MakeContest vs Rafflecopter: which platform should you choose for your contest?
Rafflecopter is one of the oldest tools on the market, very popular among bloggers and small brands for classic, simple prize draws. Its long-standing simplicity made it a reference, but it also has its limits. Here's the comparison with MakeContest.
What Rafflecopter offers
Rafflecopter offers a simple interface for creating a prize draw with several ways to enter (comment, page visit, social action). Its free plan lets you get started at no cost, but it remains limited in the number of contests active at the same time, and some advanced features stay reserved for paid plans. It's a proven tool, but its interface and usability reflect its age on the market.
What MakeContest offers
MakeContest delivers the same promise of simplicity, with a more modern interface and none of Rafflecopter's free-plan limitations: no cap on the number of participants, no limit on campaign duration. The prize draw is automatic and cryptographically secure, triggered on the end date you set, for free.
Direct comparison
| Criteria | Rafflecopter | MakeContest |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Freemium with limits + subscription to unlock them | Free, 19 dollars once to export |
| Number of active contests (free plan) | Limited | Unlimited |
| Campaign duration (free plan) | Limited | Unlimited |
| Automatic prize draw | Yes | Yes, included for free |
| Interface | Dated, functional | Modern |
| Card required at sign-up | No for the trial | No |
The differences that actually matter
Rafflecopter remains an honest choice for very occasional, limited use. But as soon as you want to run several contests in parallel, or simply a campaign that runs longer than the free plan allows, you hit its limitations and have to move to a paid subscription. MakeContest removes these artificial caps from the start: your free offer has no hidden limit pushing you toward a subscription.
When Rafflecopter might be the better choice
If you're only looking for a basic tool for a single, one-off small prize draw with no need for scalability, Rafflecopter does the job. For any more regular or ambitious use, the free plan's limitations quickly become a bottleneck, whereas MakeContest stays free without this kind of restriction.
In summary
Rafflecopter is a long-standing, simple tool, but its free plan is limited in volume and duration. MakeContest offers the same simplicity without those caps, and only charges when you actually export your leads.
Ready to try it? Create your free account on makecontest.io and publish your first contest in under 3 minutes, no credit card, no commitment.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rafflecopter really free?
Rafflecopter offers a free plan, but it limits the number of contests active at the same time. To run several in parallel or lift certain restrictions, a paid subscription becomes necessary.
Does MakeContest limit the number of participants like Rafflecopter?
No, MakeContest's free plan limits neither the number of participants nor the duration of your contest, unlike Rafflecopter's free plan.
What's the difference between Rafflecopter's prize draw and MakeContest's?
Both offer an automatic prize draw. The difference mainly lies in the overall pricing model: MakeContest only charges when you export your leads, while Rafflecopter requires a subscription to lift its limitations.