Rafflecopter shut down · Oct 2025
The best Rafflecopter alternative in 2026
Rafflecopter stopped accepting new giveaways on October 1st 2025 and closed permanently on October 31st. If you're one of the 40,000+ creators looking for a replacement, this page is for you. Here's what changed, what to look for in an alternative, and how PickAWin compares.
Why did Rafflecopter shut down?
Rafflecopter was acquired by ShortStack in 2021. In September 2025 the ShortStack team announced they'd be sunsetting the standalone Rafflecopter platform to focus on their enterprise contest suite. Existing users had 30 days to export entries and winners before the widgets stopped serving requests.
The shutdown left creators, marketers and small businesses without an easy pay-per-draw replacement. Most alternatives (Gleam, SweepWidget, Woobox) run on a subscription model starting at $29-$49/month. If you only run a giveaway now and then, that's overkill.
2026 Rafflecopter alternatives — honest comparison
We include our own tool (PickAWin) and 4 competitors. Prices verified October 2026.
| Tool | Pricing | Signup | Verifiable |
|---|---|---|---|
| PickAWin | Free tier + $2.99–$14.99 pay-per-draw | Not required (free) | ✓ SHA-256 proof |
| Gleam.io | $49–$149/mo | Required | Certificate only |
| SweepWidget | $29–$99/mo | Required | No |
| Woobox | $37–$249/mo | Required | No |
| comment-picker.com | Free + $6.99/mo Premium | Not required (free) | No |
Prices are the entry tier for each product as of Oct 2026. Enterprise pricing is negotiated separately.
Migrate from Rafflecopter in 3 minutes
- 1
Export what you still can
If you had access to your Rafflecopter dashboard before Oct 31 2025, you'd have downloaded the CSV of past winners. If not, PickAWin doesn't need any historical data — every new draw is a fresh start.
- 2
Paste your Instagram / YouTube / TikTok post URL
PickAWin pulls comments directly from the post. No entry widget, no signup form. Perfect for comment-based giveaways which is what most Rafflecopter users ran.
- 3
Pick winners & share the SHA-256 hash
Every paid draw generates a cryptographic proof. Winners can verify at pickawin.app/verify — impossible for us to fake results. This is stronger fairness than Rafflecopter ever offered.
What we do that Rafflecopter didn't
- 🔒
SHA-256 verifiable draws
Publish the hash before the draw. Reveal the seed after. Anyone can verify. Rafflecopter's random selection was a black box.
- 💸
Pay per draw, not per month
Occasional giveaway? You pay $2.99. Rafflecopter (and every alternative except comment-picker) charge you monthly whether you draw or not.
- 🎬
Cinematic reveal on Premium
Winner announcement is a Stories-ready video with countdown, elimination animation, and confetti. Great for engagement.
- 🌐
Native multi-language
English, Spanish, Portuguese with proper regional pricing. Rafflecopter was English-only.
Run your first PickAWin giveaway free
No account, no credit card. Paste an Instagram post URL, pick winners in 30 seconds.
Start free draw →Frequently asked questions
Why did Rafflecopter shut down?
Rafflecopter was acquired by ShortStack in 2021. In September 2025 ShortStack decided to sunset the standalone platform. Widgets stopped working after October 31 2025.
Is my Rafflecopter data recoverable?
If you didn't export before Oct 31 2025, unfortunately no. Neither ShortStack nor Rafflecopter offer historical exports post-shutdown.
How is PickAWin different from comment-picker.com?
Both are free-tier friendly. PickAWin adds SHA-256 verification, native multi-language pricing, and a cinematic reveal on Premium. comment-picker is broader (supports more platforms) but less focused on the fairness angle.
Does PickAWin work for YouTube / TikTok too?
Yes. Same flow: paste the video URL, we pull comments, run the draw.
Can I re-run a draw if the winner doesn't reply?
On Premium tiers, yes — you can re-draw with different winners without paying again for 24 hours. On Standard tiers, each draw is single-use.
Do I need to disclose the SHA-256 proof to my audience?
It's optional but recommended. We generate a shareable card and a /verify link that anyone can use to audit the result. Great for building trust with your community.