Find the best webinar platforms to host live and on-demand events. Choose the best paid or free webinar platforms for engagement and business growth.
Hosting webinars is a great way to communicate with large audiences through interactive events and on-demand video content. But to win your audience's attention and make your virtual events stand out, you have choose the right webinar software.
There are countless webinar platforms out there. How do you know which one is best for your team?
Whether you’re a small business owner looking for an alternative to Zoom or you work with an enterprise team that hosts large online events, this guide will take you through the best free and paid webinar platforms.
When choosing the best platform for webinar presentations, it’s important to:
Here’s how.
Think about what your team aims to achieve and how online events will help you achieve your goals. For example, do you want to increase brand awareness or build a bigger community? Are you looking to establish thought leadership or increase video engagement?
Narrow down your webinar goals or KPIs to help you target the specific features you’ll need from a webinar platform.
For example, suppose you're looking to create a more engaging webinar to generate leads. In that case, you might want to use webinar software with engagement features like Q&As and live polls. Alternatively, you may want an in-depth analytics dashboard for tracking webinar performance or integrations that simplify lead generation workflows.
When you compare webinar software tools, pay attention to each platform's limitations. Make sure the software you choose supports the number of webinar attendees you plan to invite and the length of the online events you plan to host.
We’ve come up with a shortlist of the best webinar software—so you never have to worry about hosting another boring virtual event that fails to make an impact. Our top picks are:
Livestorm is a complete webinar platform for hosting marketing webinars, product demos, employee onboarding, and much more. In addition to live webinars and recurring events, our all-in-one webinar software solution supports on-demand events and offers unlimited replay storage.
Livestorm works directly from your browser, so you never have to download an app. All paid plans include a robust feature set, including:
Unlike many other webinar platforms, Livestorm plans all include unlimited team members. You can onboard your team for better collaboration and event management—without having to pay for each host.
Livestorm Pricing: Our Free plan includes 20-minute events and 30 active contacts. Paid plans that support four-hour events with up to 100 live attendees and advanced features start at $79 per month.
GoTo Webinar is software that offers both live webcasts and pre-recorded webinars. Using GoTo Webinar, organizers can:
While both Livestorm and GoTo Webinar are complete webinar platforms, there are a few key differences. Options like integrations, live streaming, custom branding, and recorded events aren't included in GoTo Webinar's entry-level plan, so you'd have to pay more to access the full feature set.
In addition, organizers, speakers, and attendees must download a desktop app to join the webinar rather than using a browser-based app. G2 reviewers report serious issues with the app's functionality and user interface (UI).
GoTo Webinar Pricing: The Lite plan starts at $49 per month, which includes 250 attendees. The enterprise plan starts at $499 per month for 3,000 attendees and up to six organizers.
A popular tool for virtual meetings, Zoom also supports webcasting. With Zoom Webinars, organizers can:
Teams that already use Zoom for virtual meetings may find the platform's webinar tool easy to incorporate into their tech stack. However, relying on Zoom for webinars can get expensive quickly.
In addition to the platform's base price, Zoom charges extra for add-ons like cloud storage, extra hosts, extra co-editors, and event services. Zoom also has a separate product for virtual events.
Zoom Webinars Pricing: Plans start at $79 per month, which includes 500 attendees and 100 active panelists. To host virtual events with branded promotion and collaboration features, you'll need Zoom Sessions, which starts at $99 per month or Zoom Events, which starts at $149 per month. Note that all Zoom plans require a Zoom Workplace subscription.
ON24 is a platform designed to host webinars and virtual events for lead generation. Along with a complete set of engagement and branding features, the platform has on-demand captioning and live global support—making ON24 a good choice for international events.
ON24 Pricing: While the ON24 platform has a robust set of features, its pricing isn't transparent. To compare the different plans and get a custom quote, you'd need to contact sales.
Webex Webinars is an enterprise webinar tool for large organizations that regularly host events with thousands of attendees. The platform can easily scale to support 10,000+ attendees per webinar or online meeting.
This webinar softeware allows on-demand streaming and live events as well as simulive options. Hosts can also set up breakout rooms, create branded marketing, and integrate registration forms with Salesforce and other major CRM tools.
As part of the Cisco ecosystem, Webex Webinars can be a good choice for enterprise users. However, it's less ideal for small and mid-market businesses or teams that don't use the Cisco ecosystem.
