A web-based judging system for hackathons and project expos that uses pairwise comparisons to rank projects fairly.
Gavel is an open-source judging system built for hackathons, project expos, and competitions. It uses pairwise comparisons to rank projects fairly and efficiently, solving the problem of judging many projects with limited judge time. The system automates the entire judging workflow, from inviting judges to displaying real-time rankings.
Event organizers, hackathon coordinators, and competition managers who need a scalable and fair way to judge projects. It's especially useful for events with many projects where judges cannot evaluate every entry.
Developers choose Gavel because it replaces manual or spreadsheet-based judging with an automated, algorithm-driven system that ensures fair rankings. Its unique pairwise comparison method provides more accurate results than traditional scoring, and its self-hosted nature gives organizers full control over their data and workflow.
A project expo judging system 📊
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Uses the method of pairwise comparisons to infer rankings, ensuring accurate and fair judging even when judges can't see every project, as detailed in the linked blog posts.
Automates the entire process with email invitations for judges, real-time ranking updates, and admin controls, reducing manual overhead for organizers.
Designed to handle many projects and judges efficiently, making it ideal for hackathons and expos with high entry counts.
Provides full control over data and customization, with AGPLv3 licensing allowing modifications for specific event needs.
Requires managing multiple components like Postgres, Redis, and Python dependencies, with deployment steps that can be daunting for non-technical users.
The README explicitly warns that 'Gavel does not preserve database schema compatibility between versions,' risking data migration issues during updates.
Organizers must read two blog posts to grasp the philosophy and practical use, which adds time and effort before effective deployment.
Lacks built-in integrations with common event platforms or tools, requiring custom work for seamless workflow connections.