indico
Feature-rich event management system, made @ CERN, the place where the Web was born.
Best self-hosted Conference Management software in 2026
Software for submission of abstracts and preparation/management of academic conferences.
We track 5 open-source, self-hosted Conference Management apps. 5 of them had commits in the last 90 days, 3 can run with Docker, and the most common licenses are MIT (3), Apache-2.0 (1), AGPL-3.0 (1). The most-used languages are Python, Ruby, PHP. Below are the top picks by GitHub stars, followed by every app ranked by stars weighted by maintenance health.
Top 5 by GitHub stars
| # | App | Stars | Health | Last activity | License | Language | Docker |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | indico | 2.1k | Active | 2026-11-09 | MIT | Python | – |
| 2 | pretalx | 958 | Active | 2026-11-09 | Apache-2.0 | Python | – |
| 3 | osem | 930 | Active | 2026-11-09 | MIT | Ruby, Docker | ✓ |
| 4 | OpenSlides | 663 | Active | 2026-11-03 | MIT | Docker | ✓ |
| 5 | motion.tools (Antragsgrün) | 151 | Active | 2026-11-07 | AGPL-3.0 | PHP, Docker | ✓ |
- indico — Feature-rich event management system, made @ CERN, the place where the Web was born.
- pretalx — Web-based event management, including running a Call for Papers, reviewing submissions, and scheduling talks. Exports and imports for various related tools.
- osem — Event management tailored to free Software conferences.
- OpenSlides — Presentation and assembly system for managing and projecting agenda, motions and elections of an assembly.
- motion.tools (Antragsgrün) — Manage motions and amendments for (political) conventions.
Head-to-head comparisons
indico vs pretalxindico vs osemindico vs OpenSlidesosem vs pretalxOpenSlides vs pretalxOpenSlides vs osem
All 5 self-hosted Conference Management apps
Ranked by GitHub stars weighted by maintenance health.
pretalx
Web-based event management, including running a Call for Papers, reviewing submissions, and scheduling talks. Exports and imports for various related tools.
osem
Event management tailored to free Software conferences.
OpenSlides
Presentation and assembly system for managing and projecting agenda, motions and elections of an assembly.
motion.tools (Antragsgrün)
Manage motions and amendments for (political) conventions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best self-hosted Conference Management software in 2026?
By GitHub stars, the most popular self-hosted Conference Management apps are indico (2,128 stars), pretalx (958 stars), osem (930 stars). Popularity is only one signal: also check maintenance health, license and whether it fits your setup.
How many self-hosted Conference Management apps are actively maintained?
5 of the 5 apps listed had commits in the last 90 days.
Which self-hosted Conference Management apps can I run with Docker?
3 of the 5 apps can run with Docker.
Which licenses do self-hosted Conference Management apps use?
The most common licenses in this category are MIT (3 apps), Apache-2.0 (1 apps), AGPL-3.0 (1 apps).
How much does it cost to self-host Conference Management software?
The software itself is free to download. Based on our rough hardware estimates, the cheapest suitable VPS plan starts at about $5/month (median $5/month across apps in this category). Several light apps can share one server.
Related categories
Figures from GitHub and Docker Hub as of 2026-11-15; hosting costs are rough estimates.