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The top virtual event platforms: Review and comparison of the best software

Mar 10, 2023

You've come up with some great ideas for an online conference  And you've even contacted possible guests to be speakers during your event. And they're showing curiosity and so are your participants!

Let's consider what is one of the benefits of the online event platform you'd utilize to organize your virtual gathering?

Tough call? It's true that, despite the wide variety of options, it can be challenging to decide if the software will meet your expectations while offering attendees the most memorable (and free of errors) the experience of your occasion.

Thankfully though, there are instruments that offer friendly customer service personnel who can help you organize your ideal virtual gathering, be it a multi-day conference or a live training workshop or even the webinar. You just need to locate this gem.

In this article will guide you through the process by looking at the top six systems for virtual events. They are all based on having a look at a selection of these programs and going through the numerous opinions of external reviewers who have reviewed these programs.

With that, let's dig into:

In this article

What should you look for on an online platform for online conferences?

Before we dive into the best online platforms for events, let's first define what constitutes a great event platform online through an examination of the key characteristics.

Make sure you bookmark this article so that you may refer to this checklist of options when selecting your ideal virtual event software.

A plethora of helpful and easy integrations

Integrations between your CRM as well as email programs such as email software, for instance, are crucial in sending out personalized invites as well as converting guests into faithful customers.

UX that is intuitive

An intuitive interface allows users to to discover its features and get the maximum profit from it. Also, it is possible to get the software functioning on your own -with no help from an external source.

Stream quality

The audio or quality of video directly impact guests' experience and will encourage them to remain till the close of the event. You must ensure that the service you pick offers HD quality streamingand is free of performance issues and allows you to download content with top-quality.

 A robust Analytics system

Dynamic audience engagement tools

Questions, polls, and quizzes are crucial tools for engaging with visitors as well as enhance the experience for your visitors. Your platform will need to include these tools as well as create breakout spaces to encourage attendee-to attendee networking.

 Proactive customer service

Also, be sure the support provided by the software responds quickly and promptly to any questions you may have. A good way to assess the support team's efficiency is to ask questions regarding the software prior to purchasing it and during the free trial. How they respond to questions will be a reflection about how they deal with clients and potential clients.

The 6 top virtual platforms for events (based upon extensive reviews and testimonials from users)

To see a complete list of the top conference websites:

In each of the tools, I've listed its primary features and the people it's most suitable for, where the tool is successful, as well as its drawbacks based on the opinions that its users are expressing on websites such as G2 and Gartner.

Let's go.

1. Events

Events is an easy to use Web-based platform for event management that is perfect for event organizers of the ability to manage events in any manner. managing events online.

The speakers who you invite to speak at your event, as the guests and participants do not require any other software to set up or organize the event .

Pros

  • Events will assist you with creating and promoting your event workflow. Join the platform to your CRM or email marketing software to build customized registration forms. You can also design automated invitations to events, email reminders for events and confirmations to keep the attendees interested following the event.
  • It provides sophisticated data that will help you develop your event's promotional plan. When the event has concluded it provides you with detailed event- and viewer-level analytics that reveal who came to the event, how long they stayed , as well as what they did during the duration of the event.
  • It allows you to create an individual viewing experience. Drag-and-drop the interface to add full-screen images lower thirds to show the speakers in the intro, and personal branding.
  • It gives you video editing and hosting tools to reuse event-related material. Make use of it to edit, trim chapters, make chapters, and improve your recordings and upload it to different marketing channels.

 Cons

  • The software isn't designed to be used to conduct internal meetings, as Zoom or other software for meetings are. Events is best suited to be used for virtual events, webinars, town halls and other town halls.
  • Events is an incredibly new virtual experience platform for events, which means it's not earning the same fame as other well-known players in this space.

2. Zoom

Popular for hosting one-on-one meeting, Zoom lets you host digital events as well. It's great for those who design and run small businesses who wish to make money from events on the internet.

Pros

  • There are a variety of methods to get attendees involved and let attendees interact with your sponsors as well as participants.
  • Preparing and hosting a webinar in Zoom is simple, especially to those already acquainted with the tool.

 Cons

  • Average video quality. If HD video resolution (1080p) is standard, Zoom offers 720p for the presence of two or more participants at a gathering. It is necessary to pay more to host events online with HD video.
  • The process of joining a virtual conference hosted with Zoom does not provide a seamless experience. New attendees are advised to arrive 5 minutes early to download and install the software. Event planners are likely to notice this to be a poor experience for attendees.
  • Zoom is expensive when hosting events with large audiences so it is not a good choice to scale events using this kind of technology.
  • There are no control options available to hosts. Zoom offers no way for hosts to control chats at their own discretion which is something is something you'll have to be aware of during public events.

Pricing

The price of Zoom is based on the quantity of participants who will attend the event. To give you an estimation costs for an event that has 100 people attending is $990 annually.

