Launch your next program in under an hour with our preconfigured customizable templates
Apr 11, 2024

Top 10+ Best Awards Competition Software

Icon List
In this article

While we know Evalato is the top awards competition software out there, we still want to make sure that you have all the information you need to pick the right solution for your needs. That’s why we’ve sifted through multiple reviews of different platforms for managing competitions and awards, along with their pros and cons, to give you the full picture. So, read on and choose wisely! 

Types of awards competition software 

Before we dive into the solutions, here’s a quick overview of the different types of competition software since not all of them are suitable for all competitions, meaning, your choice is largely contingent on the type of awards competition you happen to be organizing. 

  • Submission and evaluation software — the classic and most versatile competition software solution where contestants submit applications, which are then passed onto a jury of experts and/or put up for a public vote, and then based on the results, a winner or winners are determined. 
  • Social media contests software — tools for managing social media contests, giveaways, sweepstakes, etc. 
  • Rewards software — tools where users (usually employees, customers, or other stakeholders within an organization) can redeem rewards in exchange for actions or achieving certain goals, for example, sales targets. 
  • Sporting competitions software — tools, geared toward sporting and tournament events, with visualization features that allow organizers to display tournament brackets, match results, and team standings in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format.  

A list of top awards competition software solutions 

Now, let’s take a look at the leading solutions on the market that will help you manage your awards competition. 

1. Evalato 

The best choice for managing any type of awards competition with a submission and evaluation phase from start to finish, for all parties involved — competition organizers, applicants, and judges. Evalato helps you recognize excellence, regardless of the type of contest or competition you want to organize. 

Type 

Submission and evaluation software 

Pros

  • Competition template for quick setup 
  • Embeddable registration form 
  • Next-gen applicant and judging portals
  • Real-time results
  • Winners webpage 
  • Free trial 
  • Five-star rated customer support

Cons

  • The white-label option costs extra
  • Lacks social media functionalities 

Verdict   

If you’re looking for the best awards competition software, you can’t go wrong with Evalato. It is a well-rounded solution that will help you manage any type of program with a submission and evaluation phase from beginning to end.  

2. Vyper 

Essentially a marketing tool, Vyper is a competition management platform that allows users to run contests and giveaways with the purpose of engaging their audience. Its main use cases cover loyalty, referral, and reward programs for brands. 

Type 

Social media contest software 

Pros

  • Customizable landing pages
  • Branding options
  • Free trial 

Cons 

  • No customizable forms
  • Tricky setup
  • Some users report UI issues  

Verdict 

If you are looking for the top awards competition software for a social media giveaway, Vyper is a good choice. That said, it has limited functionality for a larger-scale awards competition in which case, you might be better off with another, more comprehensive alternative. 

3. Wishpond

Wishpond is another marketing platform with functionalities that allow you to run an awards competition. It lets you organize different types of social media contests and grow your email list. 

Type 

Social media contest software 

Pros 

  • Building and personalizing emails 
  • Landing pages and forms
  • Users praise Wishpond’s customer service 

Cons 

  • No applicant and judging portals 
  • Domain hosting limitations 
  • No free trial 
  • Pricing not disclosed on the website 

Verdict 

As is the case with Vyper, Wishpond is a viable contest software option if you’re looking to organize a competition on social media and boost your following and engagement. That said, if you’re looking to set up a more complex awards competition, you should consider a platform with features to automate your whole competition workflow.  

4. Spinify 

With a specialty in engaging your team, Spinify enables users to create competitions that highlight employee performance. It helps employers recognize achievements and tackle performance challenges. 

Type 

Rewards software 

Pros 

  • Leaderboard 
  • Gamification 
  • Coaching 

Cons

  • No free trial
  • Pricing not disclosed on the website 
  • Too complex for some users  

Verdict 

Spinify is an excellent choice for recognizing employee performance and motivating your team to achieve better results. This use case, however, means that it has limited functionality in terms of a classic submission and evaluation competition. 

5. Submittable 

Specialized in grant and relief fund management, Submittable can also be used as an awards competition management solution since it supports the submission and review of applications. 

Type 

Submission and evaluation software 

Pros 

  • Collaborative submissions
  • Fraud prevention tools 
  • DocuSign integration

Cons

  • No embeddable registration form
  • No score normalization
  • No custom email
  • No free trial 
  • High entry-level fee 

Verdict

With a focus on social impact, Submittable is a great choice for government institutions, foundations, and nonprofits. That said, it might not be the best awards competition software if you’re looking for a solution with a bigger focus on competitions and contests or if you are looking for a more cost-efficient alternative. 

Read more on how Submittable compares with Evalato.

6. Awardco 

Awardco is one of the leading employee rewards and recognition software that lets companies use rewards to boost productivity and build culture. It’s a popular solution for the healthcare, financial services, technology, professional services, government, and manufacturing industries. 

Type 

Rewards software 

Pros 

  • Peer recognition 
  • Multiple reward options 
  • Custom programs 

Cons 

  • Pricing not disclosed on the website 
  • No free trial 
  • Occasional issues reported with physical gift cards 

Verdict 

Awardco is a solid solution if you are looking to manage an employee rewards competition. If you, however, need to set up another type of awards competition, such as a social media contest or a competition that involves applications and voting, you’d have to look elsewhere.  

7. OpenWater 

OpenWater is an application and review software solution, with a focus on awards and abstracts as its main use cases, along with grants, scholarships, and fellowships. Similarly to Submittable, it can be used for competition management as well given its submission and review functionalities. 

