SweepWidget vs. Rafflecopter: The Smart Rafflecopter Alternative for 2026
Rafflecopter’s own site says the platform “shut down on October 1, 2025” after 15 years, so no one can sign up or run a new campaign on it. SweepWidget is the best replacement for anyone who used Rafflecopter to run entry-form giveaways, because it has a free plan and offers 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms, referral entries and fraud controls. A new, unrelated tool called rafflecopter.app is the better pick only if you just need to draw one winner from comments on a post you’ve already published.
SweepWidget vs. Rafflecopter at a glance
| Tool | Best For | Starting Price | Key Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| SweepWidget | Brands and creators who ran entry-form giveaways on Rafflecopter and need an active replacement | Free plan; paid from $29/mo (Pro, unlimited entries) | 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms, with referral entries and fraud controls |
| Rafflecopter (rafflecopter.com) | No one: the platform shut down on October 1, 2025 | Not available | Was a simple, widely used giveaway widget for 15 years |
| rafflecopter.app (new, unrelated) | Creators who need to pick one winner from comments on posts they’ve already published | Free up to 100 comments; $4.99 or $7.99 per draw | A public SHA-256 certificate for every draw, across 8 social networks |
Status and prices verified on rafflecopter.com, rafflecopter.app and sweepwidget.com/pricing, October 15, 2026.
No credit card required.
What happened to Rafflecopter?
Rafflecopter’s homepage now shows a single notice: “After 15 amazing years, the Rafflecopter platform shut down on October 1, 2025.” It gives no reason and recommends no replacement. Paying customers who need their data can email Rafflecopter’s support address, per the same notice. Gleam’s Rafflecopter FAQ says users had until September 30, 2025 to log in and export their campaign data.
Is Rafflecopter back? What is rafflecopter.app?
No. rafflecopter.app is a different tool that reuses the name. Its own page says an independent team led by software engineer Lucas Gaviello acquired the domain in late 2025 and relaunched in April 2026 as “a complete technical rebuild”. It picks a random winner from comments on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Threads and Bluesky posts. It doesn’t mention an entry-form builder, referral entries or email capture, so it doesn’t replace the campaigns the original Rafflecopter ran.
What should you look for in a Rafflecopter alternative?
Five things decide it:
- Whether the tool is actively supported. Rafflecopter’s shutdown is a reminder to check that a vendor is still updating and supporting its product before you build a giveaway routine around it.
- Entry methods beyond one channel. A comment picker covers one post. A giveaway platform lets one campaign collect emails, follows, visits and referrals together.
- Fraud controls. Anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking and per-IP limits stop bots and duplicate entries from skewing your winner pool. Check which plan includes them.
- Pricing that fits how often you run giveaways. Pay-per-draw suits a one-off. A subscription suits regular campaigns.
- A way to move your old data. If you have an old Rafflecopter export, check that your new tool or email platform can import it.
How do SweepWidget, Rafflecopter and rafflecopter.app compare?
SweepWidget
SweepWidget offers 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms, 38 email integrations and 65+ API integrations in total. It runs as a native Shopify app, a WordPress plugin and an embeddable widget for any other site, like Rafflecopter’s widget did. Pro ($29/mo) includes unlimited entries, refer-a-friend entries, photo and video contests, custom form fields, Anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking, a limit on entries per IP address, and allow and block lists for IP addresses and emails. Business ($59/mo) adds leaderboards, instant coupons and prizes, milestone rewards and Zapier.
The honest weaknesses: email verification and country restriction are included on Premium ($119/mo), phone verification on Enterprise ($249/mo), and some Capterra reviewers say its fraud filters occasionally block legitimate entrants.
Best for: Brands and creators who ran entry-form giveaways on Rafflecopter and need an active replacement.
Pricing: Free; Pro $29/mo; Business $59/mo; Premium $119/mo; Enterprise $249/mo. Annual billing saves 17%. (Verified on SweepWidget’s pricing page, October 15, 2026.)
Free trial: A permanent free plan rather than a time-limited trial.
Bottom line: The closest active replacement for what the original Rafflecopter did, with more entry methods and named fraud controls.
Rafflecopter (shut down)
For 15 years, Rafflecopter was one of the best-known giveaway widgets: an entry form you could embed on a blog or site, with extra entries for following accounts or sharing. It shut down on October 1, 2025, and its pricing and feature pages are gone, so we don’t quote any past prices. Its old reviews are still visible: Rafflecopter’s Capterra rating is 4.4 out of 5 from 49 reviews, where reviewers praised it as “an easy and cheap/free way to host a giveaway” and said viral sharing and newsletter sign-ups needed a paid plan.
