A simpler Assignr alternative
Assignr covers assigning and a good deal around it — payments to officials, tax forms, ratings, self-assign and mobile apps. If what you need is games assigned, officials told by text or email, and their answers back in one place, Ref Grid does that part and stops there.
14-day free trial, then $129/year or $15/month.
About Assignr
What Assignr is built to do
Assignr describes itself as software for “leagues, associations, and assignors of all sizes.” Assignors match officials to games on skill, certification and logistics, or open games up so officials can assign themselves. Officials declare the days they are available and respond to assignments with one click, and schedules sync to Apple and Google Calendar through an iCalendar feed. There are native iOS and Android apps.
It also handles the money. Assignr’s payments product pays officials by direct deposit, collects W-9s and issues 1099-NEC forms, filing them with the IRS for the organization. Its pricing page lists these as separately priced on the League plan and above. Assignr also lists a U.S. Soccer integration.
Where they overlap
The core loop is the same in both: games in, officials assigned, officials notified, officials accept or decline, and a reminder before the game.
Where they differ
The difference is what surrounds that loop. Assignr is built to also be where officials get paid and where the tax paperwork happens, and where officials pick up games themselves. Ref Grid is not: it exports what each official is owed and leaves paying them to you, and the assignor makes every assignment. In exchange there is one plan, and officials need nothing installed — they get a text or an email and answer from a link.
Side by side
Ref Grid and Assignr, compared
Not a scorecard. Ref Grid is narrower on purpose, and several rows below are things it does not do.
| Capability | Ref Grid | Assignr |
|---|---|---|
| Core assigning | Ref GridIncluded A board with one cell per position. Fill a weekend as drafts, review, then send once. Warns about double-booking; does not assign anyone for you. | AssignrIncluded Assign on skill, certification and logistics; officials can also self-assign from posted games. |
| Official availability | Ref GridBasic Officials keep their usual days, times of day and divisions current from a link. A general picture, not a per-date calendar. | AssignrIncluded Officials declare the days they are available, and are treated as unavailable otherwise. |
| Assignment notifications | Ref GridIncluded Text and email in one send, on the channel each official prefers. Delivery reported per assignment. | AssignrIncluded Email, with optional push notifications through its apps. Check with Assignr about text messages. |
| Accept and decline | Ref GridIncluded Officials accept or decline from a link, with no account, password or app. Replies given by phone can be recorded by hand. | AssignrIncluded Officials accept or decline with one click. |
| Reminders | Ref GridIncluded Up to three pre-game reminders to officials who have accepted, from 1 hour to 30 days out, by text, email or both. No automatic chase of officials who have not replied. | AssignrIncluded Officials receive reminders, per Assignr’s site. Confirm timing and channels with Assignr. |
| Calendar support | Ref GridBasic An add-to-calendar (.ics) file for each accepted game. No subscribable calendar feed. | AssignrIncluded An iCalendar feed that syncs with Apple and Google Calendar. |
| Pay reports and export | Ref GridIncluded CSV of what each official is owed, per game or per official, plus a QuickBooks Online bills format. | AssignrVerify with provider Pay runs through its payments product (below). Ask Assignr about export formats. |
| Paying officials and tax forms | Ref GridNot offered Ref Grid prepares pay reports; it does not pay officials, collect W-9s or issue 1099s. | AssignrAdd-on or separate product Direct deposit to officials, W-9 collection and 1099-NEC filing, listed as separately priced on League and above. |
| Evaluations, eligibility and self-assign | Ref GridNot offered No evaluations, certification or eligibility rules, and no self-assign. The assignor decides who works. | AssignrIncluded Ratings and rankings listed in every plan; certification used in matching; self-assign. |
| Intended scope | Ref Grid Deliberately narrow: games, officials, assignments, messages, replies and reminders. Not a league or officiating-management platform. | Assignr Assigning, availability, messaging, payments and tax forms, with mobile apps — for leagues, associations and assignors of all sizes. |
| Pricing structure | Ref Grid One plan: $129/year or $15/month after a 14-day free trial. 2,000 SMS segments a year included. | Assignr Annual tiers by official count, from $240/year for 60 officials (Recreational, up to 100), with extra officials sold in blocks of 10. 14-day free trial. Direct deposit and W-9/1099 listed as separately priced on League and above. |
Features and pricing change. Verify current capabilities directly with each provider before deciding.
