# A Gimkit alternative for classes without devices > Gimkit is played on a device per student. Oly runs team games on one screen with your phone as the remote, and makes games from a textbook photo. Source: https://olyclass.com/compare/gimkit-alternative/ ยท Updated 2026-10-31 Gimkit calls itself a live learning game show, and students love it: fast rounds, lots of game modes, and new free modes that rotate through the year. Like most quiz games, it is played on **devices**: each student joins on their own device with a game code, QR code or join link, and the host screen shows the leaderboard on the projector. If your class doesn't have a device for every student, or you'd rather keep screens out of students' hands, Oly is built for exactly that: **team games on one screen**, run from **your phone**, with no student devices at all. This page is an honest comparison. Both are good tools; the right one depends on your classroom. ![The big screen shows a question while the teacher's phone shows the answer](https://olyclass.com/blog/meet-oly/remote-question.webp "Oly: one screen for the class, your phone as the remote.") ## At a glance | | Oly | Gimkit | |---|---|---| | What students need | Nothing: they play in teams and answer out loud | Their own device, to join with a game code, QR code or join link | | How the class plays | 2 to 8 teams on one shared screen (up to 4 on the free plan) | Each student on their device; the host can cast a leaderboard to the room | | Teacher's remote | Your phone shows the answer and marks it (QR code or 6-digit PIN) | Not mentioned on their site | | Make a game from a photo of a textbook page | Yes (AI) | Not mentioned on their site | | Make a game from a word list or topic with AI | Yes, with pictures and pronunciation for English words | Not mentioned on their site | | Other ways to add questions | Paste questions or spreadsheet rows, import a public Kahoot link | Write questions, import flashcard sets, a CSV file, a question bank | | Game types | 27 team games, every one free | About three free modes at a time (they rotate); every mode with Gimkit Pro | | Homework | No: Oly is for live play in class | Assignments, with Gimkit Pro | | Players | The whole class, in teams | Up to 500 students in a live game (60 in 2D modes; Pro-only modes are limited to 5 players on Gimkit Basic) | | Free plan | Yes: every game, the whole library, 10 AI sets a month | Yes (Gimkit Basic) | | Paid plan | Oly Pro: $36 a year or $4.99 a month | Gimkit Pro: $59.88 a year or $14.99 a month | Gimkit details are from Gimkit's help center (Gimkit Pro FAQ, hosting a live game, player maximums, creating a kit), checked on October 31, 2026. Prices change; check their site for the latest. ## When Oly is the better fit - **Your students don't have devices**, or the school doesn't allow phones. Oly needs one computer on the projector, TV or interactive whiteboard, and your phone. - **You want every game on the free plan.** All 27 Oly games are free to play, all the time, with your own questions or the library's. - **You want students to talk to each other.** In a team they discuss and agree before they answer, instead of each student racing alone on a screen. - **You teach young learners.** No logins, no typing, no small screens. Listening, spelling and speaking games like [Listen and Touch](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/listen-and-touch/), [Balloon Words](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/balloon-words/) and [Hot Seat](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/hot-seat/). - **You don't have time to write questions.** Snap the textbook page you're teaching, paste a word list or type a topic, and the game is ready in about a minute. - **You like strategy and luck in the game itself.** Teams block each other in [Three in a Row](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/three-in-a-row/), choose to bank or climb in [Prize Climb](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/prize-climb/), or pick a safe or risky shot in [Penalty Kick](https://olyclass.com/classroom-games/penalty-kick/), all on the shared screen. - **Patchy Wi-Fi.** Only the computer and your phone need to be online. ## When Gimkit may suit you better - **Every student has a device** and you want each one to play, earn and score individually. - **You want homework.** Gimkit Pro can assign kits for students to play on their own time. Oly is for live play in class. - **Your students love Gimkit's game modes**, including its 2D modes, and ask for them by name. - **You already have many kits there.** ## Moving to Oly 1. Open [Make a game](https://olyclass.com/create). 2. Paste your questions one per line as `question | answer | wrong, wrong`, or paste rows from a spreadsheet (for example the CSV you use for Gimkit, opened in a spreadsheet). A public Kahoot link works too. Or snap the textbook page. 3. Check the questions, pick a game and the teams, and press **Start the game**. Scan the QR code to use your phone as the remote. ![The game picker with Tile Grab, Lucky Wheel, Memory Match and more](https://olyclass.com/blog/meet-oly/pick-a-game.webp "27 games to choose from, for any question set.") ## Frequently asked questions ### Can you play Gimkit without devices? Gimkit's live games are joined from student devices. For a game with no student devices at all, use a one-screen game like Oly, where teams answer out loud and you mark the answers on your phone. ### Is Oly free? Yes. Every game and the whole library are free to play, and the free plan includes 10 AI question sets a month and up to 4 teams. Oly Pro ($36 a year or $4.99 a month) raises the limits and allows up to 8 teams. ### Does Oly work for math, science and other subjects? Yes. Twenty-one of the 27 games work with any subject, with multiple choice, true or false and open questions. Six games are made for English: spelling, listening and speaking. ### Do students need accounts in Oly? No. Students never sign in. Only the teacher signs in, to save games. ### Is Oly affiliated with Gimkit? No. Oly is made by Groowing Co., Ltd. Gimkit is a trademark of its owner and is named here only for comparison. Other comparisons: [Baamboozle alternative](https://olyclass.com/compare/baamboozle-alternative/), [Kahoot without student devices](https://olyclass.com/compare/kahoot-without-student-devices/), [Blooket alternative](https://olyclass.com/compare/blooket-alternative/), [Wordwall alternative](https://olyclass.com/compare/wordwall-alternative/), [Quizizz (Wayground) alternative](https://olyclass.com/compare/quizizz-alternative/).