When you can’t meet in person, virtual meetings are a great way to communicate, chat, or just see your co-workers. You might need a video hosting platform for internal communication with your remote co-workers or a video conferencing platform for virtual events and workshops because you can’t travel.

To help you set-up your next virtual meeting or webinar, we looked at the top five video and conferencing options on the market. Here are the pros and cons of each so you can decide which works best for your purposes. This is not by any means an exhaustive list, but we hope it provides a jumping-off point for further research and consideration. Many of the services have a free trial option so you can test it out.

Disclosure: We at BigSpeak have only used Zoom and GoToWebinar, and cannot personally attest to the qualities and features of the other platforms assessed below. 

GoToWebinar/GotoMeeting

• General info: Webinar pricing starts at $89/month for 100 participants and goes up to $429/month for 1K participants. Meeting pricing starts at $12/organizer per month for 150 participants and goes up to $16/organizer per month for 250 participants. Custom bundles, which support audiences of up to 3,000 people, are also available.
• Pros
  • Robust reporting and analytics
  • Allows for paid webinars 
  • Unlimited meetings and no time limits on meeting length
  • Great video quality
• Cons
  • Does not have breakout sessions
  • Webinar has a fairly high price point compared to other options further down this list; Clickmeeting is $165/month for 5000 participants vs $429/month here for 1000 participants
  • Frequently updates software, resulting in users often needing to download updated versions 

Zoom

• General info: A variety of plans are available, ranging from a free package for up to 100 participants to a $19.99/month plan for up to 1000 participants.
• Pros
  • Very affordable packages for small, medium and large enterprises
  • Unlimited meetings are available even in free/basic mode
  • Can purchase additional “add ons” monthly to allow for additional participants if you need to host a larger event
  • Handy collaborative features, including screen sharing and both private and group chats
• Cons
  • Time cap of 40 minutes on group meetings in the free package (not a hard con, since the free package is generally still very robust)
  • The add ons to allow for additional participants are fairly costly compared to the general subscription price, starting at $64.99 for 500 extra participants

ClickMeeting

• General info: Cost ranges from $25 for the most basic package, which allows for 25 attendees, to $279/month for an automated plan that allows for up to 1000 attendees. A custom pricing option is also available for those who need an audience of over 1000.
• Pros
  • Pricing is flexible based on which plan you opt for and the audience size you select
  • Unlimited number of meetings
  • Screen sharing, internal polling, private chats
  • Allows for paid webinars 
  • Provides event statistics and attendee feedback
  • Features a waiting room with agenda for those who log in before the webinar launches

• Cons
  • Webinar templates are basic
  • Users have had  issues exporting videos and find the platform has outdated compression tools

Everwebinar

• General info: Packages range from at 3 installments $199/ year to $799/2 years. Information about size of audience supported by each package is not available.
• Pros
  • Support is available 24/7
  • Amazing tracking and analytics
  • Allows for paid webinars
  • Can do live webinars and also air pre-recorded content equally well
  • Mimics a live event/ simulation tools

• Cons
  • Fees being charged three times yearly or every two years is less intuitive than the monthly plan offered by all the other platforms
  • Less opportunities for customization
  • Lack of  readily available information about how many participants it supports

Livestorm

• General Info: plans from free for 10 participants to $109 per host per month for 100 attendees. Additional support for more attendees can be purchased, for up to 1000.
• Pros
  • A very elegant interface
  • Customizable but accessible to users of all skill levels
  • Integrates with over 1,500 apps
  • Unlimited webinars and meetings, even in free package
• Cons
  • Mediocre recording quality on videos captured during meetings
  • Can support a maximum of 1000 attendees
  • Customer service reps are largely based in Europe, so time zones may be an issue for those in other areas seeking support
  • Some basic features still in beta in some packages

For More Information See

Webinar Essentials

BigSpeak is here to help. Whether or not we’ve had the pleasure of working together before, if you have any general inquiries or concerns about event postponements and advisories, please feel free to reach out to us at 805-965-1400 or info@bigspeak.com.