Head-to-head · Manuscript Submission Software
Microsoft CMT vs Open Journal Systems
Microsoft CMT leads on 0 checks, Open Journal Systems on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreMicrosoft CMT · 9.1/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresOpen Journal Systems · 5 of 5
Microsoft CMT scores higher on our rubric for manuscript submission software: 9.1 against 8.9 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #4.
Microsoft CMT is the better fit for conferences needing a free, full-featured workflow. Open Journal Systems is the better fit for journals wanting free, end-to-end publishing workflows.
- Microsoft CMT fits best
Conferences needing a free, full-featured workflow
- Open Journal Systems fits best
Journals wanting free, end-to-end publishing workflows
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Side by side
| Feature | Microsoft CMT 9.1/10 Visit ↗ | Open Journal Systems 8.9/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.1 | 8.9 |
| Ranking | #2 in Manuscript Submission Software | #4 in Manuscript Submission Software |
| Best for | Conferences needing a free, full-featured workflow | Journals wanting free, end-to-end publishing workflows |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web | Web |
| Support | Tickets, Docs | Community, Docs |
| Integrations | 1 integrations | 11 integrations |
| Built for | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise |
| Features Microsoft CMT 0/5 · Open Journal Systems 5/5 | ||
| Conference submissions | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Multi-journal management | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Configurable intake forms | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Automated email notices | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| ORCID integration | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Microsoft CMT is a free, cloud-hosted web system from Microsoft Research for academic and scientific conference management. It serves conference chairs, reviewers, authors, and proceedings editors, with workflows that cover abstracts, full… Read the review → |
Open Journal Systems (OJS) is an open-source web platform for scholarly journals, intended for universities, scholarly societies, libraries, and publishing organizations. It covers the path from author submission through peer review and… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Microsoft CMT — where it wins
- Supports abstracts through camera-ready papers and presentations.
- Includes blind review, reviewer bidding, rebuttals, and review discussions.
- Plans presentation sessions, rooms, and schedules; exports conference data.
Where it doesn't
- The supplied integration is limited to TPMS.
- Workflow breadth may exceed the needs of conferences seeking a narrower tool.
- Conference chairs configure reviewer capacity rather than relying on a product-wide limit.
Open Journal Systems — where it wins
- Connects submission, peer review, editorial work, and production in one workflow
- Runs one or many journals from a single installation
- Supports indexing, researcher identifiers, and preservation integrations
Where it doesn't
- Conference registration and scheduling may require separate tools
- Self-hosting requires an infrastructure choice and installation
- Support channels are community and documentation
- Microsoft CMT9.1/10 · Free plan
A free conference workflow spanning submissions, peer review, and presentation planning.
Visit Microsoft CMTFull verdict → - Open Journal Systems8.9/10 · Free plan
A free, open-source system for managing journal submissions through publication.
Visit siteFull verdict →
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All manuscript submission software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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