How we make this list: we compare pricing pages, product documentation and public user reviews. Ratings come from G2, Capterra or Trustpilot, with the date we checked them.
Key takeaways
- SweepWidget and Woorise suit small teams best, because both offer free plans, many entry methods, and simple embeds.
- KingSumo is the cheapest paid route for a one-off list-building giveaway, with a one-time price instead of a monthly subscription.
- RafflePress and ShortStack suit WordPress sites and agencies respectively, since one lives inside WordPress and the other offers deeper campaign design.
- UpViral and Wishpond fit brands that want referral mechanics or a wider marketing suite, but both cost more and need more setup time.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Best for | Starting price | Free plan |
|---|
 SweepWidget | Simple cross-platform giveaways | $29 per user/month | Yes |
 KingSumo | One-off email list giveaways | $49 one-time | No |
 RafflePress | WordPress giveaways | See website | Yes |
 Woorise | Lead generation campaigns | $29 per user/month | Yes |
 ShortStack | Agency contests and landing pages | $79 per user/month | No |
 Woobox | Social contests and landing pages | $37 per user/month | Yes |
 Wishpond | Marketing suite with contests | $49 per user/month | Free trial |
 UpViral | Viral referral campaigns | $99 per user/month | Free trial |
 Easypromos | Social promotions and instant wins | $29 per user/month | No |
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
The best Gleam alternatives
#1SweepWidget
Best for: Simple cross-platform giveaways4.8/5 on
G2 (20 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit sweepwidget.com
Starting price$29 per user/month
Free planYes
SweepWidget is the closest low-friction replacement for a basic Gleam giveaway. You create a campaign, add entry actions for email, social follows, visits, and referrals, then embed the widget on your site or share a hosted page. The free plan already allows unlimited campaigns and entries, which makes it easy to run a first giveaway without paying. Paid plans remove branding, raise limits, and add fraud screening and analytics.
Design is the main weakness. Templates look functional rather than polished, and brands that want a fully custom campaign page may need extra styling work. SweepWidget also lacks the wider marketing suite that Wishpond offers. For a blogger, small shop, or creator who wants a giveaway live this week, those limits matter less than speed, price, and the breadth of entry methods.
What we like- Free plan with unlimited campaigns
- More than 90 entry methods
- Leaderboards and referral sharing
Watch out for- Design options feel dated
- Advanced analytics sit on paid plans
#2KingSumo
Best for: One-off email list giveaways3.4/5 on
G2 (15 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit kingsumo.com
Starting price$49 one-time
Free planNo
KingSumo keeps giveaways deliberately simple. You set a prize, add a few entry actions, and share the page. Entrants earn extra entries by referring friends, which is the mechanic that made KingSumo popular with creators building an email list. At a $49 one-time price for the paid version, it costs less over a year than almost any monthly tool on this list, and there is no subscription to cancel after the campaign ends.
Simplicity cuts both ways. You get little control over page design, few integrations beyond common email tools, and basic reporting. Teams that run giveaways every month, or that need photo contests, voting, or instant wins, will outgrow KingSumo quickly. For a single product launch or book launch, though, it is hard to beat on price and speed.
What we like- One-time price with no monthly fee
- Fast setup
- Referral entries that reward sharing
Watch out for- Minimal design control
- Few integrations
- Limited analytics
Starting priceSee website
Free planYes
RafflePress is the natural pick when your site already runs on WordPress. It installs as a plugin, so giveaways live inside your site and your email list, rather than on a third-party page. The drag-and-drop builder offers templates for common goals, such as growing an email list, gaining social followers, or launching a product. Viral sharing, fraud protection, and email integrations are built in, which covers the core needs of most WordPress giveaways.
The catch is scope. If you do not use WordPress, RafflePress is not an option. The free version also limits templates and entry actions, so many users will need a paid licence for a serious campaign. Check the current licence terms on the vendor site, since tiers and prices have changed over time. For WordPress owners, the native fit and template range still make it a strong Gleam alternative.
What we like- Built for WordPress with drag-and-drop builder
- Giveaway templates
- Viral sharing and fraud protection
Watch out for- Full features need a paid licence
- WordPress only
- Pricing tiers can confuse first buyers
Starting price$29 per user/month
Free planYes
Woorise blends giveaways with lead generation. Alongside contests and sweepstakes, it offers landing pages, forms, and surveys, so a campaign can collect leads, ask a qualifying question, and enter respondents in a draw in one flow. Integrations with Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign, HubSpot, and Zapier help move entrants into an email sequence without manual exports. A free plan lets small teams test the builder before paying.
