Top 10 Gimkit Alternatives for Proper Learning & Engagement

Gimkit changed how students experience quiz games in the classroom. Instead of fast, one-round quizzes, it introduced strategy, upgrades, and in-game currency, keeping students engaged for longer periods. For many teachers, Gimkit feels like a big upgrade from simple quiz tools.

However, as classrooms evolve, many educators start looking beyond game mechanics. They want richer academic question types, calmer practice modes, curriculum-aligned AI support that actually matches standards, real homework workflows, and reports that help guide instruction. This is where Gimkit can start to feel limited.

If you like Gimkit’s engagement but want stronger teaching support around it, this guide is for you. Below are the 10 best Gimkit alternatives to explore in 2025, with pros, cons, pricing, and why each platform may be a better fit for different classroom needs.

Gimkit is a game-based quiz platform where students answer questions to earn in-game currency (often called Cash or GimBucks), which they then spend on upgrades and power-ups inside modes like Fishtopia, Tag, Snowbrawl, Boss Battle, and more. It leans heavily into a “video game” experience during learning time.

Students like Gimkit because it:

• Feels like playing a game rather than taking a quiz

• Uses upgrades, power-ups, and strategy to stay exciting

• Rewards persistence, not just speed

Teachers like Gimkit because it:

• Gets even disengaged students participating

• Works for live games, centers, and basic assignments

• Is easy to host with simple game codes

At its best, Gimkit is great for engagement and review, especially for older elementary and middle school students who like game mechanics.

Gimkit is engaging and game-driven, but many teachers look for alternatives when they need stronger instructional support. Common reasons include:

• Absence of opinion polls and limited question types makes it hard to assess K-12-based skills and a deeper understanding.

• AI question creation is fast, but not properly curriculum-aligned.

• Heavy focus on upgrades and in-game strategy can distract students from the actual learning.

• Assignments and advanced classroom features are locked behind paid plans.

• Reporting focuses on scores and gameplay results, not learning gaps or misconceptions.

Here are 10 strong Gimkit alternatives to explore in 2025:

1. Tarphi

Tarphi is a classroom-focused teaching and learning platform built specifically for K–12 instruction. Unlike Gimkit, which centers on gameplay, Tarphi supports the full teaching cycle: Create > Present > Assign > Assess.

Teachers can build quizzes, slides, and opinion polls manually, import content from Google Slides, PowerPoint, or PDFs, or generate activities using curriculum-aligned AI. The same content can then be reused across Presentation Mode, Study Mode, Flashcards, Solo Games, and Competitive Games.

Pros of Tarphi

• Supports deeper academic question types 

• Saves time with curriculum-aligned AI

• Includes opinion polls and feedback for proper formative assessment

• Provides detailed reporting and analytics to guide reteaching

• Encourages participation without speed pressure

Pricing of Tarphi

Tarphi offers three flexible pricing plans: Basic, Standard, and Pro. The Basic plan is free. For individuals, Standard costs $7/month or $60/year ($5/month billed annually), and Pro costs $10/month or $96/year ($8/month billed annually). School plans are available at $55/year (Standard) and $90/year (Pro) per seat.

Why Tarphi is a Better Alternative to Gimkit

Tarphi keeps engagement high with its games while adding everything Gimkit lacks for daily teaching: curriculum-aligned AI, richer question types, multiple learning modes, real homework controls, answer explanations, and actionable reports. It works as a complete teaching platform, not just a game.

2. Kahoot!

Kahoot! is one of the most famous names in gamified learning. It turns quizzes into fast, competitive challenges where speed and accuracy decide who tops the leaderboard.

Pros of Kahoot!

• Very easy to set up and host live games

• Large library of community-made quiz sets

• Supports a wide range of question types 

• Great for instant engagement in large classes or groups

Cons of Kahoot!

• Still heavily focused on speed, which can stress some students

• Limited question formats for deeper academic assessment 

• AI creation is faster but not curriculum-aligned

• Reporting focuses only on scores rather than long-term learning growth

Pricing of Kahoot!

Kahoot! uses a tiered pricing model where the free plan is very limited, and paid plans range from about $3 to $19 per month. As teachers need more players, AI tools, question types, and better reports, they must move to higher tiers, so costs increase quickly just to access basic teaching and assessment features.

3. Blooket

Blooket wraps quiz questions inside colorful, arcade-style games. Students answer questions to earn points, coins, or advantages, then use them in modes like Gold Quest, Tower Defense, Café, and Factory.

Pros of Blooket

• Highly engaging visuals and avatars

• Simple setup and kid-friendly design

• Works well for review and rewards

Cons of Blooket

• Limitedquestion formats lacks proper assessment

• AI creation is not highly curriculum-focused 

• Focuses more on game mechanics than explanation or feedback

• Reports are simple and not built for deep instructional planning

Pricing of Blooket

Blooket has a free Starter plan. Paid plans begin with Plus at $4.99/month billed annually ($59.88/year), and Plus Flex costs $9.99/month for monthly billing. Group bundles are also available for schools.

4. Wayground (formerly Quizizz)

Wayground (the new name for Quizizz) is a lesson and practice platform that lets teachers build quizzes, lessons, and assignments using questions, slides, videos, and passages. It works well for both live games and self-paced practice.

Pros of Wayground

• Supports multiple activities and question types 

• AI can generate questions by subject, grade, standards, and DOK level

• Strong for homework and self-paced practice.

• Accessibility tools make practice more meaningful and inclusive.

Cons of Wayground

• Free plan limits how many resources you can keep or reuse

• Less game excitement than Gimkit

Pricing of Wayground

Wayground offers a Basic plan for free, an Individual plan billed at $12 per month or $144 annually, and custom pricing options for schools and universities.

