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The best virtual event platforms: Comparison and review of the best applications

Mar 9, 2023

You've brainstormed some stellar ideas for your online conference , and you've even approached possible guests to be a part of the event. The guests are showing enthusiasm, and so are your stakeholders!

But hang on, what is the best thing about the online event platform you'd utilize to host your virtual gathering?

It's a tough decision? Truth be told: regardless of the many options available It can be a challenge to trust a tool for satisfying all of your needs and delivering a memorable (and free of errors) the experience of your event.

However, there are platforms with helpful support staff who will help you host your dream virtual gathering, be it a multi-day conference, a live training workshop, or a webinar. All you need is to locate that treasure.

This guide will assist you in doing just that as I dive into the top six platforms to host virtual event. These pros and cons rare based on testing a handful of these software and sifting through the many reviews of third-party reviewers of these platforms.

With that, let's dig into:

In this article

What should you look for in the virtual conference platform

Before we dive into the best platforms for virtual events, we'll first review what is a desirable tool for hosting online events by reviewing must-have capabilities.

Make sure you bookmark this piece so you can reference this list of functions to select your ideal virtual event software:

 Plenty of useful and simple integrations

Integrations with your CRM and your email program For instance, they can be crucial in sending out personalized event invites and converting attendees to customers who are loyal.

 Intuitive UX

A user-friendly interface allows you to navigate through the software, explore its features, and gain the greatest benefits from it. This also means that you are able to start the software up and running yourself -with no assistance from an outside source.

 Stream quality

Your event's audio or video quality can directly affect the your guests' experience and encourage attendees to stick around until the conclusion. Make sure the software you choose offers HD quality streaming, comes with no complaints about performance and allows you to download the content in high-quality.

 A robust analytics system

 Tools for engaging with the audience dynamically

The ability to host polls, games, and questions are essential instruments for engaging your visitors and to improve the experience of your visitors. The platform you select should offer these tools alongside creating break-out rooms to encourage attendee-to attendee networking.

 Proactive customer service

Lastly, ensure the software's customer support is fast and helpful in answering questions you have. One method to assess the quality of support offered by the team is to question them about the program prior to purchasing it as well as during the trial period. Their response to the questions you ask them will tell you a lot about how they deal with their prospects and customers.

6 best virtual platform for events (based on in-depth reviews and user testimonials)

Now for a an overview of the most popular conference websites:

Each tool I've discussed its main features as well as who the tool is best for as well as the areas where the tool is successful as well as its disadvantages in relation to what users have shared on other sites like G2 and Gartner.

Let's go.

1. Events

 Events is an easy to use web-based event platform that is suitable for event organizers who have any level of familiarity with organizing virtual events.

Your guest speakers, you as well as your guests don't require any other software for setting up the event, or even create an event with .

Pros

  • Events can assist you in your process of creating and promoting your event. Connect the platform with your CRM and email marketing software, to build customized registration forms, and email invitations for events that are automated, event confirmation and reminder emails, and engage attendees after the event.
  • Provides sophisticated analytics that can help to improve your event's marketing plan. Once the event wraps it provides you with detailed event- and viewer-level analytics that reveal who came to the event and how long they stayed, and how they engaged throughout the event.
  • It helps you design a custom viewing experience. Utilize the drag-and-drop feature for adding full-screen graphics lower thirds to intro speakers as well as customized branding.
  • It gives you the video editing and hosting tools to reuse event-related content. You can trim, edit chapters, edit, or improve your event video and upload to various channels for marketing.

 Cons

  • The software isn't designed specifically for meetings in internal settings the way Zoom or other software for meeting are. Events is more suitable for webinars, virtual venues, town halls, and more.
  • Events is a relatively new virtual event experience platform, therefore it isn't able to boast the same recognition and brand name that the more established companies within the field.

2. Zoom

Most well-known for its one-on-one meetings, Zoom lets you host virtual events, too. It's best for creators and small-scale business marketers looking to make money from virtual occasions.

 Pros

  • There are plenty of ways to engage attendees and let participants interact and your sponsors.
  • Setting up and creating the webinar on Zoom is simple particularly for users who are already comfortable with the software.

 Cons

  • Average video quality. In the case where HD video resolution (1080p) is standard, Zoom offers 720p for the presence of two or more people at the same conference. You'll need to pay more for hosting virtual events in HD video.
  • Participating in a virtual meeting hosted with Zoom doesn't come as a seamless experience. It's best for new users/attendees to arrive five minutes before the event to install and download the app. Event organizers will find this translates to poor attendee experience.
  • Zoom can be expensive for hosting gatherings with a large number of attendees making it ineffective for scalability of events on this technology.
  • Insufficient control options for hosts. Zoom offers no way for hosts to control chat chats on the fly which is something you have be aware of when hosting public events.

 Pricing

The pricing of Zoom is based on the amount of guests attending your event. To give you a rough idea, pricing for a 100-people event is $990 annually.

 Learn More about Zoom

3. Hopin

Hopin lets event marketers throughout the globe accommodate as many guests as they want. As with Zoom it's pricing is contingent on the amount of guests, which can make it costly to scale up with this platform. The one area where it can beat Zoom is in offering features for moderators of comments.

