Judging Software That Judges Actually Complete
Zealous is online judging software that handles scoring, panel management, and results in one system.
Stop chasing scores & second-guessing fairness. Get transparent evaluation that judges finish willingly, while you focus on finding exceptional work, not hunting spreadsheets.
2-minutes. No email required
Proud to host 500+ incredible organisations including:
Put an end to clunky processes
Our online judging platform handles scoring, tracking, and results in one system. Every judge uses the same interface. Scores update automatically. And you can actually see who’s finished without sending irrelevant reminder emails.
Judging that looks professional
Complex interfaces turn busy judges into no-shows.
With Zealous, judges see clean, intuitive scoring that works on any device. Visual presentation that makes evaluation engaging, not exhausting. Professional interfaces that match your program’s prestige.
See how The Sovereign Group streamlined their judging with Zealous.
I found your judging process a pleasure, it was very easy to follow and didn’t take a lot of my time.
Vanessa Brady OBE, Founder & CEO
The Society of British & International Interior Design
Judges actually finish on time
Forget weeks of follow-up emails or hunting down scores at midnight before announcement day.
Judges score from any connected device – desktop, tablet, or phone during their commute. They resume exactly where they left off. Everything displays in-browser, no downloads required.
Watch progress in real-time. See scores update as judges work. Gentle automated reminders keep everyone on track without constant manual follow-up. Learn more about our automated judging features.
All judges praised the platform for its sleek design, easy navigation and overall ease.
Imogen Bakelmun
UCL
When your judging panel grows from 5 to 50
Success brings more complexity. More judges means more coordination, more categories means more assignments, more entries means… well, more of everything.
With Zealous, add judges instantly. Assign them to specific categories with a few clicks. Scale from local jury to international judging consortium without rebuilding your process (and without crazy per user fees!).
Zealous is also a complete awards management platform handling entries, payments, and results.
A fair, defensible, process
Someone is bound to question the outcome (and sometimes publicly!)
Anonymous judging removes the suspicion before it even starts. Names hidden. Complete audit trail of scores shows exactly how decisions were made.
All data is hosted on Google Cloud infrastructure with full GDPR compliance, encrypted storage, and 99.98% uptime. See our security overview.
Using the Zealous system took away 80% of my workload
Sue Ecclestone
Founder of the Holly Bush Award
Judging modes to speed up making the right decisions
Fast decisions, deep assessments and/or community engagement. Zealous supports your scoring no matter your needs.
Zealous has saved us days’ worth of time which has allowed us to expand the size and scope of our prizes.
Georgina Angus
The Sovereign Group
Reclaim your sanity
Stop spending nights reconciling scores and questioning results. Start spending time on what made you passionate about your program. Celebrating excellence and building your reputation.
In detail
Complete awards lifecycle management
Before launch
- Customize schedule (entries opening, closing and rounds)
- Set category-specific requirements
- Customize entry forms with category specific conditional logic
- Configure pricing tiers and early-bird discounts
- Test everything free before going live
During submission period
- Monitor entries through live dashboard
- Send automated reminders to boost submissions
- Handle payment processing (Stripe integrated)
- Provide real-time support to entrants
Judging phase
- Assign judges to specific categories
- Track scoring progress automatically
- Allow for anonymous judging
- Create discourse with judges through comments
- Generate score reports instantly
Selection & results
- Publish results automatically
- Automatically email candidates their status
- Export all data for records
- Showcase achievements publicly
- Clone your program ready for next year
Why organisations move their judging to Zealous
Launch your judging today
Join 500+ organizations running fairer evaluation. No credit card required.
- Cancel anytime – No lock-ins and no guilt trips
- 20 free entries to test everything before committing
- Launch in under 10 minutes with judging templates
Frequently Asked Questions
What is online judging software?
Online judging software is a platform that manages the entire evaluation process for awards, competitions, grants, and other programmes. Instead of coordinating judges through email, spreadsheets, and shared documents, judging software provides a single system where judges score entries, administrators track progress, and results are calculated automatically. Key features typically include multi-round judging, anonymous evaluation, conflict of interest management, and real-time score tracking.
How do we prevent bias in judging?
Anonymous judging hides candidate names, organizations, and identifying information. Randomized entry order prevents pattern recognition. Optional score normalization adjusts for harsh/lenient raters. Complete audit trail documents the entire process.
The platform lets candidates know scoring will be anonymous, and reminds them to not include their personal information as part of any submitted materials.
What if judges don’t finish on time?
Automated reminders go out before deadlines. Real-time progress tracking shows exactly who needs encouragement. Most programs see 95%+ completion rates.
Mobile scoring means judges can work in small gaps – 10 minutes here, 15 minutes there. No need to block out hours.
Can judges effectively score from mobile?
Yes. The interface adapts perfectly to any screen size.
For fine details (like evaluating high-resolution photography), judges might prefer larger screens. But the platform works fully on mobile – many judges prefer scoring on tablets or phones.
How do we handle judge conflicts of interest?
Flag conflicts when assigning judges. They’ll never see entries where they’re conflicted – those entries are automatically hidden from their view.
Judges can also abstain from individual entries if they discover conflicts during scoring, and can leave a comment on the entry to let you know why they skipped an entry.
What judging methods does Zealous support?
Criteria-based scoring (weighted rubrics), simple pass/fail review, anonymous evaluation, and public voting.
Mix different methods across rounds. Use simple review for screening 500 entries, then detailed scoring for 50 finalists.
Each round can have different judges, criteria, and approaches.
How do we see exactly how decisions were reached?
Complete score breakdowns show individual judge ratings, comments, and timestamps. Export reports with full details.
See which entries tied, how normalization affected scores (if enabled), who abstained from what.
Everything needed for transparent, defensible results that withstand scrutiny.
Can we run multiple rounds with different judges?
Yes. Create screening, shortlist, and final rounds with different panels for each stage.
Round 1: Internal team does quick review (pass/fail)
Round 2: Expert judges score shortlisted entries (detailed criteria)
Round 3: VIP panel picks winners from finalists (ranked voting)
Different judges, different criteria, different evaluation styles – all in one program.
What happens if we need to add judges mid-round?
Add them anytime. Assign to specific categories or rounds. They’ll see only entries in their assigned areas.
Existing scores remain unchanged. New judges start with clean slate. Results update automatically as new scores come in.
How many judges can we have?
Unlimited judges on all plans. Run panels with 3 judges or 300. No per-judge fees.
Assign judges to categories, rounds, or chapters. Create specialized panels for different award levels.
Is support included, and how quickly can we get help?
Unlimited support included at no cost. Live chat during UK business hours. Comprehensive help documentation. Free pre-launch reviews for Pro and Enterprise plans.
Judges can access help directly from their scoring interface.