Webex Webinars Pricing: The Webex Webinars plan starts at $56.25 per user per month, which includes 1,000 attendees and unlimited sessions. The Webex Events plan supports in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. Pricing is available upon request.
From live webinars to on-demand webinars to recurring webinars, BigMarker is a popular choice for large virtual events. In fact, even the platform's entry-level plan supports 1,000 attendees.
Along with supporting a wide range of webinar types, BigMarker offers landing pages for easy registration, email reminders to improve attendance, and integrations with many major CRMs and marketing tools.
The platform also has engagement features like:
If branding and custom experiences are important to your business, be prepared to expand your budget. Many of BigMarker's custom design and marketing features are only available with the platform's top-tier Enterprise+ plan.
BigMarker Pricing: The platform doesn't provide standard pricing. You'd need to contact sales for a custom quote.
A popular webinar software platform for creators and community builders, Crowdcast can be a good alternative for hosts looking to upgrade from live streaming on YouTube or Facebook.
With Crowdcast, organizers can:
However, Crowdcast may not be the best option for B2B marketers or hosts that want to generate leads for a product or service. The platform doesn't have native integrations with CRM or marketing tools.
Crowdcast Pricing: The Lite plan starts at $49 per month for 100 live attendees, one host, and 10 hours of webinar content. The top-tier Business plan allows 1,000 attendees, four hosts, and 40 hours of webinar content.
WebinarJam is webinar software that offers AI and automation tools. The platform's AI-powered agenda feature plans webinar agendas based on a simple prompt.
WebinarJam works on desktops, tablets, and smartphones, so attendees can connect from virtually any device. To amplify reach and invite engagement, the platform offers features like:
While WebinarJam is a popular webinar tool and one of the more affordable video conferencing platforms, users report occasional stability issues. To ensure you choose the best webinar software, consider testing WebinarJam for your use case before committing.
WebinarJam Pricing: The Starter plan starts at $39 per month, which includes 100 attendees, one host, and 60-minute webinars. It's important to note that WebinarJam doesn't offer free trials, but it does have a 30-day guarantee.
Goldcast is a webinar platform for B2B marketers aiming to generate demand, attract leads, and build pipeline. Along with powerful promotion features and software integrations, Goldcast offers:
Because Goldcast is a complete platform with robust webinar features and tools for both virtual and field events, it's less ideal for organizers that need a simple solution. On G2, reviewers highlight the platform's complexity and steep learning curve.
Goldcast Pricing: Goldcast doesn't share pricing details publicly. For custom pricing, you'd need to contact sales.
Designed for revenue teams, Demio is a webinar platform that focuses on delivering return on investment (ROI) and driving conversions. With its engagement and intent features, hosts can:
To assist with lead generation, Demio integrates with popular CRM tools like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive. Since it hosts on-demand content, it also works as an evergreen webinar platform.
However, Demio may not be one of the best webinar tools to choose if your presenters lack a strong internet connection. G2 reviewers report that the browser-based tool can have audio and stability issues, which can compromise the success of the event.
Demio Pricing: The Starter plan starts at $42 per month, which includes 50 attendees and a single host. On-demand webinars require the mid-tier Growth plan, which starts at $75 per month.
Airmeet is a popular webinar and virtual events platform for B2B companies. It's designed for marketers and go-to-market teams that want to reach new audiences and generate leads.
The platform's AirIntel feature provides user data and analyzes attendee intent. Hosts have the option to connect with warm leads before or after events without leaving the platform.
Organizers can apply branding to event rooms and easily create custom registration pages. This software also offers built-in engagement features like:
But for webinars with a large number of speakers, Airmeet may not be the ideal choice. G2 reviewers report capacity issues with the virtual backstage and problems queueing up speakers.
Airmeet Pricing: The Premium Webinars plan starts at $167 per month, which includes 100 attendees, unlimited session length, and two team members.
Adobe Connect is a webinar software platform that allows hosts to reach and engage audiences at scale. It has a robust set of tools to customize your webinar, including:
With Adobe Connect, multiple hosts and presenters can collaborate to deliver a great webinar using features like:
However, Adobe Connect may have a steeper learning curve than other webinar platforms. G2 reviewers report that the interface is challenging, which can compromise host and viewer experiences.
Adobe Connect Pricing: The Standard plan starts at $190 per year per host and includes a room capacity of 100. The platform also offers enterprise plans and upgrades to increase room capacity to 1500.
