OpenSession is an open-source platform for managing conference programs, from calls for papers and abstract review to agenda scheduling and speaker onboarding. Organizers can build submission forms with MDX, conditional logic, multiple speakers and file uploads; each speaker can submit up to three talks per event. Reviewers can vote, comment and see aggregate scores without administrator access. The agenda builder places accepted sessions into rooms and time slots, and flags conflicts involving rooms or speakers. OpenSession sends RFC 5545 ICS invitations and automatically sends updates when the schedule changes. Accepted speakers can use a self-service portal to manage profiles, follow submissions, complete onboarding tasks and upload files. Organizers can publish embeddable agendas and speaker galleries, plus JSON and ICS feeds for integrations. The software is MIT-licensed and can be self-hosted on Cloudflare Workers, using D1 for its database and R2 for file storage. Its free plan is billed free forever. OpenSession covers conference program management, but does not include CRM, marketing pages or payment processing.
Who it is for
OpenSession suits conference organizers who need to collect proposals, review submissions, schedule sessions and coordinate speakers. It may fit teams able to self-host on Cloudflare Workers and that do not need CRM, marketing pages or payment processing in the platform.
What is good
- MIT-licensed and free forever.
- Submission forms support conditional logic and uploads.
- Reviewers can see aggregate scores without admin access.
- Agenda tools flag room and speaker conflicts.
- Speaker portal supports onboarding and file uploads.
What to know first
- Each speaker can submit at most three talks per event.
- Does not include CRM.
- Does not include marketing pages.
- Does not include payment processing.
Verdict
OpenSession covers proposal intake, review, scheduling and speaker coordination, with self-hosting available on Cloudflare Workers. Its scope stops short of CRM, marketing pages and payment processing.
OpenSession plans and pricing
All plansCompared on speaker management software
- Free plan
- Yes
- Application forms
- Yes
- Speaker portal
- Yes
- Travel details
- Yes
- Session assignments
- Yes
- Email automation
- Yes
