience interaction with reporting and several presentation-related tools. Consider participant caps and hosting limitations alongside its plan options.

Visit AhaSlides

Open Response combines live classroom polls with quizzes, grading, analytics, and CSV export for Canvas. Its question-format gaps and pending security and accessibility work are important considerations.

Visit Open Response

The facts

	AhaSlides	Open Response
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Mac, Web, Windows	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	See the plans	Free or on request
Plans published	9	1
Maker	AhaSlides	Open Response
Website	ahaslides.com	osu-mc.github.io
On audience response systems	#9 of 118	#47 of 118

AhaSlides: what it does well

Participants can join by code or QR code without an app
Responses can be anonymous
Reports include engagement and participant performance
Free plan includes all listed integrations
Available on web, macOS and Windows

What to know first

Free plan allows up to 50 participants
Free plan limits quiz and poll questions
No private-server hosting or separate customer infrastructure

Open Response: what it does well

Free-to-use and licensed under GNU GPL v3.0
Live feedback through WebSockets
Includes quiz mode, grading, and analytics
Canvas grades and participation export as CSV
Supports self-hosting with Docker and Docker Compose

What to know first

Open-ended, sketch, and location questions are unsupported
FERPA-compliant SSO remains pending
Roster management and email notifications are in development
WCAG 2.1 AA compliance awaits a full audit

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