Which hackathon platform is better in 2026? A detailed side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, Web3 support, judging, and engagement tools.
A modern, free, all-inclusive hackathon platform with a 5-phase Nodes registration funnel, multi-round Pitstops, custom judging rubrics, gamification with XP and badges, Wallet Passes for Apple and Google Wallet, plagiarism detection, AI image generation, native Web3 token gating across 30+ ecosystems, community hubs, real-time WebSocket leaderboards, built-in email campaigns, the Catalysts social proof engine, embeddable widgets, and the ETH Scholar program. Free for both organizers and participants.
The largest global hackathon directory and one of the most recognized hackathon brands, especially across North America. Devpost provides event creation, registration, a public submission gallery, basic judging, and prize listings. Free for participants; paid (quote-based) for sponsored and private hackathons. Works well for traditional single-round software hackathons, but lacks native Web3 features, multi-round Pitstops, gamification, wallet passes, plagiarism detection, and community hubs.
| Feature | MastryHub | Devpost |
|---|---|---|
| Price (organizers) | Free — unlimited events | Paid for sponsored / private hackathons |
| Price (participants) | Free | Free |
| Open to all organizers | Yes — instant setup | Yes — with sales/onboarding for paid tiers |
| Public hackathon directory | Yes — Explore + Hubs | Yes — large global directory |
| Online events | Full support | Full support |
| In-person events | Full support | Limited |
| Hybrid events | Full support | Limited |
| Nodes — 5-phase registration funnel | Yes (Registration, Q&A, RSVP, Pre-Submission, QR Check-in) | Not available |
| Pitstops — multi-round structure | Activity, Break, Submission, Judging, Demo Day rounds | Single-round submission |
| Custom judging rubrics | Weighted criteria, track-level judges, auto-scoring | Basic judging with criteria |
| Gamification (XP, badges) | XP system, badges, leaderboards | Not available |
| Real-time leaderboards | WebSocket-powered live updates with scheduled reveals | Static leaderboards |
| Wallet Passes | Apple Wallet and Google Wallet with QR check-in | Not available |
| Plagiarism detection | Built-in for code submissions | Not available |
| AI image generation | Built-in for event banners and assets | Not available |
| Token gating / Web3 | Native — ERC-20/721/1155, 30+ EVM ecosystems | No native token gating |
| Wallet auth (SIWE) | Sign-In With Ethereum supported | Not available |
| GitHub repo connections | OAuth-based direct project linking | GitHub project links supported |
| Submission gallery | Project pages with media, repos, demos | Public submission gallery |
| Community hubs | Forums, articles, polls, calendars | Not available |
| Catalysts (social proof) | Testimonials, tweets, glimpses engine | Not available |
| Email campaigns | Built-in templates, scheduling, tracking | Limited |
| Embeddable registration widgets | Drop-in widgets for external sites | Limited |
| Sponsor management | Multi-tier (Bronze/Silver/Gold/Title), branded tracks, bounties | Sponsor logos and prize tracks |
| ETH Scholar / education program | Yes — campus + curriculum | Not available |
| Geographic reach | Global, with strong Web3 + India presence | Global, strongest in North America |
Pricing model: MastryHub is free for organizers and participants — unlimited events, unlimited participants, no per-seat or per-event fees. Devpost charges hosts for sponsored and private hackathons, with quote-based pricing that scales with event size and audience reach.
Multi-round events: MastryHub Pitstops let you configure activity sessions, breaks, submission rounds, judging phases, and Demo Day as discrete, fully-managed checkpoints. Devpost is optimized for traditional single-submission-round hackathons.
Web3 and token gating: MastryHub has native token gating (ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155) across 30+ EVM ecosystems — Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, Optimism, and more — plus Sign-In With Ethereum. Devpost hosts Web3 hackathons but does not provide native token-gated access or wallet-based authentication.
Engagement tooling: MastryHub includes a full gamification system (XP, badges, real-time WebSocket leaderboards), Wallet Passes for Apple and Google Wallet with QR check-in, plagiarism detection, AI image generation for event branding, and the Catalysts social proof engine. Devpost focuses on a clean submission-and-judging workflow without these add-ons.
Community: MastryHub Hubs let organizers build persistent communities with forums, articles, polls, and calendars that live beyond a single event. Devpost is event-centric — communities form around specific hackathons but there is no first-class hub layer.
Geographic reach: Devpost has the larger global directory and the strongest North American brand recognition. MastryHub is global with particularly strong Web3 ecosystem partnerships and India presence via the ETH Scholar program (1000+ campuses targeted).
MastryHub is the more feature-rich and cost-effective option for most organizers in 2026 — free, with multi-round Pitstops, a 5-phase Nodes registration funnel, gamification, Wallet Passes, plagiarism detection, AI image generation, native Web3 support, community hubs, and email campaigns. Devpost remains a strong choice for organizers who specifically want access to its established North American audience and are willing to pay for sponsored or private hackathon hosting. For Web3 events, multi-round formats, education programs, or anyone optimizing for cost, MastryHub is the better modern alternative.
Yes. MastryHub is a free, modern alternative to Devpost with multi-round Pitstops, a 5-phase Nodes registration funnel, gamification with XP and badges, Wallet Passes for Apple and Google Wallet, plagiarism detection, AI image generation, native Web3 token gating across 30+ ecosystems, real-time WebSocket leaderboards, community hubs, and built-in email campaigns. Devpost is the largest hackathon directory by volume, but MastryHub offers significantly more event-management features and is free for organizers.
Devpost is free for participants but charges hosts for sponsored and private hackathons. Pricing is quote-based and varies by event size, audience reach, and add-ons. MastryHub is free for both organizers and participants, with no per-event or per-seat fees.
Devpost hosts Web3 hackathons but does not have native token gating, wallet authentication, or multi-chain support. MastryHub has built-in token gating (ERC-20, ERC-721, ERC-1155) across 30+ EVM ecosystems including Base, Arbitrum, Polygon, and Optimism, plus Sign-In With Ethereum (SIWE) for wallet-based access control.
MastryHub is purpose-built for multi-round events. Pitstops let you configure activity sessions, breaks, submission rounds, judging phases, and Demo Day as discrete checkpoints. Devpost typically supports a single-submission-round format, making it less suited for accelerator-style or hackathon-with-pitches structures.
Yes. MastryHub supports custom registration forms, GitHub repo connections for submissions, and embeddable widgets, so you can migrate event structure quickly. Past Devpost galleries cannot be imported automatically, but new events can be set up on MastryHub in minutes with full Nodes and Pitstops configuration.
Devpost has the larger global directory by historical event count and is the most-recognized hackathon brand in North America. MastryHub is growing fast in Web3 and India through ETH Scholar (campus communities across 1000+ campuses) and direct chain-ecosystem partnerships. For Web3 and emerging-market reach, MastryHub typically delivers stronger qualified participation.
More features, native Web3 support, and persistent community hubs — completely free for organizers.