Award Force vs. Submittable

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Award Force
Score 9.0 out of 10
N/A
Award Force is an award, grant application, and submission platform from the Australian company of the same name featuring granular roles and permissions to for entry and review, control of judgment process, and other features.
$3,125
per year
Submittable
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Submittable offers tools to launch, measure, and grow social impact programs, locally and globally. From grants and scholarships to awards and CSR programs, Submittable partners with users to make a difference. The vendor states Submittable has supported over 95,000 social impact programs, receiving nearly 20 million applications, and that teams save an average of 12 hours per week and launch in an average of 14 days.N/A
Pricing
Award ForceSubmittable
Editions & Modules
Growth
$3125
per year
Pro
$6250
per year
Premier
Custom Pricing
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Award ForceSubmittable
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Award ForceSubmittable
Considered Both Products
Award Force
Chose Award Force
The customer support team was outstanding in AF. They were very attentive and on point in our requirements. Also the pricing was very affordable. We had few recommendations from existing users who were already in our business market.
Submittable
Chose Submittable
Submittable had all of the functionality we were looking for at a very competitive price.
Chose Submittable
When we decided on Submittable: a) Most cost-effective: solution would cost under USD3,000 per year with no setup fee. b) We needed key features of this solution that were available out-of-the-box, e.g., Online Application Form -- including answers to approximately 20-30 …
Chose Submittable
Price, ease of use and simplicity of process building. In the other products we explored that cost was significantly higher and we found that for what we are looking for, Submittable provided a much better value and was way easier to use for both the staff running the grant …
Chose Submittable
We have been using submittable since 2016. The product has grown, and we have recommended it to many groups. Cost-wise, the price has become unattainable for some. I have compared prices with other systems whose names I don’t remember, and the pricing seems on par. The platform …
Chose Submittable
Submittable is much simpler to use for submitting to my journal and writers prefer it over Duotrope.
Chose Submittable
Submittable isn't in the same league as these other platforms. It's trying to get there but it's been a rocky road. Neither customer support nor the account people we've dealt with at Submittable seem particularly knowledgeable about how the product actually works for …
Chose Submittable
Our company chose Submittable before I was hired and it is now a legacy system
Chose Submittable
I used Call for Entry before and think it works very well, in a comparable way, and is much, much less expensive.
Chose Submittable
Submittable offers a better UX/UI and a more manageable pricing model
Chose Submittable
I selected Submittable because I had used it in the past as an applicant for a different program, and I found it easy to use from that perspective. I met with other companies and did a comparative analysis and Submittable was the most user friendly and also the most affordable …
Chose Submittable
The university also uses Qualtrics, but I found it clunky and hard to use.
Chose Submittable
Many features on the LGL forms do not translate to Submittable and vice versa. We use Submittable more because it allows for better branching and flexibility to customize each form rather than needing multiple for the same data collection or selection process. While we like LGL …
Chose Submittable
Submittable's customer service was more helpful than other platforms we considered using.
Chose Submittable
As a user seeking a seamless form creation experience, I can confidently say that Submittable exceeds all expectations with its diverse range of options and efficient backend processes. From the moment I started using it, I was impressed by the abundance of features and the …
Chose Submittable
When it comes to collecting applications, no one beats Submittable in terms of features and functionality. With other software we used, there were far too many limitations, including having to manually download data, inability to use logic for fields, and no analytics. The …
Chose Submittable
Honestly, I haven't used other comparable products to Submittable. That said, the interface is far better than the submission managers for so many other literary magazines. It feels far cleaner and far more professional.
Chose Submittable
I haven't used any other competing products.
Chose Submittable
There was no good way for us to keep blog publiscations within our microsot suit so we moved onto Submittable.
Chose Submittable
Submittable has so many functionalities which helps me when I need to ask applicants very specific questions or branch applicants off into differing categories. It is simple yet thorough.
Chose Submittable
There is no contest. Google Forms is easy and free, but has severely limited customization options, and 0 review process. I love how I have everything in one platform with Submittable.
Chose Submittable
The Google suite of services is essentially free, but it is not designed specifically for applicants, reviewers and awardees. However, it is very intuitive and user friendly. We have been able to make both services work for us and meet our particular needs. Google saves money, …
Chose Submittable
I can't think of other services I've reviewed in-depth like Submittable. We like Submittable. We're consistently happy with the results and have felt no need to explore alternative options especially with so many of our users being already familiar with the interface. We've …
Chose Submittable
Submittable is definitely more agile to adapt to your needs, and it has more parameters to choose from. On the other side, our current size of the grants is limited, so I don't know if Submittable can efficiently scale up.
Chose Submittable
Blackbaud Grantmaking was more complicated/difficult to use but had more features that enabled project & relationship management. It was also more integrated with our financial management system.
Chose Submittable
I've also just used a system called Slideroom for a jury process through another grants organization.
Best Alternatives
Award ForceSubmittable
Small Businesses
Submittable
Submittable
Score 8.8 out of 10
Blackbaud Grantmaking
Blackbaud Grantmaking
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Submittable
Submittable
Score 8.8 out of 10
MIP Fund Accounting
MIP Fund Accounting
Score 8.7 out of 10
Enterprises

