Ubunya vs Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply
Submittable and Apply stop at the decision. Ubunya runs the programme after it.
Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply are application management tools: forms, review queues, scoring and decisions for grants, fellowships, scholarships and programmes. They're strong at that one step. Once someone is accepted, organisations still need a second tool for the cohort itself. Ubunya includes the application form and review queue, then admits accepted applicants straight into the intake.
The short answer
Choose Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply if
- You run grants or awards where the decision is the whole process.
- You need complex multi-stage review with many outside reviewers.
- You already have another platform to run the programme.
Choose Ubunya if
- Accepted applicants go on to a cohort with sessions and courses.
- You want applications, learning, attendance and fees in one place.
- You don't want to pay for two tools and copy data between them.
- You need certificates and impact reports that cover the whole programme.
Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply and Ubunya at a glance
- Price
- Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply: Submittable from about $499/month; Apply about $5,000 per programme
- Ubunya: One plan agreed with you, paid by invoice in your currency. Every feature is included.
- Covers
- Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply: Applications and review
- Ubunya: Applications through to graduation
- Best for
- Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply: Grants, awards and selection
- Ubunya: Programmes people are admitted into
- After acceptance
- Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply: A second tool
- Ubunya: Joins the intake automatically
Feature by feature
| Feature | Ubunya | Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply |
|---|---|---|
| Community feed, categories and polls | ||
| Courses, lessons and progress | ||
| Points, levels and leaderboards | ||
| Live sessions | Live rooms in the browser, with breakout groups and recording | |
| Admissions | Application forms with a review queue | Advanced forms, scoring and reviewer workflows |
| Cohorts | Intakes with seats, dates and class times | |
| Attendance | Online and in person, with QR check-in | |
| Certificates | Issued on completion, with a public check page | |
| Small groups | Squads inside each cohort | |
| Impact reporting | Impact reports and follow-up surveys | Application and grant reports |
| Payments made outside a card checkout | Bank transfer, M-Pesa, UPI, Pix, card and cash recorded, with receipts and balances | Grant payments on some plans |
| One payer for many learners | An employer or sponsor pays for several learners | |
| WhatsApp and SMS | WhatsApp and SMS reminders and announcements | |
| Email broadcasts and automatic sequences | Applicant emails | |
| Phone app | Installable app under your own name and logo | |
| Web address | ubunya.com/yourname, or your own domain | Their portal |
| Developer access | Public API, MCP server and CLI | API on higher plans |
| Fee on what learners pay | 0% | Not a payments tool |
Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply details as of November 2026, from Submittable pricing, SurveyMonkey Apply, ITQlick: SurveyMonkey Apply vs Submittable and published reviews. Prices and fees change, so check Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply's site before you decide.
One tool for the whole journey
A typical academy today uses an application tool such as Submittable, Apply or Google Forms, then a community and course platform, Zoom for live sessions, spreadsheets for attendance and fees, and WhatsApp groups for reminders. That's often $600 to $1,000 or more a month, plus staff time copying people from one tool to the next.
In Ubunya the application form, the review queue and the decision live in the same place as the programme. Accepting someone enrols them in the intake, and the same record carries their sessions, attendance, fees, certificate and alumni membership.
Cohorts, not just a membership
Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply end at the decision: accept, waitlist or decline. Ubunya starts from the programme: you open an intake with a start date, seats and class times, people apply, your team admits them, and they move through the cohort together until graduation.
Every learner has a record that follows them: which intake they joined, which sessions they attended, what they paid and which certificate they earned. When a funder or board asks how the last cohort went, the answer is already there.
If you only need an open membership that anyone can join with a card, Submittable or Apply may be all you need. If you admit people into programmes that start and finish, that structure is what Ubunya is for.
Attendance and certificates that prove the work
Application tools don't track what happens after acceptance. In Ubunya, people who join a live session are marked present automatically, and for in-person days staff can tick a register or learners can scan a QR code at the door, even on a weak connection.
Completion rules can require attendance as well as lessons. When a learner finishes, their certificate is issued with a public check page, so an employer can confirm it is genuine.
Where Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply is the better choice
No platform suits everyone. Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply does these things better than Ubunya:
- Very flexible multi-stage review with many outside reviewers.
- Built for grants, with grant payments and compliance on some plans.
- A long track record with foundations and public funders.
Moving from Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply to Ubunya
- Request a community. We set it up with your name, logo and colours, at ubunya.com/yourname or on your own domain.
- Import your members from a CSV export, with their names, emails and phone numbers.
- Recreate your programmes and courses. Lesson videos can be uploaded or embedded, and we can help with the move when we agree your plan.
- Invite members to sign in. Their history starts in Ubunya from the next intake.
Questions
How much do Submittable and SurveyMonkey Apply cost?+
Neither publishes full price lists. Submittable is reported from about $499 a month and SurveyMonkey Apply at about $5,000 per programme a year. Ask each vendor for a quote.
Can Ubunya replace an application tool?+
Yes, for programmes people are admitted into. Ubunya has application forms with custom questions, a review queue and accept, waitlist or decline decisions that enrol people straight into the intake.
When should I keep Submittable or Apply?+
If you run grants or awards where the decision is the end of the process, or you need complex review with many external reviewers, a dedicated application tool may still fit.
Other comparisons
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