danceit alternative
Two products, two different jobs
Short version: danceit is a dance-specific product with sixteen named judging systems, including IDO 1D–4D, the IDO battle formats and WADF 1D–5D. JudgeMate is a multi-sport scoring platform that covers dance with four formulas — criteria scoring, adjudication with deductions and award levels, the Skating System (rules 1 to 11) and battles decided by judge votes. If you run an IDO or WADF competition to the letter, danceit implements more of your rulebook. If you run dance alongside other sports, or want a free tier and a public display, JudgeMate covers more of your event.
What danceit is
danceit is a cloud product built for dance competitions. It runs in a browser on a computer, smartphone, tablet or smartwatch, and it ships separate panels for the organiser, the dance school, the scrutineer, the judge and the moderator. The interface is available in English, Polish, Slovak, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Hungarian.
The judging systems it names are: IDO 1D, IDO 2D, IDO 3D, IDO 4D, IDO 4D Show Dance, IDO Battle Solo, IDO Battle Crew, IDO BLOC Solo, WADF 1D through WADF 5D, Ballroom Combinations, Points'n'Places and Crazy Hoop. That is a deeper implementation of two federations' rulebooks than JudgeMate has, and it should be the first thing anyone comparing the two knows.
Pricing
danceit publishes plans in PLN and EUR and offers a discount of up to 50% for organisers running more than ten events a year, or in a country where the product is not yet used. JudgeMate has a free tier.
| Platform | Model | Known rate | Public pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| danceit | Paid plans (PLN / EUR) | Discount up to 50% for 10+ events a year or a new country (product page, captured 2026-08-21) | Plans listed on the site |
| JudgeMate | Free tier, paid add-ons | Scoring, start lists, results, public page and display view on the free tier | Yes |
Side by side
Only the rows where the two genuinely differ. Where both do the same thing, comparing them is noise.
| Feature | danceit | JudgeMate |
|---|---|---|
| IDO 1D–4D and Show Dance | Yes — named systems | No — configurable criteria scoring covers the shape, not the certified rulebook |
| WADF 1D–5D | Yes — named systems | No |
| IDO Battle Solo / Crew / BLOC | Yes — named systems | Battles by judge votes, on a knockout bracket — not the IDO battle rulebook |
| Skating System (rules 1–11) | Points'n'Places and Ballroom Combinations | Yes — rules 1 to 11, with the rule that decided each place shown in the protocol |
| Deductions from a separate judge | Not named on the product page | Yes — a deduction role and a legality role, itemised in the protocol |
| Award levels (gold / high gold / platinum) | Not named on the product page | Yes — thresholds you set |
| Dance school panel | Yes — a dedicated panel | No — clubs appear as a standing, not as a login |
| Music attached to entries, packaged for playback | Yes | No |
| Printed numbers and personal diplomas | Yes | Start lists and PDF results; no diploma printing |
| Smartwatch | Yes | No — phone, tablet, laptop |
| Public display for monitors and LED | Yes | Yes — a dedicated display route with scale and rotation settings |
| Other sports at the same event | Dance | 45 sports, including live scoreboards for match sports |
| Audience polls | Not named on the product page | Yes — live voting on the public page and the display |
| Interface languages | EN, PL, SK, UK, LT, HU | EN, PL, DE, ES (as of 2026) |
When danceit is the better choice
If your competition runs to an IDO or WADF rulebook and you want the named system rather than something shaped like it, danceit implements more of that rulebook than JudgeMate does. The same is true if you need music attached to entries and packaged for playback, printed diplomas, or a dance-school panel where the schools manage their own entries. Those are real features with real work behind them, and JudgeMate does not have them.
When JudgeMate is the better choice
If dance is one part of what you run — a club that also holds a cheer competition, a sports centre with a hall and a floor, a school with a gym and a stage — then a multi-sport platform saves you from running two systems. The same applies if you want to start without a purchase decision: scoring, start lists, results, the public page and the display view are on the free tier.
On the dance side specifically, JudgeMate implements the Skating System to rules 1 to 11 and shows which rule produced each place, has deductions from a separate judge with a legality role beside it, and has award levels — three things that matter in club and school competitions and that danceit's product pages do not name.
What JudgeMate does not do
It is not certified scrutineering software: WDSF has required certification at sanctioned competitions since January 2013, and JudgeMate does not have it. It does not implement the WDSF Absolute Judging System. It does not implement the IDO or WADF named systems — its dance formulas are configurable, which covers the shape of those sheets but is not the same as the certified rulebook. It has no music handling, no diploma printing and no smartwatch client, and its interface is in four languages (as of 2026) against danceit's six.
Moving an event across
Entries import from a spreadsheet — name, start number and club column. Categories are created in the catalogue, with the entry format (solo, duo, trio, group, formation, club) and the formula chosen explicitly. Rounds are separate linked categories, so a preliminary, a semi-final and a final form one path with a cut line. Nothing is imported from danceit directly; there is no export format between the two.
Try JudgeMate on your next event
A dancesport event takes about 10 minutes to configure. No athlete limits, no commission on registrations. See dancesport features · Run the Skating System (rules 1–11) calculator
See also
Dance competition software compared
Six platforms across ballroom, studio tours and breaking — plus the certification line that decides it for WDSF-sanctioned events.
Free dance competition software
What genuinely runs at zero — and the specific rule where hand-scrutineering a spreadsheet names the wrong winner.
Frequently asked questions
Sources
- danceit — judging systems, panels and supported devices — danceit
- IDO Dance Sport Rules & Regulations 2026 — International Dance Organization
- The Skating System — rules 1 to 11 — Österreichischer Tanzsportverband