What “free” means in call-for-artists software

“Free” can describe a subscription, a call, a submission, or a trial. Those are different things. Build a budget from every party's cost and from the limits that affect the workflow.

Four questions to ask

1. Does the organization pay a subscription, activation charge, or token cost?
2. Does the artist pay an entry fee or a platform charge?
3. Does collecting money add payment processing or a platform percentage?
4. Which required capabilities or volumes need a paid tier?

Current public models

Crafted Call has a $0 monthly Free plan. It currently uses a $45 activation for each call on that plan, plus applicable platform and payment charges. Paid plans remove activation fees and change limits and entitlements. Every number is published on the Crafted Call pricing page.

Zealous publishes a Free plan for up to 20 entries and one evaluation round. Paid plans increase volume and functionality. Paid-entry commission and payment-gateway charges are separate.

EntryThingy has no organization subscription, setup fee, or annual contract, but it is not cost-free: one $3 token processes one entry. Optional Artist Showcase publishing uses additional tokens.

ArtCall uses per-call pricing that starts at $79. A zero-dollar monthly subscription is not the same as a free call.

CaFÉ publishes onboarding, per-call, application-token, renewal, and processing charges. It is not a free organization platform.

Submittable does not publish a general free organization plan on its pricing page. Platform pricing is quote-based, and paid forms have a separately published transaction charge.

Model the whole year

Use a spreadsheet with rows for subscriptions, call activations, applications, entry-fee processing, sales commissions, optional services, staff time, and exports. Run a low-, expected-, and high-volume case. A free tier is a good fit only if the required workflow and likely volume stay inside its limits.

Pricing was verified from vendor primary sources on July 19, 2026. Confirm current prices and plan rules before publishing a call. These platforms are compared side by side, with sources, on the platform comparison.