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Head-to-head · Awards Management Software

Zealous vs Award Force

  • Updated Sep 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Zealous #3 in Awards Management Software 7.9/10 Free plan · paid from £26/mo Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Zealous
Award Force #4 in Awards Management Software 7.7/10 From $3,250/yr ✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Award Force

Zealous leads on 4 checks, Award Force on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreZealous · 7.9/10
  • Free planonly Zealous
  • Most featuresZealous · 4 of 4

Zealous scores higher on our rubric for awards management software: 7.9 against 7.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #4.

Zealous offers free plan; Award Force doesn't. Zealous offers anonymous judging; Award Force doesn't publish it. Zealous offers paid submissions; Award Force doesn't publish it. Zealous offers winner publishing; Award Force doesn't publish it.

Zealous is the better fit for flexible programs with a low-cost start. Award Force is the better fit for mature organizations needing integrations.

  • Zealous fits best

    Flexible programs with a low-cost start

  • Award Force fits best

    Mature organizations needing integrations

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Zealous 7.9/10 Visit ↗ Award Force 7.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 7.9 7.7
Ranking #3 in Awards Management Software #4 in Awards Management Software
Best for Flexible programs with a low-cost start Mature organizations needing integrations
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs Email, Tickets, Phone, Docs
Compliance GDPR SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SSO/SAML, 2FA
Integrations 9 integrations 11 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Zealous 4/4 · Award Force 1/4
Anonymous judging ✓ (best) Not published
Paid submissions ✓ (best) Not published
Workflow automation ✓ ✓
Winner publishing ✓ (best) Not published
Specs
Submission limit 300 entries Not published
Judge limit Not published Not published
Our review
Pros
  • 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.
  • 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
Cons
  • 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.
  • 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
Our verdict

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 →

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 →
  1. ZealousAwards Management Software 7.9Free plan · paid from £26/mo
  2. Award ForceAwards Management Software 7.7From $3,250/yr

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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 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
  • Zealous7.9/10 · Free plan · paid from £26/mo

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

    Visit ZealousFull verdict →
  • Award Force7.7/10 · From $3,250/yr

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

    Visit Award ForceFull verdict →

More comparisons

All awards management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026

Last updated · How we research and update