GoToWebinar vs Adobe Connect: which webinar software is right for you?

GoToWebinar is browser-based but can also be downloaded as an app. The same is true for Adobe Connect.

Those using GoToWebinar may enjoy its channel feature, which allows hosts to display their entire webinar library. The platform also has an email invitation tool. Adobe Connect users can also list their events in catalogs, and they have customizable emails.

GoToWebinar users wishing to activate guests can do so with polls, surveys, and virtual hand raising, but questions cannot be upvoted. Adobe Connect offers its own broad suite of engagement features, including polls, Q&As, and whiteboards, but question upvotes aren’t an option here, either.

Event analytics can be accessed in GoToWebinar via a real-time engagement dashboard. Key reporting features are missing, however, like replay analytics and data enrichment. In Adobe Connect, attendance and engagement reporting are provided, but there is currently no on-demand webinar streaming feature.

Adobe Connect allows users to integrate with a wide variety of platforms and tools. The Virtual Classroom use case, in particular, can integrate with Moodle or Brightspace. As for GoToWebinar, it offers native integrations like Leadpages and Unbounce.

Developers who would like to create custom applications for Adobe Connect can do so via the platform’s API suite. GoToWebinar also offers an API through LogMeIn, its parent company.

Adobe Connect also provides developers with a public SDK option to create custom plugins and widgets for the platform. GoToWebinar is just as customizable with its SDK.

The full list of GoToWebinar’s extensive integrations is presented in the platform’s integration marketplace. Users seeking more information about a particular integration need simply hover over it to view a brief explanation of what it does. Then, they can click on it to access instructions on syncing it with GoToWebinar. AdobeConnect also displays its integrations on its website.

GoToWebinar does not offer any free plan options. Adobe Connect does provide a free plan option, however, called Small Meetings. As the name suggests, Small Meetings is limited to three participants.

In terms of paid plans, GoToWebinar’s least expensive option is the Lite plan, which starts at $49 a month and supports up to 100 participants. The cheapest Adobe Connect plan, Adobe Connect Meetings, supports up to 25 participants for $50 a month.

There are two mid-tier GoToWebinar plans, the Standard plan for $99 per month and the Pro plan for $199 a month. The Standard plan supports up to 250 participants, while the Pro plan supports 500. The most comparable Adobe Connect plan is Webinars, which supports up to 100 participants for $130 a month.

The most costly GoToWebinar plan is the Enterprise plan, available for $399 per month. This plan supports up to 3,000 participants at one time and gives users five channels. Adobe Connect also offers a plan tailored for Enterprise businesses.