AwardScience vs Zealous

AwardScience provides a workspace for running award, grant, scholarship, and nomination programmes from applications through review. Teams can build forms, stages, deadlines, and rules without code, then send submissions to reviewers. AI proposes application scores with written reasoning, while judges can conduct blind and multi-round reviews. Other AI tools support programme generation, document extraction, chat with data, and professional matching. Applicants can save drafts, upload files, track progress, and download an application PDF. Email campaigns are supported; SMS and WhatsApp availability depends on the plan. API and LLM integration are listed for Enterprise, while the service documentation covers REST API, SSO, and webhooks. The site describes AES-256 encryption at rest and in transit, AWS hosting, daily backups, and role-based access controls, alongside EU data residency and configurable retention and deletion. The free trial allows 50 applications per year and 1 GB of storage. Essentials costs $149/mo billed annually; Pro costs $499/mo billed annually. Enterprise has no listed price and offers unlimited applications, custom AI credits and storage, SSO, and API access.

Zealous is a web-based visual submissions management platform for open calls, awards, grants, residencies, fairs, and commissions. Organizers can set scoring criteria, use anonymous judging, manage multiple evaluation rounds, and track judge progress in real time. Entrants can submit images, video, 3D models, audio, documents, and embedded media, with individual files up to 4GB. Entry payments are processed through Stripe and go to the organizer’s account; Zealous charges commission on paid submissions but not free ones. Listed integrations include Stripe payments and embedded content from Vimeo, YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify, Sketchfab, and Slideshare. The Free plan costs nothing and allows 20 entries in one program without requiring a credit card. Paid submission allowances are counted across the year and reset on the subscription anniversary. Zealous says data is stored on Google Cloud in the UK with an EU twin data center, and describes encryption at rest and TLS 1.2 encryption in transit. It reports 99.98% uptime. All plans include unlimited support, with live chat during UK business hours.