Webinar Polling Tools Compared: Zoom Polls, Slido, Mentimeter

What webinar polling tools need

Polling during a webinar has different requirements than in-person presentation polling. The audience is remote and distracted, which means any polling friction — app installs, account creation, complex URLs — dramatically reduces participation. The best webinar polling tools work via a URL or QR code, require no setup from the audience, and display results that can be screen-shared without additional software.

Integration with webinar platforms (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet) is a secondary consideration. Built-in platform polls (Zoom Polls, Teams Q&A) are convenient but limited in question types and often don't support anonymous responses.

rifts.to — best for anonymous webinar polls

Share a link in the webinar chat; respondents click it and fill in an anonymous form. No account required, no app install. You display results by screen-sharing your admin dashboard — results update in real time as responses arrive. Supports multiple choice, rating scale, and free text. Free to run, with no cap on responses.

The main advantage over built-in platform polling is anonymity. Zoom Polls can be made anonymous, but respondents can't verify this. rifts.to stores no respondent identifier with an answer, so there is no anonymity setting to forget to switch on.

Mentimeter — best visual results for webinars

For webinars where results are displayed prominently on screen, Mentimeter's visual quality is unmatched. Screen-share the Mentimeter results view and poll results become a polished part of your presentation. The free plan's cap of 50 participants a month is the constraint; one well-attended webinar can use it up, so the paid tier is more practical.

Zoom Polls — most convenient for Zoom hosts

Zoom's built-in polls launch directly from the host interface and results display automatically to all participants. The convenience is real. The limitations are equally real: question types are limited, the results UI is basic, and Zoom Polls require participants to stay in the Zoom client. For simple yes/no or multiple choice questions, Zoom Polls are the lowest-friction option if you're already in Zoom.

Slido — best for large webinar Q&A

Slido integrates with Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet and is the strongest option specifically for Q&A moderation in large webinars. The upvoting mechanic helps surface the most popular questions when hundreds of participants are submitting simultaneously. Paid plans required for webinars above 100 participants.