Best Ex Ordo Alternatives for Conference Management

Industry Insight

Ex Ordo is a popular conference management platform known for its clean interface and structured workflows. It helps organizers manage abstract submission, peer review, and conference scheduling in a relatively streamlined way.

However, as academic conferences grow in scale and complexity, many organizers are now actively searching for better Ex Ordo alternatives that offer deeper automation, improved flexibility, and more intelligent workflow management.

Modern conferences are no longer just about collecting submissions. They involve managing multi-stage peer review processes, coordinating large reviewer pools, handling global participants, and building conference programs efficiently.

👉 Understand modern conference workflows

This guide explores the best Ex Ordo alternatives, focusing on platforms that go beyond traditional systems by integrating automation, AI-powered reviewer assignment, and flexible conference management workflows.

Why Organizers Look for Ex Ordo Alternatives

While Ex Ordo improves usability compared to older systems, it still follows a largely structured and manual approach to conference management.

Common limitations include:

• Limited automation in reviewer assignment and workflow coordination
• Dependence on manual configuration for complex review processes
• Challenges in scaling for large or international conferences
• Limited AI-driven optimization in peer review workflows

👉 Learn more about abstract submission systems and peer review workflows

These limitations become more noticeable as submission volumes increase and conference workflows become more dynamic.

Top ConfTool Alternatives for Conference Management

1. PeerSubmit (AI-First Conference Management Platform)

PeerSubmit is designed for modern academic conferences that require more than just structured workflows. While platforms like Ex Ordo focus on simplifying existing processes, PeerSubmit rethinks the entire conference lifecycle by connecting abstract submission, peer review, decision-making, and program creation into a unified system.

Instead of treating each stage as a separate task, PeerSubmit creates a continuous workflow where every action—submission, review, communication, and decision—is interconnected. This approach significantly reduces manual effort and eliminates the need for external tools, spreadsheets, or fragmented coordination.

👉 Understand how modern conference workflows work

Flexible Abstract Submission & Custom Form Builder

One of the biggest challenges in conference management is handling diverse submission requirements. Different tracks, sessions, and committees often require different types of data—from abstracts and full papers to extended synopses and supplementary materials.

PeerSubmit addresses this with a highly flexible abstract submission system that allows organizers to design fully customized forms tailored to their conference needs.

Organizers can:

• Create custom submission, author, and metadata forms
• Reuse forms across multiple conferences
• Modify forms anytime—even during live submissions
• Support multilingual forms for international participants

This flexibility ensures that the submission process adapts to the conference—not the other way around.

👉 Learn how abstract submission systems work

AI-Powered Reviewer Assignment (Core Advantage)

Reviewer assignment is often one of the most time-consuming and complex parts of conference management. In many systems, including Ex Ordo, this process relies heavily on manual selection or basic filtering.

PeerSubmit introduces an AI-powered reviewer recommendation engine that uses semantic understanding and vector-based matching to connect submissions with the most relevant reviewers.

Instead of relying only on keywords or titles, the system analyzes the actual content of submissions and reviewer expertise to ensure accurate matching.

This leads to:

• More precise reviewer-paper alignment
• Balanced reviewer workload distribution
• Reduced bias in reviewer selection
• Significantly faster assignment process

👉 Explore how AI reviewer matching works

End-to-End Peer Review Workflow Management

PeerSubmit provides complete control over the peer review process, allowing organizers to design workflows that match their conference requirements.

Whether your conference follows single-blind, double-blind, or multi-stage review processes, PeerSubmit adapts to your structure rather than forcing predefined workflows.

Key capabilities include:

• Custom review forms with scoring, comments, and evaluation criteria
• Support for multiple review rounds and decision stages
• Reviewer assignment tracking and performance insights
• Conflict-of-interest and reviewer management tools

👉 Learn more about peer review workflows

Workflow Automation & Smart Communication

In many conferences, delays occur due to manual follow-ups, missed deadlines, and fragmented communication between organizers and reviewers.

PeerSubmit solves this by automating communication and workflow progression.

The platform enables:

• Automated reviewer reminders and deadline notifications
• Bulk and personalized email communication
• Real-time tracking dashboards for submissions and reviews
• Status updates across all workflow stages

This ensures that workflows move forward without constant manual intervention.

Decision Management & Conference Program Creation

After peer review, organizers need to quickly move into decision-making and program creation. In many systems, this step is disconnected and requires manual restructuring of data.

