SignUpReady alternative

A signup app that doesn't cap your free plan at 25

Zelos runs unlimited members and unlimited coordinators for free, with native apps, push notifications and built-in chat.

SignUpReady logo

Signup sheets, slots, and email reminders

Fits a class party and a link you share around.

Zelos logo

Open shifts, task dispatch, notice board, and team chat

Built for a team that comes back.

Start a free Zelos project

No credit card · Unlimited members on every plan · Set up in under 5 minutes

How signup works in each app


SignUpReady

A sheet you share by link

You build a sheet of slots or items and share the link. People claim a spot with a name and email, and get an email confirmation.

Zelos

Open shifts as the whole product

Admins post shifts and tasks; team members browse and claim what fits their skills and schedule.

What SignUpReady is better at

If your workflow depends on the things below, SignUpReady is the right pick.

A sheet in under a minute

Pick a template, adjust the slots, share the link. There's no project to configure and nothing to learn, and Zelos asks more of you upfront because it's holding more afterwards.

Nothing to join

Participants claim a spot with a name and email, with no account and no app to download. For a one-off event that's about as frictionless as it gets, and it's the one thing Zelos deliberately trades away.

Item signups, not just shifts

Potlucks, snack schedules, carpools — signing up to bring a dish is a different job from claiming a shift, and SignUpReady handles it natively. Zelos posts work, not items.

Templates for every occasion

A deep library covering class parties, team snacks, conferences, and services across a wide range of congregations. Zelos gives you an empty project and expects you to know what you're posting.

If these bullet points are non-negotiable, you're a SignUpReady user.

What Zelos is sharper at

If you coordinate the same people repeatedly, Zelos is a better fit.

Free that covers your whole team

SignUpReady's free plan is one active sheet with up to 25 participants; past that it's $9/month. The Zelos free plan has no member limit at all, and unlimited coordinators with it.

Every coordinator included

Multiple organisers and team collaboration sit on SignUpReady's Pro plan at $29/month. Zelos gives you unlimited admins on every plan, including free, so every section lead can post without an upgrade.

Built for a team, not a sheet

SignUpReady starts blank every time; Zelos keeps the team. Members have profiles, skills, and task history, so the next shift goes to the right people without rebuilding the list from scratch.

Chat and push on every plan

Zelos has native iOS and Android apps, push notifications, and two-way messaging with a channel per task — all on the free plan. SignUpReady runs in a browser and reaches people by email, with automatic reminders starting on the paid tier.

If you're drawn to this kind of simplicity, you should spin up a free project in Zelos right away.

25 → unlimited

people, free plan

SignUpReady's free plan caps one sheet at 25 participants. Zelos's free plan has no member limit.

What each one actually gives your team

Both start free, so the question is what each one gives you.

What you're checking Zelos Zelos Pro SignUpReady free* SignUpReady paid*
Price Free $99/mo Free $9–29/mo
Admin accounts Unlimited Unlimited One Multiple on Pro
Number of signups Unlimited Unlimited 25 per sheet Unlimited
Mobile apps iOS and Android iOS and Android Browser only Browser only
Communication Push and email Push and email Email Email
Team chat Yes Yes No No

* SignUpReady pricing from signupready.com/pricing, August 2026. Free covers one active sheet and 25 participants; Plus is $9/month for unlimited sheets, participants, reminders and CSV/PDF export; Pro is $29/month adding multiple organisers, reporting and API access. Paid plans carry a 7-day trial.

If you're running one event, a sheet and a link is the right tool. If you're running the same team every week, the account is the point. Nonprofits and education teams get additional discounts on Zelos Pro and Enterprise.

How Zelos works

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No credit card · Five-minute setup

Teams that pick Zelos over SignUpReady

Volunteer-led nonprofits with ongoing programmes

A sheet works for the annual gala. It's heavier going when you post work every week, and a 25-person free cap runs out before most volunteer rosters even start. Zelos keeps volunteer profiles, skills, and task history between events, for unlimited people, free.

Learn more →

Churches running weekly rotas

Sunday service, coffee, kids' ministry, and the food bank all repeat. A coordinator posts the week's slots once and the congregation claims what suits them, from their phones. Unlimited admins means every ministry lead gets access without moving up a tier.

