SimplyConf

SimplyConf is a conference-management plugin for WordPress, aimed at academic organizers who want to run submissions and event workflows from a WordPress site. Its free core is unusually open-ended on submissions and users; the main trade-off is that review, payments, schedules and other advanced workflows come at extra cost.

Overview

Organizers can begin with the core plugin and add tools as their conference needs grow. That modularity avoids paying for unused workflows, but costs can rise when an event needs several add-ons. SimplyConf supports self-hosted and managed hosting; the core plugin is released under GNU GPL v2 or later, while premium add-on licenses are annual and per-site.

Self-hosting requires WordPress 6.0 or later, PHP 7.4 or later, and MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+. HTTPS is recommended for secure submissions. Self-hosted data remains in the user's WordPress database, which SimplyConf says it cannot access. Stripe processes payments, and SimplyConf says it does not store credit card numbers on its servers. Translation requests include interface text, not user-submitted content.

Key features

• Submissions: The free core supports unlimited events, submissions, users and authors, along with tracks, custom statuses and fields, file attachments and a frontend submission portal. That makes it a strong foundation for organizers who need capacity more than a hosted free-tier cap, though it does not include the paid review workflow.
• Peer review: The Reviews add-on supports reviewer assignments, single- and double-blind review, custom scoring criteria, conflict detection and track-chair oversight. It covers the central review stages for academic events, but must be budgeted separately or obtained through a bundle.
• Email: The Emails add-on provides automated triggers, editable templates with dynamic placeholders, bulk messaging and mail logs. The logs give organizers a way to track outgoing mail, while the add-on price matters for teams that need more than basic submission intake.
• Payments: The Payments add-on connects Stripe to registration, multiple price tiers, discount codes and automated invoices. It combines registration charging with submission management, but is a separate purchase unless included in a bundle.
• Schedules and exports: Schedules builds multi-track programs with rooms and time slots and publishes interactive schedules on the conference site. Exports produces PDF abstract books and programs and CSV submission downloads. These are practical finishing tools, but each is separately licensed unless the chosen bundle includes it.

The core plugin supports 12+ languages. All plans include email support with a 24-hour response time, and documentation and video tutorials are also available.

Pricing

The free SimplyConf Core plan is free, billed Free forever. It includes unlimited events, submissions and users, making it suitable for organizers who can work with the core submission tools alone. It gives up the premium workflows, so a conference needing reviews, registration payments, email automation, schedules or exports will need add-ons or a paid package.

The Starter Plan is $19 a month, billed $19 /month, for 1 event and unlimited submissions, with Reviews and Emails add-ons and Basic support. It suits a single-event organizer focused on submissions, reviews and communication, but does not include the other premium add-ons. The Pro Plan is $29 a month, billed $29 /month, for 3 events, unlimited submissions, all 5 premium add-ons and Priority support. It is the broader option for recurring or multi-event organizers; its three-event limit still matters for larger portfolios.

Individual annual add-ons are licensed per site: Schedules is $29 a year, Exports is $29 a year, Emails is $39 a year, Reviews is $49 a year and Payments is $79 a year. Each has five-site and unlimited-site tiers: Schedules and Exports cost $69.00 for 5 sites and $139.00 for unlimited sites; Emails costs $99.00 and $189.00; Reviews costs $119.00 and $229.00; Payments costs $199.00 and $379.00, respectively.

The Professional Bundle is $139 a year, billed $139 /year, and includes Reviews, Emails, Exports and Payments. The Premium Bundle is $169 a year, billed $169 /year, and includes all 5 add-ons for self-hosted use. These annual bundles suit organizers who need several tools and prefer one package over separate licenses; the Professional Bundle excludes Schedules. The core remains free, while premium add-on licenses renew annually.

Platforms

SimplyConf is available as self-hosted software and through managed hosting, and is built around WordPress. Self-hosting suits teams with a compatible WordPress environment that want their event data in their own database; teams without that setup can consider the managed option.

Who it's for

SimplyConf is designed for academic conferences, workshops and symposiums, from departmental events to international symposiums. It is best suited to organizers already using WordPress or willing to manage a WordPress installation, especially when unlimited core submissions and users are more important than having every premium workflow included at no cost.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited events, submissions, users and authors in the free core avoid the small submission ceilings common to some free plans.
• Pro: Add-ons cover blind review, Stripe payments, email automation, schedules and exports, so organizers can choose specific workflows.
• Pro: Self-hosted data stays in the user's WordPress database, and SimplyConf says it cannot access it.
• Con: The core plugin does not include the premium workflows many conferences need; individual add-ons or bundles add annual cost.
• Con: Self-hosting requires compatible WordPress, PHP and database versions, making server readiness a real prerequisite.
• Con: Starter covers one event and Pro covers three, which may not fit organizers managing more events under those plans.

Alternatives

For a broader conference platform with mobile apps and an API, consider Fourwaves: its free Starter plan includes unlimited events and registrations but caps abstracts at 25 per year and charges a 3% service fee. Choose Indico if free, open-source self-hosted software is the priority. ConfTool may suit a smaller non-commercial event that can use its free license on request, with a limit of 150 participants and no support. HotCRP is another freemium option. AbstractWiz fits organizers who want a web-based event-priced service: its free plan allows 20 submissions, while the $270.00 per once Standard plan includes unlimited submissions and all features. Brownbag offers a free per-conference option with full conference-management tools but caps organizer views at 100 submissions. Congressio may suit teams seeking an API-enabled web service; its free plan allows 1 active event, 100 submissions and 3 team seats. EasyChair is a web-based option whose free plan caps submissions at 20 and provides no technical support. For more options, see Event Abstract Management Software and Call for Papers Software.

Verdict

Choose SimplyConf if you want an academic conference workflow on WordPress and value an uncapped free submission core with optional paid tools. Look elsewhere if you need a fully bundled workflow without add-on decisions, or cannot meet the WordPress requirements for self-hosting.