Organizing an academic or scientific conference involves much more than booking a venue. Organizers must coordinate abstract and paper submissions, peer review, author communications, registration, payments, scheduling, proceedings, and attendee engagement.
The right academic conference management software brings these workflows together, reduces administrative work, and creates a smoother experience for reviewers, presenters, and participants.
Below, we compare eight leading conference management platforms, highlighting their main strengths, notable features, and ideal use cases.
Academic Conference Management Software at a Glance
| Platform | Main strength | Best suited for |
|---|---|---|
| Converia | End-to-end conference administration, GDPR compliance, European accounting, | Mid-sized and large scientific conferences |
| ConfTool | Customization, security, and GDPR compliance | Institutions with complex workflows |
| Oxford Abstracts | Ease of use and program building | Committees seeking a modern interface |
| Fourwaves | Scientific posters and research engagement | Symposiums and poster-based events |
| Ex Ordo | Scholarly workflows and publishing | Academic associations and recurring congresses |
| EasyChair | Peer review and committee collaboration | Computer science and engineering conferences |
| Whova | Networking and attendee engagement | In-person and hybrid conferences |
| Dryfta | Broad functionality at an accessible price | Universities and nonprofit associations |
1. Converia
Converia is an end-to-end conference management platform that has supported academic and scientific events since 2004. The platform covers abstracts, papers, presentations, peer review, registration, payments, conference programs, and proceedings.
It is suitable for events ranging from small workshops to international scientific congresses with thousands of participants. Converia is GDPR compliant and hosts data on self-operated servers in Germany and the European Union.
Key features
Abstract submission and peer review: Organizers can collect abstracts, full papers, and presentations. The system supports customizable review forms, single- and double-blind peer review, conflict detection, and topic-based reviewer assignments. Reviews can be allocated manually or automatically.
Program and proceedings management: An interactive agenda builder helps organizers turn accepted submissions into a searchable conference program. Abstracts can also be compiled into exportable and searchable proceedings.
Registration and payments: Converia supports multi-currency registration, invoices, bank transfers, online payments, refunds, quotas, discount codes, and complex VAT requirements. Converia also provides options for bundled payment services, which spare organizers the hassle of arranging their own payment contracts.
Mobile app and virtual platform: Conference data synchronizes with Converia’s mobile app and virtual-event platform, Virtual Venue. Attendees can search the program, read abstracts, access presentations and online sessions, network through chat, and receive push notifications.
Additional tools: Available functions include multilingual interfaces, participation certificates, custom forms, event websites, badge generation and printing, on-site check-in, and self-service terminals.
Best for: Universities in need for legally compliant and consistent conference ticket sales processes, mid-sized and large academic societies or scientific congresses that need a dependable, flexible platform for the complete event lifecycle.
2. ConfTool
Developed in Germany, ConfTool is known for its extensive customization options, strong data-security controls, and support for European privacy requirements.
The software is available in two versions: ConfTool Standard, a basic option for smaller noncommercial events, and ConfTool Pro, a hosted commercial platform with professional support.
Key features
Flexible forms and workflows: Organizers can customize submission forms, review criteria, registration options, and event-specific processes.
Complex registration logic: ConfTool can accommodate different registration categories, workshop capacity limits, dependencies between booking options, and localized tax or VAT rules.
Peer-review coordination: The platform provides conflict-of-interest management, reviewer assignments, and detailed progress tracking.
Security and compliance: Each conference can use a dedicated database hosted in secure data centers, making the platform attractive to privacy-conscious institutions.
Best for: International associations that require granular control, GDPR compliance, and which bring their own credit card contracts.
3. Oxford Abstracts
Oxford Abstracts is a cloud-based platform designed to simplify abstract management and conference program creation. Its clean interface is intended to make the system accessible to administrators, reviewers, and submitters without extensive technical training.
Key features
Abstract lifecycle management: A central dashboard allows organizers to monitor submissions and decisions in real time.
Reviewer assignments: Submissions can be assigned to reviewers according to predefined rules, topics, or conference tracks.
Drag-and-drop scheduling: Organizers can build multitrack programs directly from accepted submissions using a visual schedule builder.
Virtual and on-site features: The platform supports digital poster galleries, attendee networking, event registration, and ticketing.
Best for: Academic committees looking for intuitive abstract management software with a short learning curve and straightforward program scheduling.
4. Fourwaves
Fourwaves is an all-in-one event platform developed specifically for scientific meetings, research conferences, and poster sessions. Its strongest differentiator is its emphasis on research presentation and interaction between presenters and attendees.
Key features
Virtual poster sessions: Presenters can upload high-resolution posters and recorded explanations. Attendees can engage with them through live text or video discussions during scheduled poster sessions.
