What's the difference between CSS Design Awards vs The FWA?

CSS Design Awards: Web design awards focused on UI design, UX, and innovation, with daily Website of the Day picks and curated specials. The FWA: One of the oldest digital design awards, with a long history of recognizing experimental, interactive, and motion-driven web work.

How is each program judged?

CSS Design Awards: Jury panel scores each entry across UI, UX, and Innovation. An average above 8.00 earns Website of the Day; above 6.0 earns a Special Kudos certificate. Public awards additionally require 20+ votes alongside a 6.0 judge average. The FWA: International jury panel selects FWA of the Day from submissions; FWA of the Month, of the Year, and Hall of Fame derive from FWA of the Day winners.

Who is each award best for?

CSS Design Awards - UI craft, UX-led product sites. The FWA - Experimental and interactive work, Motion-heavy launches, WebGL and immersive sites.

Side-by-side comparison

CSS Design Awards vs The FWA

Criteria, pricing, judging, verdict.

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

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- 01 / The matrix

The facts, side by side.

Attribute	CSS Design Awards	The FWA
Founded	2009	2000
Submission fee	$50	Published on thefwa.com
Judging system	Jury panel scores each entry across UI, UX, and Innovation. An average above 8.00 earns Website of the Day; above 6.0 earns a Special Kudos certificate. Public awards additionally require 20+ votes alongside a 6.0 judge average.	International jury panel selects FWA of the Day from submissions; FWA of the Month, of the Year, and Hall of Fame derive from FWA of the Day winners.
Award levels	Special Kudos Website of the Day Website of the Month Website of the Year Designer of the Year	FWA of the Day FWA of the Month FWA of the Year FWA Hall of Fame
Categories	UI UX Innovation E-Commerce Mobile	FWA of the Day FWA of the Month FWA of the Year
Judging criteria	UI design UX design Innovation	Innovation Design Creativity Content User experience
Best for	UI craft UX-led product sites	Experimental and interactive work Motion-heavy launches WebGL and immersive sites
Official site	www.cssdesignawards.com	thefwa.com

- 02 / Editorial verdicts

How each one reads.

CSS Design Awards
Web design awards focused on UI design, UX, and innovation, with daily Website of the Day picks and curated specials.
The FWA
One of the oldest digital design awards, with a long history of recognizing experimental, interactive, and motion-driven web work.

- 03 / Questions buyers ask

FAQ

What's the difference between CSS Design Awards vs The FWA?
CSS Design Awards: Web design awards focused on UI design, UX, and innovation, with daily Website of the Day picks and curated specials. The FWA: One of the oldest digital design awards, with a long history of recognizing experimental, interactive, and motion-driven web work.
How is each program judged?
CSS Design Awards: Jury panel scores each entry across UI, UX, and Innovation. An average above 8.00 earns Website of the Day; above 6.0 earns a Special Kudos certificate. Public awards additionally require 20+ votes alongside a 6.0 judge average. The FWA: International jury panel selects FWA of the Day from submissions; FWA of the Month, of the Year, and Hall of Fame derive from FWA of the Day winners.
Who is each award best for?
CSS Design Awards - UI craft, UX-led product sites. The FWA - Experimental and interactive work, Motion-heavy launches, WebGL and immersive sites.

- 04 / Each program, on its own

Go deeper.

Sources for non-Web Design Awards facts: each program's official site. Last reviewed: CSS Design Awards (2026-08-24), The FWA (2026-05-13).