ConfTool vs Fourwaves
ConfTool
conftool.netFourwaves
fourwaves.comSide by side
| Figure | ConfTool | Fourwaves |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $83.25/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 5 |
| Spec score · Call for Papers Software | 8.2 (#5) | 9.2 (#1) |
| Spec score · Event Scheduling Software | 8.1 (#10) | 9.2 (#1) |
| Spec score · Event Abstract Management Software | 8.1 (#9) | 9.1 (#1) |
| Spec score · Speaker Management Software | 8.2 (#10) | 9.3 (#1) |
| Audience | ConfTool is intended for academic conferences, congresses, workshops, and seminars, including on-site and virtual events. | The company describes its users as academic and scientific research communities, including universities, scientific societies and research networks. |
| Founded | 2010 | 2012 |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany | Québec, Québec, Canada |
| Purpose | ConfTool supports conference organizers with submissions and reviews, program scheduling, participant registration, administration, and invoicing. | Fourwaves manages academic conferences, including abstracts, peer review, registration, event websites, programs and conference apps. |
| Security | The features page lists HTTPS access, regular automatic backups, role-based access control, and extensive security features. | The privacy policy states that personal data is encrypted at rest and protected by security measures proportionate to the data's sensitivity. |
| Support | ConfTool Pro includes professional support for configuration and use; ConfTool Standard is offered without support. | The pricing page lists AI, chat and email support on Starter and an onboarding call on Advanced. |
Plans
Fourwaves
- StarterFree
- StarterFree
- Essential$999 a year
- Advanced$2,599 a year
- ProPriced on request
In their own words
ConfTool
ConfTool is conference management software for academic conferences, congresses, workshops, and seminars, including on-site and virtual events. It supports submissions and reviews, program scheduling, participant registration, administration, and invoicing. With ConfTool Pro, organizers can configure open or blind reviews, optionally use multiple tracks, schedule accepted submissions, and check presenter conflicts. Participants can create personal agendas. Pro registration supports participant groups, time discounts, event options, and admission limits; payments can be handled by bank transfer, PayPal, Stripe, or connections to more than 45 online credit card payment systems. Pro can link sessions and presentations to external virtual-event resources and export data in Excel, Word, CSV, JSON, and XML. ConfTool Standard is free on request for smaller non-commercial events, for up to 150 participants, and requires local installation. Pro is hosted and billed per conference; its fee depends on event requirements and size, and optional modules may cost extra. The maker lists HTTPS access, automatic backups, and role-based access control. Standard comes without support, while Pro includes professional support.
Fourwaves
Fourwaves is a conference management service for academic and scientific events, covering abstract submissions, peer review, registration, event websites, programs and attendee apps. Submission forms can support calls for papers and abstracts, and organizers can export abstract books with author indexes. Review workflows offer single- or double-blind processes, reviewer conflict detection and custom scoring grids. Its iOS and Android app includes the event program, personal agenda, participant list and presentation materials, and works offline. An API with organization-specific keys provides endpoints for event, registration, form, submission and session data. The free Starter plan costs nothing and caps yearly submissions at 25. Essential costs $999 a year with a 100-submission limit; Advanced costs $2,599 a year with a 300-submission limit. Each lists a 3% service fee. When a yearly cap is reached, new submissions pause until an upgrade, though existing submissions, registrations and event websites remain accessible. The company describes its audience as research communities, universities, scientific societies and research networks.