Zealous review
A flexible awards platform with a free entry point and broad evaluation workflows.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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 branded program pages, configurable forms, multimedia submissions, judging workflows, communications, reporting, and published results. The product supports entry fees, anonymous judging, public voting, and winner galleries, giving organizers a broad workflow rather than a tool focused only on collecting applications.
Pricing starts with the Free plan at £0 per month for 20 entries, with no credit card required. Starter costs £26 per month and supports up to 300 submissions, one scoring round, judge comments and chat, unlimited programs, and unlimited categories. Pro costs £79 per month and adds unlimited submissions, unlimited scoring rounds, multiple criteria scoring, public voting, and one-hour onboarding. Scale costs £239 per month and supports up to 10,000 submissions, custom automated email content, Zapier integration, and webhooks. Enterprise adds larger annual submission numbers, an uptime SLA, procurement support, a dedicated account manager, and no commission on entry fees. Annual billing is available with a stated 33% discount; entry-fee commissions and Stripe fees are separate from subscription prices.
The strongest fit is for organizations running varied programs that need more than a basic form: judge assignment, calculated scores, automated emails and reminders, progress tracking, reports, data exports, and multiple evaluation rounds are all covered. Integrations include Stripe, Zapier, webhooks, Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Sketchfab, and SlideShare. That breadth suits multimedia and public-facing awards, while the free tier gives smaller programs a low-cost starting point. Organizations needing a native mobile product or a workflow outside web-based program management should look elsewhere; larger procurement-led teams are better aligned with Enterprise features such as an uptime SLA and dedicated account management.
Zealous pros and cons
- 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.
Zealous fact sheet, pricing and score →
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