A Gimkit Alternative Without the In-Game Economy
Gimkit turns review into a live game show with in-game cash, upgrades and rotating modes. SimpleQuizMaker turns your own teaching material into self-paced quizzes: AI writes the questions from a PDF, notes, a web page or a YouTube video, students open a link with no account, and you see per-student and per-question results.
No credit card required · 5 free AI quiz generations/month
Quick answer: Gimkit or SimpleQuizMaker?
Keep Gimkit for live game days; use SimpleQuizMaker when you need AI-written, self-paced quizzes you can actually grade, for $0 to start and from $1.99/month after that.
Key differences
- Free plan: Gimkit: Gimkit Basic: ~3 rotating modes, unlimited players in those modes; SimpleQuizMaker: 5 AI quizzes/month, up to 10 questions each
- Paid price (individual): Gimkit: $14.99/month or $59.88/year (Gimkit Pro); SimpleQuizMaker: From $1.99/month or $19.99/year (paid plans, excl. VAT)
- School / group plans: Gimkit: Department $650/yr (up to 20 teachers), School $1,000/yr; SimpleQuizMaker: No
- AI quiz generation from PDF, notes or video: Gimkit: Not verified; SimpleQuizMaker: Yes
- Live game-show hosting: Gimkit: Yes; SimpleQuizMaker: No
Why Teachers Switch From Gimkit
Where Gimkit falls short for quiz-first work
Free plan rotates a few modes
Gimkit Basic is free, but it limits which game modes you can play. Gimkit's own help center says about three free modes are available at any given time; the rest are Pro Exclusives.
Homework assignments are Pro-only
Assignments, the way students play a kit on their own time, are not included in Gimkit Basic. Self-paced use therefore requires Gimkit Pro.
Images and audio in questions need Pro
On the free plan you cannot upload images or add audio to questions, which matters for diagrams, maps and language listening practice.
Kits are built by hand or from other kits
The documented ways to build a kit are writing questions yourself or pulling them from the Question Bank of public kits. Gimkit's help pages we checked do not describe generating a kit from your own PDF or notes.
The game economy shapes the score
In Gimkit's cash-and-upgrades modes, a student's final standing reflects game strategy as well as correct answers, so it is a weaker signal for grading.
What SimpleQuizMaker Does Better
What SimpleQuizMaker does differently
AI writes the quiz from your material
Paste text or type a topic on the free plan; on paid plans, also upload PDF, Word (.docx) or images (with OCR), a website URL, or a YouTube video up to 30–120 minutes.
Self-paced sharing on the free plan
Share a public link; students enter a name and take the quiz on any device, with no account. Submissions on shared quizzes are unlimited, even on the free plan.
Scores that mean one thing
No in-game cash or power-ups. You see each student's submission and per-question stats, so you know which question the class missed.
More than multiple choice
Multiple choice, true/false, short answer and fill-in-the-blank, with easy, medium or hard difficulty, in many languages.
Printable and exportable
On paid plans: printable PDF with answer key, Word export, Google Forms export, and Google Classroom assignment.
Low price for one teacher
Free plan at $0 with no card. Paid plans start at $1.99/month or $19.99/year (excl. VAT), with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
SimpleQuizMaker vs Gimkit
Side-by-side feature comparison
| Feature | Gimkit | SimpleQuizMaker |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Gimkit Basic: ~3 rotating modes, unlimited players in those modes | 5 AI quizzes/month, up to 10 questions each |
| Paid price (individual) | $14.99/month or $59.88/year (Gimkit Pro) | From $1.99/month or $19.99/year (paid plans, excl. VAT) |
| School / group plans | Department $650/yr (up to 20 teachers), School $1,000/yr | |
| AI quiz generation from PDF, notes or video | Not verified | |
| Live game-show hosting | ||
| Self-paced assignments | Pro only | Yes, free (shared link) |
| Student account required | No for games/assignments; yes for classes and XP | No (student enters a name) |
| Question types | Multiple choice, text input | Multiple choice, true/false, short answer, fill-in-the-blank |
| Images / audio in questions | Pro only | Images as quiz source (paid plans); no audio in questions |
| Reports | Yes, on Basic and Pro | Per-student results and per-question stats |
| Printable quiz with answer key | Not verified | Paid plans |
| Google Classroom / Google Forms | Not verified | Classroom assign + Forms export (paid plans) |
| Flashcards and AI tutor | Not verified | Flashcards with spaced repetition, AI Tutor chat |
Get Started in 60 Seconds
No setup, no credit card, no learning curve
Upload or paste
Add a PDF, image, DOCX, or paste text from your lesson material
AI generates quiz
Our AI reads the content and creates questions with answer keys instantly
Share & track
Send the link to students and watch results come in with full analytics
Popular Use Cases
Chapter quizzes generated straight from your slides, PDF handouts or a textbook page
Self-paced homework without paying for a game platform just to unlock assignments
Exit tickets and formative checks with per-question data
Make-up quizzes for absent students: the same link, no session to re-host
Printed paper quizzes with an answer key for low-device classrooms
Flashcard review before the test, built from the same notes
Gimkit vs SimpleQuizMaker — The Honest Verdict
When each tool actually wins — no marketing spin.
An illustrative switching scenario
A composite example of moving from Gimkit, not a specific customer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Gimkit free?
Partly. Gimkit Basic is free and lets you host featured game modes with as many students as you want, set up classes and collect reports, but only about three modes rotate at a time, and assignments and image/audio uploads require Gimkit Pro.
How much does Gimkit Pro cost compared with SimpleQuizMaker?
Gimkit Pro is $14.99/month or $59.88/year. Gimkit also sells Department ($650/year, up to 20 teachers) and School ($1,000/year) plans. SimpleQuizMaker paid plans start at $1.99/month or $19.99/year (excl. VAT), and the free plan is $0 with no card.
Is SimpleQuizMaker a direct Gimkit replacement?
Not for live game-show play. SimpleQuizMaker has no live host screen, music or in-game economy. It replaces the other jobs: writing questions, self-paced quizzes, homework and grading.
Do students need an account?
Neither tool requires one for basic play. Gimkit students can join games and assignments with no account (accounts are needed for classes and XP). SimpleQuizMaker students open a link and type their name.
Can I import my Gimkit kits?
There is no direct import. You can paste your questions as text and have the AI build a quiz from them.
Does SimpleQuizMaker work with Google Classroom?
Yes, on paid plans you can assign a quiz to Google Classroom and export to Google Forms. There is no native Canvas or Blackboard sync.
Ready to Try the Best Gimkit Alternative?
Join teachers and trainers who generate AI quizzes from their own content in seconds.
Create a Free Quiz — Sign UpKeep Gimkit for live game days; use SimpleQuizMaker when you need AI-written, self-paced quizzes you can actually grade, for $0 to start and from $1.99/month after that.