Best Event Abstract Management Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Indico is ranked #1 of 29 as of 7 October 2026, ahead of ConfTool and Fourwaves. The best-ranked option with a free plan is ConfTool. The lowest first paid tier on this page is SimplyConf at $2.42/mo.
Event abstract management software can help you collect submissions and coordinate review for an event. Compared on review workflow, blind review, scoring tools, and author revisions, the entries also cover submission types and poster handling. Publishing tools may be useful after review, while free-plan availability and paid-from pricing offer additional comparison points. Indico, ConfTool, and Fourwaves are among the options shown. Consider the formats you accept and how you want reviewers and authors to move through the process when weighing the listed capabilities.
29 event abstract management software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
15 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 0 have open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IndicoWeb · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 2 | ConfToolWeb · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 3 | FourwavesWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $83.25/mo | 6.5 | |
| 4 | HotCRPWeb · Linux · Self-hosted · API | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 5 | CongressioWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $40.83/mo | 6.4 | |
| 6 | EasyChairWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 7 | OpenConfWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 8 | Oxford AbstractsWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 9 | SciencesconfWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | SimplyConfWeb · Self-hosted | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | $2.42/mo | 6.4 | |
| 11 | LynkWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 12 | Microsoft CMTWeb | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 13 | OpenReviewWeb · API | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.3 | |
| 14 | LinklingsWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.6 |
| 15 | Ex OrdoWeb · Android · iPhone | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.5 |
| 16 | CongirusWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 17 | OpenWater Grant ManagementWeb · Android | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 18 | CATALYSTWeb | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | joynWeb | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 20 | AbstractWizWeb | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 5.1 | |
| 21 | BrownbagWeb | One bar | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 5.1 | |
| 22 | AMS (Article Management System)Web | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | $18.67/mo | 5.0 |
| 23 | EventactWeb · Android · iPhone · API | Two bars | — | — | 3 of 6 | $210/mo | 5.0 |
| 24 | PeerSubmitWeb · API | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
| 25 | START Conference ManagerWeb · Self-hosted | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.0 |
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Submission types | Review workflow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indico | 6.6 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 2 | ConfTool | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 3 | Fourwaves | 6.5 | Free plan | $83.25/mo | Yes | 999 /yr | — | — |
| 4 | HotCRP | 6.5 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 5 | Congressio | 6.4 | Free plan | $40.83/mo | Yes | — | multiple | custom |
| 6 | EasyChair | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 7 | OpenConf | 6.4 | Free plan | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 8 | Oxford Abstracts | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | abstracts | — |
| 9 | Sciencesconf | 6.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | multiple | multi_stage |
| 10 | SimplyConf | 6.4 | Free plan | $2.42/mo | Yes | 29 /yr | — | — |
| 11 | Lynk | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | papers | — |
| 12 | Microsoft CMT | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 13 | OpenReview | 6.3 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 14 | Linklings | 5.6 | No | — | — | — | multiple | custom |
| 15 | Ex Ordo | 5.5 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 16 | Congirus | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | multiple | — |
| 17 | OpenWater Grant Management | 5.4 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 18 | CATALYST | 5.3 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 19 | joyn | 5.2 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 20 | AbstractWiz | 5.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 21 | Brownbag | 5.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | papers | — |
| 22 | AMS (Article Management System) | 5.0 | No | $18.67/mo | No | 299 /yr | papers | — |
| 23 | Eventact | 5.0 | No | $210/mo | No | — | — | — |
| 24 | PeerSubmit | 5.0 | No | — | No | 100 /yr | multiple | custom |
| 25 | START Conference Manager | 5.0 | No | — | No | — | multiple | custom |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which event abstract management software is ranked first on Freedom251?
Indico is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 6.6. ConfTool is second and Fourwaves third.
How many of these have a free plan?
15 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, SimplyConf has the lowest first paid tier we found: $2.42/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation.