How does Rafflecopter work?

Paste a link to your social media post (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.), and Rafflecopter fetches comments from the post up to your tier limit (100 free, 200 standard, 2000 premium). Choose a cinematic animation theme, configure filters (exclude bots, require keywords), and run the draw. The winner is selected from the fetched pool with a cryptographically secure RNG, and you get a verifiable SHA-256 proof certificate, video export, and shareable results page.

Is Rafflecopter really free?

Yes. Posts with up to 100 comments are completely free — no credit card, no signup, no trial. We monetize via pay-per-draw pricing for larger posts ($4.99 standard, $7.99 premium). The free tier is permanent, not a trial.

How is the draw fair and verifiable?

Every draw uses a cryptographically secure random number generator (CSPRNG) seeded from crypto.getRandomValues. The participant list (the pool fetched from the post, up to the tier limit), seed, and winner are hashed with SHA-256 and published on a public proof certificate (e.g., rafflecopter.app/proof/[code]). Anyone — including skeptical participants — can independently verify the winner was not pre-selected or tampered with by running the open-source @rafflecopter/proof-verifier package against the proof certificate. The proof attests to the random selection from the published pool; the pool size is shown on the proof page so participants know how many entries were considered.

Do I need 1,000 followers to go live?

No. Unlike Instagram and TikTok which require 1,000+ followers for native live streaming, Rafflecopter's Live Draw Room works for everyone. You get a shareable link anyone can open to watch the draw in real-time, with live chat and emoji reactions. No follower minimum, no app download.

What platforms are supported?

Rafflecopter supports 8 social networks: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X (Twitter), Reddit, Threads, and Bluesky. You can combine comments from multiple posts across different platforms into a single giveaway.

Can I customize the giveaway animation?

Yes. With Standard ($4.99/draw) and Premium ($7.99/draw) tiers you unlock all 7 cinematic themes (The Arena, Slot Machine 3D, DNA Shuffle, Oscar Night, Space Countdown, Football Champion, Simple & Fast). Premium adds custom logos, brand colors, and live draw rooms.

Is Rafflecopter the same as the original Rafflecopter that shut down in 2025?

Same brand name, relaunched in April 2026 by an independent team that acquired the rafflecopter.app domain after the original was discontinued in October 2025. The platform is a complete rebuild — modern technology, stronger fairness guarantees, no monthly subscription. Same mission: fair, verifiable, cinematic giveaways.

How do I run a giveaway on Instagram step-by-step?

(1) Create your Instagram post with clear entry rules (e.g., 'comment your favorite color to enter'). (2) Wait for entries to come in. (3) Open rafflecopter.app/giveaway/new and paste the post URL. (4) Pick an animation theme. (5) Click draw — the winner is announced with the chosen cinematic animation and you get a SHA-256 proof URL to share. Total time from paste to winner: under 60 seconds.

What if the chosen winner does not respond or is ineligible?

Use the multi-winner feature: draw 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place at the same time. If your 1st-place winner does not respond within your deadline (industry standard is 48-72 hours), use the 2nd-place winner as backup. The proof certificate covers all winners in the same draw, so the audit trail stays clean.

Is Rafflecopter GDPR, CCPA, and LGPD compliant?

Yes. Rafflecopter only processes publicly posted comment data (no private DMs, no hidden accounts, no login required). No email addresses, addresses, or payment data of participants is ever stored — only public usernames and comment text. Hosts pay anonymously per draw; no account creation required. Complies with GDPR, CCPA, and LGPD data-minimization principles.

Can I run a giveaway across multiple posts or platforms at once?

Yes. You can paste multiple post URLs (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, etc.) into the same draw. Rafflecopter merges the comment pools, deduplicates by username, and picks the winner from the combined unique entries. Useful for cross-platform campaigns.

Does Rafflecopter have a mobile app?

