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The best Virtual Event Platforms: A comparison and analysis of the top-rated software

Mar 11, 2023

Have you come up with an idea to host your own virtual conference?or even approached prospective guests who might be interested in speaking at the occasion. They're showing an enthusiasm, and so are the people who are involved!

Let's consider what you imagine the online space you're going to choose to host your gathering online?

Tough call? The truth is that regardless of the many choices available, it could be challenging to choose a system that is satisfying all of your needs as well as providing attendees with an amazing (and error-free) the experience of your event.

There are, however, solutions that have helpful customer support team members who can assist you to host your dream virtual event , whether it a multi-day event, a live training workshop or webinar. It's all you have to do is find the right treasure.

In this post, we'll walk you through the procedure while I go through the six best platforms for virtual event. They are all from trying a handful of these software and sifting through a myriad of reviews from the third party vendors that use these platforms.

Now, let's dig deep:

In this article

What are the key things to look out for on the virtual conference platform?

Before we get into the top platforms for web-based events, it's time to review what makes a good software for hosting events online with a look at the essential attributes.

Bookmark this post so that you are able to look at this comprehensive list of functions to select your ideal virtual event software:

A plethora of helpful and simple integrations

Integration between CRMs and your email program such as email software, could be crucial in sending out invitations for special events, and turning attendees into regular customers.

The Intuitive User

A user-friendly interface makes it easy for users to navigate the software to discover its possibilities, and gain maximum benefit out of it. It also lets you configure the program and then get the system up and running on your own with no help from a third party.

Stream quality

Your event's audio or video quality will directly impact the attendees' experience which can encourage attendees to stick around until the end. You must ensure that the application you pick is compatible with HD high-quality streaming and has no issues with performance, as well as lets you download videos and audio in quality.

A robust analysis system

Dynamic audience engagement tools

Polls, quizzes and other questions is a great way of engaging with your audience and for improving their experience. Your platform will need to include these options in addition to letting you design breakout spaces that promote attendee-to-attendee networking.

Proactive customer service

Make sure you have a customer service that responds quickly and promptly to any questions you might be having. A good way to determine the software team's helpfulness is to ask them questions regarding the software prior to purchasing it and during the free trial. The way they respond to your inquiries will provide a picture on the way they engage with customers and prospects.

Six of the best platforms for organizing events online (based on detailed reviews and feedback from clients)

Now for a an overview of the most well-known conference websites:

With every tool, I've talked about its primary attributes, what it's suitable for, the areas where it succeeds, and its disadvantages in relation to what customers have to say on sites such as G2 as well as Gartner.

Let's go.

1. Events

 Events is an easy-to-use onlineplatform that is web-based for virtual events, which is perfect for organizers of any level of experience in planning digital occasions.

You, your guest speakers and attendees do not have the need to install any additional software or software to create, set up or join an event using .

Pros

  • Events can assist you in your event creation and promotion workflow. Connect the platform with your CRM or email marketing program and create personalized registration forms. You can also automate invitations for events, as well as event confirmations and reminder email messages. It also helps nurture engaged attendees post the event.
  • Advanced analytics could help improve your event marketing strategy. Once the event wraps will provide you with specific evaluation of the event and its attendees, which will show people who were at the event, what they watched and how they engaged during the ceremony.
  • It allows you to create a custom viewing experience. Use the drag-and-drop interface for adding full-screen graphics lower thirds of the speakers during the intro, as well as your own brand.
  • The video editing and hosting toolkit for repurposing event video material. It allows you to trim, edit chapters, write chapters, or improve the quality of your event footage and upload to various platforms for marketing.

 Cons

  • This software wasn't created specifically for meetings in internal settings like Zoom or similar programs to facilitate meetings are. Events is more suitable for online webinars, virtual venues town halls and other such events.
  • Events is a brand new and innovative virtual event platform so it doesn't have the same brand and recognition name like the well-established players within the field.

2. Zoom

Best-known for hosting on-one-on meetings, Zoom lets you host events online too. It's perfect for those who create and small-scale business entrepreneurs who want to earn cash through virtual occasions.

Pros

  • It offers a wide range of methods to interact with guests, as well as allowing them interact with each other and the sponsors.
  • Setting up and creating webinars in Zoom is straightforward, particularly for users who have experience working with the application.

 Cons

  • Average video quality. If HD quality video (1080p) is the norm, Zoom offers 720p for the presence of more than two participants in the same event. There is a need to spend more money to host online events that use HD video.
  • Joining the virtual conference that is hosted by Zoom does not provide an easy experience. It's best for new users/attendees to be five minutes earlier to set up and download the application. If event planners are not prepared, it could result in a poor experience for attendees.
  • Zoom can be expensive for organizing events with a significant attendance, which makes it ineffective to scale occasions using this technology.
  • Insufficient control options for hosts. Zoom provides no means for hosts to manage chat chats on the fly this is something that you need to remember for public events.

Pricing

The price of Zoom is based on the number of people who are attending your occasion. To give an approximate figure, the cost for a 100-people event will be $990 per year.

