What's the difference between Awwwards vs CSS Design Awards?

Awwwards: The largest web design awards community, best known for Site of the Day, Site of the Month, and Site of the Year recognition voted by a global jury. CSS Design Awards: Web design awards focused on UI design, UX, and innovation, with daily Website of the Day picks and curated specials.

How is each program judged?

Awwwards: Hybrid jury vote combining a public community of voting jurors with an internal editorial panel; weighted average produces SOTD, SOTM, and SOTY winners. CSS Design Awards: Jury panel scores each entry across UI, UX, and Innovation; aggregate score determines Special Kudos, Website of the Day, and Site of the Year.

Who is each award best for?

Awwwards - Visual-first portfolio agencies, Motion-heavy work, Brand storytelling sites. CSS Design Awards - UI craft, UX-led product sites.

Side-by-side comparison

Awwwards vs CSS Design Awards

Criteria, pricing, judging, verdict.

Side-by-side comparison of Awwwards and CSS Design Awards: how each program scores, what it costs, and who it's for.

All comparisons →Best for your audience ↗

- 01 / The matrix

The facts, side by side.

Attribute	Awwwards	CSS Design Awards
Founded	2009	2009
Headquarters	Valencia, Spain	-
Submission fee	-	-
Acceptance rate	-	-
Monthly traffic	-	-
Judging system	Hybrid jury vote combining a public community of voting jurors with an internal editorial panel; weighted average produces SOTD, SOTM, and SOTY winners.	Jury panel scores each entry across UI, UX, and Innovation; aggregate score determines Special Kudos, Website of the Day, and Site of the Year.
Award levels	Honorable Mention Site of the Day Site of the Month Site of the Year	Special Kudos Website of the Day Site of the Month Site of the Year
Categories	Site of the Day Mobile Excellence Developer E-Commerce	UI UX Innovation E-Commerce Mobile
Judging criteria	Design Usability Creativity Content Mobile	UI design UX design Innovation
Best for	Visual-first portfolio agencies Motion-heavy work Brand storytelling sites	UI craft UX-led product sites
Official site	www.awwwards.com	www.cssdesignawards.com

- 02 / Editorial verdicts

How each one reads.

Awwwards
The largest web design awards community, best known for Site of the Day, Site of the Month, and Site of the Year recognition voted by a global jury.
CSS Design Awards
Web design awards focused on UI design, UX, and innovation, with daily Website of the Day picks and curated specials.

- 03 / Questions buyers ask

FAQ

What's the difference between Awwwards vs CSS Design Awards?
Awwwards: The largest web design awards community, best known for Site of the Day, Site of the Month, and Site of the Year recognition voted by a global jury. CSS Design Awards: Web design awards focused on UI design, UX, and innovation, with daily Website of the Day picks and curated specials.
How is each program judged?
Awwwards: Hybrid jury vote combining a public community of voting jurors with an internal editorial panel; weighted average produces SOTD, SOTM, and SOTY winners. CSS Design Awards: Jury panel scores each entry across UI, UX, and Innovation; aggregate score determines Special Kudos, Website of the Day, and Site of the Year.
Who is each award best for?
Awwwards - Visual-first portfolio agencies, Motion-heavy work, Brand storytelling sites. CSS Design Awards - UI craft, UX-led product sites.

- 04 / Each program, on its own

Go deeper.

Sources for non-Web Design Awards facts: each program's official site. Last reviewed: Awwwards (2026-05-13), CSS Design Awards (2026-05-13).