Overview

Campaign formats range from raffles and photo contests to social giveaways, caption contests and user-generated-content campaigns. Entry options include email subscriptions, social follows and visits, comments, shares, hashtags, video actions, quizzes, file uploads, coupon codes, Discord entries and event actions. That range works well for promotions built around several kinds of participation; the Free plan’s one repeat action and 10-winner cap may constrain campaigns with more elaborate rules.

Owners can select winners randomly, use a most-entries leaderboard or, on Pro and above, choose manually. Voting and moderation tools, analytics and reporting, fraud detection and smart CAPTCHA help manage participation. Competitions can be embedded on websites, blogs, Shopify, Linktree and contest landing pages, or shown in overlays.

Key features

Gleam supports campaigns across networks including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter/X, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, Snapchat, Twitch, Telegram, Discord, SoundCloud, Spotify and Goodreads. Custom forms and first-party data collection make it relevant when a promotion should gather information as well as entries. Custom CSS, file uploads and SMS verification are reserved for higher tiers, so teams needing branded or more controlled campaigns should budget accordingly.

Integrations include ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Salesforce and Shopify. Zapier is available from Pro, but currently requires a Subscribe to Newsletter action, which limits its usefulness for workflows centered on other entry actions. Gleam reports a completed SOC 2 Type II audit with no noted exceptions and a clean opinion; it also states that stored data uses AES-256 encryption, transmitted data uses TLS 1.2, and passwords are hashed with BCrypt. Its AWS infrastructure includes daily snapshots, multiple Oregon availability zones and disaster recovery in Ohio.

Pricing

The Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and allows unlimited campaigns and entries, but caps each campaign at 10 winners, one repeat action and one team member. It is a sensible way to run smaller promotions, though the winner and repeat-action limits can quickly become restrictive.

Hobby costs 29.00 USD per month and raises the winner allowance to 15, includes four prizes and permits two repeat actions. It also unlocks entry data, making it a more practical fit for a small business that needs participant information. Pro costs 59.00 USD per month and includes 50 winners, 10 prizes, five repeat actions, manual winner selection, location restrictions and 25+ languages. It is the more appropriate tier for campaigns with geographic rules or multilingual audiences; Zapier also starts here.

Business costs 179.00 USD per month and supports 250 winners, 25 prizes and three team members, with custom CSS, custom fields, event mode, file uploads and SMS verification. It fits teams running larger or more tailored campaigns. Premium costs 499.00 USD per month and raises those limits to 500 winners, 50 prizes and five team members; it adds webhooks, custom SMTP, API beta and leaderboard embed. Those additions are aimed at larger operations that need more integration and display options. All plans include 24/7 email support, with priority support for paying customers.

Platforms

Gleam Competitions is available on web and through an API. Its publishing options include website and blog embeds, Shopify, Linktree, contest landing pages and overlays.

Who it's for

Bloggers, online stores, agencies, marketing managers and publishers can use Gleam to build campaigns around social actions, data collection or user submissions. It is a stronger fit for operators who need multiple entry formats and destinations than for someone seeking a bare-bones giveaway tool with generous winner allowances at no cost.

Pros and cons

Pros: A broad mix of campaign formats, entry actions and social networks supports promotions beyond simple follows.
Pros: Random, leaderboard-based and manual winner selection, plus voting and moderation, gives campaign owners several ways to run and oversee contests.
Pros: Embedding across sites, Shopify, Linktree, landing pages and overlays offers flexible placement.
Cons: Free limits campaigns to 10 winners, one repeat action and one team member, which can force an upgrade as rules or teams grow.
Cons: Zapier requires Pro or above and a Subscribe to Newsletter action, so it may not suit every automation setup.
Cons: Custom CSS and several advanced tools sit on Business or Premium, making extensive customization a higher-cost commitment.

Alternatives

Social Media Contest Software and Lead Capture Software are category lists for comparing options by campaign focus. Choose SweepWidget if Android and iOS support or a free hosted landing page matters; its Free plan allows 10 user entries. Choose Woobox if its Free plan’s 1 Live Site and monthly submit and view quotas fit the campaign. Easypromos is a paid alternative with a free trial and a Basic Plan at 29.00 USD per month. KickoffLabs offers a Free mini-campaign for 100 uniques per month and a Hobby plan at 13.00 USD per month billed annually. Socialman is another freemium option with a free Basic plan. PromoSimple offers a free plan limited to 50 entrants and seven days. Contestit offers a free plan with one giveaway and 500 participants per month. Simpliers is a freemium option with a free allowance of up to 200 entries per giveaway.

Verdict

Gleam Competitions is a strong choice for marketers and publishers who need varied entry mechanics, flexible winner selection and multiple publishing destinations in one campaign tool. Its main drawback is that winner, prize, team and repeat-action ceilings rise by plan, while Zapier has both a tier and action requirement. Choose it when campaign flexibility justifies those limits; look elsewhere if a small, inexpensive contest is the priority.

	Gleam Competitions	ShortStack
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	$10/mo	$24/mo
Open source	No	No
Platforms	api, Web	api, Web
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Paid from	—	24 /mo
A/B testing	—	Yes
Webhooks	—	Yes

Gleam Competitions vs ShortStack

Gleam Competitions

ShortStack