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Head-to-head · Awards Management Software

Zealous vs Judging Hub

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Zealous #5 in Awards Management Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Zealous
Judging Hub #6 in Awards Management Software 8.6/10 Paid ✓ 3 of 4 features Visit Judging Hub

Zealous leads on 2 checks, Judging Hub on 0, and 4 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 scoreZealous · 8.7/10
  • Free planonly Zealous
  • Most featuresZealous · 4 of 4

Zealous scores higher on our rubric for awards management software: 8.7 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #5 and #6.

Zealous offers free plan; Judging Hub doesn't. Zealous leads on submission limit: 300 entries versus 200 entries.

Zealous is the better fit for flexible programs with a low-cost start. Judging Hub is the better fit for budget-conscious judging teams.

  • Zealous fits best

    Flexible programs with a low-cost start

  • Judging Hub fits best

    Budget-conscious judging teams

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Zealous 8.7/10 Visit ↗ Judging Hub 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.6
Ranking #5 in Awards Management Software #6 in Awards Management Software
Best for Flexible programs with a low-cost start Budget-conscious judging teams
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price £26/mo $9/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial — —
Deployment Cloud Cloud
Platforms Web Web
Support Email, Live chat, Phone, Docs Email
Compliance GDPR GDPR, SSO/SAML
Integrations 9 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Zealous 4/4 · Judging Hub 3/4
Anonymous judging ✓ ✓
Paid submissions ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Workflow automation ✓ ✓
Winner publishing ✓ ✓
Specs
Submission limit 300 entries (best) 200 entries
Judge limit Not checked yet 10 judges
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.
  • Double-blind judging, recusal, abstention, and audit trails
  • Custom rubrics with weighted criteria, normalization, and tiebreakers
  • Starts at $9 per month with entry forms and workflow automation
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.
  • Essential limits events to 200 participants and 10 judges
  • Payment collection is not included
  • Enterprise features begin at $150 per month
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 →

Judging Hub is a web-based platform for running awards, competitions, grants, festivals, science fairs, and other judged programs. It combines custom entry forms, file uploads, category routing, judge assignment, scoring, multi-round…

Read the review →
  1. ZealousAwards Management Software 8.7Free plan
  2. Judging HubAwards Management Software 8.6Paid

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.

  • Judging Hub — where it wins

    • Double-blind judging, recusal, abstention, and audit trails
    • Custom rubrics with weighted criteria, normalization, and tiebreakers
    • Starts at $9 per month with entry forms and workflow automation

    Where it doesn't

    • Essential limits events to 200 participants and 10 judges
    • Payment collection is not included
    • Enterprise features begin at $150 per month

More comparisons

All awards management software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update