If you’ve ever found yourself copying entry details from emails into spreadsheets at 11pm, you’re in the right place. We’ve all been there: the panic of a deleted entry, the awkward email explaining a judging portal crash, or the sinking feeling when a “simple” awards program becomes an administrative nightmare.
The right awards management platform can transform this chaos. The challenge, and believe me, it’s a big one, is that every platform claims to be the answer, when in reality, each serves very different needs. I’ve spent 14 years navigating this landscape, so this guide cuts through the marketing fluff to help you choose the right platform for your unique needs.
A Quick Word on Transparency
Let’s not kid ourselves – comparison articles like this usually try to sell you something.
Of course, we would be honored if you chose Zealous, but the real goal of this guide (and of our product) is to be transparent, save you time & banish headaches. We aim to be as fair and transparent as possible so you can find the best solution for your exact needs, even if that isn’t us.
All data in this article is based on publicly available information and reviews for these sites as of September 2025. AI was used to support us with the comparison between services.
Table of Contents
What You’re Really Buying
Awards management software isn’t just about collecting entries. You’re buying back your weekends, your sanity, and your ability to focus on what matters: recognizing amazing work and building your community.
But here’s what the best platforms understand: every award you give changes someone’s trajectory. Every recognition program creates opportunities. The right platform doesn’t just manage submissions – it amplifies your impact on the people and communities you serve.
The best platforms for your needs can save you 70-80% of administrative time so you can do the more impactful work. The ones that jar, well they may create headaches you never knew existed.
The Non-Negotiables:
- Applicants don’t abandon their entries halfway through.
- Your judges can use it without calling you for help.
- You can launch a program without a computer science degree.
- Everything works on any browser (and serves candidates and judges on mobiles too).
The Deal-Breakers:
- Requiring weeks of setup before you can test anything.
- Hidden fees that double your costs.
- Interfaces that look like they were designed in 2005.
Specialized Needs
Although the fundamentals I’ve outlined above apply to most awards management, it’s worth noting that different award types have their own quirks and specific needs that can make or break your program.
I’ve put together detailed guides for the most common award categories we see, each diving into the specific workflows and platform features that actually matter for that type of program:
Art Awards – Visual arts competitions and creative recognition programs that need to handle rich media without breaking a sweat.
Writing Competitions – Literary contests, essay competitions, and creative writing awards where manuscript handling and text-focused judging workflows are everything.
Photography Awards – Photo contests where image display quality and visual judging experiences can make or break the entire program.
Corporate Recognition Awards – Employee recognition, internal competitions, and corporate achievement awards that need to play nicely with your existing HR systems.
Each guide gets into the nitty-gritty of what services work best for that specific award type. There’s nothing worse than trying to force a square peg into a round hole (especially when you suddenly receive 2,000 entries you can’t score properly!).
Running something else entirely? Or happy to look at the more generic options. Keep reading for the full platform breakdown that covers every scenario.
Platform Breakdown
Now, let’s talk about who these platforms really work for. Below I’ve analyzed platforms based on their genuine strengths and ideal users.
Zealous: The User Experience Champion
From my perspective, Zealous is for the organizer who wants to make their candidates’ and judges’ lives genuinely easy. Although built for the creative sector, its obsession with user experience has attracted organizations across all sectors. The platform’s visual gallery interface transforms a tedious task into an engaging, even enjoyable, curation experience. Honestly, it gets the “less is more” philosophy right.
While most platforms treat awards as administrative tasks, Zealous treats them as community-building opportunities. Its mission to create opportunity for people, brand and community building is a deliberate part of the product, creating a powerful network effect that supplements your own marketing efforts and increases submission numbers. This exceptional blend of user experience, community and purpose driven mission has led to the platform being embraced by a diverse range of organizations seeking more intuitive ways to manage submissions.
Best for: Visual competitions, corporate recognition, design awards, and talent selection.
Key Advantage: You can launch a program in minutes. It’s built for authentic candidate evaluation – showing portfolios, videos, and rich media instead of text that can be easily generated by AI.
Ideal User: Organizations of any size, running 1-15+ awards programs annually where judge satisfaction and visual presentation are top priorities.
Not great for: Awards with hundreds of categories and very complex customisation needs, or those that require a whitelabel solution that hides the platform’s brand (think of Zealous as the EventBrite of the awards management space – customisable to your brand, but not completely whitelabel).
Award Force: The Enterprise-Grade Solution
In my experience, Award Force is for the professional who can’t afford a single point of failure. They provide the robust infrastructure, certified security, and implementation support you need to manage high-stakes, mission-critical programs with complete peace of mind.
