AwardKit vs Judgify. No 3.5% Cut of Your Entry Fees.
Judgify’s own pricing page confirms a 3.5% fee on every paid entry, on top of the subscription and processor fees. AwardKit charges zero commission: entry fees go straight to your own Stripe account, for a flat $1,995 a year with unlimited entries. Here is an honest, line by line comparison.
AwardKit vs Judgify in Four Bullets
Judgify charges 3.5% on every paid entry, on top of its subscription and processing fees. AwardKit takes zero commission. On a program grossing $75,000 in entry fees, that 3.5% is about $2,625 a year, more than AwardKit costs.
AwardKit is a flat $1,995 a year for unlimited programs and entries. Judgify’s Pro Unlimited is $2,399 a year plus an onboarding fee, and still caps each event at 500 submissions.
AwardKit is fully self-serve with no onboarding fee. Judgify adds an onboarding fee on paid plans and routes white-label and multi-language to a sales-led Enterprise tier.
To be fair: Judgify has a genuine free Basic plan for small or free contests, plus a multilingual interface and white-label on Enterprise, which AwardKit does not offer today.
AwardKit vs Judgify at a Glance
| Dimension | AwardKit | Judgify |
|---|---|---|
| Commission on entry fees | Zero, paid to your account | 3.5% per paid entry |
| Annual price | Flat $1,995, unlimited | $2,399/yr + onboarding fee |
| Entries per program | Unlimited | Capped (500 per event) |
| Onboarding fee | None | Yes, on paid plans |
| Self-serve for all features | Yes | Sales for white-label etc. |
| Free tier for small programs | Build free, pay to go live | Free Basic plan |
The Full Comparison Table
Every meaningful feature, side by side. Hover any cell with extra detail for the source or context.
Entry Fees & Commission
The difference that compounds with every paid entry.
| Feature | AwardKit | Judgify |
|---|---|---|
Commission on paid entries | ZeroYou pay only Stripe’s standard processing fees. AwardKit never takes a cut. | 3.5% per entryJudgify’s own pricing page states a "3.5% Judgify fee applicable" on entry-fee transactions, on top of the subscription and processor fees. Source: judgify.me/pricing, accessed 2026-06-17. |
Funds paid directly to your account | Yes. Entry fees land in your own Stripe account via Stripe Connect. | Not documentedJudgify does not document whether entry-fee funds settle directly to your gateway or route through Judgify. |
Tiered fees (early-bird, member rates) | Yes | Yes |
Pricing & Plans
| Feature | AwardKit | Judgify |
|---|---|---|
Flat annual price | $1,995, unlimited | $2,399/yr + onboardingJudgify Pro Unlimited is $2,399/yr plus an onboarding fee. The onboarding fee amount is not published. |
Unlimited entries per program | Yes | 500 per eventEven Judgify’s "Pro Unlimited" caps each event at 500 submissions and 25 categories; "unlimited" refers to the number of events, not entries. |
No onboarding fee | Yes | No |
Free plan for small programs | Build free, pay to launch | Yes. Judgify’s free Basic plan (100 submissions, one round) is a genuine standing plan, a real advantage for small or free contests. |
Money-back guarantee | 14 days | Not advertised |
Judging & Scoring
| Feature | AwardKit | Judgify |
|---|---|---|
Multi-round judging | Yes | Yes |
Weighted rubric scoring | Yes | Basic scoringReviewers describe Judgify’s scoring as basic and partly manual, with no automatic score averaging. |
Automatic score calculation | Yes | Manual, per reviews |
Ranked Top Picks and parallel rooms | Yes | Rounds and voting |
Public and audience voting | Yes | Yes |
Results, Awards & Certificates
| Feature | AwardKit | Judgify |
|---|---|---|
Winners gallery and live results | Yes | Yes |
Auto-generated certificates | Yes | Not advertisedWe did not find native certificate generation documented by Judgify. |
Shareable certificate verification links | Yes | Not advertised |
Modern, mobile-friendly interface | Yes | Reviews cite gapsReviewers cite a confusing, counterintuitive payment interface. |
Branding & Global
Where Judgify’s Enterprise tier leads. We call it honestly.