5. Mentimeter

Mentimeter is an interactive presentation platform used widely in universities, PD sessions, and workshops. It focuses on polls, word clouds, rating scales, quizzes, and Q&A, all inside slide decks.

Pros of Mentimeter

• Clean, professional slide designs

• Great for live polls, word clouds, and Q&A

• Anonymous participation encourages shy learners or staff

• Easy exports of session summaries to review later

Cons of Mentimeter

• Not designed for K-12 instruction

• No structured homework or long-term assignment workflows

• Limited question formats for true skills practice

• Reporting focuses on session snapshots, not ongoing mastery

Pricing of Mentimeter

Mentimeter has a free plan with limited slides. The Basic education plan costs about €10 per month, and the Pro plan costs about €16 per month (billed yearly). Institutional “Campus” plans provide additional features and administrative tools.

6. Wooclap

Wooclap is an audience interaction platform designed for higher education, lectures, and training sessions. Here, you create an “event” and mix different activity types into it: multiple choice, open questions, word clouds, image labeling, brainstorming, polls, and more.

Pros of Wooclap

• Wide range of interaction types

• Good for real-time feedback in large groups

• Built for large lectures and professional events

• Works properly with presentations

Cons of Wooclap

• Not built for daily classroom teaching

• No true homework system with deadlines and multiple attempts

• Reporting emphasizes participation, not detailed student mastery

Pricing of Wooclap

Wooclap offers a free plan with limits. The Education Basic plan is $7.99/month, and the Education Pro plan is $14.99/month (billed annually). Institutions can purchase custom enterprise plans with unlimited participants and integrations.

7. Quizlet

Quizlet is a self-study and flashcard platform used globally for memorization and review. Students use it to learn vocabulary, terms, definitions, formulas, dates, and more.

Pros of Quizlet

• Simple and accessible on almost any device

• Supports multiple study modes

• Adaptive practice that focuses more on what students don’t know yet

Cons of Quizlet

• Focuses mostly on memorization, not real learning

• Limited live classroom gameplay and collaboration options 

Pricing of Quizlet

Quizlet offers a free plan and two paid plans. Quizlet Plus costs $7.99/month or $35.99/year ($2.99/month) and includes limited practice tests, textbook solutions, and rounds of Learn questions. Quizlet Plus Unlimited costs $9.99/month or $44.99/year ($3.74/month) and provides unlimited practice tests, rounds of Learn questions, and textbook solutions.

8. Slides With Friends

Slides With Friends is an interactive slide-based tool that lets you run lessons, quizzes, icebreakers, and review games right from a slide deck. Students join from their device, usually via link or QR code.

Pros of Slides With Friends

• Extremely fast setup

• Great for warm-ups, interactive lessons, and discussion

• Free plan is quite generous for small classes or groups

Cons of Slides With Friends

• Not suitable as a full K-12 learning platform

• Limited analytics compared with platforms focused on assessment

• Best for live sessions, not long-term course management

Pricing of Slides With Friends

Slides With Friends has four plans. The Free plan costs $0 and lets you host up to 10 players. The Starter plan costs $35/month or $96/year ($8/month) and allows hosting up to 50 people. The Pro plan is $99/month or $288/year ($24/month), which allows hosting up to 250 players, advanced analytics, and enhanced moderation. The Enterprise plan with custom pricing is available for organizations needing multiple licenses, advanced reporting, and team management tools.

9. AhaSlides

AhaSlides is another interactive presentation tool that lets you mix slides, polls, quizzes, surveys, and Q&A into one live deck. Students join via link or QR code and answer in real time.

Pros of AhaSlides

• Clean, modern interface that works well in remote or hybrid settings

• Easy for participants to join from any device

• Good for lectures, webinars, PD, and large classes

Cons of AhaSlides

• Not built for K–12 standards or long-term skill mastery

• Analytics are basic compared with dedicated assessment tools

• No structured homework or assignment system

Pricing of AhaSlides

AhaSlides pricing includes a Free plan ($0) for 50 participants, an Essential plan at $7.95/month for 100 participants, a Pro (AI) plan at $15.95/month for 2,500 participants, and a custom-priced Enterprise plan for large organisations.

10. Nearpod

Nearpod is a lesson-delivery platform that turns your slides, videos, and PDFs into interactive classroom lessons. Instead of focusing on game rounds like Gimkit, it’s built for teaching full lessons with checks for understanding during instruction, and student-paced practice for homework or remote learning.

Pros of Nearpod

• Strong lesson modes: Live Participation, Student-Paced, and Front-of-Class

• Huge library of ready-made, standards-aligned lessons

• Good for classroom instruction, not just review games

Cons of Nearpod

• Less “game energy” than Gimkit, so it’s not ideal for reward-day style play

• Students find it less exciting because it’s mostly teacher-paced 

• Most advanced features and larger class limits require paid plans

Pricing of Nearpod

Nearpod has a free Silver plan. Paid individual plans include Gold at $159/year and Platinum at $397/year. Schools and districts use custom-priced licenses with expanded features and higher student limits.

Gimkit is excellent at what it does: turning quizzes into strategic, video-game-style experiences. But it isn’t the right answer for every lesson, every age group, or every teaching style. Many teachers need more question types, calmer practice options, curriculum alignment, structured homework, and deeper analytics than Gimkit can provide on its own.

The good news is that there are plenty of alternatives. Among all alternatives, Tarphi stands out as it combines engaging gameplay with real instructional depth. It supports full lessons, curriculum-aligned AI, multiple learning modes, flexible assignments, and detailed analytics, making it the strongest all-in-one alternative to Gimkit for everyday K–12 teaching.