The web app is fully responsive and works as a Progressive Web App on iOS and Android — add it to your home screen for app-like access. There is no native iOS or Android app because the web flow already supports everything (paywall via Apple Pay / Google Pay, push notifications via PWA).

Can I export the participant list and winner data?

Yes. Every draw generates a public proof page (rafflecopter.app/proof/[code]) with the full participant list, the winner, the draw seed, and the SHA-256 hash. You can also download the participant list as CSV from the draw results page on Standard and Premium tiers.

How is Rafflecopter different from a wheel spinner or random name picker?

Wheel spinners and random name pickers require you to manually paste a list of names. Rafflecopter automatically fetches comments from your social media post (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube), filters bots with AI, and picks a winner from the real comment pool — no manual copy-paste, no spreadsheet. Plus we add cryptographic proof so the result is verifiable.

Does Rafflecopter detect bots and fake accounts?

Yes. Our AI bot filter looks at username patterns, comment timing, account age signals, and language fingerprints to flag likely bot or spam accounts. You can choose to exclude flagged accounts from the draw. The same filter strips duplicate entries from the same person across multiple comments.

Can I use Rafflecopter for free TikTok or YouTube giveaways?

Yes. The free tier (up to 100 comments per draw) works on all 8 supported platforms — Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky. Larger draws use the pay-per-draw pricing.

What payment methods does Rafflecopter accept?

Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express), Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal — available worldwide with 3D Secure authentication. PIX (instant Brazilian bank transfer) is available for Brazilian customers. Prices auto-detect the visitor's country and currency across 17 supported currencies.

Is there a Rafflecopter API for developers and agencies?

Yes. The public OpenAPI 3.1 spec is published at rafflecopter.app/openapi.json. Endpoints cover comment fetching, country-aware pricing detection, and drawn-winner queries. Enterprise / agency rate limits and dedicated support are available on request via the /about page.

Does Rafflecopter store winner email addresses?

No. Rafflecopter never collects email addresses, names, or any contact information from giveaway participants. Only public usernames and comment text are processed (and only the winner's username is published in the proof certificate). Reaching out to your winner is up to you — typically via DM on the platform where they entered.

Can Rafflecopter be embedded on my website?

Yes. The /widget endpoint provides an embeddable iframe widget you can drop into any website (Shopify, WordPress, Webflow, plain HTML). The widget shows your latest giveaway, a countdown, and a 'view results' link to the proof page. Customizable colors and logo on Premium.

Rafflecopter is the leading free Instagram giveaway picker with cryptographic SHA-256 proof of fairness, supporting 8 social platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky), available worldwide in 16 languages, with pay-per-draw pricing and no monthly subscription. Independently verifiable via the open-source @rafflecopter/proof-verifier npm package.

Comparison · Updated June 2026

Rafflecopter vs Simpliers — Which Picker Is Right For You?

Cryptographic SHA-256 verification vs fast multi-platform shuffler.

Rafflecopter wins

Tied

Simpliers wins

TL;DR

Both Rafflecopter and Simpliers are multi-platform comment pickers that let you draw a winner from an Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook or X post in about a minute, with a usable free tier and no signup wall. On the basics, they are genuinely similar.

The deciding factor is verifiability. Rafflecopter ships a SHA-256 cryptographic certificate per draw, a cinematic reveal you can export as MP4, PIX checkout for Brazilian audiences, and an MCP server for AI workflows. Simpliers stops at a quick animated shuffle — which is fine for small posts, but does not give your audience a way to independently audit the result.