Integrated conference website: Organizers can create a branded website containing the call for papers, registration portal, event information, and live program.
Submission and review workflows: Custom forms help organizers collect abstracts, coordinate peer review, and manage accepted presentations.
Registration and payments: Built-in registration tools can process attendee payments through a Stripe integration.
Best for: Universities and research centers organizing poster competitions, student research days, symposiums, or other events centered on scientific presentations.
5. Ex Ordo
Ex Ordo is an end-to-end conference management system designed for scholarly associations and research organizations. It covers the full conference lifecycle, with particular emphasis on academic workflows and automation.
Key features
Academic submission workflows: Ex Ordo supports blind peer review, revised and camera-ready submissions, copyright collection, and author communications.
Interactive program and mobile app: Accepted submissions, author profiles, and conference schedules can be synchronized with a web program and mobile app.
Books of abstracts and proceedings: The platform can help organizers compile accepted content into formatted digital volumes and generate metadata for publishing workflows.
Best for: Large academic associations and recurring annual conferences that need structured publishing processes and dedicated account support.
6. EasyChair
EasyChair is one of the best-known submission and peer-review systems in academia. It is especially common in computer science, mathematics, and engineering.
Its primary strength is its peer-review engine rather than event marketing or visual presentation.
Key features
Submission management: EasyChair supports abstracts, full papers, multiple tracks, reviewer assignments, decisions, and proceedings preparation.
Review discussions: Program committee members can discuss submissions, reconsider scores, and resolve differing assessments.
Reviewer bidding: Reviewers can indicate which papers they are most qualified or interested in reviewing.
Proceedings publishing: EasyChair provides options for publishing conference proceedings through its associated publication services.
Best for: Computer science, engineering, mathematics, and other research conferences where rigorous peer review and program committee collaboration matter more than visual design.
7. Whova
Whova is an event management platform known for its mobile app, networking features, and attendee-engagement tools. Although it serves many types of events, it also includes capabilities relevant to academic conferences.
Key features
Attendee engagement: Features include gamification, community message boards, attendee matchmaking, speed networking, live polls, and audience Q&A.
On-site event tools: Organizers can manage check-in, generate name badges, create floor maps, and provide lead-retrieval options for sponsors and exhibitors.
Abstract and agenda management: Submission and scheduling tools connect with the attendee-facing mobile app.
Sponsor and exhibitor visibility: Built-in promotional and lead-generation features can help conferences deliver more value to commercial partners.
Best for: In-person and hybrid conferences where networking, sponsor visibility, and an engaging mobile experience are top priorities.
8. Dryfta
Dryfta is an all-in-one event management platform for nonprofit organizations, universities, and professional associations. It combines academic conference tools with customer relationship and membership-management functions.
Key features
Comprehensive event management: The platform includes abstract submission, peer review, ticketing, badge printing, email campaigns, a mobile event app, and contact management.
Membership tools: Organizers can track membership status, provide attendance certificates, and manage Continuing Education or Continuing Medical Education credits.
Custom workflows: Dryfta supports custom submission processes, tailored form fields, and branded conference website URLs.
Best for: Educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and professional associations that need broad event and membership functionality within a limited budget.
How to Choose the Right Conference Management Platform
The best conference software depends on the complexity and priorities of your event. Before comparing providers, consider the following questions:
- Do you need abstract collection, full-paper submission, or both?
- Will the conference use single-blind or double-blind peer review?
- How complex are your reviewer assignments and conflict-of-interest rules?
- Do you require multitrack scheduling or automated proceedings?
- Will attendees register and pay through the same platform?
- Are GDPR compliance and European data hosting important?
- Is the event in person, virtual, or hybrid?
- Do poster presentations play a central role?
- How important are networking, gamification, and sponsor tools?
- Does your organization also need membership management?
Platforms such as Converia and Ex Ordo provide broad end-to-end support for scholarly conferences. ConfTool is particularly suitable for complex, highly customized workflows. Oxford Abstracts prioritizes ease of use, while Fourwaves specializes in scientific posters. EasyChair focuses on peer review, Whova emphasizes attendee engagement, and Dryfta combines event and association management.
Final Thoughts
There is no single best conference management platform for every academic event. The right choice depends on your review process, event format, participant numbers, publishing requirements, budget, and data-protection obligations.
Before committing to a platform, request a demonstration and test the workflows used by each stakeholder group—including administrators, reviewers, authors, and attendees. A system that works well for all four groups can save organizers substantial time while improving the overall conference experience.
Platform capabilities, integrations, and pricing may change. Confirm current features and terms directly with each provider before making a purchasing decision.