Fourwaves

Overview

Fourwaves is an event-management service for academic conferences, especially suited to universities, scientific societies and research networks handling submissions as well as attendee logistics. Its strongest case is a connected workflow from abstract review through the conference program and mobile app; the yearly submission caps and 3% service fee deserve close attention before committing.

Key features

Submissions and peer review

Forms support calls for papers and abstracts, while abstract books can be exported with an author index. Single- and double-blind review, conflict detection and custom scoring grids give organizers useful control over evaluation. That makes Fourwaves a compelling fit for research events with formal review processes, rather than simply a place to publish an event page.

Event operations and attendee app

Fourwaves combines submissions with registration, event websites and programs. Session tracks, room scheduling and speaker management extend its reach into conference operations, and hybrid event support is included. Its iOS and Android app offers the program, personal agendas, participant lists and presentation materials, with offline access—a practical advantage for attendees who may not have a reliable connection during an event.

Integrations, payments and data protection

The API uses organization-specific keys and provides endpoints for event, registration, form, submission and session data. Payment gateways include Stripe, PayPal, Global Payments, TouchNet, Moneris, Worldline (Bambora) and Authorize.net. The privacy policy says personal data is encrypted at rest and protected by measures proportionate to its sensitivity. Its data processing agreement addresses GDPR, UK GDPR, PIPEDA and CCPA, among other applicable laws.

Pricing

Fourwaves uses a freemium model. Starter costs nothing, billed $0 USD / year, and includes unlimited registrations and events, but caps yearly abstract submissions at 25. The pricing page lists a 3% service fee. AI, chat and email support are included. It is a reasonable starting point for a small event, but a low submission ceiling can quickly make it unsuitable for a busy annual conference.

Essential costs $999 a year, billed $999 USD / year, and raises the yearly cap to 100 submissions while retaining unlimited registrations and events and the 3% service fee. It is the entry paid tier for organizations whose submission volume exceeds Starter's limit.

Advanced costs $2,599 a year, billed $2,599 USD / year, and allows 300 yearly submissions, with unlimited registrations and events and the same 3% service fee. An onboarding call is included. This is the more suitable published tier for larger review workloads, though the fee remains a cost to account for alongside the annual price.

Pro has custom pricing, with a custom number of events, custom submission volume and custom service fee. It is the option for organizations whose needs do not fit the fixed tiers. When a yearly submission cap is reached, new submissions pause until the organization upgrades; existing submissions, registrations and event websites remain accessible. That safeguard preserves ongoing event work, but organizers should size their plan to avoid interrupting a call for papers.

Platforms

Fourwaves supports web, Android, iOS and API access. The mobile apps carry conference information offline, while the API supports organization-level integration with event and submission data.

Who it's for

Fourwaves is best suited to academic and scientific event organizers who need submission review and conference administration together, particularly those running recurring events or managing programs with tracks, rooms and speakers. The free tier can suit a modest submission count; organizers expecting more than 25 abstracts should budget for a paid plan. Those needing an unlimited or unusually large submission volume should compare the custom Pro option with alternatives before choosing.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Review tools fit scholarly workflows: blind-review options, conflict detection and custom scoring grids support structured evaluation.
• One service covers key conference stages: submissions, registration, websites and programs are joined by scheduling, speaker management and hybrid event support.
• Attendee app works offline: program, agenda, participant list and presentation materials remain useful without a live connection.
• Free tier includes unlimited events and registrations: organizers can use the service without those counts limiting them, provided they stay within 25 yearly abstract submissions.

Cons

• Submission limits vary sharply by plan: the fixed tiers stop at 25, 100 and 300 yearly abstracts, and reaching a cap pauses new submissions until an upgrade.
• Paid plans add a 3% service fee: organizers need to factor that charge into the plan's $999 or $2,599 annual cost.
• Pro pricing is custom: organizations needing a tailored event count or submission volume cannot compare its price directly with the fixed annual tiers.

Alternatives

For a narrower focus on abstracts and calls for papers, compare event abstract management software and call for papers software. If speaker coordination or agenda logistics are the priority, speaker management software and event scheduling software provide category-specific options.

ConfTool is worth considering for smaller non-commercial events that can work within its free license limit of 150 participants and local installation, without support. HotCRP is an alternative for ACM- or USENIX-sponsored conferences, journals and workshops. SimplyConf offers a free Core plan with unlimited events, submissions and users, which may suit organizers prioritizing those uncapped quantities. Congressio may fit a single active event with up to 100 submissions and three team seats on its free plan. EasyChair is an option for a small conference that can stay within 20 submissions on its free plan. Oxford Abstracts offers a free Basic plan with unlimited submissions, review and decisions, ticketing, reviewer progress tracking, and customizable forms and emails. Sciencesconf is a free option intended primarily for scientific events. Microsoft CMT is a free service for managing academic conferences.

Verdict

Choose Fourwaves if you want abstract review, conference operations and an offline-capable attendee app in one service, and your submission volume fits a published cap or a custom Pro plan. The review controls and breadth of event tools are its strongest reasons to choose it. Look elsewhere if a 3% service fee, the annual price of paid plans or the risk of hitting a submission cap does not suit your event.