No answers on this topic

Workday Financial Management
Workday Financial Management
Score 7.8 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Award ForceSubmittable
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
8.9
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
-
(0 ratings)
7.9
(0 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
8.1
(0 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
7.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
9.0
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Award ForceSubmittable
Likelihood to Recommend
Award Force integrates API and SSO integration which is a plus and the dashboard and reporting is very intuitive. Good sense of security, prevention of spam and data protection, these features are what an organization looks for and Award Force seamlessly provides them. The capability to broadcast the emails and do so by the status of the submission
Read full review
Submittable is great for grant management, grantmaking, and scholarship awards. It's a very useful tool also when there are multiple reviewers and committees involved in the assessment of the application. The table feature is helpful, but to download the information in a usable report is a pain. Overall a very useful tool for funding.
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Pros
  • User friendly User Interface
  • Data Protection
  • Reasonable pricing
Read full review
  • Easy to use! Resulting in confidence and independence when using platform.
  • Exporting reports to Excel files makes internal data sharing a breeze.
  • Tech support for grantees frees administrators from resolving issues on their own.
  • Automatic and customizable communications with applicants and grantees.
Read full review
Cons
  • Provide a smooth learning curve for the new users (As judges differ always)
  • Emails sent from the software lands in Spam sometimes
  • The product tends to lag if we are running many tasks at once.
  • Limited in-app reporting view.
Read full review
  • It used to be easier to download submission files from the submissions screen; now, you have to run a report and request a download.
  • Giving access to reviewers could be easier. It would be nice if we could create the email account and password and then give that to the reviewer. Right now, the invites are often junk, spam, or quarantine.
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Likelihood to Renew
No answers on this topic
Submittable is easy to use for our applicants, streamlines the grantmaking process and provides structures for a range of reviewers on our panels. i like that you continue to come up with new tools, although I wish many didn't come with additional costs.
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Usability
No answers on this topic
Submittable is very user-friendly. As both a application builder and an applicant myself I find the system intuitive and easy. Many pre-populated questions allow a grant administrator to build an application quickly. The start-up time we first joined as a Submittable client was fast, too. Submittable does not take much time for a first-time user to understand.
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Reliability and Availability
No answers on this topic
We have thankfully never experienced an outage nor been affected by a technology issue on Submittable's side that has delayed our grant process. We have instead been able to distribute over $6M in donated dollars to AAPI small business owners because Submittable is trustworthy and available
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Performance
No answers on this topic
We've had a quick and efficient submittable experience that has always been easy to use. When we need a report it downloads within seconds, even the larger reports are 30 seconds or less to download. Pages are quick to load and reports complete in a more than reasonable time frame
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
I think that they are good at answering our questions and solving our problems. We occasionally get reports from applicants about problems the Submittable team has not solved, but I do not know what the applicant has done to get the problem solved.
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In-Person Training
No answers on this topic
We have been using this for many years but my memory is that we had a
human walk us through how to use basic features. We also used the
resource library to learn about specific topics or issues as they came
up.
Read full review
Online Training
No answers on this topic
10/10 because we were able to meet virtually and still get all of our questions answered! Online was effective too because we could easily record the sessions and review them later. Since we had to onboard our reviewers virtually, it was actually convenient that this was the same method we learned how to use the entire program virtually too.
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Implementation Rating
No answers on this topic
I would say, provide Submittable as much detailed information on your planned use of the platform and your desires with the platform as possible, and the implementation will be tailored to accommodate your organization with minimal lag time and issues/problems.
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Alternatives Considered
The customer support team was outstanding in AF. They were very attentive and on point in our requirements. Also the pricing was very affordable. We had few recommendations from existing users who were already in our business market.
Read full review
When we decided on Submittable: a) Most cost-effective: solution would cost under USD3,000 per year with no setup fee. b) We needed key features of this solution that were available out-of-the-box, e.g., Online Application Form -- including answers to approximately 20-30 questions, completing a financial income/expense summary spreadsheet, and submitting supporting docs in Word, PDF, or other common file formats. Also, applicants would get instant feedback if they do not qualify, so they won't even bother completing their submission. Backend workflow allows up to 8+ committee members/reviewers to review application submissions, submit and share comments/questions, approve/reject, grant amount recommendations, etc. Basic reporting will include lists of applicants and key data by submission year (e.g., contact details, funding requested, key metrics, etc.). Email alerts to reviewers as applications are submitted. Summary of completed application emailed to applicant upon submission so they have a copy for their records—the ability to centrally track any email exchanges with applicants.
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Scalability
No answers on this topic
We have been easily able to grow. Not only are we able to process different applications, but Submittable makes it easy to add applications onto our plan. Additionally, their eligibility form before the application does a good job of screening applicants so we do not pay for extra applications.
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Return on Investment
  • Huge cost saving on paper usage. Cost reduction almost by 90%
  • Transparency in judging process.
  • Time to judge and evaluate the programs gone down by 60%.
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  • We were able to launch our first-ever community grants program on time, and received over 300 applications (we were anticipating ~50 in our first year out.)
  • This has substantially improved our application and tracking capabilities for our employee relief fund grants, and ensured we are following IRS guidelines.
Read full review
ScreenShots

Award Force Screenshots

Screenshot of Award Force customersScreenshot of the awards management software's dashboard for program managers to monitor program progress and status.Screenshot of Award Force's entrant-centred features, designed for great experiences, better task completion and happy entrants.Screenshot of the Award Force judging suite, designed to help judges make great decisions through one or more judging rounds, and with four different judging mode options.Screenshot of the submission management system's interface.Screenshot of the awards galleries, featuring high-def audio + video for easy viewing on screen.