--- title: "Compare OpenWater vs Zealous 2026 | Capterra" description: "Unsure of what to choose? Check Capterra to compare OpenWater and Zealous based on pricing, features, product details, and verified reviews." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-203404/OpenWater-Awards-vs-Zealous" page_type: "comparison" language: "en" --- # OpenWater vs Zealous Features and Cost Comparison Last updated September 16th, 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: OpenWaterZealous2/4 selected [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.6 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) [Zealous](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/)[4.7 (60)](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) [## 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 71 Neutral 1 Negative 1 [## Zealous](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/)[4.7 (60)](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) Starting Price Contact vendor Value-for-Money 4.7 Functionality 4.3 Ease of Use 4.4 Customer Service 5 Reviews Sentiment Based on [60 reviews](#user-reviews) Positive 59 Neutral 1 Negative 0 ## Summary * * * Features in Contest Software Best performer 36 / 50 Only OpenWater - API - CRM - Fraud Detection 35 / 50 Only Zealous - For Marketers - Landing Pages/Web Forms - Real-Time Analytics User satisfaction 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 User satisfaction 4.7 User reviews[60](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) Ease of use 4.4 Functionality 4.3 Value for money 4.7 Customer support 5.0 Price starts from Price starts from $5100Per Year - Free version - Free trial Price starts from \-- - Free version - Free trial Best for Best for Associations, Societies, Foundations, Higher Ed, Non-Profit Organizations Best for For organizers seeking to simplify contest management: Zealous offers a secure, user-friendly platform with a stunning gallery and easy judging all backed by live support to help you every step. ## User reviews Pros & cons JK Jenna K. Education Systems Manager > "Their support team is responsive and helpful when questions or issues arise, which is especially important during high-volume submission and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7168357) JK Jenna K. Education Systems Manager > "One current limitation is that we are not able to fully manage all of our data within OpenWater because programs cannot be linked together in..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___7168357) 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 presenter has already..." [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 additional benefits that..." [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) 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 are there, but it's..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6877392) 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) 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 membership..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6293778) 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) 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) 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 for our stories,..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6288558) AR Amanda R. Education Administrator > "It causes problems every year." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6879440) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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) 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 entries." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6288558) 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) 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) LS Linzee S. Communications Project Manager > "judgment rounds were nice since each entry need to be reviewed by multiple people." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6280206) 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 are there, but it's..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6877392) 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 management. " [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6304206) 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) Helene V. Director, Content > "Without a doubt, since we have OpenWater in the company, our projects are more dynamic, the work teams are more motivated to accomplish their..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___3492447) LH Lawrence H. Coordinator > "While the system provides a great tool to manage these programs, the price increase for the service isn't matching additional benefits that..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#Capterra___6877409) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) Kimberly R. Contest Chairperson for a Nonprofit Organization > "The way it organizes entries, the way I can fully customize my opportunity to best represent my organization, and..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___6871611) TR Tamara R. CEO > "Sometimes there a cheeky box somewhere that I havent found to either tick or untick - but thats likely more a me..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7158130) CR Claire R. CEO > "A lot of the challenges we had were with encouraging our judges to accommodate a new on-line system after many years..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7160615) SW Stephen W. Consultant > "Some of the demo videos early on were a bit confusing." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7160620) CB Claudia B. Corporate Sustainability > "The support has been phenomenal, with helpful videos tailored to your needs and guidance on how to make your..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7200458) SW Stephen W. Consultant > "Prior to being on the pro version, it felt a little lonely trying to navigate." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7160620) JD Juliet D. Director > "As someone who is not very technically competent I found it surprisingly easy to set up the competition and whenever..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7113336) RM Rose M. Project Manager > "We discovered some issues with the accessibility of the platform, specifically for entrants using screen readers." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___4963516) Kimberly R. Contest Chairperson for a Nonprofit Organization > "I've had experience in the past using Submittable as a contest organizer, and can say that Zealous offers everything..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___6871611) WKLyhne L. Founder > "The site graphics are complex and it can take a little while to load" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___3618852) Kimberly R. Contest Chairperson for a Nonprofit Organization > "The reports I was able to pull at the end of the contest about entrant data are incredible and provide my..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___6871611) EM Ema M. Director > "some bugs within the website." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2797555) FP Florina P. Program Manager > "No matter the small problems that we got, we received great support, always fast answers and solutions to all the..