Learn more about Zoom

3. Hopin

Hopin lets event planners all over the world accommodate any number of guests that they want. As with Zoom the price of hosting is based on the number of people attending the event and could result in the cost of scaling up on this platform. The one area where it is superior to Zoom is the ability to provide comment moderator capabilities.

ProsPros

  • Hopin provides the branding studio. This means that you can personalize your registration page as well as a virtual event venue.
  • Allows for moderation and multiple speakers to join.
  • The app is mobile-friendly, so guest speakers and attendees are able to interact and connect from their mobile devices.

Cons

  • Events analytics aren't as thorough.
  • There is no software to reuse and reuse the contents of your virtual events.
  • Some users have complained about video and audio performance issues in events hosted by Hopin. One person states, "I don't like problems with the audio performance or video. If you don't have an internet connection that is reliable, you may experience some lag problems. This [doesn't] happen with alternative solutions to solve the problem."

Pricing

A free option is available that lets one admin organize events that last for 2 hours and for up to 100 guests. Pricing plans can be fixed.

4. GoTo Webinar

GoTo Webinar is best for creators and small businesses hosting smaller events. It can hold up to 3,000 participants which is less than the services that Hopin, and Zoom can offer.

It's also a great option for entrepreneurs who are sole proprietors or creators hosting paid-for training seminars because GoTo Webinar directly connects with Stripe which lets you pay.

Pros

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

Cons

  • The interface available to users are old, as some customers complain that it takes some time to master how to use GoToWebinar.
  • People complain about performance issues because the amount of people attending rises above 1,000 people. Certain reviews mention audio quality issues as well.
  • Some options, like file sharing, can be slow. Some features can be difficult to find or difficult to use.

Pricing

A 7-day trial is for 7 days. All the rest costs money with prices beginning at $49 for a host per month (for hosting 250 guests).

5. Cvent

Cvent is an ideal solution for businesses who organize events on their own like trade fairs because of its checking-in feature.

As opposed to other conferences websites, this is not a popular choice among people who host virtual meetings.

Pros

  • Cvent has onsite check-in facilities as well as badge printing software which prints photos of guests at the time of their the arrival. A few users have reported complaints on third-party review sites about Cvent printing photos that were not correct.
  • Multiple integrations to connect your stack of technology and enhance your workflow.
  • It comes with standard tools to interact with your customers as well as AI-powered network suggestions and gamification.

Cons

  • The 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
  • There are a few ways to personalize brand identity, get analytics and get instant chat

Pricing

Pricing is customized according to the needs of your business, and that's why you should request an estimate of the amount Cvent is going to cost you.

6. On24

On24 is a virtual-event platform that is ideal for businesses who want to host webinars or multi-session events.

ProsPros

  • Support for customers is proactive.
  • This tool assists in the automation of various jobs. In addition, it provides connections to make sure that you have the best marketing and sales teams.

 Cons

  • A limited number of layouts for content can be used that limit your options to customize your event's online' login and registration pages.
  • The interface of editors is not user-friendly. that act as code editors. This adds to the process of learning.
  • There is no option of creating the event on your own. It means you'll need to make a choice between audience participation and for the sake of making sure your event is running smoothly as you host on the fly. One reviewer notes, "I would love to have the ability to make a storyboard of my webcast and determine who's present on screen and how their face appears in the media tile and perform lower thirds of their videos, add people into the webinar then remove them from the screen , and the list goes on." 3 is the three format.

Pricing

The website of On24 doesn't provide any price. People who are interested should get a quote.

FAQs

If you are answering FAQs, don't address the issue at all instead, offer a URL to the appropriate article from your internal website (as appropriate) to encourage visitors to visit.

How do I choose the right virtual event platform?

Consider your requirements for business such as your budget, amount of events you'd like to hold, and how many virtual events you'd prefer to organize. Select a platform for virtual events which is not only compatible with the budget of your organization, but also simple to use and provides deep analytics, the tools to engage your audience, top-quality streaming and an array of alternatives to connect.

How can I create a virtual experience that is more engaging?

Which are the top-rated websites for events on the web?

Event, Hopin, Zoom as well as GoToWebinar are some of the top platform for events to investigate. Each has positives and negatives. Make your decision based on your budget and the requirements specific to the event.

Which virtual event platform will work best for your needs?

The most reliable virtual event software for your needs will be one that is capable of meeting the requirements of your business effectively. This means:

  • Your attendee size
  • Use instances (how how much you intend to use virtual events for sales and marketing, and if you're offering free workshops)
  • How much time you've to spend learning how to use the most current tool?
  • What amount do you intend to grow (you do not want the platform to be a element of your budget when you grow)

We've provided a list of software which have poor quality streaming and old UX. Other software have a long learning curveand pricing can become expensive when hosting large numbers of people.

It's an area in the area where Events truly shines. It offers a ton of versatility, high-quality streaming and an easy-to-use interface. It also plays a helpful purpose to reuse videos from events it organizes, allowing you to make the most money from your work.

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