Best for: Large associations, multinational corporations, and government agencies.
Key Advantage: Seamless API integration with existing systems and 24/5 global support. You’re buying global assurance, not just a tool.
Ideal User: Organizations with budgets of $10,000+ annually that require implementation consultants and enterprise-level security.
Not great for: Budget-conscious organizations; and programs that don’t need the extensive feature set which creates flexibility, and also complexity for administrators.
Evalato: The EU Specialist
Evalato is for the organizer with specific compliance needs. It feels like it was built with Europe in mind and handles multi-country compliance and a wide range of languages, tax obligations and currencies.
It’s a great choice for programs that don’t fit a standard template, and it’s especially useful if you need to test your setup extensively before going live. I’ll be honest, the powerful admin UI can feel a bit overwhelming at first, but once you get the hang of it, it has some great judging scoring options.
Best for: European programs, academic competitions, and specialized industry awards.
Key Advantage: Deep customization and native GDPR support. You get unlimited free testing to perfect your setup before launch.
Ideal User: Established organizations with complex judging requirements and a focus on European compliance.
Not great for: Those who need a quick, simple setup and don’t want to spend time perfecting their configuration, as the powerful UI for administrators can have a steeper learning curve. You’ll need to pay per program, and are limited on cheaper plans.
OpenWater: The Association Ecosystem Expert
OpenWater is for the organization that needs an awards platform to play nicely with its existing tech stack. It’s designed to be part of a larger ecosystem, seamlessly integrating with CRMs and existing databases.
For me, what stands out is its reputation for handling complex workflows of established institutions with remarkable quality support. It’s a technical powerhouse, but you’ll need someone on your team who understands APIs to get the most out of it.
Best for: Professional associations, academic institutions, and large nonprofits.
Key Advantage: It’s renowned for its high-quality support and ability to handle the complex workflows of established institutions.
Ideal User: Organizations with 1,000+ members and budgets starting around $7,000+ annually who need enterprise-level integration.
Not great for: Those who want a simple, out-of-the-box solution without a technical background, as the UI is built for complex workflows and has a steep learning curve.
SurveyMonkey Apply: The Grant Management Veteran
From what I’ve seen, SurveyMonkey Apply is for the organization that thinks beyond awards to the full lifecycle of funding and recognition.
The platform, originally a separate application review tool that excelled at managing funding and awards, was acquired by SurveyMonkey to become its grants management solution. It’s perfect if your “awards” actually involve disbursing money and tracking outcomes over time.
Best for: Grant programs, scholarship funds, and fellowship tracking where post-award management is crucial.
Key Advantage: Robust financial tracking and post-award workflow automation. Users report a 220% increase in completed applications due to the streamlined applicant experience.
Ideal User: Organizations managing substantial funding programs that need to track recipients through the entire award lifecycle, not just the selection process.
Not great for: Simple recognition programs or organizations that just want to celebrate achievements without complex financial tracking.
Submittable: Writing Competition Expert turned Social Impact Generalist
Submittable has been around for a long time and mainly serves organization that sees awards as part of a broader social impact strategy. It’s designed for foundations, corporations, and nonprofits that run multiple programs – from grants to volunteering to recognition – and need everything in one place.
Over half of their customers launch new programs in 14 days or less, the powerful features and ease of use is a big part of their appeal.
Best for: Corporate social responsibility programs, foundation grants, and multi-program social impact initiatives.
Key Advantage: Comprehensive social impact toolkit with strong community features and reporting. Over 95% of customers report high satisfaction, and most launch new programs in 14 days or less.
Ideal User: Corporations with bigger annual budgets ($10,000+) running diverse social impact programs who need one platform to manage grants, awards, volunteering, and employee giving.
Not great for: Organizations that just want awards management without the broader social impact infrastructure.
Judgify: The Startup-Friendly Option
Judgify is for the organizer who needs something that works ok without breaking the bank.
It offers affordable options for smaller programs, making it perfect for emerging awards or organizations testing the waters, but may not scale with your needs.
Best for: Startup competitions, small professional associations, and organizations launching their first awards program.
Key Advantage: Free tier available for smaller programs, with drag-and-drop simplicity that gets you up and running fast.
Ideal User: Organizations with limited budgets who need basic awards functionality without enterprise bells and whistles.
Not great for: Large-scale programs or organizations that need advanced customization, as the simplicity that makes it accessible also limits its flexibility.
WizeHive (Zengine): The Process Powerhouse
Now part of the Submittable family
WizeHive Zengine is for the organization that loves workflows and wants to optimize every step of their process. It’s built for teams that think in systems and want to configure exactly how their awards program should operate. Users praise the platform’s ability to handle complex, multi-stage review processes, and I can see why – it’s built for maximum control.
