--- title: "ShortStack Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is ShortStack the right Contest solution for you? Explore 156 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/154791/ShortStack/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- ShortStack 4.4 (156) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/154791/ShortStack/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 August 20th, 2026 # Reviews of ShortStack Ease of use 4.0 Customer Service 4.5 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews AR Ashley R Director of Digital OperationsMedia Production, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “They are fun and interactive giving you fun instant win contesting for your websites.“ November 18, 2024 AB Alandria B Consumer Marketing ManagerMarketing and Advertising, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “it took some time to get adjusted and there were not many tools refer to without contacting Support.“ September 11, 2025 AB Alandria B Consumer Marketing ManagerMarketing and Advertising, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “It did what I needed it to do but there was a substantial amount of time learning the platform and setting up the campaign.“ September 11, 2025 AB Alandria B Consumer Marketing ManagerMarketing and Advertising, 501 - 1,000 employeesUsed the software for: Less than 6 months. “Also, the free version is very limiting.“ September 11, 2025 TH Tim H Production DirectorMedia Production, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “I emailed to ask about a project we had and they responded immediately that while they didn't have a template for what we wanted, there was a way to do it and they would help. And they definitely did.“ November 11, 2024 LM Lauren M Director of EngagementNon-Profit Organization Management, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months. “Some of the functions are not as user friendly as I would like them to be.“ November 13, 2024 CF Crystal F UX Web DeveloperE-Learning, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Started with a kickoff call, and all support questions were answered quickly and correctly!“ June 2, 2025 Andrea K Executive Director CEOCivic & Social Organization, 2 - 10 employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “The interface for creating your campaigns is clunky and not intuitive.“ January 30, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 156 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Andrea K. Executive Director CEO Civic & Social Organization Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Shortstack lets us customize for nontypical contests" January 30, 2024 4.0 The learning curve for a basic campaign wasn't too bad, and their online chat help is quick, friendly, and excellent (thanks, \[sensitive content hidden\]). They have a collection of how-to videos, but lack much in DIY troubleshooting, so I did a lot of online chats in the beginning! I was able to get extra help with a more complex campaign from the \[sensitive content hidden\], and use that as a template for others. I'm sure I'm an outlier in how I am using it, but maybe that will change. So far, it's working. Pros The customizability really appealed, as I wanted to collect entries for large annual contests that submit photos, videos, or essays. Cons The interface for creating your campaigns is clunky and not intuitive. It's ok if you already have experience with web design (I use WordPress) or coding, but not easy enough for beginners. Review Source SD Shelby D. Digital Marketing Specialist Real Estate Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "A Great Experience from Start to Finish" September 8, 2025 5.0 Overall, my experience with ShortStack has been great. From the helpful walkthrough and support in getting my first page set up, to the value we’ve gotten from using it since — it’s been a really positive experience. Pros I like the different templates ShortStack provides — they’re flexible, and offer a wide variety to choose from. Cons The only downside to ShortStack is that the image formatting can be a little tricky to get just right. Alternatives considered [Gleam Apps](https://www.capterra.com/p/199369/Gleam-Apps/) Reason for choosing ShortStack Shortstack's pricing was way more reasonable! Review Source LT Lisa T. Director Ecommerce Consumer Goods Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Service went downhill quickly" November 12, 2024 3.0 It started out well. Customer service was super helpful, available through chat and I had things up and running with minimal fuss. Then the customer service went downhill (at least in the US) and things got buggy and not I am looking for a replacement. Not worth $99/month. Pros thought it would be a simple way to get contests up with no coding. Cons it's not simple. Things don't work, the widgets are slow to load, UX is painful. Anything you might want to do requires an upgrade when it's already $99/month Review Source Response from ShortStack November 13, 2024 Hi Lisa! We're so sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. We are dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service and continuously exploring ways to enhance the user experience of our product. If you'd like to schedule a one-on-one call, we'd be happy to walk you through anything you're struggling with. (Schedule a call here: https://www.shortstack.com/contact) CF Crystal F. UX Web Developer E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great for Online Campaigns!" June 