# Compare OpenWater vs Award Force 2026 | Capterra > Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare Award Force and OpenWater based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews. Source: https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-148148/OpenWater-Awards-vs-Award-Force --- # Award Force vs OpenWater Features and Cost Comparison Last updated April 14th, 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: Award ForceOpenWater2/4 selected [Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.8 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.6 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) [## Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.8 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) Starting Price €2500.00/year Value-for-Money 4.6 Functionality 4.5 Ease of Use 4.5 Customer Service 4.9 Reviews Sentiment Based on [193 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 191 Neutral 2 Negative 0 [## OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.6 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) Starting Price $5100.00/year Value-for-Money 4.3 Functionality 4.2 Ease of Use 4.2 Customer Service 4.9 Reviews Sentiment Based on [73 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 70 Neutral 2 Negative 1 ## Send this comparison chart to my inbox ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. ## Summary * * * Features in Contest Software Best performer 45 / 48 Only Award Force - For Marketers - Landing Pages/Web Forms - Lead Generation 39 / 48 User satisfaction User satisfaction 4.8 User reviews[193](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) Ease of use 4.5 Functionality 4.5 Value for money 4.6 Customer support 4.9 User satisfaction 4.6 User reviews[73](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) Ease of use 4.2 Functionality 4.2 Value for money 4.3 Customer support 4.9 Price starts from Price starts from €2500Flat Rate, Per Year - Free version - Free trial Price starts from $5100Per Year - Free version - Free trial Best for Best for Blue-chip brands, government departments, industry associations, events managers, and corporate organisations that manage contests / awards programs. Best for Associations, Societies, Foundations, Higher Ed, Non-Profit Organizations ## User reviews Pros & cons SR Suzanne R. Membership and Program Manager > "We get over 19,000 submission in a year and Award Force allow us to manage submission with ease." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6879908) SN Sujathan N. Senior Administrative Officer > "Like reporting part, I could not find any easy way to get the scoring sheet and scores together to be converted to a pdf..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___5030484) LD Loretta D. Project Assistant > "Customer Service is outstanding. Whenever we have an issue, the staff replies quickly and helps solve our problem." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6851327) CP Corinne P. Senior Manager, Programs and Education > "However, historic applications are stuck in the Awards section, and I have had to build the forms again from scratch." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6189304) SH Sarah H. Education and Awards Program Manager > "A very intuitive platform, once you have the overall layout of your awards program clearly planned out" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6854101) JG Janet G. Senior Manager, State Media Awards > "I have had some really anxious moments trying to set up the awards I am working with." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6188040) SB Sophia B. CEO > "It is a smooth solution where all participants, jury members, and not least the competition management are always satisfied." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6609999) SM Sue M. Executive Director > "Setting up year two was a bit confusing and required that we set up a time to chat with customer service. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___4457614) AJ Alexandra J. Creator Engagement Associate > "Our contest was quite complex and has been running without the help of the judging software for several years so we were..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6083174) SB Sally B. Event and Sponsorship Manager > "Not always super user friendly." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6176995) SO Sarah O. AMA Event and Artist Liaison > "The customization options provided by Award Force have been instrumental in tailoring the platform to meet our specific..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6111993) PS Pauline S. Consultant > "Also some of the processes weren't as straightforward as one hoped." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___4232941) JG Janet G. Senior Manager, State Media Awards > "Having a trusted consultant like Cil, means that I can work on a new platform confident that I have her to turn to when I..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6188040) Mansur S. Product Manager > "The only downside is the costs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___4213532) RL Reef L. Project Assistant > "They help out very quickly and always help me fix my problems." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6747253) LS Luke S. Owner > "There's no one piece of software to do everything, but we've encountered very few issues or inflexibilities we haven't been..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___2909949) RW Rachael W. Partner > "It would be great if there could be a website widget for nominations just to make life easier for nominators." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6159841) TR Torey R. Controller > "The built-in spreadsheet function is not great." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___2919602) JG Janet G. Senior Manager, State Media Awards > "Being able to call for urgent help outside of our organisation, for complex issues is an enormous benefit." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6188040) RH Robert H. Executive Director > "That was not quite as intuitive as the rest of the platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___2975677) SB Sally B. Event and Sponsorship Manager > "It might not be super easy to navigate through all the options but their customer service is always super quick and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6176995) BP Blake P. Awards Chairperson > "I do wish I could mirror a users account to see exactly what they are seeing and currently that is not possible as far as I..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___2525560) SO Sarah O. AMA Event and Artist Liaison > "It's refreshing to work with a platform that adapts to the diverse requirements of our awards program. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___6111993) DS Diana S. CEO > "It is pricey for us as a not for profit (we are not a charity) and we have to renew our licence each year" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___2290722) SN Sujathan N. Senior Administrative Officer > "Mention if the interface is intuitive and if it's easy for both administrators and applicants to navigate.:" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___5030484) MD Meghan D. Coordinator, Special Projects > "A little hard to navigate at first" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#Capterra___2291073) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) LM Luis M. RightsCon Senior Program Coordinator > "Its vast arsenal of tools also lets you enhance your program each year or build-in new features." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7131561) AR Amanda R. Education Administrator > "To keep emails from being sent to the same people multiple times, we have to go in and individually mark that each..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6879440) LM Luis M. RightsCon Senior Program Coordinator > "This means that you can use OpenWater for any conference that has a Call for Proposals process." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7131561) LH Lawrence H. Coordinator > "While the system provides a great tool to manage these programs, the price increase for the service isn't matching..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6877409) CL Chantelle L. Internship and Work Study Coordinator > "OpenWater has allowed our organization to streamline every one of our programs and application processes." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7011770) JK Jenna K. Education Systems Program Specialist > "Also, this is probably our biggest issue, but only one person can own and fill out a form— others can't log in to complete..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7036054) VR Verified Reviewer Manager > "We have a very robust award judging process and it has always fulfilled our needs." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7134262) TB Tammy B. Event Program Manager > "The interface and moving around inside the product is still a bit clunky. Once you know where to look, all the features..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6877392) JK Jenna K. Education Systems Program Specialist > "This is a huge benefit to us as when there are bugs or we need help with something quickly, they are right on it!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7036054) JK Jenna K. Education Systems Program Specialist > "We've been told that this is just the way it is... But we keep getting complaints about it because it makes our reviewers'..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7036054) LM Luis M. RightsCon Senior Program Coordinator > "Ease of use is also guaranteed thanks to its incredible library of resources." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7131561) BT Brandi T. Undergraduate Research and Training Programs Manager > "I end up not using the website for my event because aesthetically it is not appealing." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6304206) CK Christina K. Editorial Director > "Finally, the winners' entry materials are used to create feature stories in our magazine, so we have everything we need..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6288558) JK Jenna K. Education Systems Program Specialist > "Just looks outdated and is not always very user friendly)." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7036054) LM Luis M. RightsCon Senior Program Coordinator > "I also want to highlight their customer support." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7131561) AR Amanda R. Education Administrator > "It causes problems every year." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6879440) CL Chantelle L. Internship and Work Study Coordinator > "It's felt very much like a collaborative process as my coworkers and I learn to use the platform." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7011770) HN Holly N. Project Coordinator > "Sometimes our members have problems logging into OpenWater, even though we use a single sign on that should be tied to our..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6293778) JM Jenni M. Executive Director > "The submissions are especially easy and most studios thank us for using open water." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6877645) DR Douglas R. Professor > "It slowed me down, was cumbersome and had no option to get a printout of the application to review off line." