Microsoft CMT vs HotCRP

MCMicrosoft CMT9.0Visit HotCRP7.6Visit

Higher score MC Microsoft CMT #1 in Call for Papers Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit Microsoft CMT

vs

HotCRP #6 in Call for Papers Software 7.6/10 Free plan · paid from $7.50 Free plan✓ 2 of 2 features Visit HotCRP

• Microsoft CMT fits best

  Free, full-featured academic conferences

• HotCRP fits best

  Technical conferences needing open-source review depth

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Side by side

Feature	MCMicrosoft CMT 9.0/10 Visit ↗	HotCRP 7.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	7.6
Ranking	#1 in Call for Papers Software	#6 in Call for Papers Software
Best for	Free, full-featured academic conferences	Technical conferences needing open-source review depth
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Not published	Not published
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud, Self-hosted
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Tickets, Docs	Email, Docs
Integrations	1 integrations	2 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Microsoft CMT 2/2 · HotCRP 2/2
Blind review	✓	✓
Schedule builder	✓	✓
Specs
Submission types	Mixed	Mixed
Review stages	Custom	Multi_stage
Submission limit	Not published	Not published
Reviewer limit	Not published	Not published
Our review
Pros	Supports submissions, revisions, camera-ready papers, and presentations Deep review controls include blind review, conflicts, quotas, and bidding Covers multi-track planning, copyright collection, and session scheduling	Multiple review rounds, anonymous review, rebuttals, and discussions Conflict controls, track permissions, and flexible reviewer assignment Hosted or self-hosted deployment with a REST API
Cons	Web-based delivery limits the platform choice to browser access Reviewer capacity is configured by conference chairs, not fixed product-wide Its focus on academic peer review may not suit general event management	Independent plan support is limited to bug fixes Classroom plan provides no support Per-submission pricing may be less predictable for large events
Our verdict	Microsoft CMT is a free, cloud-hosted conference management system for academic and scientific peer review. It is designed for conference chairs, reviewers, authors, and proceedings editors managing submissions from abstracts through full… Read the review →	HotCRP manages submission, peer-review, and publication workflows for academic conferences, workshops, and journals. It is designed for chairs and program committees that need detailed control over paper registration, submissions,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Microsoft CMT — where it wins

  • Supports submissions, revisions, camera-ready papers, and presentations
  • Deep review controls include blind review, conflicts, quotas, and bidding
  • Covers multi-track planning, copyright collection, and session scheduling

  Where it doesn't

  • Web-based delivery limits the platform choice to browser access
  • Reviewer capacity is configured by conference chairs, not fixed product-wide
  • Its focus on academic peer review may not suit general event management

• HotCRP — where it wins

  • Multiple review rounds, anonymous review, rebuttals, and discussions
  • Conflict controls, track permissions, and flexible reviewer assignment
  • Hosted or self-hosted deployment with a REST API

  Where it doesn't

  • Independent plan support is limited to bug fixes
  • Classroom plan provides no support
  • Per-submission pricing may be less predictable for large events

• MCMicrosoft CMT9.0/10 · Free plan

  A free, full-featured system for managing academic submissions, reviews, rebuttals, and schedules.

  Visit Microsoft CMTFull verdict →
• HotCRP7.6/10 · Free plan · paid from $7.50

  A deep academic review workflow with flexible hosting and a free plan.

  Visit HotCRPFull verdict →