Best for: Grant-making organizations, academic institutions, and process-oriented teams who want maximum control over workflows.
Key Advantage: Extremely flexible workflow configuration with strong integration capabilities. Users praise the platform’s ability to handle complex, multi-stage review processes.
Ideal User: Organizations with dedicated staff who want to build sophisticated, multi-stage processes and don’t mind investing time in setup.
Not great for: Organizations that want simplicity over flexibility, as the power comes with complexity that requires dedicated administration.
AwardStage: The UK Specialist
AwardStage is for the organizer who wants something built with British sensibilities in mind. It strikes a nice balance between functionality and simplicity, with particular strength in handling traditional awards ceremonies and ticketing.
Best for: Traditional awards ceremonies, UK-based programs, and organizations that need integrated ticketing for awards events.
Key Advantage: Elegant, tablet-friendly judging interface with integrated event management capabilities.
Ideal User: Organizations running formal awards ceremonies who want a platform that understands the full event lifecycle, not just the submission process.
Not great for: Organizations that need complex customization or those outside the UK who might find the platform’s British focus limiting.
Reviewr: The Template Master
Reviewr is for the organization that wants to benefit from years of awards management best practices. They’ve built templates based on prestigious award programs and offer a more guided approach to setup.
I love this approach because it takes the guesswork out of building a program from scratch.
Best for: Organizations launching their first major awards program who want proven templates and processes.
Key Advantage: Industry-proven templates and workflows, with an 84% average increase in administrative efficiency reported by users.
Ideal User: Organizations that want to follow established best practices rather than reinventing their awards process from scratch.
Not great for: Organizations with highly unique requirements that don’t fit standard award program templates.
Submit.com: The Public Sector Choice
Submit.com is for organizations that need to meet strict compliance and security requirements. Built with government and public sector needs in mind, it excels at transparency, audit trails, and regulatory compliance.
Best for: Government agencies, public sector awards, and highly regulated industries.
Key Advantage: Built-in compliance automation and robust security features designed for public sector requirements.
Ideal User: Organizations that need to meet strict regulatory requirements and want cloud-native collaboration with enterprise-grade security.
Not great for: Simple recognition programs that don’t need the heavy compliance infrastructure.
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The Setup and Cost Reality
What actually happens after you sign up, when and what do you pay? Here’s what you can expect in the first few weeks.
| Platform | Pricing | Setup Time | What to Expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zealous | 20 free entries No lock-in Monthly/Annual subscriptions Small commission on entry fees. | Hours | Launch and go. Templates help your setup and edits can be made yourself even as entries come in. |
| Judgify | 100 free entries then $699 per program + setup fee | Hours | Free tier gets you started quickly, but you might need a few hours to configure everything. |
| Submittable | By quote only but plan for $10,000+ | 1-2 Weeks | Easy setup with excellent onboarding, most programs launch in under 2 weeks. |
| SurveyMonkey Apply | By quote only | 1-2 Weeks | More involved setup but comprehensive training and support included. |
| Evalato | Starting at € 1,900 for 50 entries | 1-2 Weeks | Quick to register and load templates on their free plan to perfect everything first, but plan for serious setup time to make the most of their features. |
| AwardStage | Starts at £2350 per awards, per annum (max 250 entries). Ticket commission applies | 1-2 Weeks | Guided setup with demo options to help you understand the platform first. |
| WizeHive | Merged with Submittable – expect a similar price point | 2-3 Weeks | Significant configuration time needed to set up your ideal workflows. |
| Reviewr | Forced to book a meeting to get pricing | 2-3 Weeks | Template-based approach means less guesswork but more initial planning. |
| Submit.com | Starts from €5,995 /year for a 1,000 entries | 2-4 Weeks | Enterprise-focused setup with compliance considerations requiring more time. |
| Award Force | Starts from £2,250 GBP with limits on file sizes and 10,000 entries annually | 2-4 Weeks | Expect a guided, project-based timeline with dedicated implementation consultants. |
| OpenWater | By quote only | 2-6 Weeks | The timeline depends heavily on your integration needs and existing systems. |
The Deep Dive: A Closer Look at the Platforms
For those who want to see the numbers, here’s a more detailed breakdown based on real-world performance metrics, user reviews, and public pricing information.
Zealous
- Time Savings: Users report saving 70-80% of administrative time. A verified user review from the Holly Bush Award noted, “Using the Zealous system took away 80% of my workload.”
- Growth Results: Organizations report an average 22% submission increase year-over-year, in part due to the effortless applicant experience.
