Side by side

Fourwaves vs HotCRP

Both stand on event abstract management software. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

Fourwaves

Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+2

Fourwaves combines submission, review, registration and event tools for academic conferences. The free Starter plan has a 25-submission annual cap, and each listed plan carries a 3% service fee.

Visit Fourwaves

HotCRP covers submission, review, and committee meeting workflows, with hosted and self-hosted routes. Organizers should account for the self-hosting requirements or the per-submission cost and support limits that apply to particular plans.

Visit HotCRP

The facts

	Fourwaves	HotCRP
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Yes
Runs on	Android, API, iPhone, Mac, Web	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Web
Lowest paid plan	Essential: $999 a year	Independent: $7.50, paid once
Plans published	4	6
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	fourwaves.com	hotcrp.com
On event abstract management software	#3 of 29	#1 of 29

Fourwaves: what it does well

Supports single- and double-blind review
Exports abstract books with author indexes
Mobile app works offline
Starter includes unlimited registrations and events
API includes event and submission endpoints

What to know first

Starter caps yearly abstract submissions at 25
All three listed plans have a 3% service fee
New submissions pause at the plan cap

HotCRP: what it does well

Supports automatic paper assignment, including globally optimal assignments.
Reviews can include multiple rounds and offline reviewing.
Committee tools include rebuttals, votes, and a live tracker.
REST API tokens can have limited scopes.
HotCRP.com integrates with ACM publication services.

What to know first

Self-hosting requires a web server and specified software.
Independent events pay $7.50 per submission.
Independent-site support is limited to bug fixes.
Classroom use has no support.

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