Based on: assignr.com, Assignr assigning, Assignr payments, Assignr pricing, Assignr help center.
Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Comparison information is based on publicly available information and may change. Ref Grid is not affiliated with any product named on this page. Last reviewed: September 2026.
Choosing
Which one fits
Need straightforward assigning? Ref Grid may be a strong fit. Need a broader officiating-management system? Assignr may be the better choice.
Ref Grid is probably a good fit if…
- You pay officials yourself — by check, a payment app or your own payroll — and just need an accurate list of who is owed what.
- Your officials would rather answer a text than install an app.
- You assign every game yourself and do not want officials picking their own.
- You want a single price with nothing sold separately.
Assignr may suit you better if…
- You want officials paid by direct deposit, and W-9s and 1099s handled, in the same system that assigns them.
- You want officials to self-assign from games you post.
- Ratings, rankings or certification should decide who can take a game.
- You rely on the U.S. Soccer integration Assignr lists.
Why people consider Ref Grid
The core workflow, and not much else.
Set up from the spreadsheet you have
Assign a weekend in one pass
Text and email in one send
Accept or decline from a link
Reminders you configure
See what still needs attention
A pay report, not a payments system
Straightforward pricing
How it works
Five steps, every week.
Import games, add officials, assign, officials respond, Ref Grid reminds.
- 01
Import games
Upload your schedule as a CSV, or add games one at a time.
- 02
Add officials
Import a roster, add them yourself, or invite them to fill in their own details.
- 03
Assign
Fill positions as drafts with double-booking warnings, then review and send.
- 04
Officials respond
Each gets a text or email and accepts or declines from a link.
- 05
Ref Grid reminds
Your configured reminders go out before each accepted game.
Pricing
One plan, one price.
One plan. Everything included.
- Unlimited games and assignments
- Roster and contact management
- Assignment management and scheduling
- Accept and decline workflows
- Email notifications
- 2,000 SMS segments/year
- Multiple assignors
No tiers, no per-game fees and no add-ons to price out.
Questions
Assignr and Ref Grid: common questions
- What is a good alternative to Assignr?
- It depends on why you are looking. If Assignr does more than you use — you do not pay officials through it, and you do not use ratings or self-assign — a narrower tool such as Ref Grid covers assigning, notifying, confirming and reminding for one price. If you need more than it offers, you want a broader officiating platform rather than a simpler one.
- Is Ref Grid similar to Assignr?
- In the core workflow, yes: both assign officials to games, notify them and collect accepts and declines. They differ in scope. Assignr also pays officials, handles W-9s and 1099s, supports self-assign and ratings, and has mobile apps. Ref Grid does none of those.
- Can Ref Grid pay officials the way Assignr does?
- No. Ref Grid exports what each official is owed — per game or per official, or as QuickBooks Online bills — and you pay them however you do today. It does not move money or file tax forms. If you want that in the same system, Assignr’s payments product is designed for it.
- How does Ref Grid’s pricing compare with Assignr’s?
- Ref Grid has one plan: $129 a year or $15 a month. Assignr publishes annual tiers by number of officials, starting at $240 a year for 60, with direct deposit and tax forms priced separately on its higher tiers. Both change, so check each vendor’s current pricing page.
- Does Ref Grid send text message reminders?
- Yes. An administrator sets up to three reminders before each game — anywhere from an hour to 30 days out — by text, email or both, and they go to officials who have accepted. Ref Grid does not automatically chase officials who have not answered yet.
- Can I move my officials and schedule from Assignr to Ref Grid?
- Ref Grid imports officials and games from CSV files, with a preview before anything is saved. Anything you can get into a spreadsheet can come across; check with Assignr what it lets you export.
Assign next weekend in one sitting.
Import your games and officials, send the assignments by text and email, and see who has confirmed. Start with a 14-day free trial.