- The AI-Era Advantage: In a world where AI can fill out text forms perfectly, Zealous’s focus on visual portfolios, videos, and rich media submissions becomes crucial for authentic candidate evaluation. Corporate programs discover that asking for portfolios and visual work leads to better hiring decisions and more meaningful recognition- judges can see actual work, not just well-written responses.
- Pricing Reality: When you choose Zealous, you’re not just buying software- you’re joining a platform that reinvests in the creative community. The pricing is transparent and designed for community support. Every paid entry helps create opportunities for emerging creators who couldn’t otherwise afford to participate. You’ll pay monthly subscription fees plus a transaction fee of 2.2% + £0.20 per transaction (capped at £2).
Award Force
- Setup: Recognized for the “Fastest Implementation” on G2, their dedicated onboarding services and pre-launch checks ensure a smooth transition for even the largest organizations.
- Judge Experience: They excel at visual evaluation, allowing judges to quickly assess portfolios and creative work. The platform is designed for professional use, with robust tools for multi-round, complex judging.
- Performance: Users have reported a 38.17% increase in submitted entries season-on-season, driven by a seamless and intuitive user interface for applicants.
- The Money Talk: You’re paying for enterprise-grade service. While they are a subscription-only model and don’t take a cut of your entry fees, expect annual budgets starting around $10,000+ for their robust, scalable solution.
SurveyMonkey Apply
- Grant Management Heritage: Users consistently praise the platform’s post-award capabilities. One organization reported a 220% increase in scholarship applications after switching from their previous system.
- Financial Tracking: Built-in budget tracking and disbursement management make it ideal for programs that involve actual funding, not just recognition.
- User Experience: 100% of reviewers feel positive about the applicant review process, though some find the pricing less transparent than competitors.
- Support Quality: Users consistently mention excellent implementation support and responsive help desk services.
Submittable
- Rapid Deployment: Over half of customers launch new programs in 14 days or less, with 95% reporting high satisfaction.
- Time Savings: Teams save an average of 3.4 hours per week per admin and 2.6 hours per week per reviewer.
- Scale: Has powered over 145,000 social impact programs, receiving nearly 25 million applications.
- Versatility: Strong across multiple program types – grants, scholarships, awards, volunteering, and corporate social responsibility.
The Others at a Glance
- Judgify: The free tier makes it accessible for startups, but users note that customer support requires contacting the team for most modifications. Great for getting started, potentially outgrown as programs scale.
- WizeHive (Zengine): Highly rated for flexibility and integrations, particularly strong for grant-focused workflows. Users praise the technical capabilities but note it requires dedicated administration time.
- AwardStage: Users appreciate the clean, intuitive interface and tablet-friendly judging screens. Limited reviews available, but those that exist emphasize ease of use for judges.
- Reviewr: Strong template approach with users reporting 84% increases in administrative efficiency. Some users note that customization requires working with their support team rather than self-service options.
- Submit.com: Focused on enterprise and public sector needs with strong compliance features. Limited public pricing information suggests a custom enterprise pricing model.
The Bottom Line: What Matters Most
After looking at thousands of user reviews and seeing programs succeed and fail, I’ve noticed that three things separate the winners from the disasters:
User Experience Beats Features Every Time: A delightful-to-use platform that’s 80% perfect will outperform a feature-rich nightmare every single time.
Transparent Pricing Signals Integrity: Companies that hide their costs usually have other surprises waiting for you. It’s just human nature.
The Mobile Experience is Non-Negotiable: If judges can’t use it properly on their phones, you’ll have problems. Period.
The awards management landscape has matured dramatically, and there are genuinely excellent options for every type of program. The key is honestly matching your specific needs with each platform’s real strengths – not what their marketing says they’re good at.
For programs that prioritize flexibility, transparency and user experience, Zealous leads the pack. For enterprise needs with complex whitelabel requirements, Award Force and OpenWater provide the infrastructure you actually need. For organizations managing real funding (not just trophies), SurveyMonkey Apply and Submittable offer the financial tracking capabilities that recognition-only platforms simply can’t match.
The best awards management platform is the one that gets completely out of your way so you can focus on what really matters. Recognizing exceptional work. Building the communities that matter to you. Creating a sustainable way of celebrating achievement that grows stronger each year.
And honestly? That’s what this is all about. The spreadsheets and late nights are just obstacles between you and the real work of celebrating the people who make your industry, your community, your world a little bit better. Pick the platform that removes those obstacles most effectively, and you’ll be amazed at what becomes possible.
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Guy Armitage is the founder of Zealous and author of “Everyone is Creative“. He is on a mission to amplify the world’s creative potential.
