Award Force vs Zealous

Award Force8.9Visit Zealous8.7Visit

Higher score Award Force #3 in Awards Management Software 8.9/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Award Force

vs

Zealous #5 in Awards Management Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Zealous

• Award Force fits best

  Mature organizations needing integrations

• Zealous fits best

  Flexible programs with a low-cost start

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Side by side

Feature	Award Force 8.9/10 Visit ↗	Zealous 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.9	8.7
Ranking	#3 in Awards Management Software	#5 in Awards Management Software
Best for	Mature organizations needing integrations	Flexible programs with a low-cost start
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$3,250/yr	£26/mo
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Email, Tickets, Phone, Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs
Compliance	SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SSO/SAML, 2FA	GDPR
Integrations	11 integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Award Force 1/4 · Zealous 4/4
Anonymous judging	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Paid submissions	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Workflow automation	✓	✓
Winner publishing	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Submission limit	Not checked yet	300 entries
Judge limit	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Highly configurable forms, judging modes and multi-stage workflows API, webhooks and integrations with Zapier, Make and Salesforce Payments, reporting, AI tools and applicant self-service portal	Free tier supports up to 20 entries with no credit card required. Covers anonymous judging, multiple rounds, scoring, voting, and galleries. Stripe, Zapier, webhooks, and media integrations support varied workflows.
Cons	No free plan for organizations evaluating the platform Annual pricing starts at $3,250 for the Growth plan Web-based platform with advanced features split across paid tiers	Paid plans add separate entry-fee commissions and Stripe fees. The Free plan is limited to 20 entries. The web-based platform does not list native mobile apps.
Our verdict	Award Force is a cloud-based awards management platform for organizations running awards, recognition programs, contests and submission programs. It supports configurable entry forms, entrant access, judge assignments, scoring, voting,… Read the review →	Zealous is a web-based submissions management platform for awards, competitions, grants, open calls, and other application-based programs. It is designed for corporations, nonprofits, foundations, agencies, and arts organizations that need… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Award Force — where it wins

  • Highly configurable forms, judging modes and multi-stage workflows
  • API, webhooks and integrations with Zapier, Make and Salesforce
  • Payments, reporting, AI tools and applicant self-service portal

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan for organizations evaluating the platform
  • Annual pricing starts at $3,250 for the Growth plan
  • Web-based platform with advanced features split across paid tiers

• Zealous — where it wins

  • Free tier supports up to 20 entries with no credit card required.
  • Covers anonymous judging, multiple rounds, scoring, voting, and galleries.
  • Stripe, Zapier, webhooks, and media integrations support varied workflows.

  Where it doesn't

  • Paid plans add separate entry-fee commissions and Stripe fees.
  • The Free plan is limited to 20 entries.
  • The web-based platform does not list native mobile apps.

• Award Force8.9/10 · Paid

  A mature, configurable awards platform for complex programs and integration needs.

  Visit Award ForceFull verdict →
• Zealous8.7/10 · Free plan

  A flexible awards platform with a free entry point and broad evaluation workflows.

  Visit ZealousFull verdict →