The Best Giveaway & Social Media Contest Tools
Discover how to choose the best app for giveaways that fits your campaign goals, budget, and tech stack.
• Gleam offers powerful giveaways with verified social actions and viral sharing
• RafflePress and KingSumo are great for simple WordPress giveaways on a budget
• Shortstack and ViralSweep offer advanced features for agencies and large brands
• Easypromos stands out for retail with receipt scanning and instant win games
• Choose tools based on goals, legal compliance, integrations and ease of use
Picture this: You're scrolling through your social media feed and stumble upon a brand running a giveaway. It’s eye-catching, engaging, and the prize is something you genuinely want. You click through, enter the campaign, and just like that—you're now part of their marketing campaign.
This is the power of giveaways and contests.
Whether you're an e-commerce business, a small creator, or a marketing team looking to drive lead generation, using the best app for giveaways can help you grow your email list, build trust, and get results. These social media contest tools work across major social media platforms and are designed to boost your reach, capture data, and engage with your content.
The right contest or giveaway tool helps you drive engagement through:
- Viral giveaways that reward sharing
- Refer-a-friend mechanics that boost organic reach
- User generated content for authenticity and trust
- Flexible giveaway templates tailored to your goals
- Tools to randomize winners and ensure fair entries
Most of the social media contest tools we’ll review include these must-have features:
- Customizable templates
- Mobile responsive widgets
- Terms & conditions builder
- Hosted landing pages
- Free trial or demo access
- Referral sharing mechanics
- Email list integrations and autoresponders
- Anti-fraud and spam protection
- Facebook tab install support
- Reporting, analytics, and Google tracking pixel
In this guide, we’ll break down the top platforms by price, features, and best use cases—so you can confidently choose the best giveaway app to power your next campaign.
All prices are in USD, billed monthly unless otherwise noted.
Gleam is an all-in-one marketing platform and one of the best apps for giveaways, trusted by global brands like Razer and Shopify. It provides a powerful suite of social media contest tools including:
Gleam Competitions is ideal for setting up complex or simple online contests, with built-in features to randomize winners, detect fraud, and verify entries from social media platforms automatically.
You can even run user generated content contests by pulling entries from hashtags on platforms like Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). This lets participants enter just by posting their content with the right tag—no widget required.
Gleam is also well-known for its intuitive interface and generous free plan, which includes:
- Unlimited giveaway campaigns
- Hosted landing pages
- Mobile responsive widgets
- Random draw from up to 1,000 entries
- Shopify integration
- 1-click random name picker tool
Use their contest templates to easily create photo contests, hashtag campaigns, or multi-step viral giveaways.
Pricing:
- Free plan with core features
- Paid plans start from $10/month up to $150/month
- No credit card required for sign-up
If you're looking to grow your email list, launch branded giveaways, or manage high-volume promotions, Gleam is the social media giveaway platform that scales with your needs. It’s a go-to solution for e-commerce brands, creators, and marketers running everything from lead gen to full-blown marketing campaigns.
RafflePress is a beginner-friendly WordPress plugin designed for running viral giveaways and contests right inside your WordPress dashboard. If you're looking for the best app for giveaways on WordPress, this plugin is built just for you.
With RafflePress, you can launch a social media giveaway, grow your email list, and increase traffic using refer-a-friend mechanics and built-in sharing options.
You build your contest using their drag-and-drop builder or start with one of their giveaway templates. Then, you can publish the campaign using a shortcode or launch it as a dedicated landing page. Their tool includes GDPR compliance options and auto-generated contest rules to ensure legal peace of mind.
Free Plan Includes:
- Mobile responsive giveaway widget
- Basic fraud prevention
- Automatically generated contest rules
- Social sharing and bonus entries
- SEO-optimized landing pages
- Built-in email list integrations (Mailchimp, AWeber, etc.)
Pricing:
- Free version available
- Paid plans range from $7 to $33/month
- Includes a 14-day money-back guarantee
If you’re a small business owner or blogger looking to boost your social media contest tools on WordPress, RafflePress gives you the power to create high-converting giveaways without needing external apps. It’s great for capturing leads, encouraging user generated content, and randomizing winners with ease.
KingSumo is one of the most budget-friendly social media contest tools on the market, designed for brands and creators who want to launch viral giveaways with minimal setup. It’s often called the best app for giveaways if you’re after simplicity and referral-based growth.