Read more details about Zoom

3. Hopin

Hopin permits event organizers around the globe to host the number of guests they'd wish to. Similar to Zoom, its pricing depends on the quantity of attendees and could result in costs to scale to accommodate more guests using this technology. However, 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 customize your site for registration, or even an event venue.
  • Moderates the sound, and allows for multiple speakers to join.
  • Comes with a mobile app that lets guests as well as speakers to join in and communicate with their smartphones.

 Cons

  • The event analytics don't go into depth.
  • There aren't any tools available to reuse and repurpose your content from your online events.
  • Some people who are unhappy with audio quality and video problems at the events hosted by Hopin. One user even says, "I don't like difficulties with audio quality or video. If you don't connect to the internet, you will experience delays. This isn't the case for other options to solve the problem."

Pricing

There's a free plan available that allows one administrator to plan events that last for 2 hours, with as many as 100 guests. Pricing plans can be locked.

4. GoTo Webinar

GoTo Webinar is perfect for artists and smaller companies that host small-scale events with up to 3,000 attendees this is less than the services that Hopin and Zoom offer.

It's also a good choice for entrepreneurs who are sole proprietors or those who run classes for paid trainers due to the fact that GoTo Webinar directly connects with Stripe and allows you to receive payments.

Pros

  • GoTo Webinar offers audience engagement tools , including polls and questions and answers. Hosts can also design their own images on the display.
  • Multi-presenter mode in webinars allows an organizer six options for presenting.

Cons

  • The interface for users has become dated and some users have reported that it takes some time to understand how to use GoToWebinar.
  • Users complain of performance issues in the event that attendance goes over 1,000 attendees. Reviews complain of audio quality issues too.
  • Certain functions, like file sharing may be very slow. Certain features are difficult to locate , or hard to utilize.

Pricing

The trial period is 7 days. The remainder of the trial can be covered by a fee that starts at $49 per host per month (for hosting 250 participants).

5. Cvent

Cvent could be the best choice for marketing companies that host in-person events, including trade exhibitions because of their check-in feature.

Contrary to other websites for conferences however, this platform is not popular with those who hold virtual meetings.

ProsPros

  • Cvent provides on-site check-in facilities as well as a badging program that prints attendees photographs upon their the arrival. Users have reported complaints via third-party review sites about Cvent printing incorrect pictures.
  • Gives you multiple integrations to integrate your tech stacks to improve workflow.
  • It comes with standard audience engagement tools along with AI-powered recommendations for networks and the capability to engage in games.

 Cons

  • The interface of the user 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 many options to customize brand, gain access to analytics and even chat with live support

Pricing

Prices are customized to meet the requirements of your company It is therefore essential to ask for a quotation to get an estimate of how much Cvent will cost you.

6. On24

On24 is a virtual event platform that is ideal for businesses looking to host sessions and webinars.

Pros

  • Proactive customer support team.
  • The tool is able to simplify many steps. It also offers integrations to ensure that your marketing and sales teams.

 Cons

  • There are a few designs that can be utilized, but they limit your options for customizing your online events Registration and Login pages.
  • The interface that users use isn't user-friendly. Neither is it functions as an editor for codes, which adds the steep learning curve.
  • There's no way to create the online event. This means you'll have make the decision between participation by audience as well as ensuring that your event runs efficiently while hosting at the present. One reviewer says, "I would love to be able to create a storyboard for my webcast and determine the screen's content along with where the faces appear in the media tile. Also, you can use lower thirds on their videos, place participants in the event and take them off-screen or off-screen, etc." ________________

Pricing

The website of On24 doesn't provide any prices. Anyone interested in a quote must request a quote.

FAQs

When answering FAQs, you don't have to reply to the initial question; rather, provide the link to an piece of information in the company (as suitable) in order to increase click-through.

Which one should I pick for a virtual event platform?

Examine your needs for business such as your budget, how large an event you want to hold, and the number of virtual events you'd like to organize. Choose a virtual event platform that's not only a good fit to your budget, but also simple to use and offers comprehensive analytics, tools for interaction, streaming of high-quality, and a wide range of connections options.

How do I make a virtual experience that is more enjoyable?

What are the top talked-about virtual event platforms out there in the present time?

The platform for events, Hopin, Zoom, and GoToWebinar are among the top platforms to host occasions that you could explore. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Make your choice based on your budget and the specific requirements of your event.

Which event virtualization service would work best for you?

The ideal virtual events platform is one that can fulfill the demands of your organization in the highest quality. It is a matter of:

  • The number of attendees you can expect
  • Use case (how do you plan to make use of virtual events in your sales and marketing and whether you will offer workshop workshops to sell)
  • How long have you spent studying a new instrument
  • What's the budget you'll have to raise to grow the size of your platform (you do not want your platform to become an expense as you grow)

This list includes software which have poor-quality streaming as well as an outdated UX. Some have a long process of learning, and their costs can be costly when hosting large audiences.

It's a good thing that this is an sector in which Events is a leader. There are a lot of customization options, streaming that is excellent and has a user-friendly interface. It also plays an important function for reusing material from shows it host, allowing you to get the highest profits from your efforts.

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