# Page 3 | OpenWater Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 3 - Is OpenWater the right Scholarship Management solution for you? Explore 73 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/reviews --- OpenWater 4.6 (73) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/140294/OpenWater-Awards/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 6th, 2026 # Page 3 - Reviews of OpenWater ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 51-73 of 73 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use MG Melissa G. Membership & Marketing Manager Education Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Best abstract collection and speaker management solution " March 15, 2019 5.0 We needed an abstract management program that integrated with a very challenging database to collect abstracts (from new and pre-existing users), process payments, assign abstracts to reviewers, develop a schedule/program and publish an app. Other programs we've used has issues where users would have issues signing in/signing up, data wouldn't flow correctly between steps and automatic steps (like building a program or assigning an abstract) became administrative burdens. OpenWater has hands down the best customer service we've experienced with any vendor to-date and helped us create a program that resolves these issues on the front end and manages the programs with ease throughout the event. Pros \- It integrates well with our CRM but still flexible for users to find/create/consolidate when needed - Clear workflow for admins to manage programs, including dates, forms, reports, rules, communications - Awesome customer service. Seriously. - All "programs" can function together (other abstract management software programs have issues flowing data between functions or are managed by service reps who never cross over) - Staff works hard to understand our needs and keep us on track Cons \- App still in development, but scheduled for beta release in 2019 Review Source JS Jennifer S. Project Manager Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best decision to use OpenWater!" October 3, 2016 5.0 More than seven years ago, my company made the decision to improve our awards process, which was still being managed by volunteers with paper form collection. Kunal and his staff at OpenWater took our ideas, worked us through improvements and provided top notch support through the entire conversion. Since then, the support has continued to be highly responsive, and capabilities have been added that have allowed us to make further improvements. The system continues to be easy to use for both our applicants, judges and staff. Because of this, we have managed to save valuable staff time and resources, maintain participation in a declining workforce, and obtain judges that will return year after year. Additionally, we are able to maintain an archive of all past applicants and winners - a function that was never possible without time-consuming staff management. I highly recommend this software, as well as the customer support and service provided by OpenWater. Pros Ease of programming, ability to change and update at any time. Functions such as cloning, email notifications, and form management. Cons There are many capabilities that we do not utilize. I would love to have more time to explore those. Review Source EC Elle C. Program Manager, Research Programs and Evaluations Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Working Well with Multiple Departments" May 16, 2019 4.0 My company is using OpenWater to accept grant application submissions from individual faculty. Other departments also use the platform to accept student fellowship and volunteer applications. Overall we are able to do what we need, however there is no easy way to reveal blinded submissions for judging rounds. We're still in the building stages- and we like that we can build one round at a time instead of needing to have the judging settings set up before accepting applications. Pros In our organization the greatest asset for this software is the ability to host multiple sites. We're able to put application opportunities on separate secure platforms, each for different audiences. Cons The round options and judging settings are not automatically user-friendly. Another staff member had to spend some time explaining the features in detail before anyone from my team could use the product. For instance it isn't clear that the open round automatically has judging set up based on which program type is selected. And there is no testing feature- in order to test the application portal you must open the submission round. We also had to switch which staff would have super-user status since only two are allowed. Review Source CS Clayton S. Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Very pleased with the product" May 6, 2019 5.0 Overall - very pleased. The product offers all the flexibilty we need, and is backed by a caring, talented, responsive customer support team. Pros We manage two educational awards using OpenWater. It does everything we need it to do (and more that we don't use). Customer support is second to none. Navigation is pretty solid and the software provides lots of opportunity to craft the application to exactly what we need to adjudicate submissions. Also easy to archieve past years programs and clone for current year. Cons Not so much the software as it might be my memory. Using it two years now, on two award programs that run almost concurrently, I had to reach out for assistance as I couldn't find answers to questions. Online support material is very good, but like many, I find the chat feature, or a