You can run campaigns through either their WordPress plugin or via the browser-based web app.
Participants are encouraged to refer a friend to earn extra entries, with built-in sharing options for:
- Messenger
Web App Features (Free Plan):
- Run unlimited viral giveaways
- Embed giveaways on any landing page
- Connect your email list to Mailchimp, SendFox, ConvertKit
- GDPR-compliant lead collection
Pricing:
- Web app: One-time payment of $49
- WordPress plugin: $198 per site
If you're a small business owner or content creator looking for an easy way to launch online contests, KingSumo is a solid option. It's optimized for viral giveaways, low-cost lead generation, and growing your email list with no monthly commitment.
ShortStack is one of the most advanced social media contest tools on the market. Built for marketers, agencies, and large brands, it lets you create interactive online contests that go beyond basic giveaways.
With over 60+ customizable marketing templates, ShortStack supports:
- Photo contests
- Video upload contests
- Coupon code giveaways
- Instant win games
- Landing page quizzes
- Social media lead forms
Its drag-and-drop editor and powerful Style Panel give you full control over your giveaway templates, allowing pixel-perfect branding for each landing page or embedded widget. You can even customize buttons, confirmation flows, or call-to-actions without any coding.
ShortStack also offers premium services like:
- Fully managed campaign setup (ideal for large giveaways or compliance-heavy contests)
- Moderation of entries (especially useful for photo or user-generated content)
- White-labeled experiences
Pricing:
- Basic Plan: $99/month
- Agency Plan: $249/month – includes video contests, full integrations, and lead exports
- Free Trial available on the Agency tier
If you're looking to power gamified campaigns, capture leads at scale, or build advanced social media giveaway workflows, ShortStack is a premium tool worth investing in. It's ideal for marketers managing multiple marketing campaigns across brands or clients.
Woobox is a well-established social media contest tool that enables marketers to run a wide variety of interactive giveaways and contests including:
- Photo contests
- Video contests
- Instant win games
- Polls and surveys
- Spin-to-win promos
- Leaderboards and brackets
Woobox also stands out with its unique Voting Bracket campaign type, which lets you set up a competitive prediction or tournament-based contest. This format is perfect for gamified marketing efforts or audience engagement during big events.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Unlimited campaigns
- Up to 100 participants per campaign
- Access to all campaign types, entry methods & integrations
- Viral sharing via refer-a-friend bonus entries
- Date-of-birth gating (age restrictions)
- Password-protected campaigns (great for internal launches)
Pricing:
- Free: Up to 100 entries per campaign
- Paid Plans: Start at $37/month, scaling to $249/month for enterprise needs
- Includes landing page builder, email marketing integrations, and entry analytics
Woobox also lets you randomize winners, export leads into your email list, and embed campaigns into your website or Facebook tab.
If you're running online contests across multiple social media platforms or want a flexible drag-and-drop editor, Woobox is a reliable choice for small businesses or agencies looking to build high-converting campaigns.
Rafflecopter is one of the most beginner-friendly social media contest tools for running simple sweepstakes and viral giveaways. It's built for businesses and creators who want to set up a fast, compliant contest or giveaway without needing advanced features or technical knowledge.
The platform is ideal for chance-based sweepstakes campaigns where no purchase is necessary, and winners are chosen randomly. This makes it perfect for brands focused on increasing awareness and growing their email list with minimal setup.
Key Features (Free Plan):
- Run unlimited giveaways
- Receive unlimited entries
- Randomize winners and export data to CSV
- Standard entry form with Rafflecopter branding
- Integrate with Facebook, Twitter, and custom entry methods
Paid Plan Highlights:
- Custom widget design via DesignLab
- EZ Terms & Conditions for giveaway compliance
- White-labeling and email integrations
- Support for Pinterest entry options
- Access to analytics dashboard
Pricing:
- Free plan available
- Paid plans start at $13/month and go up to $84/month
- Offers a 7-day free trial (up to 50 entries) for premium features
If you want to grow your audience using sweepstakes-style contests, especially on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, Rafflecopter is a tried-and-true tool that delivers simplicity and results.
ViralSweep is a premium suite of social media contest tools tailored for brands running large-scale viral giveaways or eCommerce-driven marketing campaigns. It supports a wide range of campaign formats including:
- Sweepstakes
- Photo contests
- Twitter hashtag contests
- Leaderboards
- Instant win campaigns
- Refer-a-friend promotions
ViralSweep integrates with top ecommerce platforms like Shopify, WooCommerce, and BigCommerce, and offers purchase-based entry campaigns. For example, users can earn entries based on the dollars spent in your store — a perfect option for high-volume campaigns during peak periods like Black Friday or product launches.
ViralSweep also provides complete contest or giveaway administration services, including:
- Prize fulfillment
- Tax compliance (including U.S. 1099 forms for prizes > $600)
- Fraud protection
- Dedicated support team
Pricing:
- Plans start at $49/month and go up to $999/month
- 7-day free trial available with data access for up to 10 entries
- No permanently free version
Ideal For:
- Large brands, agencies, or eCommerce stores
- Campaigns requiring contest compliance, legal support, or white-glove management
- Anyone looking to run contests across multiple social media platforms at scale
ViralSweep is one of the most robust tools for brands that want everything from sweepstakes and hashtag contests to referral tracking and post-purchase entry incentives — all under one roof.
Easypromos is a versatile platform for running online contests, giveaways and contests, and interactive promotions across multiple digital channels. With over 40+ promotion types to choose from, it’s ideal for businesses looking to blend gamification with lead generation.
Some of the most popular campaign types include:
- Spin-the-Wheel Instant Win
- Product Quizzes
- Entry Forms
- Photo Contests
- Trivia Games
- Code Entry Promotions
A standout feature of Easypromos is their receipt validation with OCR technology, which allows you to require a proof of purchase (receipt upload) before users enter a contest. This is especially useful for retailers looking to validate real buyers before distributing a free gift or entry into an instant win campaign.
Pricing:
- Plans start at $29/month and scale up to $399/month
- No free trial, but you can buy a single promotion on a one-time basis
Ideal For:
- Retailers and FMCG brands running in-store activations
- Agencies needing white-labeled, GDPR-compliant online contests
- User generated content campaigns with voting or gallery display
Easypromos is one of the few platforms that allow advanced gamification mechanics such as puzzle games and personality quizzes, making it a go-to tool for brands looking to increase engagement, drive leads, and offer free gifts to real customers.
Vyper is a powerful viral marketing platform designed for giveaways and contests, referral campaigns, and loyalty programs that drive rapid audience growth and increase social media actions.
It’s especially useful for marketers looking to launch viral giveaways that build an email list, increase brand engagement, and grow a loyal fanbase. Popular campaign types include:
- Leaderboard competitions
- Referral-based giveaways
- Pre-launch waitlists
- Gamified loyalty programs
Vyper gives you full control over your campaign setup. With the Enterprise plan, you can remove all Vyper branding, use your own custom domain, and customize your landing page to match your brand’s identity.
Pricing:
- Enterprise Plan: $149/month
- Agency Plan: $299/month
- 15-day money-back guarantee
- Cryptocurrency-related campaigns are not supported
Ideal For:
- Businesses focused on lead generation through refer-a-friend mechanics
- Agencies and startups looking to launch viral giveaways and grow a social media following
- Brands needing gamified campaigns with loyalty rewards and email capture forms
If you want a dedicated contest or giveaway platform with viral potential and deep customization, Vyper is a strong contender for running growth-focused marketing campaigns.
Wishpond is a premium social media contest tool and marketing automation suite designed to help you run effective giveaways and contests, capture leads, and convert visitors throughout the marketing funnel.
With Wishpond, you can create stunning landing pages for your contests using their drag-and-drop builder, then nurture participants using email automation and sales funnels.
Key Features:
- Run up to 12 types of social promotions including:
- Hashtag campaigns
- Photo contests
- Voting contests
- Leaderboard competitions
- Full contest setup support through their professional services
- Combine giveaway campaigns with email follow-up and booking tools
- AI-powered platform for campaign copy, content generation, and optimization
- Built-in tools to split test and run paid ads across social media platforms
Wishpond is one of the best apps for giveaways for teams looking for an all-in-one platform with lead generation, contest creation, and marketing campaign management capabilities.
Pricing:
Wishpond does not display public pricing. You must book a 30-minute demo to explore your options.