| Feature | AwardKit | Judgify |
|---|---|---|
White-label custom domain | No | Yes. Judgify offers white-label and a custom domain on its Enterprise tier. AwardKit does not offer this yet. |
Multi-language interface | English | Yes. Judgify supports a multilingual interface on its global/Enterprise packages. AwardKit is English-only. |
More payment gateways (PayPal, etc.) | Stripe, 135+ currenciesAwardKit uses Stripe: cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, in 135+ currencies. No PayPal today. | Yes. Judgify supports PayPal, Stripe, WorldPay and more gateways. AwardKit is Stripe-only. |
How Pricing Compares
AwardKit
One flat price, zero commission
- Build your entire program for free, with no time limit
- Flat $1,995 a year for unlimited programs and entries
- Zero commission on entry fees, paid straight to your Stripe account
- No onboarding fee, no per-event caps
- 14-day money-back guarantee
Judgify
Subscription, onboarding fee, plus a cut of each entry
- Free Basic plan: 100 submissions, one round (genuinely free)
- Pro: $699 per event plus an onboarding fee
- Pro Unlimited: $2,399 a year plus an onboarding fee (500 entries per event)
- 3.5% fee on every paid entry, on top of the subscription
- White-label and a multilingual interface on a sales-led Enterprise tier
Source: judgify.me
Built for the Programs You Actually Run
Awards run on annual cycles with entry fees and real judging. AwardKit handles all of it without a sales process or a setup project.
Trade and professional associations
Run your annual excellence awards, member of the year, or "40 Under 40" with custom entry forms, entry fees collected to your own account, and a judging panel of board members or industry peers.
Industry publications and media
Power reader awards, best-in-category programs, and editorial competitions. Collect paid submissions, run multi-round judging, and publish a polished winners page under your own brand.
Creative and design competitions
Accept media-rich entries, score them against weighted criteria, let judges rank their Top Picks, and hand winners a verifiable certificate they can share. No enterprise software to learn first.
When Judgify is the right choice
- You run a small or free contest and want a no-cost option. Judgify’s free Basic plan (100 submissions, one round) costs nothing, while AwardKit asks you to pay when you go live.
- You need a multilingual interface for a global program, which AwardKit does not offer yet.
- You need a white-label custom domain, available on Judgify’s Enterprise tier.
- Your procurement requires stated GDPR, PCI DSS, or ISO 27001 compliance, or you need payment gateways beyond Stripe such as PayPal.
Why organizers choose AwardKit over Judgify
Zero commission on every entry
Judgify’s own pricing page confirms a 3.5% fee on every paid entry, on top of the subscription. AwardKit takes zero commission. On a program grossing $75,000 in entry fees, that is about $2,625 a year deducted from your entry fees, more than AwardKit costs.
Lower flat price, no onboarding fee
AwardKit is $1,995 a year, all in. Judgify’s comparable Pro Unlimited is $2,399 a year plus an undisclosed onboarding fee, and still adds the 3.5% per-entry cut on top.
Unlimited entries, no per-event caps
AwardKit covers unlimited programs and unlimited entries in one flat price. Even Judgify’s "Pro Unlimited" caps each event at 500 submissions and 25 categories.
Real judging, not basic scoring
Multi-round judging with weighted rubrics, category-scoped criteria, automatic score calculation, ranked Top Picks, and parallel Judging Rooms, all on the same engine that powers HackHQ events. Reviewers describe Judgify’s scoring as basic and partly manual.
Truly self-serve, no sales gate
Sign up, build, and launch without a demo or an onboarding fee. Judgify adds an onboarding fee on paid plans and gates white-label and multi-language behind a sales-led Enterprise tier.
Verifiable certificates built in
Every winner gets an auto-generated certificate with a public verification page they can share to LinkedIn. We did not find native certificates documented by Judgify.
A modern, mobile-friendly interface
AwardKit is modern and works on any device. Reviewers cite a confusing, counterintuitive payment interface in Judgify.
AwardKit vs Judgify FAQ
Keep Every Dollar of Your Entry Fees.
Build your whole award program for free, then pay a flat $1,995 a year with zero commission and no per-event caps. Entry fees go straight to your own Stripe account.
Email hello@awardkit.com and we will help you rebuild your program and import your entries and judges.