phone call is faster to resolve my needs. Not an OpenWater issue, but the foreign exchange stings a bit when paying in Canadian dollars. Review Source MH Melissa H. Product Marketing Manager, Awards Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Daily User" July 17, 2019 5.0 Pros I like how simple report setup is. In my role, I'm largely concentrated on the analytics behind who is entering, the time it takes them to enter, etc. and the dynamic reporting has helped my effort. We've also recently migrated our public-facing awards pages over to the OpenWater platform and the process has been a dream. Cons The chat between different platforms could be improved. We use specific email software that, if enabled, would be able to talk to OpenWater to allow us to streamline correspondence with entrants Review Source KL Kelsey L. Awards Director Media Production Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OW Review" July 17, 2019 5.0 Pros The customer service that OpenWater offer its customers is next level. We have never received this type of support when dealing with any of our other software providers and it makes a huge difference. Cons We have nothing to add here, our experience with the OpenWater software & team have been nothing but positive. Review Source RS Ralph S. Awards Chair Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Used Openwater to administer an awards program" May 6, 2024 4.0 Pros Flexible tool to support award nominations and objectively evaluate nominations Cons For new users there is a bit of a learning curve to learn to use OpenWater Review Source KD Konnie D. Senior Grants Specialist Fund-Raising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "We love OpenWater for Our Grants" April 3, 2019 5.0 Pros It's easy to use, is developed for grant professionals and their needs, our applicants have detailed yet simple applications they can finish in a single sitting. The print out for the reviewers is also really nice and our reviewers can easily add their scores and comments. So simplistically manageable. Cons It would be wonderful to have a budget format imbedded into the system so eliminate how many uploads our applicants have. The budget form would have to function quite like excel so it would tabulate grant budgets, even over several years. Review Source JT Jim T. Executive Director Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "21st Century Solutions" May 15, 2019 5.0 The experience has been outstanding. We have been able to take several outdated processes and make them all online and in one unique system. We have designed something completely for us and by us. The best part of the experience (not to take anything away from the software) has been your people. They have been amazing to work with and wouldn't have it any other way. Pros I love how it is customized to our needs and wants. Its fairly user friendly. Cons There isn't much I don't like. Its is very robust system and perhaps that could be the only downfall. There is so much to it. Review Source JY Joshua Y. CEO Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Powerful and flexible awards management system" May 24, 2020 4.0 I have developed several complex programs in the system and spoke with developers and customer service daily. Pros The system is extremely straight forward and easy to administer and develop programs. The customer support is also some of the best I have ever encountered. Cons The system has workflow limitations based on some standardized design features. Their sales promises more than they may actually be able to deliver when you have a unique or complex review workflow. Review Source Joshua M. Special Projects Coordinator - MI SBDC Lead Center Higher Education Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "The cost-benefit of OpenWater is outstanding, far exceeding expectations." November 30, 2017 5.0 Pros Easy to use for admins and users. It has increased nomination and application submissions by 100%. The support is responsive and friendly. Cons It can be limited in how awards with different nomination or application processes are built into the same awards program. The OpenWater staff has been very helpful in providing solutions for those nuances. Review Source MB Macy B. Professional Learning & Marketing Coordinator Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "OpenWater Worked Great for Us!" April 23, 2019 5.0 We have been very happy with OpenWater and plan to continue using the software. The customer support is so fantastic and timely, anytime issues or questions arise they are right there to help you within minutes. Pros The OpenWater software is extremely user friendly and easy to use. I built our program from the ground up and my account manager was there to help me every step of the way. Because I was able to build the program myself I got exactly what I wanted and was able to help my users troubleshoot any issues that came up. Cons We have a very complex grant application that we are running through OpenWater. There are a few limitations on functionality given the complexity of what we need, but the team was still able to make every area work with little stress on our end. Review Source MB Mariel B. Events and Development Associate Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Needs to be User Friendly" May 9, 2024 3.0 Pros Customer support was responsive when we had any issues Cons I did not like the way it is designed, it is not easy to navigate. Review Source RK Reggie K. President Used the software for: 2+ years ### "OpenWater has transformed our clients' awards programs and we couldn't have achieved it without them" September 