2, 2025 5.0 Excellent from beginning to end. Started with a kickoff call, and all support questions were answered quickly and correctly! Pros We have had success with the spin-to-win, driving engagement in app and sales on our ecommerce site. We used the spinning wheel for users to win prizes. We also used the Instagram and Facebook post tools to do an additional drawing for customers. We were extremely pleased with the post engagement. Their support was top notch and we plan to use them again in the future. Cons Some of the user interface is difficult to navigate when building pages. Once we got it down, it was no problem. Alternatives considered [Klaviyo](https://www.capterra.com/p/156699/Klaviyo/) Reason for choosing ShortStack Had better prize distribution and timing for the contest. Review Source NR Nicole R. Marketing Manager Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Overall Good Product" September 8, 2025 4.0 My overall experience was good. ShortStack was recommended to me by someone in my industry and I am overall satisfied. Pros Quick to set up and launch a contest. Metrics and submissions can be reviewed easily. It made things run smoothly. Cons Hard to know when your subscription is unpausing. I do not need the platform all of the time but I don't want to lose my account. Alternatives considered [Facebook Apps and Tabs](https://www.capterra.com/p/160208/Facebook-Apps-and-Tabs/) Reason for choosing ShortStack Recommendation from a colleague who had used it. Review Source AR Ashley R. Director of Digital Operations Media Production Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Build your very own interactive instant win contests." November 18, 2024 4.0 Its been good. Easy to replicate the forms once you have them in place. One can easily get lost if you are not understanding the "stack" of how it works in the designer. The support staff have been great on helping navigate any issues. Overall, happy with using this service and will continue to do so. Pros Easy to use, fun and engaging contests that allow you to capture details of your clients as needed. They are fun and interactive giving you fun instant win contesting for your websites. Cons It can be cumbersome having to manually mange instant win prizing, ensuring it goes smooth. It would be better if the system had a way to "set and forget" the prizing vs. having to always adjust chances of winning. It does lack some automation entities that we are working around (example, entry exports, winner exports) Switched from [Woobox](https://www.capterra.com/p/178937/Woobox/) Your instant win models are more engaging. We had to build our own "skins" for WooBox that was problematic at times. Review Source BM Bria M. CRM Asst Marketing Manager Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Jewelry Brand Loving Shortstack" April 15, 2025 5.0 I would say overall I've loved using it especially with the ever growing giveaway scene on Instagram we're able to collect so much data all in one place. Pros I really like that you can customize the page for your customers when they enter giveaways. It makes it very true to the brand and colorful. Cons It's not as user friendly for coworkers whoever not as tech savy. A lot of trial and error. Switched from [DojoMojo](https://www.capterra.com/p/210574/DojoMojo/) We made the switch because of pricing and customization. The cost of Dojomojo didn't compare to what services were offered from Shortstack. Review Source Response from ShortStack April 16, 2025 Bria! Thank you so much for your amazing review. We love that you're loving ShortStack! RS Rachael S. sr marketing manager Insurance Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Shortstack Review" November 11, 2024 4.0 It has been helpful for us to launch our new giveaway program this year and has allowed us to have better visibility on the campaign. Pros Ease of setting up campaigns and customization options. Cons Helpdesk articles seem to be outdated from before changes were made to the platform. Alternatives considered [Woobox](https://www.capterra.com/p/178937/Woobox/) Reason for choosing ShortStack Ease of use with the platform, better out of the box features. Review Source HM Hannah M. Marketing coordinator Design Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great competition host" September 8, 2025 5.0 Great, really easy to use and always looks great on our website. I think for the price it's really affordable. Pros It's really easy to build competitions and they look great embedded on our website. Ive been using short stack for years and I really recommend. I also love how easy it is to download the entrants Cons I wish there were more refined templates available and Ive found some of the widgets difficult to use. Review Source AB Alandria B. Consumer Marketing Manager Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "ShortStack is a great product that needs improvement..." September 11, 2025 4.0 I will give it a 7/10. It did what I needed it to do but there was a substantial amount of time learning the platform and setting up the campaign. Could be a bot more user friendly and integrate with more CRMs for reporting purposes. Pros It allows for a third--party solution/ website plug-in for lead-generating campaigns and contests for my brand. Cons It was definitely a learning curve.... it took some time to get adjusted and there were not many tools refer to without contacting Support. Also, the free version is very limiting. I would have loved to have full access to the metrics of my campaign(s). Review Source