Best Event Abstract Management Software in 2026
Updated
In short: Congressio is ranked #1 of 29 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Fourwaves and HotCRP. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Fourwaves. The lowest first paid tier on this page is SimplyConf at $2.42/mo.
Event abstract tools help organizers manage submissions and the review process around them. Compare blind review, scoring tools, author revisions, and review workflow, then consider submission types and poster handling against the materials your event accepts. Publishing tools cover another part of the process; free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add cost context. The ranking opens with Congressio, HotCRP, and PeerSubmit, followed by Fourwaves and Sciencesconf. Use the criteria to assess how each option aligns with your event's submission and evaluation workflow.
29 event abstract management software ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Submission types | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congressio | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $40.83/mo | Yes | — | multiple | View |
| 2 | Fourwaves | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $83.25/mo | Yes | 999 /yr | — | View |
| 3 |  HotCRP | 7.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 4 |  PeerSubmit | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | 100 /yr | multiple | View |
| 5 | SimplyConf | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $2.42/mo | Yes | 29 /yr | — | View |
| 6 |  EasyChair | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 7 | Oxford Abstracts | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | abstracts | View |
| 8 |  Sciencesconf | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | multiple | View |
| 9 |  ConfTool | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 10 | Microsoft CMT | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | — | View |
| 11 | OpenConf | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 12 |  Indico | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 13 |  Linklings | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | multiple | View |
| 14 | AbstractWiz | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 15 | AMS (Article Management System) | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $18.67/mo | No | 299 /yr | papers | View |
| 16 |  Brownbag | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | papers | View |
| 17 | Eventact | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $210/mo | No | — | — | View |
| 18 | Ex Ordo | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 19 |  Lynk | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | papers | View |
| 20 |  OpenWater Grant Management | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 21 | OpenReview | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 22 |  START Conference Manager | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | multiple | View |
| 23 | joyn | 5.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 24 |  Congirus | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | multiple | View |
| 25 |  Symposio | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | abstracts | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which event abstract management software is ranked first on Inferse?
Congressio is ranked #1 of 29 with a score of 7.4. Fourwaves is second and HotCRP third.
How many of these have a free plan?
9 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 on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.