Introduction
Organizing an academic conference involves much more than accepting research papers. Conference organizers need to manage paper submissions, peer reviews, registrations, payments, attendance, certificates, conference websites, and communication in one place.
Several platforms are available for academic conference management, including ScholarMeet.com, EasyChair, and Microsoft CMT. However, their features, workflows, and capabilities can be different.
In this guide, we compare ScholarMeet, EasyChair, and Microsoft CMT across important conference management features to help universities, research institutes, and academic societies choose the right platform.
ScholarMeet.com vs EasyChair vs Microsoft CMT: Feature Comparison
The following comparison highlights key features available for conference organizers and researchers.
| Feature | ScholarMeet.com | EasyChair | Microsoft CMT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Paper Submission | ✅ 100% Free | ❌ Paid for advanced features | ✅ Free |
| Peer Review System | ✅ Built-in RMS | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Conference Website Creation | ✅ Yes | ❌ Limited | ❌ Limited |
| Payment Collection | ✅ Integrated & Free | ❌ Usually External | ❌ Usually External |
| Attendance Tracking | ✅ Included | ❌ Manual | ❌ Limited |
| Automated Certificates | ✅ Yes | ❌ Limited | ⚠️ Limited |
| Journal Linking | ✅ Yes | ❌ Limited | ❌ No |
| Global Conference Listing | ✅ Yes | ❌ Paid | ❌ No |
Feature-by-Feature Breakdown
1. Free Paper Submission
Paper submission is one of the most important parts of an academic conference. Researchers need an easy and accessible way to submit their research papers online.
ScholarMeet.com provides a free paper submission experience for conference participants. Organizers can collect research papers online without requiring authors to use a separate submission system. Learn more about managing research paper submissions.
EasyChair and Microsoft CMT also support academic paper submission, although their pricing and feature structures can vary depending on the conference and services being used.
Why Free Paper Submission Matters
For universities and research societies, reducing submission barriers can help make conferences more accessible to researchers and encourage greater participation.
2. Built-in Peer Review System
Peer review is an essential part of many academic conferences. It allows organizers to assign submitted papers to reviewers and manage the evaluation process.
ScholarMeet includes a built-in review management system, allowing organizers to manage papers and reviews within the same conference platform, including blind peer-review workflows.
EasyChair and Microsoft CMT also provide peer-review functionality. Therefore, all three platforms can support conferences that require academic paper evaluation.
The main difference is how the peer-review process connects with other conference management activities.
3. Conference Website Creation
A professional conference website helps researchers and participants find important event information in one place. A conference website may include:
- Conference dates
- Venue and location
- Important deadlines
- Call for papers
- Registration information
- Speakers and keynote details
- Organizing committee
- Paper submission information
- Contact information
ScholarMeet provides conference website creation as part of its platform. This can reduce the need for organizers to create and maintain a separate website for every academic conference.
4. Integrated Payment Collection
Conference registration often requires organizers to collect payments for different registration categories and services. Examples include:
- Delegate registration
- Student registration
- Author registration
- Workshops
- Additional participants
- Conference packages
ScholarMeet provides integrated payment functionality, allowing organizers to manage conference payments within the platform.
When payment systems are handled separately, organizers may need to connect additional services and manage registration and payment information across multiple systems.
One Platform, Fewer Integrations
An integrated payment workflow can make it easier to connect registration, payment, and participant management.
5. Attendance Tracking
Managing attendance manually can become difficult when an academic conference has hundreds of participants.
ScholarMeet includes attendance tracking, helping organizers maintain participant attendance records digitally. This can be useful for:
- Certificate generation
- Attendance reports
- Participant verification
- Conference records
- Post-conference reporting
Automating attendance management can reduce administrative work for conference organizers.
6. Automated Certificates
Certificates are an important part of many academic conferences. Organizers may need to generate certificates for different types of participants. For example:
- Paper presenters
- Conference participants
- Speakers
- Reviewers
- Session chairs
- Organizing committee members
ScholarMeet provides automated certificate functionality, helping conference organizers reduce the manual work involved in preparing and distributing certificates.
7. Journal Linking
Journal publication can be an important part of research conferences. Selected conference papers may be considered for publication in an academic journal.
ScholarMeet supports journal linking, helping organizers connect conference activities with journal publication opportunities. This can create a more connected academic workflow:
Paper Submission → Peer Review → Conference → Selected Papers → Journal
This type of workflow can be useful for universities, research institutes, and academic societies that organize conferences and publish research.
8. Global Conference Listing
Conference visibility is important for organizers who want to attract researchers and participants from different regions and countries.
ScholarMeet provides a global conference listing, helping organizers promote their academic events to researchers looking for conferences. A conference discovery platform can connect:
Conference Organizers ↔ Researchers & Participants
This can help academic conferences reach a broader audience beyond their own university or organization.
ScholarMeet vs EasyChair vs Microsoft CMT: What Is the Main Difference?
The main difference is the overall scope of each platform. EasyChair and Microsoft CMT are widely used for academic paper submission and peer-review workflows.
ScholarMeet takes a broader approach by combining conference discovery and conference management features.
A typical ScholarMeet conference workflow can include:
- Create Conference
- Conference Website
- Call for Papers
- Paper Submission
- Peer Review
- Registration & Payment
- Attendance Tracking
- Certificate Generation
- Journal Linking
- Global Conference Listing
Which Conference Management Platform Should You Choose?
The right platform depends on the specific requirements of your academic conference.
Choose a Paper-Review-Focused Platform If:
- Your primary requirement is paper submission.
- You mainly need peer-review management.
- Your organization already has a conference website.
- You already use separate systems for registration and payments.
Consider ScholarMeet If:
✓ You want to create a conference website quickly.
✓ You want paper submission and peer review in one platform.
✓ You want integrated registration and payment management.
✓ You need attendance tracking.
✓ You want automated certificates.
✓ You want to connect conferences with journals.
✓ You want your conference listed for researchers globally.
Benefits of Using an Integrated Conference Management Platform
Managing an academic conference using multiple disconnected tools can create additional administrative work. An integrated conference management platform can bring important activities together.
✓ Centralized conference management
✓ Online paper submission
✓ Peer-review management
✓ Online registration
✓ Payment management
✓ Attendance tracking
✓ Automated certificates
✓ Conference website creation
✓ Journal linking
✓ Conference promotion and discovery
Conclusion
Choosing the right conference management software can make a significant difference in how efficiently a university, research institute, or academic society organizes its events.
EasyChair and Microsoft CMT are primarily recognized for academic paper submission and review workflows, while ScholarMeet.com provides a broader conference management experience covering conference creation, paper submission, peer review, registration, payments, attendance, certificates, journal linking, and conference discovery.
For organizations looking for an integrated academic conference management platform, ScholarMeet can be a strong option to consider.
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