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The most effective online event platform: Reviews and comparison of top-rated programs

Mar 11, 2023

Are you able to come up with an idea to host your conference online  And you've also contacted possible guests to address the event. They're showing an enthusiasm, and the participants who are involved!

However, let's consider what is the greatest thing about the event hosting platform that you select to host your online gathering?

Tough call? It's true that no matter the variety of choices available, it could be difficult to select a system that is fulfilling all of your requirements while also providing guests a memorable (and free of errors) occasion experience.

There are, however, solutions with helpful customer service teams that can help you create your perfect virtual gathering, which could be a multi-day conference as well as a live streamed training or webinar. All you need is to locate that hidden gem.

In this piece, I'll help you understand the process and then I'll go over the best six platforms for virtual event management. All of them are built upon a limited sampling of these applications as well as the numerous reviews written by third-party reviewers on these software platforms.

Now, let's dig deep:

In this article

What should you consider when choosing an online conference platform

Before we look at the most efficient platforms to hold online events, let's look at what makes a good software to host events online by examining the most important features.

Bookmark this page so that you are able to reference this listing of choices for deciding upon your ideal virtual event platform:

 Many useful and easy integrations

Integrations with CRMs as well as email software, for example, are crucial for sending invitations to events that are personalized and turning guests into loyal customers.

Intelligent UX

The user-friendly interface makes it easy for users to use the program to discover its features and get the maximum benefit from it. It also means you can get the platform functioning by yourself - without help from an external source.

Stream quality

The audio and video quality can directly affect the experience of guests, causing people to remain for the duration of the event. Check that the service you select offers HD quality streaming, comes without issues in speed, and permits you to download the video in high-quality.

 Analytics robust and reliable

 tools to engage audiences dynamically

Questions, surveys, as well as Q&As are vital instruments for getting your customers involved as well as to improve their experience. The platform you select should offer these tools alongside the ability to create breakout areas to encourage attendees-to-attendee networking.

Proactive customer service

Also, ensure that the customer service of the program responds quickly and promptly to any concerns you need to ask. One method to assess the quality of support offered by the support team is to ask questions about the tool pre-purchase and during the free trial. The way their answer the questions that you pose to them can tell you a great deal about how they deal with the customers and their prospective clients.

Six of the top online platform for event planning (based on extensive user reviews and customer testimonials)

Here's a summary of the most popular conferences websites:

For each tool, I've provided its main features along with what the tool's best for and where it can be successful, as well as its pros and cons in relation to what clients have to say about it on forums such as G2 or Gartner.

Let's go.

1. Events

Events is a user-friendly web-based event platform suitable for event organizers who have at least some experience in hosting digital occasions.

You, your guest speakers as well as your attendees don't require another program for setting up or creating an event .

Pros

  • Events will help you through your process of creating and advertising your event. Connect the platform to your CRM system and marketing software to design custom registration forms. You can also email invitations for events that are automated, email reminders and confirmations for events, as well as engage participants at the end of the event.
  • Offers advanced analytics to assist you in developing the event's marketing strategy. Once the event wraps it provides you with detailed information about the viewer and event that show who was at the event event, which events they attended and what they watched throughout the program.
  • It allows you to create an individual user experience. Drag and drop your interface for the full screen as well as lower thirds, introduction speakers, as well as custom branding.
  • It provides you with tools for editing videos and hosting to make use of event-related videos. You are able to cut, trim or edit chapters, edit or enhance your event video and upload to various channels for marketing.

 Cons

  • The software is not specifically designed for meetings in the internal space such as Zoom and similar software to facilitate meetings. Events is better suited to virtual meetings, webinars, town halls, etc.
  • Events is still a fairly recent virtual experience platform that is primarily for events. It's not able to boast the same recognition as the well-established players within the event industry.

2. Zoom

The most well-known feature is its one-on-one gatherings, Zoom lets you host online-based events as well. It's great for those who design and for small-scale business marketers who want to make money from online events.

Pros

  • There are a variety of methods to get attendees involved and let the attendees engage with sponsors and participants.
  • Making and preparing the webinar for Zoom is simple and especially so for users already acquainted with the program.

Cons

  • Average video quality. In the case where HD video resolution (1080p) is the standard, Zoom offers 720p for up to two attendees in the same meeting. It is necessary to be able to pay for hosting events online in HD video.
  • Participating in a virtual meeting that is hosted by Zoom does not provide a seamless experience. One of the best options for people who are new to Zoom is to show up five minutes earlier for downloading and installing the software. Event organizers will find this results in poor attendance.
  • Zoom is costly for hosting events that have large crowds, and is therefore not suitable to scale events using the platform.
  • Insufficient control options for hosts. Zoom offers no way for hosts to manage chat conversations at their discretion, which is an issue you need to be mindful of for large-scale events.

Pricing

The price of Zoom is based on the number of attendees that attend the event. In order to give you an estimate, the cost for a 100-people event costs $990 annually.

Learn more details about Zoom

3. Hopin

Hopin lets event planners around all over the world to accommodate as many participants as they want. Much like Zoom it's pricing is contingent on the number of guests that can be costly to scale up on this platform. The one thing that it has over Zoom is the ability to give features to moderators of comments.

