Best Abstract Management Software: 8 Compared

The best abstract management software depends on how heavy your peer review is. For academic and scientific conferences, Oxford Abstracts, Ex Ordo and Fourwaves are built around submissions and review, while Confex suits large society meetings with complex scheduling. Cvent and Sessionboard fit organizations that want the call for papers inside a wider event or content platform, OpenWater suits associations that also run awards and grants, and Map D fits conferences with an exhibit hall that want abstracts, speakers and the floor plan in one workspace.

Map D publishes this post and includes its own product in it, which is a conflict of interest. Map D is listed last, with the same best-for, strengths and limitations format as every other entry, because its call for papers is one module in a show platform rather than a dedicated peer review system. If your call is for industry session proposals rather than formal abstracts, read our guide to running a call for speakers first.

How We Chose

We included products whose own websites describe abstract collection and peer review as a core feature. Each was judged on the questions a program committee has to answer:

• Submission: how flexible the form is, what it can collect (abstracts, full papers, posters, panels) and whether authors need an account.
• Review: reviewer assignment, scoring, blind review, conflict checks and whether multiple review rounds are supported.
• Decisions: how decisions are released to authors and how much control the committee keeps.
• Program hand-off: whether accepted abstracts become sessions and speakers without retyping.
• Around the call: registration, abstract books, apps and integrations.
• Pricing transparency: whether the vendor publishes pricing or quotes. We do not state any competitor price, because published rates change.

Every product claim below comes from the vendor's own website, checked in November 2026, not from review sites. Features and plans change, so confirm anything that matters with the vendor before you sign.

The 8 Best Abstract Management Software Tools

1. Oxford Abstracts

According to its website, checked November 2026, Oxford Abstracts sells academic conference software in two products: abstract management on its own, and a fuller academic conference package.

• Best for: Academic conferences that want submissions, review and decisions first, with the option to add ticketing and a program.
• Strength: Customisable submission forms and multi-stage submissions, with bulk reviewer assignment by category, reviewer auto-save and reminder emails.
• Strength: Instant abstract books, certificates and reports, plus integrated ticketing through Stripe and PayPal.
• Strength: The conference package adds a program builder, attendee networking, an interactive poster gallery and exhibitor options.
• Strength: Pricing is published on its home page, with a tier for small meetings.
• Limitation: Its exhibitor options sit inside an academic conference product, so a show with a large exhibit hall and booth sales should check how far they go.

2. Ex Ordo

Ex Ordo describes its software as built for painless peer review at scientific, medical and technical conferences.

• Best for: Research conferences and societies that want one vendor for submissions, review and registration.
• Strength: A custom submission form for abstracts, papers, speaker proposals and symposia or panels, with reviewer matching and progress tracking.
• Strength: Registration designed for research conferences, with card payments and bank transfers, and messaging and reminders for authors, reviewers and delegates.
• Strength: Add-ons for a conference programme, a book of proceedings and a mobile conference app, plus virtual and hybrid delivery with content kept available after the event.
• Limitation: Pricing is quote-only. Its pricing page asks for your details and sends a price.
• Limitation: The programme, proceedings and app are listed as add-ons, so price the full package you need.

3. Fourwaves

Fourwaves calls itself an all-in-one platform for academic conferences and research communities, from society meetings to departmental research days.

• Best for: University departments, research networks and societies that want a self-serve tool with a branded event website.
• Strength: Single and double-blind review workflows with conflict-of-interest detection when assigning reviewers.
• Strength: A book of abstracts export with an author index, plus virtual poster sessions for remote attendees.
• Strength: Registration with payments in multiple currencies, name badges and certificates, and an Event Assistant that checks your setup before publishing.
• Strength: Self-serve pricing is published on its website.
• Limitation: Its website notes a card-payment fee on top of gateway fees, so registration-heavy events should factor that into the comparison.

4. Confex

Confex sells conference planning software covering abstract collection, peer review and program scheduling, aimed at associations and their program chairs.

• Best for: Large association and society meetings with many tracks, chairs and scheduling constraints.
• Strength: Its conference planning page describes unlimited reviewers and review criteria, blinded review, automatic reviewer assignment, conflict checking and multi-round review.
• Strength: Scheduling tools include a grid scheduler, conflict and overbooking warnings, a duplicate presenters report and room capacity warnings, with output to a finished program.
• Strength: It can charge a fee at submission and also handles manuscript review and award applications.
• Limitation: Pricing is not published on its product pages.
• Limitation: The depth of scheduling and logistics tools is more than a small meeting needs.

5. Cvent Abstract Management

Cvent Abstract Management is a module that connects to Cvent's event management platform, so accepted submissions can move into the event agenda and attendee registration.

• Best for: Organizations that already run registration and events on Cvent.
• Strength: Customizable, mobile-friendly forms for abstracts, sessions, papers or awards, with consent questions and automated invitations, confirmations and reminders.
• Strength: Reviewers assigned by topic, track or expertise score, vote and comment in a reviewer portal, and planners accept or reject in bulk.
• Strength: Sessions can be created from accepted submissions and opened for attendee registration.
• Limitation: Pricing is not shown on its abstract management page.
• Limitation: The main advantage is the link to Cvent Event Management. If your registration lives elsewhere, ask how the hand-off would work.

6. Sessionboard

Sessionboard positions itself as a platform that runs event programs from the first abstract through follow-up, for associations, medical and scientific organizations, trade shows and corporate teams.

