Open Response
Open Response is free, open-source classroom polling software for real-time interaction between instructors and participants.
What Open Response is
Open Response is free, open-source classroom polling software for real-time interaction between instructors and participants. Polls support multiple-choice and multiple-answer questions, with live feedback delivered through WebSockets. The project also lists quiz mode, grading, analytics, and role-based access for students, instructors, and administrators. A RESTful API and WebSocket server are included. Canvas compatibility comes through CSV exports of participation and grades. The software runs on the web and is listed for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with self-hosting also available. Institutions can deploy an instance on a server using Docker and Docker Compose. Its interface is described as responsive and mobile-ready. Open Response is licensed under GNU GPL v3.0, whose terms permit use, modification, and distribution. The project was founded in 2021 and is targeting small-scale beta testing in the 2026–2027 academic year. Current limitations include unsupported open-ended, sketch, and location question types, incomplete test coverage, and roster management and email notifications still in development. WCAG 2.1 AA compliance and FERPA-compliant SSO are also listed as pending.
Good
- Free and open-source under GNU GPL v3.0.
- Live feedback uses WebSockets.
- Includes grading, analytics, and role-based access.
- Canvas participation and grades can be exported as CSV.
Watch out
- Open-ended, sketch, and location questions are unsupported.
- Roster management and email notifications remain in development.
- FERPA-compliant SSO is pending.
- Small-scale beta testing is targeted for 2026–2027.
Who it suits
Open Response suits instructors and educational institutions seeking live classroom polls with multiple-choice or multiple-answer questions. Its self-hosting option may suit institutions that want to deploy their own instance.
Verdict
Open Response provides live polls, quizzes, grading, and analytics, with self-hosting and CSV support for Canvas. Its question formats and several institutional features remain limited or in development.
Plans and prices
From Open Response's own pricing page, checked 9 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Open Response | Free | Free-to-use open-source classroom polling software |
The facts
Each one read from Open Response's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Access controls
- The application lists role-based access control for students, instructors, and administrators.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Accessibility
- The project says full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance is pending a complete audit.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Analytics
- The project lists grading and analytics for polling sessions.checked 9 Oct 2001
- API
- The software includes a RESTful API alongside a WebSocket server for real-time interactions.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Audience
- The project describes its intended users as students, instructors, and educational institutions.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Availability
- The project says it is targeting small-scale beta testing in the 2026–2027 academic year.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Canvas
- Canvas compatibility is provided through CSV export of participation and grades.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Canvas integration
- Canvas compatibility is provided through CSV export of participation and grades.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Development limits
- The project lists incomplete test coverage and roster management and email notifications as still in development.checked 8 Oct 2001
- License
- The source code is licensed under GNU GPL version 3.0, which the repository says permits use, modification, and distribution under its terms.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Live feedback
- WebSockets support real-time classroom polling and live feedback.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Live polling
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
- Mobile
- The interface is described as responsive and mobile-ready, while mobile UX polish and expanded offline support remain planned.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Purpose
- Open Response is a free, open-source web-based classroom polling system intended to support real-time classroom engagement.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Question formats
- The project lists multiple-choice and multiple-answer polling, and says open-ended, sketch, and location question types are not yet supported.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Question types
- Implemented question types include multiple choice and multiple answer; open-ended, sketch, and location questions are listed as unsupported.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Quiz mode
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
- Security
- The project lists FERPA-compliant SSO integration as pending.checked 8 Oct 2001
- Security status
- FERPA-related security enhancements and SSO integration are listed as pending work.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Self-hosting
- Institutions can deploy an instance on a server with Docker and Docker Compose.checked 9 Oct 2001
- Support
- The project directs users to its GitHub issues and discussions for questions and additional information.checked 9 Oct 2001
The company
- Founded
- 2021checked 28 Sep 2001
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2001
Where it runs
- Platform status
- The project says it is targeting small-scale beta testing in the 2026–2027 academic year.checked 8 Oct 2001
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