 Pros

  • Hopin has an event branding studio where you can design your own website for registration and even a virtual space for the event.
  • Moderation features and makes it easy for many speakers to be joined.
  • Comes with a mobile app to allow guests speakers and participants can join and engage via their smartphones.

 Cons

  • Event analytics aren't in-depth.
  • There are no tools that allow you to reuse and recycle material from online events.
  • A handful of users complain about audio and video performance issues at events organized by Hopin. One person mentions, "I don't like the performance issues that arise with audio or video. Users who do not have a good internet connection encounter lag issues. The same thing doesn't happen when using different solutions."

 Pricing

There's a free plan available which allows one administrator to organize events lasting 2 hours for up to 100 attendees. Pricing plans are locked.

4. GoTo Webinar

GoTo Webinar best for creators and smaller businesses that host small-scale events that can accommodate up to 3,000 attendees, which is less than the offerings that Hopin, and Zoom can offer.

It's also a good choice to solo-business owners and creators conducting paid training workshops because GoTo Webinar directly connects with Stripe, letting you receive payments.

Pros

  • GoTo Webinar offers audience engagement tools , including polls and Q&A. Hosts are also able to draw on the display.
  • The multi-presenter option for webinars offers at least six presenters the possibility of presenting.

Cons

  • The interface for users is old as some users complain that they take a while to get the hang of GoToWebinar.
  • Users complain of performance issues in the event that attendance goes over 1,000 attendees. Some reviews complain of audio quality issues, too.
  • Certain options like the file sharing feature are slow. Certain features are difficult to find or are confusing to navigate.

 Pricing

The trial period is 7 days and free for 7 days. The remainder of the trial is paid with pricing starting at $49 per organizer per month (for hosting up to 250 participants).

5. Cvent

Cvent can be ideal for business marketing companies that host in-person events, like trade shows because of their check-in feature.

As opposed to other platforms for online conferences It's not a popular choice in the eyes of users hosting virtual conferences.

 Pros

  • Cvent provides onsite check-in as well as badge printing software that prints guests' photos on the arrival. A few users have posted complaints through third-party review websites about Cvent was printing incorrect images.
  • Provides multiple integrations that integrate your tech stacks to streamline your workflow.
  • The software comes with the usual audience engagement tools and also offers AI-powered networking recommendations, and gaming.

 Cons

  • User interface is outdated.
  • Poor customer support and limited training resources/documentation, which aggravates the steep learning curve, making it challenging to start and get the most value from the platform
  • A few options for customizing branding, access analytics, and access live chat

 Pricing

The pricing is based on the needs of your business, therefore it is important to request a quote for an idea of what Cvent costs.

6. On24

On24 is a virtual-event platform for marketing professionals seeking to host webinars as well as multi-session events.

 Pros

  • Proactive customer support team.
  • The tool helps in automatizing a variety of tasks. Plus, offers integrations to align your sales and marketing teams.

 Cons

  • There are a few content layouts available can be used, which restricts your options for customizing your online events Registration and login pages.
  • Poor user interface with the editor being a code editor. This adds to the steep learning curve.
  • There's no way to create your online event. This means you'll have to trade off audience engagement for the sake of ensuring that your show is running smoothly as you host in the moment. The reviewer says, "I would love to use storyboarding to plan my webinar and control who's on the screen, where their face appears in the media tile, make lower thirds on their video, place people into the webinar and take them off-screen or off-screen, etc."  9  3 is the 3 format.

 Pricing

On24's website doesn't share any prices. Interested folks will need to obtain a quotation.

FAQs

When answering FAQs, don't respond to the question in the first place; rather, provide the link to an appropriate article from your internal website (as relevant) in order to increase click-through.

Which one should I pick for the best virtual event platform?

Examine your needs for business such as your budget, the size of the event you'd like to hold, as well as how many virtual events you want to hold. Select a virtual events platform that not only fits your budget, but also simple to use and offers detailed analytics, participation tools, top-quality streaming and a myriad of other connectivity options.

What can I do to create a virtual experience that is more interactive?

Event, Hopin, Zoom, and GoToWebinar are among the most popular platforms for events you can explore. Each comes with its positives and negatives. Choose based on the budget you have and specific event requirements.

Which virtual event platform is the best one for you?

The best virtual events platform you can choose from will be one that is able to meet your business needs the most. It includes:

  • The size of your attendee
  • Utilize the case (how much you plan to make use of virtual events to boost your sales and marketing and whether you offer paid workshops)
  • How long do you have to spend learning how to operate a new tool
  • What amount do you intend to expand (you aren't looking for the platform to be a part of your budget when you grow)

We've provided a list of software which offer poor-quality streaming with outdated UX. Other software have a long process of learning, and their prices can be expensive when hosting large crowds.

This is where Events really shines. Events offers lots of flexibility, top-quality streaming and a simple user interface. It also plays a helpful part in recycling material from events that you host -- helping you get the best return on your investment.