LM Lauren M. Director of Engagement Non-Profit Organization Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "ShortStack has been great for what I've needed it for!" November 13, 2024 5.0 Pros It's a great interactive tool that engages our audiences. I use it for specific programs and it works well for me. Cons Some of the functions are not as user friendly as I would like them to be. Review Source RM Randy M. Marketing Director Leisure, Travel & Tourism Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Years of experience working with Short Stack" October 21, 2020 5.0 It's hard to remember when we first started with ShortStack it's been over 5 years for sure most likely 7 or 8 I would guess. I love the customer service we get through the online chat with a customer service person. I would give it a 10 out of 10 stars and I often recommend it to other businesses looking to customize contests or promotions they are offering online. Pros Super easy to manage ourselves, very intuitive design and options. Freedom to start from scratch or use one of their many predesigned templates. Customer service is A+ Cons There's really nothing I dislike about it, often with I assume there may be a limitation just speaking with customer service we are able to find a way to over come any limitations. If I had to say something I would maybe say that our plan wasn't grandfathered with the options and price from when we originally signed up, that said I still think it really offers great value and if we had to step up to the higher plan to get the same features we had it would still be good value. Reason for choosing ShortStack Shortstack offered much better customization, you didn't need to fit with in their tempalates. Now I would say that their customer service and quality of the product is what keeps us as a loyal customer. Love the fact that they are actively helping their customers during COVID to use their software better with user webinars, new features, etc. Review Source Response from ShortStack December 15, 2020 Wow, Randy! We are so grateful for your amazing feedback. Thank you so much for this stellar review! MH Magnus H. Online Retail and Systems Manager Arts and Crafts Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful but not for the faint of heart" April 11, 2021 5.0 After 10 years, I still keep coming back to it. I suppose that's a good review? We've used others as well but for some types of campaigns, such as advent calendars and quizzes, Shortstack is head and shoulders above the rest. Pros I have used Shortstack on and off for, I think, about 10 years. It has always been able to do what I needed from it and we have created some very cool quizzes, competitions and particularly advent calendars, which is what I originally sought out Shortstack for. Cons The user interface is quite proprietary and can be daunting to get your head around. Make use of the instructional videos and do reach out to the chat support which is always very helpful and super quick. Once you understand how it works and fits together, it's very powerful but do allow some time to learn - it's not the most intuitive UI. Review Source Response from ShortStack April 19, 2021 Thanks for your awesome review and your loyalty, Magnus! We're very grateful to have your business. BL Brent L. Director of Marketing Restaurants Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "ShortStack Review" April 14, 2022 5.0 Overall experience has been good. Pros Ease of use. Real-time updating. Mobile-friendly production. Cons The type of contests are cool, but I'd like to see a bracket contest and more multi-layered contest templates. Review Source Response from ShortStack April 19, 2022 Thank you Brent for your awesome review! We are always looking for new ideas to improve our platform and services offered. Your ideas of having bracket contests and multi-layered contests will be shared with the rest of the team. You can also always send us your ideas at theteam@shortstacklab.com. VR Verified Reviewer Marketing Manager Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Way to Get in the Giveaway Game" July 20, 2018 4.0 Pros Easy to start, learn and implement in an hour or less. Intuitive interface with a small learning curve. Cons The updates are often excessive leaving the user wondering if they should pause the campaign, and update, or leave alone... Review Source Response from ShortStack July 27, 2018 Thanks so much for your feedback! We're so glad you are loving the ShortStack platform. In the future, you can push an update(s) in the middle of running a campaign - no need to pause it. MB Mostafa B. Infrastructure digitale Animation Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I really liked my ShortStack experience" October 24, 2023 3.0 Pros hortStack is a versatile marketing platform that specializes in creating and managing interactive campaigns, contests and landing pages for businesses and organizations. Here are some key points about ShortStack: 1. Cons Versatile, specializing in creating and managing interactive campaigns and contests Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Managing Director Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "If only fb would make it easier ..." July 17, 2018 4.0 Been using it for years! The minor cons that I have come accross are by far outweighed by the pros! Pros \- Great software. - Not the easiest to use but it does cover everything giving multiple options to users and designers! - Excellent customer service! Cons \- Facebook intergration couyld be better. I