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Nonprofits · head to head

SignUpGenius vs Submittable

SignUpGenius logo

SignUpGenius

Nonprofits

Online sign-up and scheduling tool

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Submittable logo

Submittable

Nonprofits

Application, review and grant management for funders running open calls at volume

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only SignUpGenius has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: SignUpGenius specific pricing for paid plans is not published on the main site; users must visit the dedicated pricing page to see exact costs; Submittable pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • They diverge on capability: SignUpGenius covers Sign-up forms, Submittable covers Configurable application forms.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which SignUpGenius and Submittable actually diverge.

Attributes where SignUpGenius and Submittable differ
AttributeSignUpGeniusSubmittable
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumquote
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, Mobile-responsiveWeb
Founded2000Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Nonprofits).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in SignUpGenius

  • Sign-up forms
  • Email reminders
  • Volunteer tracking
  • Scheduling
  • Communication
  • Email
  • Google Calendar
  • Web support

Only in Submittable

  • Configurable application forms
  • Blind and multi-stage review
  • Reviewer management
  • Grant payments
  • Impact reporting
  • Applicant messaging
  • API and integrations

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

SignUpGenius

  • Schools and volunteer coordinators organizing sign-up sheets for shifts, events, and potlucksnot Submittable

Submittable

  • A foundation running an open grant round where a volunteer panel must score hundreds of applications without seeing applicant identitiesnot SignUpGenius
  • A corporate giving team collecting employee-nominated grant requests and needing an audit trail for financenot SignUpGenius
  • An arts council managing fellowship and residency applications with multi-stage juriesnot SignUpGenius
  • A city agency distributing relief funds and required to show equitable review and decision recordsnot SignUpGenius

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

SignUpGenius

  • Specific pricing for paid plans is not published on the main site; users must visit the dedicated pricing page to see exact costs

Submittable

  • Pricing is not published and tier jumps are steep, so an organisation that grows past a submission or form limit can face a renewal quote well above the previous year with limited negotiating room mid-programme.
  • It is built around the application funnel rather than the funder's relationship with grantees, so long-term relationship management, pledge tracking and multi-year commitments are weaker than in a purpose-built grants CRM.
  • Applicant-facing forms are constrained by the platform's templates, and organisations wanting a fully branded application experience on their own domain will find the customisation shallow.
  • Reporting is serviceable for programme counts but limited for board-level financial reporting, so many finance teams still export to spreadsheets to reconcile awards against the general ledger.
  • Payment disbursement capability varies by tier and region, and organisations funding recipients outside the United States often still pay grants through their bank rather than through the platform.

Pricing, plan by plan

SignUpGenius

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic sign-up forms
    • Email reminders
  • Premium$19.99/month
    • Advanced customization
    • No ads
    • Premium support

Submittable

On request
  • Submittable$undefined/year
    • Application forms and applicant portal
    • Reviewer workflow and scoring rubrics
    • Grant award and reporting modules on higher tiers

Which should you pick?

Choose SignUpGenius if

  • You need sign-up forms.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Mobile-responsive.
  • You also want email reminders.
SignUpGenius review

Choose Submittable if

  • You need configurable application forms.
  • You also want blind and multi-stage review.
Submittable review

Questions people ask

Is SignUpGenius or Submittable better?
Neither clearly leads. SignUpGenius starts at Free and Submittable at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, SignUpGenius or Submittable?
SignUpGenius has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for SignUpGenius and On request for Submittable.
Does SignUpGenius or Submittable run on more platforms?
SignUpGenius runs on Web, Mobile-responsive. Submittable runs on Web.
Can I use SignUpGenius for free?
Yes. SignUpGenius has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Submittable starts at On request.
What is SignUpGenius best used for?
SignUpGenius is most often used for schools and volunteer coordinators organizing sign-up sheets for shifts, events, and potlucks. Of those, schools and volunteer coordinators organizing sign-up sheets for shifts, events, and potlucks is not what Submittable is typically brought in for.
What can SignUpGenius do that Submittable cannot?
SignUpGenius covers Sign-up forms, Email reminders, Volunteer tracking, Scheduling. Submittable covers Configurable application forms, Blind and multi-stage review, Reviewer management, Grant payments.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

SignUpGenius: Does SignUpGenius offer a free plan?

Yes. SignUpGenius is free to start with no credit card required. The free plan includes core signup functionality without monthly fees.

Source
Submittable: What does Submittable actually cost?

It is not published. Reported entry points are in the low thousands of dollars a year, with price driven by submission volume, number of forms and seats. Get the tier limits written into the contract before signing.

SignUpGenius: What do paid SignUpGenius plans include?

Paid plans add more customization options, higher communication limits, and the ability to remove ads from your signup pages. Standard payment processing fees apply to payments collected through the platform.

Source
Submittable: Is it a grants management system or a submission manager?

Both, depending on tier. The review side is its strength. Award tracking, payments and grantee reporting sit on higher tiers and are less deep than a dedicated grants CRM.

Submittable: Can reviewers work anonymously?

Yes. Blind review, staged rounds and conflict of interest flagging are core features rather than paid extras.

Submittable: Is there a nonprofit discount?

Nonprofit pricing exists but is applied inside the quote rather than published as a percentage, so compare quotes rather than assuming a standard rate.

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