18, 2017 4.0 Pros The software is very robust and when when we're trying to do something that isn't within the platform, the team is always willing to find a work-around for us. Cons We would like to see the integration of more visual reporting(i.e ability to create more visual charts and graphs in the dashboard and the exported PDF's). Review Source MK Mike K. Director of Patient and Caregiver Programs Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Great experience. This is a great product and it has great people behind it. " May 8, 2018 5.0 Saved us time, personnel resources, money and effort. Pros So easy to use, and it had every functionality I needed. I'm not very tech-savvy, but this was easy to learn, easy to use, easy to master, and it does everything I need - even when my needs changed over the course of the project. Cons I didn't like changing my point person mid-stream, but it worked out in the end because the new person was just as responsive and knowledgeable as the first one. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Event Logistics Manager Leisure, Travel & Tourism Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Very expensive for what you get" May 1, 2021 5.0 Overall, my experience has been positive. However, the expense outweighs the benefit of the overall software. Pros Openwater is very customizable compared to other Call for Papers tools currently on the market. It allows customizable questions and fields for submitters and same for reviewers. I love that it has the blind and double blind option for reviewers and some automatic email capabilities. Cons This software is extremely expensive compared to others on the market that can do the same exact thing and have the same features. Review Source SM SARA M. Exdcutive Director Public Relations and Communications Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Software Review" April 23, 2019 4.0 Pros Easy for users and admin. We use it only once a year. The knowledge base is good Cons The reporting needs work. Most reports come in Excel. Need better tools Review Source HL Hannah L. Leadership Programs Coordinator Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Best application software" September 25, 2019 5.0 Pros OpenWater is so intuitive and user-friendly. I also love the customer support that is provided. Cons Although the software is intuitive, it takes a little bit of training to get used to the functions. Switched from [Jotform](https://www.capterra.com/p/158456/JotForm-4-0/) OpenWater provided functions that JotForm didn't, such as Judge Scoring/Review. OpenWater is also much easier to use on a larger scale. Review Source BR Brock R. Chair, 2019 Design Show Design Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Good functionality. Better service." August 12, 2019 4.0 Our professional organization runs a biannual awards competition. OpenWater is the platform we use to manage entry submissions, payments, and applicant notifications. Overall it is a good platform, though there's definitely a learning curve. If I were to use it consistently over time, I suspect I would get quite a lot of value out of it. Pros The customer support was absolutely the best part of using OpenWater. Whenever I had a question, the rep was immediately on top of it. She was incredibly helpful. Cons The navigation is not particularly user friendly. There are a lot of features, but they can be difficult to find, because they are hidden down different rabbit holes. It's not always intuitive to use. Review Source CM Cindy M. Executie Assistant Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "OpenWater Platform" April 23, 2019 5.0 Excellent staff and customer service! Pros We love the look of the platform and details. It is also easy to use. Cons A few items are not changeable but still overall very good. Review Source DR Douglas R. Professor Education Management Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Useless Split Screen" March 23, 2024 1.0 I hated using it. It slowed me down, was cumbersome and had no option to get a printout of the application to review off line. Pros The split screen for reading the application and answering review questions is nothing short of useless - constant needless scrolling back and forth. Cons Split screen - lack of options to download the application as a pdf - need to be online to use this. Review Source SM Sara M. Manager of Research and Grants Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Had to learn pretty quickly, some confusing aspects of the platform that I know I won't use." December 8, 2017 4.0 Pros All-in-one concept where applicants can submit their applications, reviewers review/judge and can export data. Also, I like being able to go in on the admin side to edit or change anything. Cons It was tricky to learn the terminology and the platform itself. Also, the website seems to take a long time to load. Review Source BS Betsy S. Used the software for: ### "Highly recommended!" September 26, 2016 5.0 The OpenWater system has been great for our awards program. The applicants, judges, and our staff all find it easy to use and the support from OpenWater staff has been above and beyond. Any time we've had questions or been in need of systematic changes, OpenWater staff has been quick to respond and always helpful. Zack and Theresa are AWESOME! Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Scholarship Management](https://www.capterra.com/scholarship-management-software/)[Grant Management](https://www.capterra.com/grant-management-software/)[Contest](https://www.capterra.com/contest-software/) ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox.