The Best Free Alternatives to Rafflecopter for Giveaways and Contests
If you’re running giveaways to grow your email list, social followers, or brand engagement, Rafflecopter has long been a popular choice. But its limited free plan and dated interface leave many creators and businesses searching for better, more flexible options. Below, we compare the five best free alternatives to Rafflecopter — highlighting what you get for free, what’s restricted, and which one is best for your specific goals.
🏆 Why Look for a Rafflecopter Alternative?
Rafflecopter set the standard for online giveaways — simple widget embeds, easy winner selection, and multiple entry types. But if you’re trying to:
Run giveaways that go viral on social media
Capture and export lead data
Integrate with Shopify, email marketing, or CRM tools
Or simply want more branding control
…then exploring these newer platforms is worth your time.
🧩 The 5 Best Free Alternatives to Rafflecopter
💡 Quick Takeaways
1. SweepWidget — The Best Free Plan for Growing Reach
If your goal is to maximize participants and engagement without paying a penny, SweepWidget is your best bet.
It offers:
Unlimited campaigns and entries
Dozens of social entry types (follow, like, comment, refer, etc.)
Shopify embedding and hosted pages
However, the free plan only gives you access to a handful of entrant emails, so if lead capture is your primary objective, you’ll hit that limitation quickly.
“SweepWidget gives you unlimited reach for free — but limits your ability to own the data.”
2. Gleam — Great for Viral Growth (Limited Data Access)
Gleam’s sleek design and powerful integrations make it a favourite among influencers and tech-savvy marketers. The free plan supports most social actions, making it ideal for giveaways where you want people to share, follow, or tag friends.
That said, you can only access winner data (up to 10 users), and the rest is locked behind their paid tiers.
If you’re running a one-off social giveaway, Gleam is perfect. If you’re building a lead list, you’ll need to upgrade.
3. Woorise — Best for Multi-Purpose Campaigns (Trial-Only)
Woorise combines giveaways, forms, and quizzes into one platform — great if you want a single tool for lead generation and engagement.
However, its free plan is only a 14-day Pro trial, after which you’ll need to subscribe. For most users, that makes it less of a Rafflecopter alternative and more of a “try before you buy.”
4. ShortStack — Good for Testing the Waters
ShortStack’s free plan lets you explore the full interface and create small campaigns with up to 100 entries. It’s handy if you want to experiment with layout and design before committing.
But for any real-world campaign, you’ll quickly exceed the entry limit.
5. Woobox — Ideal for Small, Controlled Giveaways
Woobox gives you plenty of creative control and supports polls, quizzes, and hashtag campaigns. The free plan is capped at 100 participants/month, and live campaigns are limited to 14 days.
Still, it’s a good “starter tool” if you want to run periodic, small giveaways to test engagement.
🔍 Which Free Plan Fits You Best?
GoalBest Free OptionGrow followers + reachSweepWidget or GleamBuild email listSweepWidget (with export workaround) or Woorise (trial)Run quick one-off giveawayGleamLearn giveaway tools / test setupsShortStackRun small, recurring contestsWoobox
🧭 Recommended Strategy for Shopify and E-Commerce Stores
If you’re running a Shopify store (e.g., a fashion, beauty, or lifestyle brand), here’s how to make the most of a free plan:
Start with SweepWidget. Embed a “Win Your Favourite Outfit” contest on your product page or blog.
Encourage social shares and referrals with “extra entry” options.
Use your thank-you page to direct entrants to your email signup form — so even if SweepWidget’s export is limited, you still capture leads directly.
After testing your first campaign, consider upgrading to a paid tier to unlock full email export and multiple-winner functionality.
This creates a cost-free funnel that grows your audience, builds brand awareness, and generates first-party data — all while keeping things fun and engaging for your customers.
⚙️ Summary Table (Quick Reference)
🏁 Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for the best Rafflecopter alternative that balances freedom, functionality, and cost — SweepWidget offers the most generous free plan by far.
However, if you need full access to entrant data or plan to run giveaways regularly, you’ll eventually benefit from upgrading to a low-tier paid plan on either SweepWidget or Gleam for the added data control and branding flexibility.
💬 Pro Tip
Combine your giveaway with a discount email flow:
After the contest ends, email non-winners a “thanks for entering” message with an exclusive discount code. This turns your giveaway from a one-time stunt into a lead-to-sale funnel — especially effective for Shopify stores focused on customer acquisition.
Frequently Asked Questions About Rafflecopter Alternatives
1. What is Rafflecopter used for?
Rafflecopter is an online giveaway platform that allows businesses, influencers, and creators to run contests where users complete tasks (like following on Instagram or joining a mailing list) for entries. It automates winner selection and makes hosting giveaways simple — though its free version is limited.
2. Why would I need a Rafflecopter alternative?
While Rafflecopter is easy to use, its free plan offers minimal customisation and limited integrations. Alternatives like SweepWidget or Gleam provide better entry options, more social platforms, and modern designs that help maximise engagement and lead capture — all for free.
3. Which Rafflecopter alternative has the best free plan?
SweepWidget currently offers the most generous free plan. You can create unlimited giveaways and accept unlimited entries, with full social media support. The only major limitation is that you can export data for only the first 10 entrants unless you upgrade.
4. Are Rafflecopter alternatives really free to use?
Yes — all the options listed (SweepWidget, Gleam, ShortStack, and Woobox) include forever-free plans with functional core features. However, free tiers usually include branding, limited data access, and participant caps. Woorise is the exception, offering only a 14-day free trial.
5. Can I embed these giveaway tools on my Shopify or WordPress site?
Absolutely. Most modern alternatives, such as SweepWidget, Gleam, and Woobox, provide embed codes or apps compatible with platforms like Shopify, WordPress, and Wix. This makes it easy to display your giveaway directly on your store or blog.
6. Which Rafflecopter alternative is best for growing my social media following?
Gleam and SweepWidget are both ideal for building social media followers. They allow you to add entry methods such as Follow on Instagram, Subscribe on YouTube, or Tag a Friend on X (Twitter) — helping your giveaway go viral and expand reach fast.
7. Can I collect emails from giveaway entrants on the free plans?
Yes, most Rafflecopter alternatives allow basic email collection on free plans. However, data export limits may apply. For example, SweepWidget lets you collect unlimited entries but only view or export the first 10 email addresses on free. To build a full mailing list, you’ll eventually need a paid tier or an integration workaround.
8. Do these giveaway tools integrate with email marketing platforms?
Paid versions of tools like SweepWidget, Woorise, and Gleam integrate with services such as Mailchimp, Klaviyo, and ConvertKit. On free plans, integration options are limited — but you can often download entrant data (where available) and import it manually into your email platform.
9. Which Rafflecopter alternative removes branding on the free plan?
None of the Rafflecopter alternatives fully remove branding on their free tiers. To run fully white-label giveaways, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan — typically starting around $15–$30 per month, depending on the platform.
10. What’s the easiest way to run a free giveaway for my brand?
The simplest method is to create a SweepWidget account, design a quick giveaway (e.g., “Follow us on Instagram and tag a friend to win”), and embed it on your site or link it from social media. Promote it through your email list, TikTok, or Instagram stories, and you’ll quickly generate engagement without spending anything.
