1 Free Tool for Polls & Quizzes: Ditch Paid Apps

As someone who runs a small book club in Seattle and teaches part-time, I used to juggle three tools just to engage people: a $10/month poll app for picking our next book, a clunky website for class quizzes, and a notebook to jot down feedback. Half the time, the poll app would crash mid-vote, and my students hated the quiz tool because it took forever to load. Then I found SurveyMars—a free tool that works as both a poll maker and free quiz maker. It cut my prep time in half and made interacting with my book club and students way more fun. Here’s how it changed things for me.

Why Paid Poll Apps & Quiz Tools Are a Waste of Money

Let’s be real: most poll apps and quiz tools charge you for basic stuff you shouldn’t have to pay for. I used one app where I had to upgrade to a $15/month plan just to add more than 5 options to a poll. Another quiz tool made me pay extra to see which students got answers wrong—something I needed to help them improve.

Worse, they’re complicated. I spent 45 minutes one night trying to figure out how to embed a quiz into my class Google Classroom. By the time I got it working, I was too tired to prep the actual lesson. SurveyMars fixes all that: it’s free, no hidden fees, and the interface is so simple, you can make a poll or quiz in 5 minutes—even if you’re not tech-savvy.

Step 1: Use the Poll Maker to Engage Your Audience Fast

Whether you’re picking a book club read, choosing a party theme, or getting feedback on a project, SurveyMars’ poll maker is a game-changer. Here’s how I use it for my book club:

Pick the “Quick Poll” Template: Log into SurveyMars (no credit card needed!) and select the “Preference Poll” template. It’s pre-written with a question like “Which option would you prefer?” and space for your choices—no blank-screen panic.

Customize It in 2 Clicks: I swap the sample options for book titles (e.g., “Educated” vs. “The Midnight Library”) and add a small note: “Voting closes Sunday!” to encourage quick responses. You can even add a book cover image to make it more fun—SurveyMars lets you upload photos easily.

Share & See Results Instantly: I send the poll link via our book club Slack and email. Within a day, I had 18 votes—enough to pick our next book without endless group chat debates. The poll maker shows results in a simple bar chart, so everyone can see the winner at a glance. No more “Did I miss the vote?” messages!

Step 2: Build Fun, Effective Quizzes with the Free Quiz Maker

As a teacher, I need quizzes that are easy to make and easy for students to take. SurveyMars’ free quiz maker checks both boxes—and it grades for me! Here’s how I use it for my English class:

Choose the “Quiz Template”: Search for “Multiple-Choice Quiz” in the template library. It has fields for questions, answer choices, and a “Correct Answer” box—key for auto-grading.

Add Your Questions: I make quizzes about the books we’re reading (e.g., “What is the name of Scout’s father in To Kill a Mockingbird?”). I keep it short—8 questions max—so students don’t get overwhelmed. Add a “Feedback” box to explain wrong answers (e.g., “Jem is Scout’s brother—try again!”) to help them learn.

Send to Students & Grade Automatically: I share the quiz link via Google Classroom. When students submit it, SurveyMars instantly shows them their score—and shows me a dashboard with which questions most students missed. Last week, 70% of students got a question about metaphor wrong, so I spent 10 minutes reviewing it in class. Their next quiz scores went up 20%!

Step 3: Save Time (and Money) on One Tool

The best part about SurveyMars? It replaces my old poll app and paid quiz tool with one free tool. I no longer spend \(10-\)15/month on apps, and I save 2+ hours a week on prep work. It’s not just for book clubs and teachers, either: small business owners use the poll maker to ask customers about new products, gyms use it to pick class times, and parents use the free quiz maker to help kids practice math facts.

Last month, I even used the poll maker to ask my book club what snacks to bring to our next meeting. We went with chocolate chip cookies (winner by a landslide!), and everyone said it felt more fun to be part of the decision. That’s the point of polls and quizzes—they bring people together, and SurveyMars makes that easy.

Ready to Ditch Paid Poll Apps? Start Today

You don’t need to spend money on a poll app or complicated quiz tool. SurveyMars’ free poll maker and free quiz maker let you engage your audience, teach better, and make decisions faster—all in minutes.

Head to SurveyMars now, grab the poll or quiz template, and see how much time (and money) you’ll save. Your book club, students, or customers will thank you.