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7187497) ZR Ziquita R. Curator > "As a company that is growing I found it annoying to have to increase the package every month." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2841378) LP Lia P. Marketing Specialist > "It is very organized for submissions and the judge feature is very useful!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7044897) FG Frida G. Campaigns Manager > "Nothing that the team hasn't been able to help solving" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2845147) AH Alasdair H. Global Director > "The payments side of things with the Stripe integration made for easy payment and commerce." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___6848844) SF Stepanka F. Artist and independent curator > "is missleading." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2735380) AH Alasdair H. Global Director > "The platform added a layer of professionalism to them for both the entries and judging." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___6848844) HC Hilary C. Events Officer > "I cant think of single thing I didn't like." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2810367) Kim-lin H. Communications Manager > "It was great to be able to rank the photographs during the judging process, to be able to easily pull of CSV files..." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___6046440) SW Stephen W. Consultant > "Prior to being on the pro version, it felt a little lonely trying to navigate." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7160620) LP Lia P. Marketing Specialist > "Easy to navigate user interface and amazing customer support anytime we had a question." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7044897) WKLyhne L. Founder > "The site graphics are complex and it can take a little while to load" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___3618852) JD Juliet D. Director > "Thank you for making this such a smooth and enjoyable experience!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7113336) HC Hilary C. Events Officer > "I cant think of single thing I didn't like." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2810367) FP Florina P. Program Manager > "Great customer support." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7187497) SW Stephen W. Consultant > "Prior to being on the pro version, it felt a little lonely trying to navigate." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7160620) FP Florina P. Program Manager > "Easy to use and very intuitive." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7187497) RM Rose M. Project Manager > "We discovered some issues with the accessibility of the platform, specifically for entrants using screen readers." [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___4963516) AD Alisa D. Student Engagement Manager > "Huge thanks to the team at Zealous for their ongoing support!" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___7023502) FG Frida G. Campaigns Manager > "Nothing that the team hasn't been able to help solving" [See full review](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#Capterra___2845147) [View Reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) ## User interface 4.59 (73) [Zealous](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/) 4.72 (60) ### Features OpenWater Top features 36/50 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Awards Management - Blind Judging - Builder - Categorization/Grouping - Commenting/Notes - Contact Management - CRM - Customizable Branding - Customizable Fields - Customizable Forms - Customizable Questions - Customizable Templates - Data Import/Export - Document Review - Efficiency - Electronic Payments - Electronic Submission - Email - Email Reminders - Embedding - Entrant Management - Entry Fee Processing - Entry Management - For Marketers - Forms Management - Fraud Detection - Generative AI - Judging Management - Landing Pages - Landing Pages/Web Forms - Lead Generation - Leads - 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 [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/#features) Zealous 35/50 - Access Controls/Permissions - Activity Dashboard - Activity Tracking - AI Copilot - Alerts/Notifications - API - Awards Management - Blind Judging - Builder - Categorization/Grouping - Commenting/Notes - Contact Management - CRM - Customizable Branding - Customizable Fields - Customizable Forms - Customizable Questions - Customizable Templates - Data Import/Export - Document Review - Efficiency - Electronic Payments - Electronic Submission - Email - Email Reminders - Embedding - Entrant Management - Entry Fee Processing - Entry Management - For Marketers - Forms Management - Fraud Detection - Generative AI - Judging Management - Landing Pages - Landing Pages/Web Forms - Lead Generation - Leads - 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 [See all features](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/#features) ### Recognition No recognitions have been awarded to OpenWater No recognitions have been awarded to Zealous ### Deployment & support 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 Zealous 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 OpenWater - By Advanced Solutions International - Located in United States - Founded in 1991 Zealous - By Zealous Solutions - Located in United Kingdom - Founded in 2011 ## Popular Comparisons [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.59 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) vs [Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.80 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) $5100/year Price €2625/year 4.2 Features 4.5 4.2 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-148148/OpenWater-Awards-vs-Award-Force) [Zealous](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/)[4.72 (60)](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) vs [Awardify](https://www.capterra.com/p/252478/Awardify/)[4.64 (25)](https://www.capterra.com/p/252478/Awardify/reviews/) £0 Price CA$1979/year 4.3 Features 4.3 4.4 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/203404-252478/Zealous-vs-Awardify) [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.59 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) vs [Awardify](https://www.capterra.com/p/252478/Awardify/)[4.64 (25)](https://www.capterra.com/p/252478/Awardify/reviews/) $5100/year Price CA$1979/year 4.2 Features 4.3 4.2 Ease of Use 4.4 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-252478/OpenWater-Awards-vs-Awardify) [Zealous](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/)[4.72 (60)](https://www.capterra.com/p/203404/Zealous/reviews/) vs [Award Force](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/)[4.80 (193)](https://www.capterra.com/p/148148/Award-Force/reviews/) £0 Price €2625/year 4.3 Features 4.5 4.4 Ease of Use 4.5 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/148148-203404/Award-Force-vs-Zealous) [OpenWater](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/)[4.59 (73)](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews/) vs [Evalato](https://www.capterra.com/p/180032/Evalato/)[5.00 (37)](https://www.capterra.com/p/180032/Evalato/reviews/) $5100/year Price €2500/year 4.2 Features 5.0 4.2 Ease of Use 5.0 [View full comparison](https://www.capterra.com/compare/140294-180032/OpenWater-Awards-vs-Evalato)