# Compare SmarterSelect vs RQ Platform 2026 | Capterra > Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare RQ Platform and SmarterSelect based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews. Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/140270-232111/SmarterSelect-vs-RQ-Awards --- # RQ Platform vs SmarterSelect Features and Cost Comparison Last updated March 25th, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team.[Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) Your comparison: RQ PlatformSmarterSelect2/4 selected [RQ Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/)[4.7 (36)](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) [SmarterSelect](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/)[4.4 (227)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) [## RQ Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/)[4.7 (36)](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) Starting Price $1275.00/year Value-for-Money 4.7 Functionality 4.5 Ease of Use 4.7 Customer Service 4.9 Reviews Sentiment AS TS LG Based on [36 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 35 Neutral 1 Negative 0 [## SmarterSelect](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/)[4.4 (227)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) Starting Price $2000.00/year Value-for-Money 4.5 Functionality 4.2 Ease of Use 4.1 Customer Service 4.5 Reviews Sentiment Based on [227 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 211 Neutral 12 Negative 4 What’s your intended use case? ## Summary * * * Features in Scholarship Management Software Best performer 47 / 50 Only RQ Platform - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - API 37 / 50 User satisfaction User satisfaction 4.7 User reviews[36](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) Ease of use 4.7 Functionality 4.5 Value for money 4.7 Customer support 4.9 User satisfaction 4.4 User reviews[227](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) Ease of use 4.1 Functionality 4.2 Value for money 4.5 Customer support 4.5 Price starts from Price starts from $1275Other, Per Year - Free version - Free trial Price starts from $2000Per Feature, Per Year - Free version - Free trial Best for Best for Associations, non-profit, educational institutions, foundations, corporations, societies, government, real estate boards, and organizations of any size. Best for Community foundations, private foundations, education foundations, associations, higher education organizations, corporations, etc. ## User reviews Pros & cons AS Abby S. Senior Membership and Components Manager > "Not only did they work with us on our budget, but they provided great tips for optimizing our scholarship..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/#Capterra___6840433) JM Julia M. Director of Communications > "Not the slickest interface and takes a bit of time to understand how it works." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/#Capterra___6166236) TS Tionna S. Not diclosed > "Also, the review process has been more efficient and easier to navigate compared to our last platform. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/#Capterra___7085276) SA Shanita A. Programs and Operations Manager > "The reporting feature is a little "clunky."" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/#Capterra___6179559) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) CS Caroline S. scholarship/fellowship coordinator > "Smarter select stores all of our applications/evaluations/awards and it saves us storage and busy work and of creating places to store that information." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810400) GC Gary C. President-Elect > "The inability to summarize ratings for a student dynamically and make the results accessible to the interviewer/rater teams is highly frustrating to our..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3813132) MR Maggie R. Educational Grant Officer > "Its an all in one package, you have your applications and then you also have the email facility to send emails to them regarding application queries and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3832140) GC Gary C. President-Elect > "Please note that your demographic questions at the outset of this survey do not include appropriate responses for a service club, e.g., there are no..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3813132) BC Benjamin C. Operations Manager > "The applications are easily customizable, with question options for every type of inquiry (i.e., statistics, essays, contact)." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810390) HN Huda N. Programs Coordinator > "It is not user friendly and has many unnecessary features. When trying to make edits to the application, you have to click about 5 buttons to make a..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810328) KW Kristine W. Career Advisor/Student Advocate > "Students have an easy way to apply for the different scholarships and grants we offer and we are able to track very easily who has applied, and been..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3834559) JR Janna R. Grants Manager > "Downloading applications is cumbersome and applicants find using Smarter Select confusing - it doesn't autosave their work, but the "Save" button is..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3811252) LC Lisette C. Grant Manager > "We were building a grant program from scratch and needed the applications to be simple enough that anyone could fill them out, while still covering all..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3826328) TC Travis C. Counselor > "At times though do to the change over in my office my partners have trouble watching the videos and learning how to utilize the program." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3835248) DF David F. Professor of Marketing > "We use it to track conference submissions. While it is more designed for scholarship and grant use, it serves well for what we do." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3843103) GG Grace G. Assistant Director of Education and Leadership Initiatives > "Assigning evaluators can be confusing and the program logic doesn't always work on the first try setting it up." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3842645) AM Amanda M. Administrative Assistant > "FOr the cost, this product is much more beneficial for our company's needs - while there's a lot more up front work on the employee end, it makes for..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3826360) SM Stephanie M. Project Lead for the OSV Challenge > "There are a few components of the exporting system that aren't as intuitive as the rest of the system." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3848943) JH Jessica H. Sr. HR Specialist > "The reports feature is critical for us to track and make notes outside of the platform via Excel." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810435) BT Brad T. Consultant > "Our company logo doesn't always appear in the emails that are sent out (could be a dimensions issue?)" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810459) WB Willis B. Co-Director > "The Initiative was able to experience its first round-Request for Proposal to grant awards with no major flaws, customizatiobs" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3835623) KK Kim K. Office Manager/Program Assistant > "Applicants get confused about having to click the APPLY button to "CREATE" a final grant report." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3826294) BC Benjamin C. Operations Manager > "The forms settings, auto calculate, and rules are very useful, but take a bit of technical proclivity to get a good hold on." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810390) AP Amber P. Workforce Development Manager > "Didn’t like that I could not copy a question to pasted into another program." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3837056) JR Janna R. Grants Manager > "I like not having to track emailed applications and attachments - Smarter Select makes it easy to collect applications and attachments!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3811252) VR Verified Reviewer Director of Research Coordination > "It is not immediately intuitive how to set things up and navigate through the administrative platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3828777) RJ Ruth J. Executive Director > "We are able to use the software for awards nominations, for scholarships and grants, and even for approving trademark designs. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3176605) PB Penny B. Director of development > "Adding app rules to the program can be confusing." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3815222) CS Chris S. Executive Director > "The fact that I can continue to access data from previous years allows me to remain in contact with our recipients." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3842764) MR Maggie R. Educational Grant Officer > "Chat - itself find that it never really solves the problem and have to request to speak to someone." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3832140) KD Karen D. Associate Commissioner > "The filters are great and allow you to segment the data according to your needs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3810773) PB Penny B. Director of development > "Can be difficult to create forms. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3815222) CW Cheryl W. Accountant > "Smarter Select has streamlined our grant and scholarship work which is very important with a small staff." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3826349) NP Nadine P. Development Coordinator > "I was told they only do one training session, had to beg for another. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3842664) TS Tressa S. Foundation Director > "SmarterSelect has been an effective tool for scholarship management and tracking. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3848174) FO Florence O. Country Representative > "It is a cumbersome process." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3844038) DF David F. Professor of Marketing > "We use SmarterSelect in conjunction with our parent organization who uses it for scholarships." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3843103) RB Roxanne B. Business and Program Manager > "Frustrating" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3827176) MR Maggie R. Educational Grant Officer > "Being able to create a Frequently Asked Question area, was simply and easy to do and a big help and stopped us getting so many phone or email enquiries ." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3832140) VR Verified Reviewer Trustee > "The main difficulty lies in the training aspect." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___2786938) DD Dana D. Program Officer > "It was fine for the first several years, but I believe we may have outgrown the software. Plus we are looking for software that is all inclusive for all..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___3828514) LL Lori L. Executive Director > "It is a bit difficult to figure out how the app rules and autoscores affect the outcome." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#Capterra___2521045) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) ## User interface 4.67 (36) [SmarterSelect](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/) 4.43 (227) ## Connect with a Capterra advisor for a free 15-minute consultation Get a personalized software list aligned to your business needs with guidance from our expert advisors. Our team has helped 1 million+ businesses like yours find options that fit their needs. ### Features RQ Platform Top features 47/50 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - Admissions Management - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Applicant Portal - Applicant Tracking - Application Management - Approval Process Control - Audit Management - Categorization/Grouping - Collaboration Tools - Commenting/Notes - CRM - Customizable Branding - Customizable Fields - Customizable Forms - Customizable Questions - Customizable Reports - Data Import/Export - Document Review - Electronic Payments - Email Reminders - Email Templates - Forms Management - For Nonprofits - For Schools - Generative AI - Grant Management - Interview Management - Labeling - Multi-Currency - Preview Functionality - Progress Tracking - Ratings/Reviews - Recommendations - Reporting & Statistics - Reviewer Management - Role-Based Permissions - Scoring - Search/Filter - Single Sign On - SSL Security - Status Tracking - Student Management - Third-Party Integrations - Web Forms - White Label [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/#features) SmarterSelect 37/50 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - Admissions Management - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Applicant Portal - Applicant Tracking - Application Management - Approval Process Control - Audit Management - Categorization/Grouping - Collaboration Tools - Commenting/Notes - CRM - Customizable Branding - Customizable Fields - Customizable Forms - Customizable Questions - Customizable Reports - Data Import/Export - Document Review - Electronic Payments - Email Reminders - Email Templates - Forms Management - For Nonprofits - For Schools - Generative AI - Grant Management - Interview Management - Labeling - Multi-Currency - Preview Functionality - Progress Tracking - Ratings/Reviews - Recommendations - Reporting & Statistics - Reviewer Management - Role-Based Permissions - Scoring - Search/Filter - Single Sign On - SSL Security - Status Tracking - Student Management - Third-Party Integrations - Web Forms - White Label [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/#features) ### Recognition No recognitions have been awarded to RQ Platform No recognitions have been awarded to SmarterSelect ### Deployment & support RQ Platform Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos SmarterSelect Deployment - Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based - Desktop Mac - Desktop Windows - Desktop Linux - On-Premise Windows - On-Premise Linux - Desktop Chromebook - Mobile Android - Mobile iPhone - Mobile iPad Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos ### Company Details RQ Platform - By RhythmQ - Located in United States - Founded in SmarterSelect - By SmarterSelect - Located in United States - Founded in 2007 ## Popular Comparisons [RQ Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/)[4.67 (36)](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) vs [Submittable](https://www.capterra.com/p/158382/Submittable/)[4.77 (398)](https://www.capterra.com/p/158382/Submittable/reviews/) $1275/year Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.6 4.7 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/158382-232111/Submittable-vs-RQ-Awards) [SmarterSelect](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/)[4.43 (227)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) vs [Submittable](https://www.capterra.com/p/158382/Submittable/)[4.77 (398)](https://www.capterra.com/p/158382/Submittable/reviews/) $2000/year Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.2 Features 4.6 4.1 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140270-158382/SmarterSelect-vs-Submittable) [RQ Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/)[4.67 (36)](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) vs [CommunityForce Scholarship Management Solution](https://www.capterra.com/p/140268/Scholars-United/)[4.62 (26)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140268/Scholars-United/reviews/) $1275/year Price $3200/year 4.5 Features 4.3 4.7 Ease of Use 4.3 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140268-232111/Scholars-United-vs-RQ-Awards) [SmarterSelect](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/)[4.43 (227)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) vs [SurveyMonkey Apply](https://www.capterra.com/p/123374/SurveyMonkey-Apply/)[4.54 (318)](https://www.capterra.com/p/123374/SurveyMonkey-Apply/reviews/) $2000/year Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.2 Features 4.4 4.1 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/123374-140270/SurveyMonkey-Apply-vs-SmarterSelect) [RQ Platform](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/)[4.67 (36)](https://www.capterra.com/p/232111/RQ-Awards/reviews/) vs [Evalato](https://www.capterra.com/p/180032/Evalato/)[5.00 (37)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180032/Evalato/reviews/) $1275/year Price €1900/year 4.5 Features 5.0 4.7 Ease of Use 5.0 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/180032-232111/Evalato-vs-RQ-Awards) [SmarterSelect](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/)[4.43 (227)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140270/SmarterSelect/reviews/) vs [Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.80 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) $2000/year Price €2500/year 4.2 Features 4.5 4.1 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140270-148148/SmarterSelect-vs-Award-Force)