Webinar Geek is a great browser-based solution for creating dynamic webinars. It lets you integrate with a ton of apps and comes with several marketing tools to drive brand awareness and impact.
With Webinar Geek, you can host live, automated, and on-demand webinars with:
Although it takes a long time to implement bulk changes to your webinars’ settings, and brand customization can cause the platform to lag, it’s a reliable and simple tool that helps businesses run effective webinars.
It's a decent choice for small businesses looking for a cost-effective solution to hosting webinars that prioritize contract and commitment flexibility.
Webinar Geek Pricing: The Basic plan starts at $49 per month and includes 50 viewers, one presenter, and a 2-hour session limit.
Looking to take the first step without subscribing to a monthly plan? Take a look at our picks for the best free webinar software.
Livestorm's free plan includes unlimited free online events with no trial expiration date. That means you can keep creating high-quality webinars with powerful engagement tools for as long as you like.
We’re not just interested in helping you create meaningful content. We believe in the power of video engagement, which means establishing collaborative methods of communication with your audience.
A successful webinar series can boost your brand’s visibility and improve customer conversion and retention. If you’re looking for exceptional real-time communication methods for your business, you need to try Livestorm.
The majority of Livestorm features are available on the free plan, including:
The following restrictions apply on the free webinar plan:
Check out our pricing page to learn more about all the options available to you.
Host powerful webinars for free
Getting started is easy with Livestorm. Create and host free webinars in minutes.
Crowdcast doesn't offer a completely free plan. But you might consider the free 14-day trial if you’re looking to test run a few different platforms.
During the free trial, you’ll have access to all features. However, live sessions are limited to 60 minutes and 10 live attendees.
One of the downsides of Crowdcast is that invitees need to sign up for an account before they can attend the event. The extra step is definitely a pain point for customers who want quick and easy access.
Like Crowdcast, Demio offers a few different plans, but no option is free forever. Demio's 14-day free trial includes all the features available in its Growth plan, but live sessions are limited to 60 minutes and 20 live attendees.
After 14 days, you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan or choose a different platform. Demio's paid plans start at $42 per month with annual billing.
Facebook Live may not have a traditional webinar layout with options like screen-sharing. Howeever, you can use it to live stream events for free from your mobile device or browser.
As a broadcasting tool, Facebook Live has proven popular among freelancers and start-ups as an informal way of communicating with a broad audience.
Facebook Live doesn't have a native option for capturing leads. However, it may help you scale your audience quickly via Facebook. Plus, you can share event recordings with followers, making it easy for your audience to share and respond.
This tool is most suitable for businesses with a strong Facebook following.
Similarly, YouTube isn’t a traditional webinar tool. But it does offer live streaming. If you want a more typical webinar layout with features like screen sharing, you’ll need additional software like Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) on Mac.
YouTube Live is ideal if you already have a YouTube audience.
However, just like Facebook Live, YouTube Live doesn't have built-in tools for capturing email leads.
Zoho Webinar is a traditional webinar service, and it has a free plan option that could work for small events. With the free plan, you can host up to 100 participants and host events up to 60 minutes long.
Since the free version includes basic Zoho Meeting features, you can also use it for internal communications or one-on-one meetings.
There are some limitations, however. The free version of Zoho Webinar doesn't include live streaming or recording. It doesn't allow you to customize the look and feel of your webinar registration assets either. Instead, only paid plans offer these features.
Webinars can help boost sales, deliver content, provide training, or increase engagement. However, free software has limits that may restrict what you can achieve. Here are a few questions to consider if you plan to create a webinar using a free plan.
If you’re planning to host onboarding sessions or deliver training using a webinar tool, you’ll need to be able to share your screen. Taking a moment to screen share with your audience is a great way to make your webinar training more dynamic. You’ll be able to demonstrate a process while responding to audience questions in real time.
In addition to screen-sharing, look out for other options like the ability to present a slide deck, share files, and play video clips during the event. You want software that supports you in hosting exciting live events—not just your average webinar.
There’s nothing worse than getting ready to host an important webinar meeting, only to suffer technical issues. In Livestorm’s video conferencing survey, 57% of respondents reported that they fear connection difficulties when hosting video calls or webinars. That’s why a browser-based tool makes the best webinar software.
Hosts and attendees alike can establish a connection with a single click—without drivers, downloads, or time-consuming installations. Plus, browser-based software eliminates most lag and glitches because there’s no need for data to travel through a third-party app. That means attendance will be much higher.
