SimplyConf

SimplyConf is a WordPress-based system for running academic conferences, workshops, and symposia. It suits organizers who want submissions and event operations on their own site, especially when unlimited core usage matters. The trade-off is assembling paid annual add-ons or choosing a bundle for advanced workflows.

Overview

The free core plugin provides a substantial submission foundation: unlimited events, submissions, users, and authors, plus tracks, custom statuses, custom fields, attachments, and a frontend submission portal. That makes it a practical starting point for departmental workshops and larger symposiums alike, without the submission ceilings common in entry-level plans.

SimplyConf can be self-hosted or managed. A self-hosted installation requires WordPress 6.0 or newer, PHP 7.4 or newer, and MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+; HTTPS is recommended for secure submissions. Self-hosted data remains in the customer's WordPress database, and SimplyConf says it cannot access it. Stripe handles payments, while SimplyConf says card numbers are not stored on its servers. Translation requests contain interface strings rather than submitted content.

Key features

• Submission management: Tracks, custom fields, statuses, file attachments, and a frontend portal support varied calls for papers and mixed submission types. Unlimited users and submissions remove a major capacity constraint.
• Peer review: The Reviews add-on assigns reviewers, supports single- and double-blind processes, defines scoring criteria, detects conflicts, and gives track chairs oversight. It is the essential upgrade for formal academic evaluation, not part of the free core.
• Notifications: Emails adds automated triggers, editable templates with dynamic placeholders, bulk messaging, and mail logs. This is useful for deadline and decision communication, but requires a paid license unless included in a plan.
• Registration and payments: Payments connects Stripe with multiple pricing tiers, discount codes, and automatic invoicing. It fits paid attendance workflows while keeping card data off SimplyConf's servers.
• Schedules: The Schedules add-on builds multi-track programs with rooms and time slots and publishes interactive schedules on the conference website. It is aimed at organizers that need a public program rather than only submission intake.
• Exports: Exports creates PDF abstract books and programs and downloads submission data as CSV, helping with print-ready publication and downstream processing.

The core plugin supports 12 or more languages. Email support promises a 24-hour response time on all plans, supplemented by documentation and video tutorials.

Pricing

SimplyConf Core is free forever at 0.00 USD, with unlimited events, submissions, and users. It is the sensible choice when submission intake is the priority and organizers can operate without built-in reviews, payments, email automation, schedules, or exports.

The Starter Plan costs $19 a month for one event, unlimited submissions, Reviews and Emails add-ons, and basic support. It suits a single active conference, but excludes Payments, Schedules, and Exports. The Pro Plan costs $29 a month for three events, unlimited submissions, all five premium add-ons, and priority support, making it the stronger fit for recurring or multi-event organizers.

Individual add-ons are annual and licensed per site: Schedules and Exports are $29 a year each; Emails is $39 a year; Reviews is $49 a year; Payments is $79 a year. Five-site pricing ranges from 69.00 USD for Schedules or Exports to 199.00 USD for Payments, with unlimited-site prices from 139.00 USD to 379.00 USD respectively. The Professional Bundle is $139 a year for Reviews, Emails, Exports, and Payments. The Premium Bundle is $169 a year for all five add-ons on self-hosted installations. Paid licensing is annual and per site, so organizations managing several WordPress sites should compare bundle and multi-site totals carefully.

Platforms

SimplyConf runs on the web through WordPress and is available as self-hosted software or managed hosting. Self-hosting offers database control but makes WordPress, PHP, database compatibility, and HTTPS part of the operational responsibility.

Who it's for

Choose SimplyConf for academic conferences, workshops, and symposiums that need a WordPress-centered workflow, unlimited core capacity, or control over self-hosted data. It is less suitable for teams seeking a fully hosted service with every workflow included without installation and add-on decisions.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Unlimited events, submissions, users, and authors in the free core support growth without per-submission caps.
• Pro: Reviews covers blind evaluation, conflicts, scoring, and chair oversight for serious academic workflows.
• Pro: Modular add-ons let organizers pay for payment, email, schedule, and export functions they actually need.
• Con: Advanced capabilities are split across annual per-site licenses, which complicates budgeting for multiple installations.
• Con: Self-hosting requires compatible WordPress infrastructure and ongoing site administration.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison, see Event Abstract Management Software and Call for Papers Software.

• Indico is a free, open-source self-hosted option with Android, iOS, API, and web access.
• Fourwaves offers a hosted free tier with 25 abstract submissions per year, unlimited registrations and events, and a 3% service fee.
• ConfTool fits smaller non-commercial events with a free license on request, up to 150 participants, local installation, and no support.
• HotCRP is a free option for ACM- or USENIX-sponsored conferences, journals, and workshops.
• Congressio has a free plan for one active event, 100 submissions, and three team seats.
• OpenConf offers a community edition for three or fewer events and journals per calendar year.
• AbstractWiz provides a free per-event tier capped at 20 submissions.
• Brownbag is a web-based alternative with a free conference tier capped at 100 organizer-view submissions.

Verdict

SimplyConf is a strong choice for WordPress-based academic organizers who value unlimited core submissions and control of self-hosted data. Choose it when modular review, payment, communication, scheduling, and export tools justify the add-on model; look elsewhere if you want a single hosted price with no WordPress administration or per-site licensing.