Platform Comparison
Compare Call-for-Artists Platforms
See how Crafted Call compares to CaFE, Submittable, EntryThingy, and ArtCall. From pricing and jury tools to virtual exhibitions and self-hosting, find the right gallery submission software for your organization.
Pricing at a Glance
A side-by-side look at what each platform charges galleries and art organizations.
Monthly cost
Per-call fee
Per-submission fee
Onboarding fee
Annual renewal
Processing fee
What Does 1 Exhibition Actually Cost?
Total cost to run a single call for artists with 100 submissions, compared across platforms.
Subscription ($0–$69) + call activation ($39–$59) + 100 submissions × $0.20–$0.99
Subscription ($14.95–$74.95) + 100 submissions × $3.00
Call activation ($250) + 100 submissions × $2.49
Excludes $225 onboarding fee and $120/yr renewal
Call activation ($79+) + 100 submissions × $0–$5.00
Monthly subscription (all usage included in plan)
Scenario: 1 call activation, 100 submissions, 1 month subscription where applicable. Excludes payment processing fees and one-time onboarding costs.
Feature Comparison
= unique to Crafted Call = yes = partial = no
Call Management
Unlimited calls
Custom submission forms
Multi-image submissions
Submission fee collection
Coupon & discount codes
Jury & Review
Blind jury review
Side-by-side comparison
Multi-round voting
Real-time scoring analytics
Juror commenting
Exhibition & Showcase
Virtual exhibitions
Public gallery pages
Reusable artist portfolio
E-commerce / artwork sales
Payments & Billing
Stripe Connect payouts
No platform processing fee
Subscription management
Financial reporting
Platform & Integrations
WordPress plugin & embeds
Custom domain
API access
White-label branding
AI & Automation
Built-in AI chat assistant
MCP server (Claude, ChatGPT, etc.)
Conversational gallery management
Competitor Profiles
Learn more about each platform and find the detailed comparison.
CaFE
Call for Entry by WESTAF
Legacy market leader
Strengths
- Large existing artist database
- Well-known in the US gallery ecosystem
- Integrated with WESTAF programs
Trade-offs
- $225 onboarding fee plus $250 per call and $2.49 per submission — costs compound quickly
- Interface hasn't meaningfully changed in over a decade
- No built-in virtual exhibitions, artist portfolios, or Stripe Connect payouts
Where Crafted Call wins
Modern jury tools, free tier for artists, and transparent per-call pricing — no onboarding or annual renewal fees.
Narrow case for CaFE
Your organization is already plugged into the WESTAF program ecosystem and your artists specifically expect CaFE.
Submittable
Enterprise submission management
Enterprise-focused
Strengths
- Powerful workflow automations
- Handles non-art submissions (grants, scholarships)
- Enterprise-grade compliance and reporting
Trade-offs
- $500+/mo minimum — no pay-as-you-go option for smaller programs
- Generic form-builder roots; no art-specific features like side-by-side jury comparison, artist portfolios, or virtual exhibitions
- Overkill for most galleries running fewer than 20 calls a year
Where Crafted Call wins
Purpose-built for visual arts — side-by-side jury review, virtual exhibitions, artist portfolios, and artwork e-commerce — at a fraction of the monthly cost.
Narrow case for Submittable
You're a large foundation or university managing grants, fellowships, and art calls across departments on a committed enterprise budget.
EntryThingy
Simple art call management
Budget-friendly option
Strengths
- Low monthly subscription cost
- Simple setup for small galleries
- WordPress integration available
Trade-offs
- Monthly subscription runs even in months you aren't hosting a call
- Limited jury tools — no side-by-side comparison or multi-round voting
- No virtual exhibitions, artist portfolios, or integrated artist payouts
Where Crafted Call wins
No monthly fee — pay per call, only when you're actually running one — plus modern jury tools, portfolios, and exhibitions built in.
Narrow case for EntryThingy
You host one or two simple calls a year on a tight budget and are already deeply embedded in WordPress.
ArtCall
Community-driven art calls
Artist-focused marketplace
Strengths
- Built-in artist community and discovery
- Social features for artists
Trade-offs
- Per-call fees climb steeply for large exhibitions and juried shows
- Payment processing fees are high enough that many galleries route payments to a cheaper external processor — artists then submit on ArtCall but pay elsewhere, and galleries manually reconcile who actually paid
- No virtual exhibitions or native artist portfolios on the hosting side
Where Crafted Call wins
One unified flow — submission and Stripe payment in the same checkout, so artists fill one form and you see payment status live, no cross-site reconciling. Plus real jury workflow, exhibition hosting, and artist portfolios, at pricing that scales predictably.
Narrow case for ArtCall
You specifically want to tap into ArtCall's artist discovery feed for a single open call with minimal configuration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about choosing gallery submission software.
Ready to modernize your gallery workflow?
Join galleries that have switched to transparent pricing, modern jury tools, and a complete exhibition platform. No onboarding fees, no annual renewals, no surprises.
Comparison based on publicly available information as of February 2026. Competitor pricing and features may have changed since publication.