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#SoftwareAdvice___6217444) JK Jenna K. Education Systems Program Specialist > "OpenWater has great customer service and quick response times." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7036054) BT Brandi T. Undergraduate Research and Training Programs Manager > "It is not an intuitive platform. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6304206) AR Amanda R. Education Administrator > "The customer service is top-notch. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6879440) CB Cyndie B. Advertising Lecturer > "There could be changes to uncomplicate the process, but I honestly don't know how to do it." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6293934) BT Brandi T. Undergraduate Research and Training Programs Manager > "Overall I have been satisfied with the excellent technical support I received during the height of my event planning and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6304206) RT Robyn T. Senior Director > "Not intuitive, the learning curve is steep." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6284147) CK Christina K. Editorial Director > "Then it is easy for the entrants to navigate as they enter our program and the judges to use as they remotely judge our..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6288558) MF Michelle F. Associate Advertising Manager > "The interface and customization tools can be a little confusing at first." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___2969231) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) ## User interface 4.80 (193) 4.56 (73) ### Features Award Force Top features 45/48 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Awards Management - Blind Judging - Categorization/Grouping - Commenting/Notes - Contact Management - CRM - Customizable Branding - Customizable Fields - Customizable Forms - Customizable Questions - Customizable Templates - Data Import/Export - Document Review - Electronic Payments - Electronic Submission - Email Reminders - Entrant Management - Entry Fee Processing - Entry Management - For Marketers - Forms Management - Fraud Detection - Generative AI - Judging Management - Landing Pages/Web Forms - Lead Generation - Multi-Channel Marketing - Polls/Voting - Progress Tracking - Promotions Management - Real-Time Analytics - Real-Time Data - Reporting & Statistics - Scoring - Single Sign On - Skills Contests (Photo, Essay, Design, etc) - Social Media Integration - Social Promotion - SSL Security - Sweepstakes - Third-Party Integrations - Workflow Management [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/#features) OpenWater 39/48 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Awards Management - Blind Judging - Categorization/Grouping - Commenting/Notes - Contact Management - CRM - Customizable Branding - Customizable Fields - Customizable Forms - Customizable Questions - Customizable Templates - Data Import/Export - Document Review - Electronic Payments - Electronic Submission - Email Reminders - Entrant Management - Entry Fee Processing - Entry Management - For Marketers - Forms Management - Fraud Detection - Generative AI - Judging Management - Landing Pages/Web Forms - Lead Generation - Multi-Channel Marketing - Polls/Voting - Progress Tracking - Promotions Management - Real-Time Analytics - Real-Time Data - Reporting & Statistics - Scoring - Single Sign On - Skills Contests (Photo, Essay, Design, etc) - Social Media Integration - Social Promotion - SSL Security - Sweepstakes - Third-Party Integrations - Workflow Management [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#features) ### Recognition No recognitions have been awarded to Award Force No recognitions have been awarded to OpenWater ### Deployment & support Award Force 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 OpenWater 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 Award Force - By Creative Force - Located in Australia - Founded in 2013 OpenWater - By Advanced Solutions International - Located in United States - Founded in 1991 ## Popular Comparisons [Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.80 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) vs [Submittable](https://www.capterra.com/p/158382/Submittable/)[4.77 (398)](https://www.capterra.com/p/158382/Submittable/reviews/) €2500/year Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.6 4.5 Ease of Use 4.6 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/148148-158382/Award-Force-vs-Submittable) [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.56 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) vs [Zealous](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/)[4.72 (53)](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) $5100/year Price £0 4.2 Features 4.3 4.2 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-203404/OpenWater-Awards-vs-Zealous) [Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.80 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) vs [SurveyMonkey Apply](https://www.capterra.com/p/123374/SurveyMonkey-Apply/)[4.55 (319)](https://www.capterra.com/p/123374/SurveyMonkey-Apply/reviews/) €2500/year Price Contact vendor for pricing 4.5 Features 4.4 4.5 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/123374-148148/SurveyMonkey-Apply-vs-Award-Force) [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.56 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) vs [SweepWidget](https://www.capterra.com/p/200014/SweepWidget/)[4.71 (52)](https://www.capterra.com/p/200014/SweepWidget/reviews/) $5100/year Price $29/month 4.2 Features 4.6 4.2 Ease of Use 4.7 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-200014/OpenWater-Awards-vs-SweepWidget)