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HotCRP

hotcrp.com

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Spec score 9.1 #2 of 29 in Event Abstract Management Software

What it is

HotCRP manages conference paper submissions and reviews, either as open-source software for self-hosting or through the hosted HotCRP.com service. Submission tools include customizable forms, optional registration, program-committee conflict collection, and configurable PDF checks. Papers can be assigned by hand, in batches, or automatically, including through globally optimal assignments. Search, sorting, bulk downloads, formulas, and tags help organize submissions. Review workflows support custom forms, LaTeX math, multiple rounds, offline reviewing, delegation, and external reviewers. Program committee meeting tools include rebuttals, votes, rankings, a live tracker, decision types, and mailing users. The REST API uses bearer tokens that can be scoped, including for read-only access or selected papers. HotCRP.com connects with ACM publication services for copyright forms, final versions, PDF checks, proceedings, and Digital Library export. Self-hosting requires a web server and software including Nginx, PHP 7.3 or higher, MariaDB, and PHP packages. Listed free plans serve certain sponsored events and classroom use; independent conferences pay $7.50 per submission after the deadline.

Spec sheet

What it does
HotCRP manages conference paper submissions, peer review and program-committee decisions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Purpose
HotCRP manages the conference review process, including paper submissions and reviews.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
API
The REST API uses JSON responses, supports GET and POST operations and exposes paper, review, document, search and assignment operations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Privacy
HotCRP.com states that submission and review artifacts may be stored indefinitely, and site managers control who can access them.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Support
Support for independent conference sites is limited to bug fixes, and classroom use has no support.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
ACM integration
ACM-sponsored events receive publication-processing features through the HotCRP site-wide agreement.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
API authentication
External clients authenticate with bearer tokens created in Account settings, with scopes that can restrict read/write access or paper subsets.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Assignments
Papers can be assigned by hand, in bulk, or automatically, including globally optimal automatic review assignments.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
CLI tooling
The project includes a hotcrapi command-line tool for calling HotCRP APIs, including hosted sites.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Conflict collection
HotCRP collects program-committee conflicts as part of submission management.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Developer activity
The GitHub repository shows more than 18,000 commits, 439 stars and 137 forks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Download release
The project page lists HotCRP 3.4 tarball released in August 2026 with a SHA-256 checksum.Read 15 Oct 2026 · read.seas.harvard.edu
Extensibility
The development manual covers advanced configuration, software internals and extension development.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Formula engine
HotCRP formulas can calculate statistics such as averages, weighted averages, variance and counts and can be used in searches and displays.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.hotcrp.com
Help coverage
The help center documents chair operations, searching, keywords, tags, tracks, review rounds, review ratings, voting, ranking, formulas and bulk assignments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · help.hotcrp.com
Historical adoption
The original author reported use at SIGCOMM, USENIX ATC, NSDI, ISCA and SOSP conferences.Read 15 Oct 2026 · usenix.org
Independent deployment
The IACR maintains a HotCRP fork that adds cryptographic-database conflict detection, final-version and rights forms, external slide/video hosting and LNCS front-matter generation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Installation work
Installation involves creating or initializing a MariaDB database, editing configuration, routing the site through index.php, tuning PHP and database limits and enabling a mail transport agent.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: OAuth token validation
The OAuth documentation says HotCRP does not currently verify that returned tokens were cryptographically signed by a provider's public key and instead relies on TLS.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: self-hosting burden
The required web server, PHP, MariaDB, PDF and mail stack creates operational work for self-hosting teams.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: small-event fit
A Reddit discussion characterized HotCRP as potentially overkill when a simple submission and review workflow is all that is needed.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Limit: support
Independent hosted sites receive bug-fix-only support, while classroom sites have no support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Notable news
The home page lists an August 19, 2026 news item about AI agents and bot accounts.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
OAuth and OpenID Connect
HotCRP can act as an OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect provider and exposes authorization, token, revocation and dynamic-registration endpoints when enabled.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Open source and hosting
The open-source HotCRP software requires users to run their own web server, while HotCRP.com provides a hosted version.Read 3 Oct 2026 · read.seas.harvard.edu
Open source licence
HotCRP is distributed under the Click licence, described by the project as BSD-like.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Origin date
HotCRP was initially written in summer 2006 for the HotNets V workshop.Read 15 Oct 2026 · usenix.org
Praise: automation value
The original design paper emphasizes a search-centered interface and reduced interaction modes to make reviewing easier.Read 15 Oct 2026 · usenix.org
Praise: ease of setup
A Reddit user said HotCRP.com was easy to set up and had worked well for a class project using the free version.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Privacy controls
Browsing data is generally stored for up to two years, while evidence relating to potential misbehavior may be preserved indefinitely and shared with legitimate investigations.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Program committee meetings
PC meeting features include rebuttals, votes, ranks, a live meeting tracker, custom decision types, and mailing users.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Publication workflow
Hosted HotCRP can collect copyright forms and final versions, check ACM PDF compliance, embed fonts, collect ACM metadata, order sessions and export a Digital Library bundle.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Real-world deployment
A live CysecLab conference site uses HotCRP for submissions, review rounds, rebuttals and program-committee administration.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.cysec.kr
Review
Review features include customizable forms, LaTeX math, multiple rounds, offline reviewing, delegation, and external reviewer invitations.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Reviewer assignment
Papers can be assigned manually, in bulk or automatically, including globally optimal automatic assignments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Search and tagging
HotCRP supports searching and sorting papers by criteria, bulk downloads, arbitrary formulas, and paper tags.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Search and tags
Its search and tagging system can filter and sort papers by criteria, download metadata in bulk and display formulas.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Security notice
HotCRP published a January 2026 security notice directing vulnerability reports to Eddie Kohler.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Self-hosting requirements
Self-hosting requires Unix, a PHP-capable web server such as Nginx or Apache, PHP 8.1 or newer with MySQL support, php-fpm and php-intl, MariaDB and Poppler pdftohtml for format checking.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Submission
Submission features include customizable forms, optional registration, PC conflict collection, and configurable PDF format checking.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Submission forms
The hosted product provides customizable submission forms, optional registration and configurable PDF format checking.Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
USENIX integration
USENIX uses HotCRP to manage all its conferences and workshops.Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com

