A Plickers alternative for rooms where everyone has a phone
Plickers shines when students have no devices; Quizzo is built for rooms where everyone has a phone. Quizzo runs a Kahoot-style live game for up to 500 players at $9/month, billed monthly, with no cards to print or scan. Here's how the two compare, and when Plickers is still the smarter pick.
Quizzo vs Plickers at a glance
| Feature | Quizzo | Plickers |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9/month (one plan) | $5.99/month billed annually ($71.88/yr), or $8.99 billed monthly |
| Free plan | No | Yes — up to 63 students per class, 5 questions per set |
| Billing | Monthly, cancel anytime | Monthly or annual |
| Players per game | Up to 500 | 63 per class (one per card pattern), Free and Pro |
| How players join | 6-digit PIN or QR code in any browser | No join step: students hold up printed cards, teacher scans with an app |
| Player account needed | No | No |
| Questions on players' devices | Yes — full question and answers | No in card mode (projector only); yes in optional E-Learning mode |
| Question types | Multiple choice (2–4 answers), images | Multiple choice (up to 4 options), true/false, polls |
| Self-paced / homework mode | No (live games only) | No (live only) |
| AI quiz generation | No | No AI features found (Oct 2026) |
What is Plickers?
Plickers is a classroom response system founded in 2013 by teacher Nolan Amy and run by Plickers Inc. in San Francisco. Instead of using devices, each student gets a numbered printed card and turns it to show A, B, C or D, and the teacher scans the room with the Plickers app on an iOS or Android phone while the question shows on the projector. Results are saved per student, so teachers can follow progress over time and import class rosters from Google Classroom. An optional E-Learning mode lets remote students answer on their own devices through individual links.
Best for: Device-free or low-tech classrooms, such as young students, rooms with few devices or schools with phone-free policies, that want quick multiple-choice checks with per-student data.
Why people look for a Plickers alternative
- Classes top out at 63 students because there are only 63 card patterns, on the free plan and Pro alike.
- Cards have to be printed, handed out and collected, and scans can fail when a card is held at the wrong angle.
- The free plan limits each question set to 5 questions.
- Collecting answers means scanning the room with the teacher's phone, an extra step once every student has a device of their own.
- In card mode the question appears only on the projector, so everyone has to be able to see the big screen.
Where Quizzo is better
500 players, no cards
Every Quizzo game takes up to 500 players, with nothing to print, hand out or collect. Plickers stops at 63 students per class.
Answers arrive automatically
Players tap their answer on their own phone, so there's no scanning round and no misread cards.
A full game show
Speed points (500–1,000 per correct answer), an answer chart and top-5 leaderboard after each question, a confetti podium and music turn a quick check into a competition.
Questions on every phone
Each player sees the full question and answers on their own screen, which helps in big halls and hybrid sessions. Plickers' card mode relies on the projector.
Where Plickers is better
No student devices needed
Paper cards work for young children, phone-free schools and rooms without devices. Quizzo needs a phone, tablet or laptop for every player.
Per-student tracking over time
Plickers keeps class rosters, tracks each student's results over time, imports classes from Google Classroom and exports scoresheets to CSV. Quizzo has no rosters or exports.
Cheaper, with a free plan
Pro is $71.88/year ($5.99/month) billed annually, versus $108 for a year of Quizzo, and the free plan covers unlimited classes.
True/false and polls
Plickers also offers true/false questions and polls with no correct answer. Every Quizzo question is multiple choice with one correct answer.
Plickers pricing vs Quizzo
As of October 2026, Plickers is free for unlimited classes of up to 63 students, with a 5-question limit per set and a 30-day results window. Plickers Pro removes those limits and costs $8.99 billed monthly or $71.88 a year ($5.99/month) billed annually, with a 14-day free trial; schools can buy group licenses at $71.88 per user per year, with bulk discounts. Quizzo is $9/month, billed monthly, for up to 500 players. Month to month the two cost almost the same, while Plickers Pro is cheaper on an annual plan ($71.88 versus $108 for a year of Quizzo); the real difference is device-free cards for up to 63 students versus a phone-based game for up to 500.
Should you switch from Plickers to Quizzo?
Stay with Plickers if your students don't have devices, as with young children, phone-free schools or low-tech rooms, or if you want cheap per-student tracking over time. Switch to Quizzo once every student has a phone, tablet or laptop and you want a game-show experience: up to 500 players, no cards to manage, and speed scoring with a leaderboard and podium for $9/month.
How to switch from Plickers to Quizzo
- Create your Quizzo account and open the dashboard.
- Click “New quiz”, paste in your questions and answers, and mark the correct one. Add images and timers where you need them.
- Press “Start game” to open the lobby, then show the PIN or QR code on the big screen.
- Players join at playquizzo.com/join on their phones — no app, no account — and you're live.
Quizzo doesn't import quizzes from other tools yet, so plan a few minutes to copy your questions over.
More comparisons
Plickers alternative: FAQ
Is Plickers free?
Yes. The free plan covers unlimited classes and question sets with up to 63 students per class, but each set is limited to 5 questions and results are limited to a 30-day window. Pro removes those limits for $8.99/month or $71.88/year.
How many students can use Plickers?
Up to 63 per class, because Plickers has 63 card patterns; the limit is the same on Pro. A Quizzo game takes up to 500 players.
Do students need devices for Plickers or Quizzo?
Not for Plickers: each student holds up a printed card turned to A, B, C or D, and the teacher scans the room with the Plickers app. Quizzo is the opposite, since every player answers on a phone, tablet or laptop after joining at playquizzo.com/join with a PIN or QR code.
Is Quizzo cheaper than Plickers?
Not on an annual plan: Plickers Pro costs $71.88/year, versus $108 for twelve months of Quizzo. Month to month they're nearly identical ($8.99 versus $9), and Quizzo covers up to 500 players instead of 63.
What's the main difference between Plickers and Quizzo?
Plickers is a device-free response system for quick checks and per-student tracking. Quizzo is a phone-based game show with speed scoring, a leaderboard after each question, a podium and music for up to 500 players.
Can I move my Plickers questions to Quizzo?
Not automatically. Copy your questions into Quizzo's editor: Plickers' four-option multiple choice fits Quizzo's 2–4 answers directly and true/false works as a two-answer question, while polls need a correct answer.
Last updated October 18, 2026
Competitor prices and limits were checked on October 18, 2026 from their public websites and may change. Always confirm current pricing with the vendor.
Sources
- https://help.plickers.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009186913-How-much-is-Plickers-Pro
- https://help.plickers.com/hc/en-us/articles/360042744134-What-is-Plickers-Pro
- https://help.plickers.com/hc/en-us/articles/4406122211739-Plickers-Pro-FAQs
- https://help.plickers.com/hc/en-us/articles/360009089113-Cards-Overview
- https://help.plickers.com/hc/en-us/articles/1260804067889-Overview-Plickers-E-Learning
- https://get.plickers.com/
Kahoot! and all other product names mentioned on this site are trademarks of their respective owners. Quizzo is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by any of them.
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