Best for: No one; the platform is closed to new sign-ups and campaigns.
Pricing: Not available; the service is discontinued.
Free trial: Not available.
Bottom line: Anyone still comparing tools against Rafflecopter is really choosing what replaces it.
rafflecopter.app (new, unrelated)
rafflecopter.app draws a random winner from comments on one or more posts across 8 social networks, filters likely spam accounts by username patterns, comment timing and account age, and publishes a SHA-256 certificate so anyone can check the draw. It’s free for up to 100 comments, then $4.99 per draw for up to 200 comments or $7.99 for up to 2,000 with a live draw room. It doesn’t mention an entry form, referral entries, email capture or a landing page.
Best for: Creators who need to pick one winner from comments on posts they’ve already published.
Pricing: Free up to 100 comments; Standard $4.99 per draw (200 comments); Premium $7.99 per draw (2,000 comments). (Verified on rafflecopter.app, October 15, 2026.)
Free trial: A free tier limited by comment count, not time.
Bottom line: A fair, low-cost comment picker, not a replacement for running giveaway campaigns.
Feature-by-feature comparison table
| Feature | SweepWidget | Rafflecopter (shut down) | rafflecopter.app |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Active | Shut down October 1, 2025 | Active since April 2026; unrelated to the original |
| Starting price | Free plan; paid from $29/mo (Pro) | Not available | Free up to 100 comments; $4.99 or $7.99 per draw |
| What it does | Giveaway and contest campaigns with entry forms | Was an embeddable giveaway entry widget | Picks a winner from existing post comments |
| Entry methods | 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms, including referrals and Shopify purchases | Was email entry plus follow and share bonus entries | Comments on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Threads and Bluesky |
| Email capture | Yes, with 38 email integrations | Was offered on paid plans, per Capterra reviewers | Not mentioned on its site |
| Fraud controls | Anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking, per-IP limits, IP and email allow and block lists included on Pro ($29/mo) | Not applicable | Spam-account filtering and a SHA-256 draw certificate |
| Where it runs | Shopify app, WordPress plugin, embed on any site | Not applicable | Web app; no Shopify App Store listing found (checked October 15, 2026) |
| Reviews | SweepWidget’s Capterra rating: 4.7/5 (52 reviews); SweepWidget’s G2 rating: 4.8/5 (19); SweepWidget’s Trustpilot rating: 4.3/5 (62); Shopify: 4.0/5 (13) | Reviews from before the shutdown: Rafflecopter’s Capterra rating: 4.4/5 (49); Rafflecopter’s G2 rating: 4.2/5 (14); Trustpilot profile with no reviews; no Shopify listing found | No Trustpilot or Shopify listing found (checked October 15, 2026) |
Ratings checked on Capterra, G2, Trustpilot and the Shopify App Store on October 15, 2026.
Why choose SweepWidget over Rafflecopter?
Five checkable reasons, each verified on October 15, 2026.
It’s active, and Rafflecopter isn’t
SweepWidget is updated and supported today, with a free plan you can sign up for now. Rafflecopter shut down on October 1, 2025, and accepts no new sign-ups or campaigns.
Full giveaway campaigns, not just a comment draw
SweepWidget runs entry forms with email capture, follows, visits, referrals and photo and video contests in one campaign. rafflecopter.app picks a winner from comments you already have.
Broader entry options: 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms
SweepWidget’s entry methods cover far more than Rafflecopter’s old email, follow and share entries, including Shopify purchase entries and referrals.
Fraud controls named on the plan page
SweepWidget’s Pro plan ($29/mo) includes anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking, per-IP entry limits, and allow and block lists for IP addresses and emails.
Higher review scores than Rafflecopter had
SweepWidget is rated 4.8 out of 5 on G2 from 19 reviews and 4.7 on Capterra from 52. Rafflecopter’s listings, from before the shutdown, show 4.2 on G2 from 14 reviews and 4.4 on Capterra from 49.
SweepWidget vs. Rafflecopter: pros and cons
All three tools, checked on October 15, 2026.
SweepWidget
Pros
- Active and supported, with a permanent free plan.
- 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms, plus referral entries and photo and video contests.
- Anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking and per-IP limits included on Pro ($29/mo).