Plans and prices

ACM-sponsored Free ACM-sponsored conferences, journals, and workshops Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
ACM-sponsored Free no direct cost ACM-sponsored conferences, journals and workshops Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Classroom Free Teachers at educational institutions; no support; approval requires evidence of actual classroom use Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Classroom Free free Educational classes · approval required · no support Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Free test site Free Email restrictions · limited lifetime Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Free test site Free free Email restrictions · limited lifetime Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
USENIX-sponsored Free USENIX-sponsored conferences, journals, and workshops; site created by USENIX Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
USENIX-sponsored Free no direct cost USENIX-sponsored conferences, journals and workshops Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Independent $7.50, paid once Payment of $7.50 per submission is due after the submission deadline. Independent conferences, journals, and workshops; support limited to bug fixes Read 3 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
Independent $7.50, paid once after the submission deadline Independent conferences, journals and workshops · support limited to bug fixes Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com
IEEE-sponsored Priced on request payment due after the submission deadline IEEE-financially-sponsored conferences, journals and workshops Read 15 Oct 2026 · hotcrp.com

Every HotCRP plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Custom submission and review forms
  • Manual, bulk, and automatic paper assignments
  • Offline reviews and multiple review rounds
  • Scoped REST API tokens
  • ACM publication-service integration

Limits

  • Self-hosting requires a web server and specified software
  • Independent events pay $7.50 per submission
  • Independent-site support is limited to bug fixes
  • Classroom use has no support

Who it suits

It suits conference, journal, and workshop organizers managing submissions and peer review. Self-hosting is an option for users prepared to run the required web server and software.

Verdict

HotCRP offers detailed submission, review, and program committee workflows in hosted and self-hosted forms. Organizers should weigh hosting requirements, the independent-event fee, and the stated support limits.

Where Specifiction places it

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