A side-by-side comparison to help you pick the right crossword puzzle maker for your classroom.
| Feature | Gridl | Kahoot! |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (Pro $15/yr) | Free (10 players); teacher plans $36 to $228/yr |
| Live quiz mode | Yes | Yes |
| Players per game (free) | No cap | 10 free, 50 to 800 paid |
| AI clue generation | Yes | Paid tiers |
| Live preview | Yes | Yes |
| Online solving | Yes | Yes |
| Print / PDF | Yes | No |
| Background customization | Yes (patterns + custom upload) | Paid tiers |
| Puzzle types | Crossword, word search, flash cards, matching, live quiz | Live quizzes and slides only |
| Shareable link | Yes | Yes |
| Access codes | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| CSV upload | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| Player tracking | Yes (Pro) | Yes |
| Team mode | Yes | Yes |
| Self-paced / async mode | Yes | Yes |
| Printable puzzles | Yes | No |
Kahoot! invented this category and it is genuinely good at it. The live game feel, the ready-made library, and the polish are hard to match, and most students already know how to play. Where it gets difficult for teachers is the free plan: it now caps live games at 10 participants, which is smaller than almost any real class. Getting a normal classroom into one game means a paid tier, and the teacher plans run from $36 to $228 a year depending on how many players you need. Gridl takes the opposite approach. Quizl, our live quiz mode, has no player cap on the free plan, and Gridl also builds crosswords, word searches, bingo cards, flash cards, matching games, worksheets, and printable puzzles from the same word list.
Best for: Teachers who want the most polished live quiz game and have budget for a paid plan, or who mostly need ready-made content rather than their own material.
Gridl is a puzzle maker built for teachers and learners. The crossword builder uses a split-panel layout with live preview, AI-powered clue generation, background customization, and interactive online solving. Beyond crosswords, the same word list can become a word search, flash card deck, matching game, or live quiz.
Yes. Quizl, the live quiz mode in Gridl, has no player cap on the free plan, so a class of 30 can join one game without paying. Kahoot's free plan caps live games at 10 participants, which is smaller than most classrooms.
Kahoot's free plan allows up to 10 participants in a live game. Larger games need a paid teacher plan: 50 players on Kahoot!+ Bronze ($36/year), 100 on Silver ($84/year), 200 on Gold ($144/year), and 800 on Kahoot! One ($228/year).
Gridl is free to start, and Pro is $15 per year. Kahoot's teacher plans range from $36 to $228 per year depending on how many players you need. The live quiz player limit is not part of Gridl Pro: it is uncapped on the free plan too.
No. Students join a Quizl game with a code and a nickname, the same way they would with Kahoot. No sign-up and no email needed.
Yes, and this is the main difference between the two tools. The same word list can become a live quiz, a crossword, a word search, a bingo card, a flash card deck, a matching game, or a printable worksheet. Kahoot is live quizzes and slides only, so there is nothing to print or send home.
Yes. Any Quizl set can be switched to self-paced mode, which gives you a shareable link students can open any time with no host and no game code. That makes it usable for homework or review, not just live class time.
Yes. Quizl can be hosted in team mode, where players are grouped into teams and scores are tracked per team as well as per player.
Yes, in a few ways. Kahoot has a much larger library of ready-made content, a more polished game presentation, and dedicated mobile apps. If you mostly want to grab an existing quiz and run it, Kahoot's library is hard to beat. Gridl is the better fit if you build from your own material and want printables alongside the live game.
Kahoot! is a solid choice if you need teachers who want the most polished live quiz game and have budget for a paid plan, or who mostly need ready-made content rather than their own material.
Gridl is the better fit if you want a modern, all-in-one tool with live preview, AI clue generation, multiple puzzle types, and online solving. It is free to start and Pro is $15/year for unlimited access.
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