Free plan limits matter. Entry counts and features are capped, so a campaign that goes viral may hit a ceiling quickly. Design flexibility is also below ShortStack, which offers deeper custom pages for agencies. Woorise fits best when the goal is leads first and a prize second, rather than a pure social contest. For that job, the combination of forms and giveaways in one price is useful.
What we like- Free plan for small campaigns
- Giveaways, forms, and landing pages in one tool
- Many integrations
Watch out for- Entry limits on the free plan
- Design depth below ShortStack
#5ShortStack
Best for: Agency contests and landing pages4.5/5 on
G2 (84 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit shortstack.com
Starting price$79 per user/month
Free planNo
ShortStack suits teams that build many different campaign types. Its drag-and-drop builder supports giveaways, photo contests, video contests, quizzes, voting, and instant wins, with landing pages that can be styled in detail. Agencies value the white-label and client management options, which let them run campaigns for several brands from one account. That flexibility explains why ShortStack appears in agency shortlists even when cheaper tools exist.
The price and learning curve are the trade-offs. Starting near $79 per month billed annually, it costs more than SweepWidget or Woorise, and new users need time to learn the builder. There is no generous free plan for full campaigns. ShortStack earns its price when you run varied contests, need custom pages, or manage clients. For a single simple giveaway, a cheaper tool will finish the job faster.
What we like- Flexible campaign builder
- Photo, video, and voting contests
- White-label options for agencies
Watch out for- Higher starting price
- Steeper learning curve
- No free plan for full campaigns
#6Woobox
Best for: Social contests and landing pages3.7/5 on
G2 (32 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit woobox.com
Starting price$37 per user/month
Free planYes
Woobox has served social marketers for years with a practical set of campaign types. It supports sweepstakes, photo contests, polls, quizzes, and coupons, with landing pages and forms for lead capture. Social entry actions cover the main networks, and the free plan allows small campaigns with up to 100 participants, which is enough to test the tool. Paid plans raise participant limits and remove branding.
The interface shows its age next to SweepWidget and Woorise, and the free plan limit means growing campaigns must upgrade early. Woobox also lacks the referral depth of UpViral. Its strength is steady, social-first campaign work for small and mid-size brands that want polls and coupons alongside giveaways. If that mix matches your plan, Woobox is a dependable, mid-priced option.
What we like- Social-focused contests and polls
- Landing pages and forms
- Free plan for small campaigns
Watch out for- Entry limits on the free plan
- Interface feels older than newer rivals
#7Wishpond
Best for: Marketing suite with contests3.6/5 on
G2 (180 reviews, checked Oct 2026)
Visit wishpond.com
Starting price$49 per user/month
Free planFree trial
Wishpond is a wider marketing platform that includes contests, rather than a contest-only tool. Alongside sweepstakes and photo contests, it offers landing page builders, popups, forms, and email automation. That breadth helps a small business that wants one subscription for lead capture, contests, and follow-up emails. Templates speed up setup, and lead management keeps entrants in one place instead of spread across exports.
Breadth brings cost and complexity. Pricing depends on plan and lead volume, so check the current price for your list size before you commit. Teams that only need a giveaway may also find Wishpond more program than they need. Choose Wishpond when contests are part of a broader lead generation plan, not when a single giveaway is the whole job.
What we like- Contests plus landing pages, forms, and email tools
- Many templates
- Lead management built in
Watch out for- Price rises with leads and features
- Contest tools alone may feel less focused
Starting price$99 per user/month
Free planFree trial
UpViral focuses on referral-driven growth. Entrants earn points and leaderboard positions by sharing, and campaign owners can reward milestones as well as a final winner. That structure suits product launches and list-building campaigns where sharing is the main goal, not just a bonus entry. Fraud screening helps filter bot entries, and email integrations move leads into a sequence quickly.
The cost and setup time set UpViral apart from KingSumo and SweepWidget. At around $99 per month, it needs a campaign with real lead value to justify the price. Building a points system also takes more planning than a simple enter-to-win draw. Brands that run referral campaigns regularly, and that can measure lead value, will benefit most. Occasional giveaway users should start cheaper.
What we like- Strong referral and leaderboard mechanics
- Fraud screening
- Integrations with email platforms
Watch out for- High starting price
- Setup takes longer than simple giveaway tools
Starting price$29 per user/month
Free planNo
Easypromos covers promotion types that simpler giveaway tools skip. Alongside sweepstakes, it offers instant win games, scratch cards, advent calendars, photo and video contests, and surveys. That range helps brands that run seasonal campaigns or want a game mechanic rather than a plain draw. Social integrations and multilingual support also suit brands with audiences in several countries.
