Best self-hosted conference management
Software for submission of [abstracts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_management) and preparation/management of academic conferences.
We track 5 self-hosted conference management projects. The median health score in this category is 70, against 3 projects rated healthy or better and 1 showing little recent activity. The table below is ordered by health score, not popularity — the most starred project in a category is frequently not the best maintained one.
| # | Project | Health | Activity | Stars | Built with | Last release |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | pretalx Web-based event management, including running a Call for Papers, reviewing submissions, and scheduling talks. Exports an | Healthy · 74 | 946 | Python | 8 Jul 2026 | |
| 2 | indico Feature-rich event management system, made @ CERN, the place where the Web was born. | Healthy · 71 | 2.1k | Python | 25 Aug 2026 | |
| 3 | motion.tools (Antragsgrün) Manage motions and amendments for (political) conventions. | Healthy · 70 | 146 | PHP, Docker | 23 Aug 2026 | |
| 4 | OpenSlides Presentation and assembly system for managing and projecting agenda, motions and elections of an assembly. | Steady · 53 | 647 | Docker | 23 Sept 2026 | |
| 5 | osem Event management tailored to free Software conferences. | At risk · 32 | 927 | Ruby, Docker | 24 May 2016 |
Which one should you run?
If you want the safest bet on longevity, pretalx is the best-maintained project in this category right now at 74/100. indico is the closest runner-up (71/100) — see the side-by-side comparison.
A health score measures whether a project is alive and shipping. It does not measure whether it has the feature you need. Use it to rule options out, then compare on features.