What's the difference between Awwwards vs Web 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. Web Design Awards: Editorial web design awards built for the cycle of nominate → judge → ship, with transparent rubric scoring and an open knowledge graph of every studio, technology, and category.

Which is cheaper to submit to: Awwwards vs Web Design Awards?

Cheapest first: Web Design Awards - Free, or $49.99 judged; Awwwards - $65.

How is each program judged?

Awwwards: Each entry is scored by a minimum of 18 jurors on Design (40%), Usability (30%), Creativity (20%), and Content (10%); the weighted average produces SOTD, SOTM, and SOTY winners. An approved site stays eligible for Site of the Day for three months. Web Design Awards: Editorial jury scoring against a published rubric, with monthly Site of the Month rounds, an annual winners cycle, and an Agency of the Year leaderboard powered by points.

Who is each award best for?

Awwwards - Visual-first portfolio agencies, Motion-heavy work, Brand storytelling sites. Web Design Awards - Independent web design agencies, Webflow, Framer, and headless studios, Teams shipping for SaaS and brand.

Side-by-side comparison

Awwwards vs Web Design Awards

Criteria, pricing, judging, verdict.

Side-by-side comparison of Awwwards and Web 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	Web Design AwardsUs
Founded	2009	2024
Headquarters	Valencia, Spain	Remote
Submission fee	$65	Free, or $49.99 judged
Judging system	Each entry is scored by a minimum of 18 jurors on Design (40%), Usability (30%), Creativity (20%), and Content (10%); the weighted average produces SOTD, SOTM, and SOTY winners. An approved site stays eligible for Site of the Day for three months.	Editorial jury scoring against a published rubric, with monthly Site of the Month rounds, an annual winners cycle, and an Agency of the Year leaderboard powered by points.
Award levels	Honorable Mention Site of the Day Site of the Month Site of the Year	Nominee Site of the Month Winner Site of the Year Agency of the Year
Categories	Site of the Day Mobile Excellence Developer E-Commerce	Agency SaaS Ecommerce Portfolio Editorial Brand Web App AI
Judging criteria	Design (40%) Usability (30%) Creativity (20%) Content (10%)	User Experience & Strategy Visual Design & Branding Content & Storytelling Accessibility & Inclusivity Performance & Technical Implementation Responsiveness & Multi-device Support Innovation & Future Readiness
Best for	Visual-first portfolio agencies Motion-heavy work Brand storytelling sites	Independent web design agencies Webflow, Framer, and headless studios Teams shipping for SaaS and brand
Official site	www.awwwards.com	www.webdesignawards.io

- 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.
Web Design AwardsUs
Editorial web design awards built for the cycle of nominate → judge → ship, with transparent rubric scoring and an open knowledge graph of every studio, technology, and category.
Built around the idea that a web design award should leave a permanent, structured citation on the open web.
Studios that want a win that shows up in Google and AI assistants, not just a badge.

- 03 / Questions buyers ask

FAQ

What's the difference between Awwwards vs Web 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. Web Design Awards: Editorial web design awards built for the cycle of nominate → judge → ship, with transparent rubric scoring and an open knowledge graph of every studio, technology, and category.
Which is cheaper to submit to: Awwwards vs Web Design Awards?
Cheapest first: Web Design Awards - Free, or $49.99 judged; Awwwards - $65.
How is each program judged?
Awwwards: Each entry is scored by a minimum of 18 jurors on Design (40%), Usability (30%), Creativity (20%), and Content (10%); the weighted average produces SOTD, SOTM, and SOTY winners. An approved site stays eligible for Site of the Day for three months. Web Design Awards: Editorial jury scoring against a published rubric, with monthly Site of the Month rounds, an annual winners cycle, and an Agency of the Year leaderboard powered by points.
Who is each award best for?
Awwwards - Visual-first portfolio agencies, Motion-heavy work, Brand storytelling sites. Web Design Awards - Independent web design agencies, Webflow, Framer, and headless studios, Teams shipping for SaaS and brand.

- 04 / Each program, on its own

Go deeper.

Sources for non-Web Design Awards facts: each program's official site. Last reviewed: Awwwards (2026-08-24), Web Design Awards (2026-10-04).