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Mentimeter Alternative for One-Off Events: Pay Per Event, Not Per Year
Most people searching for a Mentimeter alternative are not unhappy with the product itself — they are unhappy with paying for a subscription they use a handful of days a year. If your word clouds, polls and Q&A sessions happen at a few conferences, workshops or all-hands a year, the maths of a monthly plan billed annually rarely works out. This article compares Mentimeter with ZENIN, a pay-per-use alternative where you buy 7 days of use for $70 and pick the days yourself.
Key takeaways
- Mentimeter paid plans are subscriptions; free tier limits participation per month
- If you run events on only a few days a year, per-day pricing is usually cheaper overall
- ZENIN is $70 for 7 days of use ($10/day) — the days do not have to be consecutive, no contract, no cancellation
- If you run events on only a few days a year, per-day pricing is usually cheaper overall
- ZENIN is $70 for 7 days of use ($10/day) — the days do not have to be consecutive, no contract, no cancellation
Pricing and setup, side by side
ZENIN
Mentimeter
Pricing model
Pay per use: $70 for 7 days ($10/day)
Subscription (billed per month/year)
Best for
One-off events, occasional seminars
Teams presenting every week
Days of use
Pick any 7 days, non-consecutive
Always on while subscribed
Contract / cancellation
None — card checkout only
Subscription management required
Audience joins via
QR code — no app, no login
Code / link — no app, no login
Live word cloud & AI moderation
Real-time cloud + AI blocks abusive posts
Word cloud available; profanity filter
Data export
CSV export on every plan
Export on paid plans
Is pay-per-use right for you?
If two or more apply, a per-event tool will likely cost you less than a subscription.
✓You run audience-participation events on fewer than 15 days a year
✓You want the full feature set on the day, not a limited free tier
✓You would rather not manage another subscription or seat licence
✓You need a large audience (hundreds to thousands) on a single day
Try it on your next event day
No contract, card checkout only. $70 for 7 days of use — pick the days you actually run events. Every plan includes CSV export.