Crowdcast vs Google Meet: which is best for webinars?

Compare Crowdcast and Google Meet on features, integrations and pricing. Every claim is checked against each vendor's website, pricing and help pages, plus G2 and Capterra reviews.

Key Takeaways

Crowdcast is a browser-based live events platform for creators, educators and communities, while Google Meet is the meeting tool included in every Google Workspace plan.

Crowdcast adds registration pages, replays and paid ticketing, with plans from $49 per month for about 100 live attendees. Google Meet has no registration or ticketing, but it comes with Workspace from $7 per user per month and hosts up to 1,000 participants.

  • Choose Crowdcast if you run public classes, shows or community events with sign-ups or paid tickets.
  • Choose Google Meet if your team works in Google Workspace and meets mostly with people you invite.

Crowdcast vs Google Meet at a glance

Where each platform is strong, and where it falls short.

Crowdcast

Creators & communities

  • Browser-based, hosts and attendees join with no download

  • Branded registration pages, polls and Q&A with up-voting

  • Paid ticketing and replays for classes and shows

  • No free plan, trial only, Lite from $49/month (September 2026)

  • Limited native CRM sync, relies on Zapier or email tools

  • Streaming hours capped, from 10 on Lite to 40 on Business

Google Meet

Google Workspace teams

  • Browser-based, guests join from a calendar link

  • Included in every Google Workspace plan, from $7/user/month

  • Built into Gmail, Google Calendar, Docs and Drive

  • No native webinar product or registration pages

  • Polls, Q&A and breakouts need Business Standard or higher

  • No built-in ticketing for paid sessions

Crowdcast vs Google Meet: Features Deep Dive

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Webinar software comparison: Crowdcast vs Google Meet

Crowdcast vs Google Meet: key differences

The short answer: Crowdcast is built for public events with sign-ups and tickets, while Google Meet is a meeting tool inside Google Workspace.

  • Engagement and replays: Both offer chat, polls and Q&A. Crowdcast adds question up-voting, on-screen CTAs, ticket sales and replays on the event page, while Google Meet adds breakout rooms and hand raising and records to Google Drive on Business Standard and higher.
  • CRM and streaming: Crowdcast has no native HubSpot or Salesforce sync and no public API, but it can restream to social platforms on Pro plans and above. Google Meet starts from Gmail and Google Calendar, moves attendee data through Google Workspace Marketplace add-ons and can stream to YouTube on eligible editions.

Why it matters: If strangers need to register and pay for your sessions, Crowdcast covers it; Google Meet assumes your guests already have the link. If registrants need to land in your CRM automatically, check the connector path with each vendor before you commit.

Crowdcast vs Google Meet: pricing

The short answer: Crowdcast sells monthly plans sized by streaming hours and live attendees, while Google Meet comes with Google Workspace per-user plans.

Which is cheaper for you: If you already pay for Google Workspace, Meet adds no extra cost.

Prices as of September 2026. Livestorm is shown as an alternative that charges only for the attendees who join (see Livestorm pricing).

PricingCrowdcastGoogle MeetLivestorm
What you pay forMonthly plan capped by live attendees, streaming hours and seatsGoogle Workspace user licensesAttendees who actually join
Entry priceLite: $49/month, or $34.30/month billed annuallyBusiness Starter: $7 per user/month on an annual plan; free version: 100 participants, 60-minute group calls$3.00 per attendee (400-credit annual pack)
Larger audiencesPro $89 and Business $195/month ($62.30 and $136.50 billed annually), up to 1,000 live attendees; 5% fee on paid events (2% on Business)Business Standard ($14) and Business Plus ($22) per user/month; 100 to 1,000 participants depending on planLower price per attendee on bigger packs, up to 3,000 live attendees per event, custom Enterprise plan
No-shows and team membersYou pay for the plan cap, whoever shows up; extra seats cost $29 eachAttendees are free; you pay for each Workspace userNot counted

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between Crowdcast and Google Meet?

Crowdcast is a browser-based live events platform with registration pages, replays and paid ticketing for public audiences. Google Meet is the meeting tool in Google Workspace, built for meetings with people you invite.

How much do Crowdcast and Google Meet cost?

Crowdcast costs $49, $89 or $195 per month for Lite, Pro and Business, and Google Meet comes with Google Workspace from $7 per user per month on an annual plan (as of September 2026).

Is Google Meet free?

Google Meet has a free version for up to 100 participants, with group calls capped at 60 minutes. Crowdcast offers a trial rather than a free plan.

How many people can join Crowdcast and Google Meet?

Crowdcast plans include about 100, 250 or 1,000 live attendees, with overage fees above the plan cap. Google Meet hosts 100 to 1,000 interactive participants by plan, and Enterprise live streams reach up to 100,000 in-domain viewers.

What is a good alternative to Crowdcast and Google Meet for marketing webinars?

Livestorm is browser-based, hosts up to 3,000 live attendees and costs $3.00 per attendee on its entry pack (as of September 2026), with native HubSpot sync on every plan and Salesforce as an Enterprise add-on.

Why teams choose Livestorm

Run your marketing webinars from one all-in-one platform

Plan, promote, host and analyze your webinars in one place. Build branded registration pages, send automated reminder and follow-up emails, and engage attendees with polls, Q&A and live CTAs, with no extra tools.

After the event, attendance and engagement data flow to your CRM, and AI Studio turns replays into short clips for your social channels.

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Run webinars right in your browser

Livestorm runs straight from the browser on any desktop or mobile device, so your audience can join from anywhere without downloading or installing anything.

Removing that extra step helps attendance: on Livestorm, 47.7% of registrants show up live on average (2026 Webinar Benchmark Report, 33,786 webinars analyzed).

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Get more from every webinar with AI

Connect Livestorm to Claude with its verified connector, or to any AI agent that supports MCP, to create events, register attendees and analyze engagement in plain language.

Add-ons take it further: AI Studio turns every replay into short clips, and live translations show real-time AI subtitles in your attendees' language.

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