Microsoft Forms alternative
Pingroom vs Microsoft Forms: a cheaper Microsoft Forms alternative for 2026
Microsoft Forms is built for surveys, and its live PowerPoint polling needs a paid Microsoft 365 work or school plan. Pingroom adds word clouds, upvoted Q&A, quiz leaderboards and attendance check-in, for anyone, free for up to 50 people per poll.
The short answer
Pick Pingroom if you want every poll type free, bigger rooms for less, monthly billing and no-branding without enterprise pricing.
Pick Microsoft Forms if your audience is all inside one Microsoft 365 organization and simple polls are enough.
Side-by-side
| Pingroom | Microsoft Forms | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | 50 responders per poll, unlimited questions | 200 responses per form on a free Microsoft account |
| Cheapest paid plan | $9/mo billed yearly (700 responders) or $11 monthly | Included with Microsoft 365 Business and Education |
| Remove branding | $44/mo (Business, 2,000 responders) | Microsoft branding on all plans |
| Billing | Monthly or yearly, cancel anytime | Part of a Microsoft 365 subscription |
| PowerPoint add-in | Yes, free on every plan (Windows, Mac, web); voting opens when the slide appears | Yes, “Present for interaction” on Business and Education plans |
| Attendance check-in | Free on every plan, rotating code so remote people can’t fake it | Not a built-in polling feature |
| One-time event pricing | $29 Event Pass: 7 days, 2,000 responders, no branding | None |
| Poll types | Multiple choice, word cloud, open-ended, rating scale, upvoted Q&A, quiz competition, attendance check-in | See vendor site |
| Audience needs app/account | No | No |
Sources (checked October 2026): Microsoft Forms limits · Microsoft 365 Insider — live feedback in PowerPoint with Forms · Polls app for Microsoft Teams. Prices change — check each vendor's site before buying.
What would your room cost?
| Tool | Cheapest plan covering that room* |
|---|
*Monthly price on annual billing, from each vendor's published pricing as of October 2026. Seat, tax and add-on costs not included.
What Microsoft Forms does well
- Already included if your organization pays for Microsoft 365
- Polls app built into Teams meetings
- Very high response limits on work and school accounts
Switching takes five minutes
- Create a free account and pick your username.
- Recreate your questions — or paste a topic and let AI draft them.
- Add the free PowerPoint add-in to your slides, or use the full-screen present view.
- Share /p/yourname or the QR code.
Plans
Free
Every poll type, no card
$0forever
Start free
- 50 responders per poll
- All 7 poll types
- PowerPoint add-in
- Sessions with next/back
- Attendance check-in
- CSV export
- 10 AI credits / month
Pro
For teachers and regular presenters
$9/mo billed yearly
or $11 month-to-month
Start 7-day trial- 700 responders per poll
- Everything in Free
- Attendance reports across sessions
- 100 AI credits / month
- Email support
Business
Big rooms, your brand
$44/mo billed yearly
or $54 month-to-month
Start 7-day trial- 2,000 responders per poll
- Everything in Pro
- Unlimited AI
- Remove Pingroom branding
- Priority email support
FAQ
Is Pingroom a free Microsoft Forms alternative?
Yes. Pingroom has a free-forever plan with all seven poll types and the PowerPoint add-in for up to 50 responders per poll, with no limit on the number of questions.
How much cheaper is Pingroom than Microsoft Forms?
Microsoft Forms's cheapest paid plan is Included with Microsoft 365 Business and Education. Pingroom Pro is $9/mo billed yearly for 700 responders per poll. Use the calculator above for your room size.
Can I switch from Microsoft Forms without my audience noticing?
Your audience just needs your new link (pingroom.app/p/yourname) or the QR code on screen — no app or account on their side.
When is Microsoft Forms the better choice?
Your audience is all inside one Microsoft 365 organization and simple polls are enough.