• Best for: Content-heavy programs that want call for papers, speaker management and post-event content in one place.
• Strength: Call for papers with grading, abstract management and an AI Reviewer agent that pre-scores submissions against your rubric.
• Strength: Speaker portals, tasks, reminders and a speaker CRM, plus posters and ePosters, awards and webinars.
• Strength: A program website, session embeds, an event app, learning with CME credit and integrations with registration, AMS and LMS systems.
• Limitation: Pricing is quote-only, with Pro and Enterprise levels on its pricing page.
• Limitation: It is a broad program platform. If you only need a single call for papers, compare it with the dedicated tools above.

7. OpenWater

OpenWater sells application and review management software, with abstract software as one of its platform modules alongside awards, grants and scholarships.

• Best for: Associations, foundations and universities that run abstracts and other judged programs on one platform.
• Strength: A drag-and-drop form builder with attachments and conditional logic, and review rubrics with multiple judges per submission.
• Strength: A session builder for approved abstracts, public conference calendars and a mobile app.
• Strength: An integrations hub that lists more than 60 systems, including iMIS, Salesforce and Higher Logic.
• Limitation: Pricing is not published. Its site offers a demo request.
• Limitation: Registration is not described on its abstract management page, so plan how attendees will register.

8. Map D

Map D runs floor plans, booth sales, exhibitors, speakers and schedules for trade shows, expos and conferences. Its Call for Papers module, documented in the Map D help center, sits beside the speakers and schedule.

• Best for: Conferences with an exhibit hall where the same team runs the call for papers, the program and booth sales.
• Strength: Authors submit on a public form, linked or embedded on your site, without creating an account, and get a reference number and a private link to check status, edit or withdraw.
• Strength: Sessions, presentation types such as Oral and Poster, word and author limits, custom questions, consent text and an optional PDF or Word upload.
• Strength: Chairs and reviewers per session, optional 1 to 5 scoring, blind review for reviewers and optionally chairs, conflict exclusion and automatic reviewer reminders.
• Strength: Decisions released in a batch with editable emails, then Add accepted to schedule turns accepted talks into sessions and presenting authors into speakers.
• Limitation: Its help center does not describe multiple review rounds, automatic reviewer assignment, submission fees or abstract book generation. If you need those, the dedicated tools above fit better.
• Limitation: Call for Papers is switched on per show by your Map D contact rather than self-serve.

See the full workflow on our abstract management software page.

Comparison Summary

• Oxford Abstracts: academic submissions, review and abstract books, with ticketing and a program builder. Publishes pricing.
• Ex Ordo: peer review and research-conference registration, with programme and proceedings add-ons. Pricing by quote.
• Fourwaves: self-serve academic platform with double-blind review and virtual posters. Publishes pricing.
• Confex: deep review and scheduling for large association meetings. Pricing not published.
• Cvent: abstract module tied to Cvent registration and agendas. Pricing not shown on its module page.
• Sessionboard: program platform with AI pre-scoring and speaker management. Pricing by quote.
• OpenWater: abstracts plus awards, grants and scholarships for associations. Pricing not published.
• Map D: call for papers beside the floor plan, speakers and schedule. Publishes its plan prices.

Where Map D Is Not the Right Choice

If your conference has no exhibit hall, Map D's main strengths, the floor plan and booth sales, do not apply. A dedicated academic tool such as Oxford Abstracts, Ex Ordo or Fourwaves will give you more review options for the money. If your committee runs two or more review rounds, needs reviewers assigned automatically, charges a submission fee or publishes a book of proceedings, pick a tool that documents those features. If you already register attendees on Cvent, its own abstract module keeps everything in one system.

How to Choose Abstract Management Software

Start with the submission form

List what authors must provide before you look at tools: title and word limits, author and affiliation fields, keywords, presentation type, a full paper or poster file, and consent to publish. Our conference abstract template gives you a starting structure. Then check each tool can enforce those limits on the form, so chairs are not reviewing abstracts of wildly different lengths.

Map your review process

Write down who reviews what, how many reviewers each abstract needs, whether review is blind, and whether there is a second round. Ask each vendor to show conflict-of-interest handling and what reviewers see on screen. Committees of volunteers need a simple reviewer view and automatic reminders more than they need advanced statistics.

Check the hand-off to the program

The biggest time saving often comes after decisions. Ask whether accepted abstracts become sessions and speaker profiles automatically, and whether authors can add a bio and headshot themselves. If the program is built in a separate conference management system, ask how data moves across and whether it can be re-run without duplicates.

Decide what else must live in the same tool

Some committees only need abstracts. Others want registration, a mobile app, an abstract book, CME credit or an exhibit hall in the same system. Each extra module narrows the list, so rank them by how much manual work they would remove for your team.

Compare pricing models, not headline figures

Some vendors publish per-event or annual plans, some add a fee on payments, and others quote per conference. Get a quote for the full configuration, including add-ons, and ask what happens to cost if submissions double next year.

Running a Smooth Call for Papers

• Publish dates early. Announce the open, close, edit and decision dates together, and plan for an extension request.
• Set a reply-to address. Authors reply to confirmation and decision emails, so make sure those replies reach a person.
• Brief reviewers once. A one-page scoring guide keeps scores comparable across reviewers.
• Hold decisions until the program is balanced. Release accept and decline emails in one batch rather than as chairs decide.
• Collect speaker details straight away. Ask accepted authors for bios and headshots while they are excited, and keep a speaker management checklist for travel, slides and deadlines.