SpinKitLooking for a Wheel of Names alternative? How SpinKit compares
An honest look at what the classic name wheel does well — and where a full randomiser studio goes further.
Wheel of Names deserves its popularity: it made "put the names on a wheel and spin it" effortless, and for a quick one-off draw it's genuinely good. But if you spin wheels regularly — in a classroom, on a stream, at work, or for giveaways — you eventually run into the things a single-purpose wheel can't do. That's the gap SpinKit was built for.
This page is a plain comparison so you can decide what fits. No tricks: if all you ever need is one quick wheel, either tool will serve you well. The differences show up the moment your draws get more ambitious.
What both do well
- Free spin wheel — paste names, spin, get a winner, no sign-up needed.
- Fullscreen spinning for classrooms, projectors and streams.
- Customisable look — colours and appearance you can make your own.
- Winner handling — remove a name after it wins so nobody is drawn twice.
Where SpinKit goes further
| Capability | SpinKit |
|---|---|
| Spin wheel | Free, unlimited entries, weighted slices, flick-to-spin physics, raffle mode with multiple winners |
| Slot reels | Multi-reel spinner for random combinations — one pick from each list at once |
| Spreadsheet draws | Spin Sheet pulls random rows from your own columns, CSV, XLSX or Google Sheets |
| Team generator | Split any list into balanced, editable random teams |
| Live rooms | Host a wheel others watch spin in real time, with chat and shared control |
| Offline & desktop | Installable web app that works offline, plus a free ad-free Windows app |
| Sharing | Short share links, embeddable wheels for your own site, and shareable result cards |
| Templates | Built-in and community templates you can open and remix in one tap |
| Cloud sync | Optional free account backs up wheels, slots and sheets across devices |
Moving your lists over takes seconds
There's no lock-in either way. Copy your list of names from any wheel site, open the SpinKit wheel, and paste — one entry per line. Weighted entries, colours and spin settings are all adjustable afterwards, and you can import from TXT or CSV files too. If your names live in a spreadsheet, skip the wheel entirely and draw random rows with a Spin Sheet.
Is the randomness actually fair?
Yes — and this matters more than any feature list. Every SpinKit spin uses your device's cryptographic random number generator, each enabled entry gets odds proportional to its slice, and the spin happens visibly in front of your group. We wrote up exactly how that works in Are online random wheels actually fair?
What it costs
Nothing. Every SpinKit tool is free with no account, supported by unobtrusive ads on the website — and the Windows desktop app is completely ad-free. A free account is only needed if you want cloud sync, publishing templates or live rooms with your name on them.
Common questions
Is SpinKit a free alternative to Wheel of Names? Yes — the wheel is completely free with no sign-up, and the extra tools (slots, Spin Sheets, teams, live rooms, templates) are free too.
Can I import my existing lists? Yes. Paste entries one per line, or import TXT/CSV files. Spreadsheet users can draw random rows directly from CSV, XLSX or Google Sheets.
Does it work offline? Yes. SpinKit installs as a web app that runs offline once loaded, and the free Windows desktop app works fully offline.