According to third-party sources, plans start from $49/month (billed annually).
Outgrow is a robust platform for interactive content marketing with a strong focus on lead generation through quizzes, surveys, calculators, and giveaways and contests.
It’s best suited for marketers who want to engage their audience and qualify leads with interactive landing pages rather than social-based entry methods.
Key Features:
- Interactive content types: polls, quizzes, surveys, chatbots, and calculators
- Custom lead-scoring logic to qualify potential customers
- Drag-and-drop landing page builder
- Conditional logic for dynamic user experiences
- Embeddable forms and popups for website conversion
- Integrates with CRM, email marketing, and analytics platforms
- Mobile-optimized design and performance
While Outgrow doesn’t offer built-in social media contest tools or media submission options like photo or video contests, it shines in helping businesses engage users through value-driven experiences.
Pricing:
Outgrow plans start at $22/month for freelancers and scale up to $720/month for enterprises. To access the Giveaway content type, you'll need at least the Essentials plan at $45/month. A 7-day free trial is available.
UpViral is a powerful viral giveaway platform built to help businesses grow their email list, boost engagement, and run high-performing giveaways and contests. It's especially useful for marketers looking to add referral marketing to their campaigns.
The platform comes packed with features designed to help you run viral giveaways and drive targeted referrals. You can launch a contest with a branded landing page, set up custom actions, and incentivize users to refer their friends for bonus entries.
Key Features:
- Viral share actions with custom referral tracking
- Built-in A/B testing for optimizing landing pages and emails
- Pre-built giveaway templates for fast setup
- CRM and email platform integrations (including ActiveCampaign, Mailchimp, and more)
- Custom rewards for milestone referrals
- Social sharing options across major social media platforms
- Drag-and-drop builder for entry forms and campaigns
- Lead scoring and fraud protection to ensure contest quality
Pricing:
UpViral offers three core plans:
- Starter Plan: $79/month
- Business Plan: $119/month
- Enterprise Plan: $299/month
There is no free version, but they do offer a 14-day trial for $1 with access to all features.
Choosing the best app for giveaways is crucial to running effective marketing campaigns that drive real results. Here's how to choose the right social media contest tool based on your business goals:
Not every platform offers the same functionality. Some tools focus on basic email list growth, while others provide advanced features like viral giveaways, refer-a-friend, user generated content, or randomised winner selection. Prioritise tools with features that align with your objectives — whether that’s generating leads, driving traffic, or boosting conversions.
Speed matters during time-sensitive launches. Platforms like Gleam, Shortstack, and Woobox offer drag-and-drop builders and ready-to-go giveaway templates that help you build contests faster. Tools like KingSumo use prebuilt templates only, which can save time if you’re not customising design.
Plans range from free to enterprise. Consider free trials, refund guarantees, and whether plans require annual commitments. Some tools, like Gleam, offer a generous free plan and start from just $10/month for small businesses looking to run social media giveaways affordably.
Running online contests requires you to follow local regulations and third-party platform rules. Choose tools that offer built-in Terms & Conditions generators and support compliance with No Purchase Necessary laws, especially if your campaign involves sweepstakes or chance-based actions.
Pick a tool with reliable customer support — especially during campaign launches. Look for platforms offering live chat, onboarding help, or support ticketing with fast turnaround times. For high-stakes campaigns, dedicated support could be a dealbreaker.
Your contest or giveaway platform should integrate seamlessly with tools you already use, like your email marketing platform, CRM, or analytics tools. This ensures easy lead capture, retargeting, and campaign optimisation across your social media platforms and channels.
By selecting a giveaway tool that matches your needs — from features and templates to legal compliance and integrations — you’ll be well-positioned to run successful social media contests that increase engagement, grow your audience, and convert traffic.
Choose from Gleam's ready-made templates and start growing your audience with viral social media contests.
The best giveaway app depends on your goals. Gleam, RafflePress, and ViralSweep each offer powerful tools for contests and lead gen. Click to compare features and choose the one that fits your business.
Match your tool to your goals — whether it’s email signups, engagement, or sales — and ensure it integrates easily with your stack. Click to see what features to prioritize for your campaigns.
Look for templates, fraud detection, social actions, email integrations, mobile-friendly widgets, and built-in analytics. Click to learn which features will help your campaign succeed.