Type 

Submission and evaluation software 

Pros 

  • Single Sign-On
  • Collaborative submissions 
  • Salesforce integration

Cons 

  • No embeddable registration form 
  • No score normalization
  • No free trial 
  • Pricing not disclosed on the website 
  • High entry-level fee 

OpenWater would be a good choice for grant and scholarship management, especially given its collaborative submission functionality. That said, its high entry-level fee and lack of free trial mean that it might not be the best choice for awards competition management, especially if you’re on a budget. 

See how OpenWater and Evalato stack up and why Evalato comes out on top for awards competition management. 

8. Award Force 

Our list of the best competition awards software continues with Award Force which helps manage submissions, evaluations, and results online. While awards are its main use case, it is also a viable choice for managing competitions and contests.  

Type 

Submission and evaluation software 

Pros 

  • Plagiarism detection (with a Copyscape integration) 
  • Gallery view 
  • Salesforce integration 

Cons 

  • No embeddable registration form 
  • No custom email 
  • No score normalization
  • No program templates 
  • No free trial 

Verdict 

Award Force is a decent choice for managing competitions. The lack of a free trial, however, makes it a bit more difficult to decide whether this particular software will fit your needs well. If you want to explore the pros and cons of Award Force further when compared with Evalato, we have just the thing.  

9. Judgify

Judgify is an awards and abstracts management system that can also be used for competitions and contests. Its main appeal for competition organizers is the free version, which, however, is fairly limited. 

Type 

Submission and evaluation software 

Pros 

  • Free version 
  • Export to MS Word 

Cons 

  • No program templates
  • No one-click clone
  • No score normalization
  • Charges extra fees on applications

Verdict 

Judgify is a good awards competition management software choice for companies on a very tight budget, courtesy of its free version. That said, due to the free version limitations, it might not be a good fit for more complex cases where, for example, multiple rounds are required. Judgify also charges application fees, which might deter those looking to set up a paid awards competition. 

Read more about why Evalato is the top Judgify alternative.

10. Tournify 

Tournify is a tournament and competition management software solution that lets users manage both tournaments and online tournaments. It allows users to manage teams, pick their setup, create schedules, and manage scores.

Type 

Sports competitions software 

Pros 

  • Online registration page 
  • Android & iOS app 
  • Free trial 

Cons 

  • Not many reviews available online  
  • Sponsor options not available with the free plan

Verdict 

Tournify seems to be a solid alternative for sports competitions, both online and offline, with lots of handy features. It has limited reviews online but the free version lets users check the solution out for free, albeit at a limit of up to 8 teams or players.  

11. Submit.com

Submit.com is another grant and scholarship management solution that can be used for awards competitions courtesy of its submission and review features. 

Type 

Submission and evaluation software 

Pros 

  • API & integrations
  • Video interview software 

Cons

  • No free trial
  • Pricing not disclosed on the website 
  • No score normalization
  • Users report the initial setup is difficult

Verdict 

Subimt.com seems like a good choice for grant and scholarship management, especially for institutional customers such as government and municipal authorities. As an awards competition solution, however, it might be a bit too complex and time-consuming while the lack of a free trial means that you might not know if it will be a good fit for your program. 

12. ShortStack 

ShortStack is a tool for building contests and giveaways. It helps customers engage their followers and get leads thanks to interactive content and as such, it is an effective marketing tool. 

Type 

Social media contest software 

Pros 

  • Campaign options 
  • Optimized for mobile 

Cons 

  • No free trial 
  • No applicant and judging portals 
  • Some users find the interface hard to navigate

Verdict 

As is the case with Vyper or Wishpond, ShortStack is an excellent choice if you want to organize a social media competition. If you, however, are after a more complex competition, with a sophisticated judging process, then you might want to consider an alternative. 

13. Gleam.io 

Gleam.io is a handy tool for giveaways, sweepstakes, and contests that drive engagement. It is also great for marketing purposes such as increasing email lists. 

Type 

Social media contest software; rewards software  

Pros 

  • Social media templates 
  • Built-in sharing 

Cons 

  • No applicant and judging portals 
  • No free trial 
  • Users find it expensive  

Verdict 

Gleam is an excellent awards competition management platform if your main goal is building up your email list and boosting engagement. That said, for full-scale competition, you might be better off with another solution.  

Interested in a more comprehensive comparison? We have you covered with a free directory of solutions and their essential awards management features.

Why Evalato remains the best awards competition software

While the above list features some great alternatives, depending on your use case, if you’re looking for a well-rounded, robust, and user-friendly awards contest solution, Evalato fits the bill to a tee. 

  • It lets you set up and launch a program in under an hour, with a dedicated competition template. 
  • You can collect registrations and applications with ease, thanks to an embeddable registration form for an uninterrupted experience and a next-generation applicant portal. 
  • You can set up a custom evaluation process and tailor it to your needs with a multitude of voting modes, and state-of-the-art judging and public voting portals.
  • You get various voting types and high-end judging features such as score normalization that removes any unintentional judging bias.
  • It lets you keep track of voting and results, in real-time.  
  • You get a webpage to showcase results and winners.  
  • You can analyze and export data to improve for the next edition of your program. 

Still not sure? See what else Evalato offers compared to alternatives.

In a nutshell 

Evalato remains the top competition awards software choice, catering to a diverse array of contests. Still, if you happen to need further convincing, you can test it for free all you want or opt to book a demo.  

Get started in a snap

Launch your next awards program in under an hour with Evalato’s pre-made templates and intuitive design. 
Unlimited free testing. No credit card required.