know that Facebook changes things often but the instructions and integration process is not ammended so fast. - Not enough premade themes and not updated for too long! It is ok ig you have a designer to make your own theme but the premade ones that are great help are very few! Review Source CA Chris A. Marketing Director Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Full featured, some learning curve" August 29, 2019 5.0 We love the reporting and the seemingly infinite design capabilities for landing pages. Pros There are so many customization options for campaign set-up/implementation and design. It's a bit overwhelming to learn the landing page design tools at first, but with some play and trial/error, it's a great platform. Cons No major issues for us. We've run 3 campaigns on the platform so far, and with experience, it becomes easier and faster to set up and launch. Only (slight) negative is a little more learning curve than some of the "not so full-featured platforms" out there. Review Source Response from ShortStack September 12, 2019 Chris! Thank you so much for this great review! We're so glad ShortStack meets your needs. JW Jenna W. Regional Marketing Manager Machinery Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Review" December 13, 2021 4.0 We've had success running some of our contests with ShortStack this year. Pros We use this software for our contests and giveaways. It allows us to collect photos, email info, etc. that we are looking for. Cons It takes a little bit of playing around with it to get the landing page how you want it. I wish that was a little more user-friendly. Review Source Response from ShortStack December 20, 2021 We are happy to hear you made the switch to ShortStack and you have had an enjoyable experience so far! To help new users better understand our platform, we have ShortStack University with in-depth tutorials on how to use every feature we have available! For more information click here: https://ssu.shortstack.com/. RW Riley W. Social Media and Marketing Student Supervisor Food & Beverages Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Customizable" January 30, 2024 5.0 Pros I loved how customizable we can make our contest process with ShortStack. Cons Sometimes the amount of options with design would get overwhelming. Review Source Response from ShortStack February 5, 2024 Wow! Thank you so much for this amazing review. We're so glad you enjoyed using ShortStack. VR Verified Reviewer eCommerce Manager Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Must-Have for Social Marketing" July 17, 2018 5.0 Pros We've been using Short Stack for years. We're able to set up contests in minutes. Contest entries are easy to review and track. Plus we love all the customization options. Cons Wish there was more templates to choose from. Review Source Response from ShortStack July 30, 2018 Thanks so much! We're always adding more templates, so make sure to keep checking the template library. Thanks again for your fabulous feedback! AM Abner M. Social Media Manager Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Love this product!" June 29, 2020 5.0 I loved it so far! There is a learning curve but overall its pretty good. Pros It gets updated every time I use it, so it keeps getting better. Cons Instagram post-filters is a nightmare, sometimes I just want to select certain posts to display during my campaign and not have them update dynamically on the lP Reason for choosing ShortStack At the time, price, and features. Now its more money but we are locked into the 30 dollar plan. Now it's too expensive and not worth it in my opinion unless used for serious things. Review Source Response from ShortStack July 13, 2020 Hi Abner! Thanks for this great review. For your Instagram posts, you can use the Approval feature in the Entries Manager to control which posts are seen in your live campaign. Reach out to us at theteam@shortstacklab.com for more info. Thank again! VR Verified Reviewer Communications Manager Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Agency Use" July 23, 2018 4.0 Pros Easy to use with options for a lot of customization Cons Changed the policy about the Facebook tabs, now I can't use this function for most of my campaigns. Review Source Response from ShortStack July 27, 2018 Thanks so much for your feedback! We love that you're enjoying the ease of use and customization options in ShortStack. The new Facebook policy (that requires 2,000 Fans on a Page to publish to it) has been tough for some of our users, but we have a workaround. Check out this video that will show you what to do instead: https://youtu.be/HzU88tJncA4 Hannah T. Marketing Coordinator Utilities Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good contest designer " December 19, 2018 4.0 Internal and external contests, custom landing pages, newsletter sign ups. good social media integration Pros The ease of making contests, user friendly coding. Cons slow response from customer service sometimes. They don't catch all the little mistakes. Review Source GB George B. Marketing Manager Retail Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Perfect" March 2, 2020 5.0 Pros I love how easy it is to customize our landing pages and then publish them. I also love the hashtag aggregator Cons The only issue is that it took my team a little bit to learn all the customization options Review Source Response from ShortStack March 6, 2020 Wow! Thank you so much for this 10/10 review! Similar Products Featured ## 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.