pretalx
8.0#3 in event scheduling softwareFrom €499 a yearFree planWebAPILinuxSelf-hosted
Visitpretalx vs Session Canvas
Session Canvas
6.4#19 in event scheduling softwareFree planFree planWebSelf-hosted
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | pretalx | Session Canvas |
|---|---|---|
| Call for papers | Organisers can brand CFP pages, set multiple deadlines, accept multiple languages and use a custom domain. | Its form builder supports reordered questions, conditional rules, required fields, deadlines, and draft submissions. |
| Hosting | The hosted service includes backups, certificates, updates, operational maintenance, and assistance; self-hosting requires server costs and maintenance. | The site describes the product as self-hosted on the organizer’s own Supabase project. |
| Purpose | pretalx manages conference calls for participation, submission review, talk selection, speaker communication, scheduling, and publishing. | Session Canvas is open-source speaker and session management for conferences, covering calls for papers, reviews, agendas, speaker portals, and communications. |
| Review | Organizers can assemble reviewer teams, collect ratings and reviews, and ask reviewers additional questions. | The review pipeline includes track-based reviewer routing and optional blind review. |
pretalx plans
- Self-hostedFree
- Additional provider services€80, paid once
- Self-hosted support contract€499 a year
- pretalx.com hostingPriced on request
Session Canvas plans
- Open sourceFree
Pick pretalx if…
pretalx suits organizers managing submissions, reviews, speakers, and schedules, from technical conferences to music festivals. It offers a self-hosted option and hosted service.
Pick Session Canvas if…
Session Canvas suits conference organizers who want to manage submissions, reviews, schedules, speakers, and communications in one self-hosted system. It may also suit organizers who need public schedule widgets or optional Airtable synchronization.