This comprehensive comparison analyzes five leading submissions management platforms: Zealous, Submittable, Award Force, Evalato, and Judgify.
Each platform offers unique strengths for managing awards, competitions, grants, and other submission-based programs.
Zealous
Key Strengths:
- Most flexible and transparent payment plan – Making a platform accessible to all programs, from small to larger ones.
- Modern interface
- Creative industry expertise with features designed for visual portfolios and videos
- Ethical approach with profit reinvestment in creative initiatives
- Low barrier to entry with ability for a free trial
Pros:
- Visual platform that reduces learning curve for applicants and judges
- Strong accessibility and ethical focus
- Transparent pricing with access to monthly plans
- Built for creative industries but also used by non-creatives
- Unlimited file sizes
Cons:
- Newer platform with fewer enterprise features
- No multilingual support
- No custom domain option
Choose Zealous if you:
- Run creative competitions or visual portfolios
- Want a modern interface thats intuitive even for the less tech savvy
- Value accessibility and sustainability
- Are a growing organization needing scalability
- Prefer ethical business practices
- Flexible monthly subscriptions for less than a year programs
Submittable
Key Strengths:
- Market leader with extensive enterprise adoption
- Comprehensive social impact platform primarily for Grants
- Advanced AI and automation features for large-scale programs
- Strong collaboration tools for team-based applications
- Funds management for tracking award distributions
Pros:
- Market leader with proven enterprise adoption
- Most comprehensive feature set
- Advanced AI and automation capabilities
Cons:
- Expensive, especially for smaller organizations
- Pricing not transparent (requires sales contact)
- Can be overly complex for simple programs
- Longer implementation time
Choose Submittable if you:
- Are a large enterprise with complex needs
- Manage multiple program types (grants, awards, etc.)
- Need advanced AI and automation features
- Require extensive integrations and reporting
- Have dedicated budget for premium solutions
Award Force
Key Strengths:
- Most comprehensive judging toolkit with 4 distinct modes
- Superior multilingual support (40 native translations)
- Professional gallery and results display features
- Strong enterprise security with ISO 27001 certification
- Expansive reviews across many review sites
Pros:
- Comprehensive judging toolkit
- Strong security and compliance
- Great for international programs
Cons:
- Expensive annual commitments
- Complex pricing structure
- Limited free trial options
- May be over-engineered for simple competitions
Choose Award Force if you:
- Need the most comprehensive judging features
- Run international programs requiring multilingual support
- Require advanced security and compliance
- Value professional presentation and galleries
Wondering exactly when submissions will arrive?
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Evalato
Key Strengths:
- Most flexible evaluation system with 6 voting types
- Unique score normalization feature for bias reduction
- Strong template system for quick program setup
- 24/7 support availability
Pros:
- Flexible evaluation options
- Score normalization feature
- Strong template system
Cons:
- Less established than competitors
- Higher learning curve for advanced features
- Limited enterprise-level integrations
- Pricing scales quickly with features
Choose Evalato if you:
- Need flexible evaluation methods with bias reduction
- Value quick setup with templates
- Require custom branding and domains
- Run mid-sized programs with moderate complexity
Judgify
Key Strengths:
- Free tier pricing avaialble
- Good basic judging features with customizable criteria
- Reasonable pricing for single-event users
- Abstract management capabilities
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use
- Free option for basic events
- Good for straightforward competitions
- Reasonable single-event pricing
Cons:
- Limited advanced features
- No API or webhook integrations
- Basic reporting capabilities
- Less suitable for complex programs
Choose Judgify if you:
- Run simple, straightforward competitions
- Need basic features at low cost
- Prefer single-event pricing
- Are new to submissions management
- Organize primarily free or low-fee events
Conclusion
Now that you’ve learnt what the differences are, what are you looking for in your submissions platform?
A platform strong in internalization (Award Force), specialists in Grants (Submittable), Single Event pricing (Judgify), ready made templates (Evalato) or a modern visual platform that requires less of a learning curve for your users (Zealous)? We think we have the best balance for all, but of course that’s just our opinion!
Either way, we hope you find the best platform for your needs and wish you all the success for your program.
Disclaimer: The data and analysis in this article were created from publicly available information on their respective websites, and other resources, as of August 5th 2025. This information was also collated with the assistance of AI.
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Yukie Yokoyama
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