ProsPros

  • Hopin has the branding studio where you can customize your event's registration page as well as the virtual venue for your occasion.
  • Moderates the sound, and simplifies the process of allowing multiple speakers to be joined.
  • It includes an application for mobile devices that lets participants and guests to join and engage via their smartphones.

Cons

  • Event analytics aren't in-depth.
  • There's no software available for repurposing and reusing the contents of your virtual events.
  • There have been complaints from some users about audio and video performance problems during events organized by Hopin. One person wrote, "I don't like the performance issues that arise when using audio or video. If you do not have internet access, you may experience some lag problems. However, this is not the case with alternatives to the solution."

Pricing

A free option is available which allows administrators to organize events lasting 2 hours with up to 100 guests. For more, pricing options can be locked.

4. GoTo Webinar

GoTo Webinar is well for creatives as well as small-sized businesses that host small events that can accommodate that it can hold up to 3000 participants this is less than what services Hopin and Zoom offer.

It's also an excellent choice for entrepreneurs who are solo as well as creators that offer classes for paid trainers due to the fact that GoTo Webinar directly connects with Stripe and allows you to take payments.

Pros

  • GoTo Webinar offers audience engagement instruments such as polls and queries. Hosts can also draw on the screen.
  • Multi-presenter mode on webinars gives at minimum six presenters the ability to present.

Cons

  • The interface for users is old and some users have stated that it may take time to learn GoToWebinar.
  • Many complain of performance issues in the event that there are over 1,000 attendees. Certain reviews mention audio quality issuesas well.
  • Certain functions, for example, file sharing, may take a long time to complete. Certain features are difficult to locate or difficult for users.

Pricing

The trial time is seven days and free that is offered. All the rest is paid with pricing starting at $49 per month for the organizer (for hosting 250 people).

5. Cvent

Cvent is best suited for corporate marketing companies that host in-person events, such as trade exhibitions because of their check-in facility.

As opposed to other conferences websites however, this platform isn't well-known in the eyes of users hosting virtual meetings.

ProsPros

  • Cvent allows for check-in on-site as well as the software to print participants photos upon their arrival. Some users logged complaints on third-party review sites saying Cvent was printing incorrect images.
  • It offers multiple integrations that join your technology stack and enhance the efficiency of your process.
  • It comes with traditional tools for engagement with the audience as well as AI-powered suggestions to network, in addition to gaming.

Cons

  • The interface for users has been around for a while.
  • 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 the branding of your company, gain the benefit of analytics, and use the instant chat

Pricing

The prices are determined by your requirements, and it is recommended to request a quotation to get an estimate of the price Cvent will cost you.

6. On24

On24 is a virtual event platform for marketing professionals who want to organize webinars and multi-session event.

ProsPros

  • Support for customers is proactive.
  • This tool can help you automate many things. There are integrations available to will ensure the efficiency of your sales and marketing teams are.

 Cons

  • A few layouts for content are available, which limit your choices to customize your online events, including page for registration and log in.
  • The interface that users use is not user-friendly, and the editor being a code editor. This can hinder the learning process.
  • There's no option to create your event online. That means that you'll need decide between participation by the audience and ensure that the event is running efficiently while your host is operating in the blink of an eye. The reviewer says, "I would love to have the ability to design a storyboard for my webinar and control the content of the screen and how they appear on the media tile and make the lower thirds of the screen, and insert participants in the live stream before taking their presence or moving them off the screen, etc." 8 ________________

Pricing

On24's website On24 isn't able to provide any price. If you're interested, get a quote.

FAQs

When you write FAQs, don't mention the problem immediately Include links to the pertinent internal content (as relevant) in order to increase click-through.

Which should I select for a virtual event platform?

Analyze your company's needs such as your budget, how big the event you're hoping to host, as well as the numerous virtual events you're planning to host. Then choose a virtual event platform that's not just suitable to your budget, but user-friendly, offers in-depth analytics, audience interaction tools, streaming of high-quality and a myriad of other integrations.

How can I make my virtual event more interactive?

What are the best virtual event platforms out there currently?

Event, Hopin, Zoom, and GoToWebinar are among the most popular event platforms that you could test. There are positives and disadvantages to each. Choose based on the budget you have set as well as your specific needs for the celebration.

What virtual event platform would be the most effective for your needs?

The best virtual events platform is able to fulfill the needs of your organization efficiently. It is a matter of:

  • How big is your attendance
  • Use cases (how how much you intend to utilize virtual events in marketing and sales and if you offer free training workshops)
  • What time have you invested studying a innovative tool
  • What is the amount you'll require to expand the capacity of your platform (you do not want your platform to take up a portion of your budget when you expand)

There are a few applications that provide low-quality streaming that is old UX. Some software has a lengthy process of learning, and their prices could be high for hosting large audiences.

This is an area in the area where Events excels. Events provides a variety of choices for customization, streaming of high-quality as well as a user-friendly interface. Additionally Events plays a significant part in recycling material from events that it organizes to help you earn maximum profit from your work.

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