Running a CFP shouldn't be this hard. We made it simple.
Collect talks, wrangle reviewers, and build your lineup without the spreadsheet chaos. All features included. Completely free.
What you get
The tools you actually need for a CfP
No fluff, no features you'll never touch. Just the stuff that makes running a call for papers less painful.
Multi-Org Support
Run multiple conferences under different orgs, all from one dashboard. Switch between them in a click.
Smart Evaluation
Custom questions, scoring rubrics, and threaded comments so your review committee can actually discuss proposals.
Speaker Flow
Speakers submit via a link, no account needed. They can edit anytime before the deadline.
Team Roles
Invite reviewers and co-organizers as Owner, Admin, Editor, or Viewer. Everyone sees exactly what they should.
Real-time Analytics
See how many talks came in, which topics are trending, and who on your committee still needs to review.
Speaker Profiles
Each submission builds a speaker profile. See their past talks and topics across all your events.
Webhooks & Integrations
Hook into Slack, Zapier, or your own tools. Every payload is HMAC-signed with auto-retry and delivery logs.
Custom Emails
Edit acceptance, rejection, and notification emails per event with a rich text editor and live preview.
Data Export
Download everything (submissions, reviews, attachments) as a zip with clean CSV files.
Under the hood
Here's what it actually looks like
Speakers submit in minutes, not meetings
No account needed. Speakers click a link, fill in their title, abstract, and bio, and they're done. They can edit anytime before the deadline using a secure link. Multiple submissions across events? No problem. They'll get email updates on their status so they're never left guessing.
Review as a team, not in silos
Your committee scores proposals while custom questions capture what you need: experience level, topic tags, whatever matters. Threaded comments let reviewers hash out the tricky ones right in the app. Role-based access keeps things tidy, and bulk accept/reject lets you close out decisions fast. Webhooks fire on each review so you can pipe updates to Slack or your own tools.
Know where things stand, always
Watch submissions roll in and spot topic gaps early. See exactly which reviewers have done their homework and who's falling behind. Timeline views show where you are relative to your deadline. You can export all the data as CSV if you need it for reports or offline analysis.
See who's submitted before
Every submission adds to a speaker's profile that only your team can see. Check their past talks, accepted proposals, and usual topics before making a decision. It's like having institutional memory built in. Speaker data exports along with everything else when you need it.
Hook it into your workflow
Get pinged in Slack when a submission lands, push data to Zapier, or hit your own API. Every payload is HMAC-signed with automatic retries and delivery logs. Set up an endpoint in seconds from the settings page, no code needed on our side.
Send emails that sound like you
Edit acceptance, rejection, and notification emails with a rich text editor and live preview. Set different templates per event so each conference has its own voice. Your speakers hear from you, not from a generic platform.
Take your data with you
Download submissions, reviews, speaker info, and attachments as a zip with clean CSVs. Filter by date range to grab just what you need. Great for archives, compliance, or feeding your scheduling tool.
Four steps. That's it.
From "we need a CfP" to "talks are picked" in less time than you think.
Create Your Event
Pick a name, set your deadline, and add any custom questions for speakers.
Share Your CFP
Share one link. Speakers submit without creating an account.
Review Together
Your committee scores and discusses proposals with threaded comments.
Make Your Picks
Accept, reject, or waitlist in bulk. Speakers get notified automatically.
Side by side
How we stack up
You've probably looked at Sessionize, Pretalx, and PaperCall. Here's the honest comparison.
| Feature | talkgridRecommended | Sessionize | Pretalx | PaperCall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | $499 USD | €199–€1,949 | $499 USD |
| Reviewers Included | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 free / 20 pro |
| Submissions Included | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | 200 free / unlimited pro |
| Review Workflow | Scoring + threaded comments | Stars, yes/no, comparison | Scoring + reviewer questions | Customizable rating |
| Webhook Integrations | HMAC-signed + retry | — | — | Pro only |
| Custom Email Templates | Fully customizable with variables | Templated speaker emails | Messaging only | |
| Analytics Dashboard | Evaluation statistics | Limited | — | |
| Data Export | CSV + file downloads | Spreadsheet + file ZIP | Schedule export + REST API | Read-only API (pro) |
One price, no tiers
Every feature included. You don't pay until you're ready to publish.
Per Event
- Unlimited submissions per event
- Unlimited reviewers per event
- Multi-reviewer scoring & comments
- Real-time analytics dashboard
- Speaker profiles & submission history
- Team roles (Owner, Admin, Editor, Viewer)
- Public CFP submission page
- Accept / reject / waitlist decisions
- Email notifications to speakers
- Webhook integrations with signed payloads
- Customizable email templates per event
- Full data export (CSV + attachments)
Got questions?
The stuff people usually ask
If yours isn't here, just reach out. We're happy to help.
Your next CfP doesn't have to be a headache
Create your event and publish for free. No subscription, no surprises.