One of the most frequently asked questions from webinar registrants is “will you share a recording after this event?”
To maximize views and engagement, look for a platform with built-in webinar recording software. That way you can easily share online events with registrants and offer on-demand webinars later on.
Don’t get caught out by plans that restrict the number of replays, either. Unlimited replays are a must, especially if you plan to include webinar recordings in your training manuals or onboarding packages.
Most webinar platforms cap participant numbers for free plans. If you're planning to host exclusive online events with 25 participants or other similarly small audiences, then this restriction won't matter.
You can always start with a free plan and upgrade your subscription as you grow. But if you're planning large events with hundreds or thousands of attendees, you'll need a different solution.
Whether you need webinar software for marketing, internal communications, or both, the right integrations can automate your processes and help you work faster. For example, many free plans integrate with popular CRM tools to simplify lead generation workflows.
The best free webinar software also includes plugins and integrations with apps like Miro's virtual whiteboards to help improve audience engagement.
The most important thing to look out for when choosing free webinar software is whether you’re about to sign up for a truly free service or if you’ll end up paying a premium rate once the trial is over.
Some platforms offer a free plan but automatically place you on a free trial of the premium plan when you sign up. They make claims like ‘no credit card required’ but that doesn’t help when your trial benefits run out halfway through a webinar series.
If you’re a small business owner or freelancer with a limited budget, make sure you understand what you’re signing up for. You should consider whether the free plan covers all your needs and, if not, whether the more expensive plans are within your budget.
The short answer is it depends. Every webinar host has different needs and expectations. Only you know what kind of live events and webinar experience is suitable for your organization.
Whether or not you should pay for webinar software depends on:
The equation is pretty simple: if you don’t have any budget, but you have time to experiment and the skills to set it up, then testing free webinar software is a good way to find the right fit. However, if you’re short on time and skills, then you may need to consider stretching your budget to include a paid webinar plan.
If you’re looking for the best webinar software that won't break your budget, try the Livestorm free webinar plan. We offer one of the only completely free plans, with no expiration date. What’s more, you’ll benefit from a full range of features—from data analytics to engagement tools—designed to help you create impactful webinars.
Host powerful webinars for free
Getting started is easy with Livestorm. Create and host free webinars in minutes.
Hosting live events can be tricky, and a lot can go wrong. Here are a few of the issues you might encounter during a bad webinar experience:
Equipped with the right tools, you can deliver high-quality live events with automated workflows, expert engagement tools, and comprehensive data analytics for you to keep improving your content and growing your business.
End-to-end video engagement platforms such as Livestorm exist to manage all your workflows and ensure your webinars make a big impact with minimal stress.
We may be biased, but we consider Livestorm to be the best webinar solution. Whether you choose the free or paid plan, you can use Livestorm to host browser-based online events, promote your event via custom registration pages, engage with your audience in real time, and share webinar replays.
Yes, the Livestorm free webinar plan is completely free, with no expiration date. Check out our pricing page to learn more about it and our other plans.
Livestorm is among the most secure free webinar platforms. We're ISO 27001 certified, and we adhere to all GDPR guidelines to keep customer data safe. We also use TLS to encrypt voice and video data and the WebRTC protocol to exchange audio and video packages within the webinar browser (no downloads required).
Hosts using the free webinar plan are limited to 30 live attendees per event, and events have a maximum length of 20 minutes. Take a tour of our features page to learn more about the video engagement features included with Livestorm.
Yes, you can use Google Meet as a webinar vendor. However, since it’s not specifically designed to organize and run webinars, it lacks some of the key engagement features needed to really drive impact. Instead, we suggest an end-to-end webinar software like Livestorm that has all the features and functionality you need to power up your marketing efforts.
Zoom Events and Webinars is a great tool for hosting webinars. However, if you’re looking for a more affordable solution that’s easier to set up and administer, we recommend Livestorm.
The best day to host a webinar is Wednesday or Thursday. When choosing what time to host a webinar, you should consider the time zones and needs of your audience. It’s best to avoid the lunch hour and traditional commute times. Check out the webinar statistics we’ve gathered through hosting thousands of webinars.
Livestorm offers automated webinar recording so you don’t have to worry about setting up third-party platforms. After the webinar ends, you can easily share the recording with your audience.
To attract an audience, promote your webinar to your email list. Invite attendees at the beginning of the week, as invites sent Monday through Wednesday rank higher for pre-registrations. For more ideas, read our tips for webinar promotion.
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