Feature-by-feature

Feature	Rafflecopter	Simpliers
Pricing model Different philosophies — neither locks you into a heavy monthly plan	Pay-per-draw ($4.99 standard / $7.99 premium)	Freemium with paid upgrade for larger draws
Free tier	Up to 100 comments per draw, no signup	Free for small comment counts, signup encouraged
Platforms supported Rafflecopter adds Reddit, Threads and Bluesky	Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, Reddit, Threads, Bluesky	Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X
SHA-256 cryptographic verification Verifiable certificate hash that anyone can audit	Yes	No
PIX checkout (Brazil)	Yes	No
Cinematic reveal (animation + audio)	7 themes with audio + MP4 export	Simple animated shuffle
MCP server (Claude / AI agents) Run a draw from inside Claude Desktop or an AI workflow	Yes	No
Multi-winner with podium	Up to 10 with 1st/2nd/3rd display	Multi-winner list
Speed to first draw Both nail the paste-link-and-go flow	~60s, no signup	~60s, no signup
Multi-language UI	16 languages	English + a few translations
Customer support	Email + in-app, business hours BR/US	Email support
Anti-bot / duplicate filtering	AI filters + duplicate detection	Basic duplicate filtering

When to choose Rafflecopter

Pick Rafflecopter when the integrity of the draw matters as much as picking a name:

Your audience is large enough that someone will accuse you of rigging the draw — the SHA-256 certificate ends that conversation.
You want to post the reveal as a Reel or Short — Rafflecopter exports a cinematic MP4 (9:16, 1:1, 16:9) with audio, while Simpliers stops at an on-screen animation.
You sell to a Brazilian audience and want PIX checkout for premium draws, instead of only credit card.
You run giveaways on Reddit, Threads or Bluesky — three networks Simpliers does not currently cover.
You drive draws from Claude Desktop or an AI workflow via the Rafflecopter MCP server.

When to choose Simpliers

We will not pretend Simpliers is bad — for some use cases it is a perfectly fine pick:

You run a small, casual giveaway on Instagram or TikTok where your audience already trusts you and a verifiable certificate would be overkill.
You are already in their dashboard and the giveaways you run live entirely within the platforms Simpliers supports (IG, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X).
You want the simplest possible UI with zero extra options — Simpliers is genuinely minimalist, and that is sometimes exactly what you need.

FAQ

Is Simpliers free?+

Yes, Simpliers has a free tier for small Instagram, TikTok and YouTube comment draws. Larger comment counts and some advanced filters require an upgrade. Rafflecopter is also free up to 100 comments per draw, and switches to pay-per-draw ($4.99 standard, $7.99 premium) above that — neither requires a monthly subscription.

Can I migrate from Simpliers to Rafflecopter?+

There is no account-level migration because Rafflecopter does not require an account at all. To switch, paste your post URL into Rafflecopter, pick a winner, and you are done. If you already ran a draw on Simpliers and need to redo it transparently, Rafflecopter will give you a SHA-256 fairness certificate that your audience can independently verify — something Simpliers does not currently issue.

Why does cryptographic verification matter for a comment picker?+

When a creator with a large audience picks a winner, accusations of favoritism are common. A SHA-256 verifiable draw produces a hash that anyone can recompute from the same inputs (post URL, timestamp, seed). If the hash matches, the draw was provably fair. Simpliers gives you a winner — Rafflecopter gives you a winner plus a receipt your audience can audit.

Which picker should I use for an Instagram giveaway?+

If speed is your only concern, both work in under a minute. If you also need (a) cryptographic verification, (b) PIX checkout for Brazilian audiences, (c) a cinematic reveal you can post as a Reel, or (d) integration with AI workflows through MCP — pick Rafflecopter. If you just want a quick shuffle on a small post and your audience already trusts you, Simpliers is a perfectly reasonable choice.

Try Rafflecopter free

Paste your post link, draw a winner in 60 seconds, and get a SHA-256 certificate your audience can verify. No signup. No credit card for posts up to 100 comments.

Start a free demo draw

Tools mentioned in this article

Instagram giveaway picker

Pick a random winner from any Instagram post comments.

TikTok giveaway picker

Same flow for TikTok video comments.

YouTube giveaway picker

Pull comments from any YouTube video and draw a winner.

Comment picker

Universal comment picker that works across 8 platforms.

Wheel spinner

Animated wheel for offline lists or live events.

Random name picker

Paste a list of names, get a random winner instantly.