Airballoon vs SimplyConf

Airballoon8.2Visit SimplyConf7.9Visit

Higher score Airballoon #3 in Call for Papers Software 8.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Airballoon

vs

SimplyConf #4 in Call for Papers Software 7.9/10 Free plan · paid from $29/yr Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit SimplyConf

• Airballoon fits best

  End-to-end conferences with attendee operations

• SimplyConf fits best

  Self-hosted conferences needing modular pricing

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Side by side

Feature	Airballoon 8.2/10 Visit ↗	SimplyConf 7.9/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.2	7.9
Ranking	#3 in Call for Papers Software	#4 in Call for Papers Software
Best for	End-to-end conferences with attendee operations	Self-hosted conferences needing modular pricing
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	$29/yr
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Docs	Email, Docs
Integrations	9 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Airballoon 2/2 · SimplyConf 2/2
Blind review	✓	✓
Schedule builder	✓	✓
Specs
Submission types	Mixed	Mixed
Review stages	Custom	Custom
Submission limit	Not published	Not published
Reviewer limit	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Supports paper, abstract, poster, and proposal submissions Combines blind review, committee management, and custom review stages Extends into websites, schedules, registration, networking, and payments	Free, open-source core with web and self-hosted deployment Supports blind review, reviewer assignment, and review progress tracking Adds Stripe payments, scheduling, email, and export workflows
Cons	Registration can incur transaction fees Presentation storage can incur storage fees Its broad event scope may exceed the needs of CFP-only teams	Reviews, emails, payments, schedules, and exports require paid add-ons WordPress is central to the product's ecosystem fit Managed hosting and self-hosting involve different deployment choices
Our verdict	Airballoon is a web-based conference-management platform from Lumvex Labs LLC for academic conferences and workshops. It covers the conference lifecycle from CFP publication and paper, abstract, poster, and proposal submissions through… Read the review →	SimplyConf is a WordPress-based conference management product for academic conferences, universities, program committees, and organizations running one or multiple events. Its free, open-source core covers events, abstract submissions, and… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Airballoon — where it wins

  • Supports paper, abstract, poster, and proposal submissions
  • Combines blind review, committee management, and custom review stages
  • Extends into websites, schedules, registration, networking, and payments

  Where it doesn't

  • Registration can incur transaction fees
  • Presentation storage can incur storage fees
  • Its broad event scope may exceed the needs of CFP-only teams

• SimplyConf — where it wins

  • Free, open-source core with web and self-hosted deployment
  • Supports blind review, reviewer assignment, and review progress tracking
  • Adds Stripe payments, scheduling, email, and export workflows

  Where it doesn't

  • Reviews, emails, payments, schedules, and exports require paid add-ons
  • WordPress is central to the product's ecosystem fit
  • Managed hosting and self-hosting involve different deployment choices

• Airballoon8.2/10 · Free plan

  A broad web-based conference system covering CFPs, review, event operations, and attendee engagement.

  Visit AirballoonFull verdict →
• SimplyConf7.9/10 · Free plan · paid from $29/yr

  A flexible WordPress-based choice for conferences that need self-hosting and add-on control.

  Visit SimplyConfFull verdict →