OpenWater vs Optimy

OpenWater manages application and review workflows for abstracts, awards, scholarships, fellowships, and grants. Organizations can create submission forms with conditional logic and accept attachments in nearly any type, size, or format. Submissions can be routed to multiple reviewers, with scores collected in a dashboard and optional double-blind judging. Rubrics and reviewer collaboration support scoring, while an applicant portal and workflow automation cover other stages of the process. Users can configure dashboards and export reports in multiple file formats, and the platform can collect payments. OpenWater lists Android, iOS, and web access; mobile-responsive submission pages and its mobile app support applicants and team administrators. Security options include SSO, encryption, two-factor authentication, CAPTCHA, and password requirements, with GDPR-related consent and deletion options. It integrates with more than 65 AMS, CRM, directory, and payment systems, including iMIS, Salesforce, Higher Logic, Stripe, and PayPal. The paid subscription uses a custom quote based on usage needs, functionality, and backend user count. OpenWater does not support recommendation requests directly within the platform.

Optimy manages grants, sponsorships, employee volunteering, and CSR programs in one platform. Its workflow covers applications, reviews, approvals, project tracking, and impact reporting, with custom KPIs and audit-ready reports. Listed capabilities include scoring and rubrics, reviewer collaboration, an applicant portal, analytics, and payment collection. Optimy describes a configurable API, one-click integrations with Make, and DocuSign e-signatures; external API connections may be offered on request and can incur additional fees. The platform supports 22+ languages and is aimed at corporations, foundations, and public institutions. Optimy says it transmits data using HTTPS with TLS 1.2 or TLS 1.3 and encrypts stored data with AES-256. It also describes GDPR-related privacy request and data deletion controls. Hosting is on AWS infrastructure in North America and Europe. The Start plan is listed from €650/mo. Optimy says implementation usually takes 6 to 8 weeks. Support plans list e-learning and a knowledge base, with response-time packages from 24–48 hours to 4–8 hours.