- Rated 4.8 out of 5 on G2 (19 reviews) and 4.7 on Capterra (52 reviews), against Rafflecopter’s 4.2 on G2 (14) and 4.4 on Capterra (49).
Cons
- A subscription: for one comment draw, rafflecopter.app’s pay-per-draw price costs less.
- Email verification is included on Premium ($119/mo), and phone verification on Enterprise ($249/mo).
- Removing SweepWidget branding takes Premium ($119/mo).
- Some Capterra reviewers say its fraud filters occasionally block legitimate entrants.
Rafflecopter (shut down)
Pros
- For 15 years it was simple to embed, and reviewers called it an easy, cheap or free way to host a giveaway.
- Its old Capterra (4.4 from 49) and G2 (4.2 from 14) ratings show it was well liked.
Cons
- Shut down on October 1, 2025; no new sign-ups or campaigns.
- Its notice recommends no replacement, and data exports are by email request only.
rafflecopter.app
Pros
- Free for up to 100 comments, and $4.99 or $7.99 per draw above that, with no subscription.
- A public SHA-256 certificate for every draw, and comments pulled from 8 social networks.
Cons
- Unrelated to the original Rafflecopter despite the name.
- No entry form, referral entries or email capture mentioned on its site.
How do you choose between SweepWidget and Rafflecopter?
- You ran entry-form giveaways on the old Rafflecopter: SweepWidget, the closest active replacement, with a free plan.
- You want entries from email, follows, visits and referrals in one campaign: SweepWidget, with 120+ entry methods.
- You sell on Shopify or run WordPress: SweepWidget, with a Shopify app and a WordPress plugin.
- You only need to pick one winner from comments on a post you’ve already published: rafflecopter.app, free for up to 100 comments.
How we evaluated these tools
We compared SweepWidget, the original Rafflecopter and rafflecopter.app on five criteria, in this order:
- Availability. Whether you can sign up and run a campaign today.
- What the tool does. Full giveaway campaigns versus comment draws.
- Entry methods and fraud controls. Channels covered and checks included, and on which plan.
- Pricing. Subscription versus pay-per-draw.
- Review record. Ratings and review counts on Capterra, G2, Trustpilot and the Shopify App Store, including Rafflecopter’s listings from before the shutdown.
Status checked on rafflecopter.com and rafflecopter.app, prices on each tool’s own pages, and strengths and gaps drawn from public reviews, all on October 15, 2026.
Our verdict: which should you choose?
If you used Rafflecopter to run entry-form giveaways, SweepWidget is the replacement we recommend: it’s active, free to start, and offers 120+ entry methods, referral entries and named fraud controls. If you only need to draw one winner from comments on a post you’ve already published, rafflecopter.app does that job for free or a few dollars per draw.
Ready to run your first giveaway?
Move your next Rafflecopter-style giveaway to SweepWidget’s free plan in minutes. Or compare SweepWidget’s plans and features first.
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Still weighing your options?
See more comparison information here:
SweepWidget head-to-head comparisons
See how SweepWidget compares with each tool in detail:
More giveaway guides
Frequently asked questions
Is Rafflecopter still available?
No. Rafflecopter’s homepage says the platform “shut down on October 1, 2025” after 15 years. No new sign-ups or campaigns are possible, and paying customers who need their data can request it by email. Checked October 15, 2026.
Is rafflecopter.app the same company as Rafflecopter?
No. rafflecopter.app says an independent team led by software engineer Lucas Gaviello acquired the domain in late 2025 and relaunched it in April 2026 as a complete technical rebuild. It picks winners from social post comments rather than running giveaway campaigns with entry forms.
What’s the best replacement for Rafflecopter?
For entry-form giveaways with email capture, follows and referral entries, SweepWidget is the closest active replacement. It has a free plan, 120+ entry methods across 30+ social platforms, and anti-cheating tools, VPN blocking and per-IP limits on its $29/mo Pro plan.
How much does rafflecopter.app cost?
rafflecopter.app is free for draws of up to 100 comments. Above that, a Standard draw costs $4.99 for up to 200 comments and a Premium draw costs $7.99 for up to 2,000 comments with a live draw room. Prices checked October 15, 2026.
How did Rafflecopter’s reviews compare with SweepWidget’s?
Rafflecopter’s listings, from before it shut down, show 4.4 out of 5 from 49 reviews on Capterra and 4.2 from 14 on G2. SweepWidget is rated 4.7 from 52 reviews on Capterra and 4.8 from 19 on G2. Ratings checked October 15, 2026.
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