There is no free plan for full campaigns, so testing requires a paid plan or a limited offer. The breadth of options can also overwhelm a first-time user, since each promotion type has its own settings. Easypromos fits brands that run varied promotions through the year and need instant wins or games. For a single basic giveaway, SweepWidget or KingSumo will be faster and cheaper.
What we like- Many promotion types including instant wins and advent calendars
- Social network integrations
- Multilingual support
Watch out for- No free plan for full campaigns
- Interface can feel complex for a first campaign
How we chose
We compared vendor pricing pages, product documentation, and public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Reddit, and we checked each tool for entry methods, free plan limits, integrations, and campaign types. We favoured tools that are still available, that state their pricing clearly, and that fit a distinct use case, from one-off list building to agency contests and referral campaigns. We did not claim hands-on testing, and we avoided tools with unclear ownership or broken signup pages.
We also weighed fit by team size and frequency. A creator running one giveaway needs a different tool from an agency running contests for clients, so the list mixes free, one-time, and monthly tools rather than ranking on price alone. Where a price could not be confirmed on the vendor site at the time of writing, we wrote See website instead of guessing.
Running a giveaway that actually grows your list
Pick a prize your buyers want, not a generic prize
A high-value generic prize, such as a tablet, attracts entrants who will never buy from you. A prize tied to your product, such as a bundle, a subscription, or a store credit, attracts people who already care about what you sell. That smaller, better-matched list will outperform a large list of prize hunters when you send the first follow-up email.
Verify entries and plan the follow-up before launch
Turn on fraud screening where the tool offers it, and require an email confirmation for entry if your email platform supports it. Write the follow-up sequence before launch: a thank-you email, a consolation offer for non-winners, and a clear next step. Many giveaways fail not because entries were low, but because nobody planned what happened after the winner was drawn.
Check the rules for your country and platform
Sweepstakes rules vary by country and state, and social networks have their own promotion policies. Add clear terms, eligibility, start and end dates, and a method for picking a winner. Keep a record of entries and the draw, and announce the winner in the way your terms promise. A short legal check before launch avoids problems that can cost more than the prize.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free Gleam alternative?
SweepWidget offers the most generous free plan on this list, with unlimited campaigns and many entry methods. Woorise and Woobox also offer free plans, but with entry or participant limits. For a first giveaway on a tight budget, start with SweepWidget and upgrade only when branding or limits become an issue.
Is KingSumo really a one-time purchase?
KingSumo offers a paid version at a one-time price, historically $49, with no monthly fee for that licence. Check the current offer on the vendor site before you buy, since pricing and included features can change. The one-time model suits one-off campaigns, while monthly tools suit teams that run giveaways regularly.
Which Gleam alternative is best for WordPress?
RafflePress, because it runs as a WordPress plugin and keeps giveaways inside your site. It offers templates, viral sharing, and email integrations for WordPress users. If your site does not use WordPress, SweepWidget or Woorise will be easier to embed and manage.
How do I stop bots from entering my giveaway?
Use a tool with fraud screening, require email confirmation, limit entries per person, and review entrant data before drawing a winner. UpViral and RafflePress include fraud protection features, and SweepWidget adds screening on paid plans. No tool blocks every bot, so a manual check of suspicious entries is still wise.
Do giveaways still work for email list growth?
Yes, when the prize matches your product and the follow-up sequence is planned. A well-targeted giveaway can add hundreds of interested subscribers in a week. A generic prize, or a giveaway with no follow-up, usually adds low-quality contacts who unsubscribe quickly.
Can I run a giveaway on Instagram or Facebook only?
Yes, but check each network's promotion rules and use a tool that supports social entry actions. Woobox and Easypromos offer social-focused campaigns, while SweepWidget and Woorise support social entries alongside website embeds. Keep entry steps simple, since each extra step reduces completion.
Sources we checked (9)
- https://sweepwidget.com
- https://kingsumo.com
- https://rafflepress.com
- https://woorise.com
- https://shortstack.com
- https://woobox.com
- https://wishpond.com
- https://upviral.com
- https://www.easypromosapp.com
Is your product missing or out of date?
We review this list regularly. Vendors can request a listing, send updated pricing or ask about featured placement.
Shihab Mia · Founder, Rankite
Shihab has 5+ years in B2B and SaaS SEO. He writes Rankite's software buying guides from pricing pages, documentation and public user reviews. More about Shihab.