PeerSubmit keeps everything integrated, allowing organizers to:

• Assign accept/reject decisions based on review data
• Group accepted submissions into sessions or tracks
• Build structured conference programs efficiently

This reduces friction between review completion and program planning.

Reporting, Analytics & Outputs

Conference organizers often need detailed reports for internal analysis and publication. PeerSubmit provides built-in reporting tools that simplify this process.

Organizers can:

• Generate abstract booklets and conference proceedings
• Export data to CSV or Excel for analysis
• Track submission trends and reviewer performance
• Maintain a complete archive of submissions

👉 Explore full feature set

Built for Global & Scalable Conferences

PeerSubmit is designed to support conferences across regions including the US, UK, India, Europe, and beyond. Its cloud-based infrastructure ensures that organizers and participants can access the platform from anywhere.

With multilingual support, flexible workflows, and scalable architecture, PeerSubmit adapts to both small symposiums and large international conferences without adding complexity.

PeerSubmit is not just an Ex Ordo alternative—it is a complete upgrade designed for the next generation of academic conference management.

To explore all capabilities in detail, visit:
👉 PeerSubmit Features
👉 View Pricing
👉 Help Center & Documentation
👉 How AI reviewer assignment works

Other Ex Ordo Alternatives

Oxford Abstracts

Oxford Abstracts is a flexible conference management platform that allows organizers to configure submission and review workflows based on their specific event requirements. This makes it particularly useful for conferences that do not follow a standard structure or require frequent adjustments.

Instead of enforcing predefined workflows, the platform gives organizers control over how submissions are collected, reviewed, and organized into programs.

Key capabilities include:

• Flexible abstract and paper submission workflows
• Customizable peer review processes with scoring and feedback
• Program building tools for sessions and tracks

However, while Oxford Abstracts offers strong customization, it focuses more on configuring workflows rather than optimizing them. Tasks such as reviewer assignment and coordination still rely heavily on manual effort.

Microsoft CMT

Microsoft CMT is widely used in research-focused academic conferences, particularly where structured peer review workflows are required. It is known for handling large submission volumes and supporting detailed evaluation processes.

Its strengths include:

• Structured submission and review workflows
• Reviewer assignment and tracking
• Role-based access for committees

However, the platform is often considered complex and less intuitive, especially for new users. It also requires manual coordination in key areas such as reviewer assignment and communication.

ConfTool

ConfTool provides a comprehensive system that covers submission, registration, and scheduling. It is commonly used in academic conferences that require an all-in-one platform.

While it offers broad functionality, its interface and workflow structure reflect a more traditional approach to conference management.

As a result:

• Workflows often require manual coordination
• Limited automation in peer review processes
• Less intuitive user experience compared to modern tools

This can create inefficiencies, particularly in conferences with large submission volumes or distributed teams.

Regional Perspective: Choosing the Right Conference Management Tool

Conference management requirements vary significantly across regions, and selecting the right platform depends on factors such as scale, academic standards, and available resources.

In the United States, conferences often handle large submission volumes and require scalable systems with automation and AI-powered reviewer assignment. Efficiency and speed are critical for managing complex workflows.

In the United Kingdom and Europe, there is a strong emphasis on structured peer review processes, transparency, and academic integrity. Conferences in these regions often require consistent evaluation frameworks and clearly defined workflows.

In India, affordability and flexibility are key considerations. Organizers typically look for platforms that provide essential features such as abstract submission and peer review while remaining easy to use and cost-effective.

Across regions like Canada and Singapore, there is a growing preference for cloud-based systems that support remote collaboration, hybrid events, and real-time data access.

Globally, conferences are shifting toward modern, cloud-based conference management systems that combine automation, usability, and intelligent workflows. These platforms enable organizers to manage increasingly complex events without adding operational overhead.

Final Thoughts

Ex Ordo has improved usability in conference management and offers a more intuitive alternative to older systems. However, modern academic conferences require more than structured workflows—they require systems that can adapt, automate, and scale with increasing complexity.

As submission volumes grow and peer review processes become more demanding, organizers are looking for Ex Ordo alternatives that provide deeper automation, better coordination, and improved efficiency across the entire conference lifecycle.

Modern conference management software is expected to go beyond submission tracking. It should optimize workflows, reduce manual effort, and enhance the experience for authors, reviewers, and committees.

👉 Book a Demo