Learn more →

Sports clubs and leagues

Match-day volunteers, kit runs, and canteen shifts across a whole season. Parents get push notifications rather than another email, and every team manager can post without an upgrade.

Learn more →

Grassroots and mutual aid groups

No budget line for software and often no legal entity either. Zelos is free for unlimited people, with no charity status to prove and nothing to approve.

Learn more →

Event staffing and on-demand crews

Paid crews and contractors need targeted dispatch and a chat channel per shift, not a public sheet anyone with the link can open and read.

Learn more →

Youth programmes and student groups

Points and leaderboards are what actually move participation with younger volunteers, and a static sheet has nothing like them. Changemakers Academy took task completion from 20-30% of the group to 75-90%.

Learn more →

From teams who picked Zelos

What teams who picked Zelos say

Capterra

"It helped us a lot reducing the planning overhead. It is way more motivating for staff to pick their task than just getting assigned!"

Manuel W.

Coordinator, Events Services

Full review →
Capterra

"We were looking for a system to handle our concert staff. Zelos is really easy to access both for the administrator and the users!"

Niels Peter H.

Board member, Music

Full review →
Capterra

"The overall experience has been great, the customer service is amazing and I can't wait for all the new changes coming up in the app!"

Celia D.

Coordinator, Motion Pictures and Film

Full review →

Free for teams of any size

No credit card, no trial expiration.

Pro starts at $99/month, never per person.

Nonprofit and education discounts on Pro and Enterprise.

Frequently asked questions

What does SignUpReady's free plan include?
One active signup sheet with up to 25 participants, email notifications, mobile-optimised pages, and basic customisation. Unlimited sheets and participants start at $9/month on Plus. The Zelos free plan has no member limit, no cap on coordinators, and no time limit.
Is Zelos free like SignUpReady?
Yes, and permanently — the Zelos free plan isn't a trial. It includes unlimited members, unlimited admins, self-signup, built-in messaging, push notifications, gamification, and CSV export, with no credit card. The caps are 25 concurrent active tasks, a 100-task archive, and 10,000 chat messages.
Do you offer a nonprofit discount?
Yes — Zelos has additional discounts for nonprofits and education teams on Pro and Enterprise. SignUpReady states on its pricing page that it offers no special nonprofit or school discounts and applies the same pricing to everyone.
Isn't SignUpReady cheaper than Zelos?
At the paid tiers, yes — $9/month for Plus and $29/month for Pro, against $99/month for Zelos Pro. They're pricing different things: SignUpReady prices a sheet builder, Zelos prices a coordination platform with member accounts, chat, and apps. The comparison that usually matters is the free plans, where Zelos covers unlimited people and SignUpReady covers 25.
How many people can manage signups?
Unlimited admins on every Zelos plan, including free. On SignUpReady, multiple organisers and team collaboration are Pro features at $29/month.
Do people need an account to use Zelos?
Yes, and it's the main trade-off. SignUpReady participants just open a link and type a name and email. Zelos members join your workspace by invite and use the app or browser. The account is what makes profiles, skills targeting, chat, push notifications, and history possible across repeated events.
Does Zelos have a mobile app?
Yes, native apps on iOS and Android, free for everyone, plus a browser app for admins. SignUpReady is mobile-optimised web with no app to download.
Can my volunteers chat in Zelos?
Yes. Built-in two-way messaging is on every plan including free: task channels, group chats, direct messages, and push notifications, all with admin oversight by design. SignUpReady communicates outward by email, with automatic reminders on the paid tiers.
Can Zelos handle potluck or snack signups?
Not really. SignUpReady is built for item signups — bringing a dish, a snack, or a carpool seat — and does that natively. Zelos posts tasks and shifts for a team to claim, which is a different job. If items are what you're coordinating, stay with SignUpReady.
Can I export my data?
From Zelos, yes — CSV export of tasks and member data on every plan, including free. On SignUpReady, CSV and PDF export starts on the Plus plan at $9/month.
Can I use both Zelos and SignUpReady?
Yes. Some coordinators keep SignUpReady for class parties, potlucks, and one-off item signups, and run their regular volunteer team in Zelos. The two barely overlap once you see it that way.

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