Rank | Picture | Name | Rating | Shop |
1. |  | BEST OVERALL Webinargeek | ||
2. |  | RUNNER UP GoTo Meeting | ||
3. |  | Zoom | ||
4. |  | Demio | ||
5. |  | Webinarjam |
It’s never been more important for a business to have an online platform to reach their audience with, and if your brand relies on webinars as a marketing strategy to achieve this, you want to be sure you’re doing it right.
Using the best webinar software is a guaranteed way to reach more people, improve the quality of your message, and engage with the audience better, but how do you know which is best?
What is the best webinar software?
A quality webinar platform should offer an easy way to host webinars and invite guests, with features like automation, live chat, pre-recorded and live sessions, analytics, and training that enables you to use their software better. There are free and paid options out there, and features that can be adjusted to suit your business size and goals, so it depends on what you need specifically.
With the best webinar conferencing software at your disposal, you’ll engage with your audience like never before and find an integral piece of the marketing puzzle.
To help you find that perfect fit to boost your audience engagement and lead to better business performance, we’ve created a guide that will show you the only platforms for hosting webinars that you need to know about.
Our Picks for the Best Webinar Software – Reviews for 2024
All businesses are different, and what your business requires from a webinar platform might be different from the next.
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of the best online webinar software options and what makes them an obvious choice, so you can get a much-needed boost to your audience engagement and quality of content.
Best Overall: WebinarGeek
- Automated: Y
- Download required: Y
- Smartphone friendly: Y
Webinar Geek takes the prize for the best automated webinar software on our list, and for many good reasons. This is the most comprehensive webinar platform out there, with features like social media promotion, co-presenting options, in-built marketing tools, and screen sharing. There are lots of options for how to present as well, including on-demand and live sessions.
The best thing about Webinar Geek is how complete it is, and this includes the quality of recordings and sessions you create. When compared to other platforms, users reported no issues with the quality of broadcast, the video and audio capabilities, and the entire process for audience and hosts, including signing up and joining a session. Having a tool like this can only boost your brand’s reputation which makes it a winner.
The selection of webinar options is what makes this the best webinar software for small business and large. You can choose to run either a live, automated, on demand or hybrid webinar, which combines both pre-recorded material with a live stream, giving your customers the advantages of each type.
On the downside, Webinar Geek is lacking somewhat when it comes to branding. While they do offer the chance to customize registration pages using a logo and color scheme, that’s about where it stops. If you want to see your brand stamped on everything you do, including a watermark over your presentation, you’ll want to move on to another of our top picks.
Another negative worth weighing up is that Webinar Geek doesn’t have a basic free option, so it’s an investment you must consider making first. This would only make it a good fit for companies that understand the value of webinars and have them as part of their marketing strategy, so it’s not the best free webinar software to learn on.
Webinar Geeks has lots to offer smartphone and desktop users and has features like varied registration processes, paid webinars, user polls, live chats, moderators, and quizzes available mid-webinar, all designed to boost engagement with your audience. They also have several integrations possible including Enormail, ActiveCampaign, AWeber, and AutoRepond, and these work together to make your marketing strategy run smoothly.
As far as pricing goes, you get a chance to experience everything Webinar Geek has to offer with a 14-day free trial, and from there, it’s still considered one of the most affordable options available. The Starter plan is the cheapest and most basic version or you can customize a plan with their Advanced option, and in between is the Premium. Whatever option you choose, you can be sure you’re equipped with a huge selection of features and all the tools required to build your brand thanks to Webinar Geek.
Runner Up: GoToMeeting
- Automated: Y
- Download required: Y
- Smartphone friendly: Y
GoToWebinar is the brainchild of LogMeIn, the company known for creating efficient systems for businesses to grow with. They give you all the tools to make webinars, register attendees, charge for sessions, and market them, so you’ll never need to look anywhere else. With a few options for plans and pricing available, depending on audience numbers and features, you can get one that’ll suit your business best.
The analytics offered by GoToWebinar is what makes it a standout, and if you like a detailed analysis of how your webinars went so that you can do better, you’ll want to choose this platform. This is the best live webinar software that keeps working after the session is done and there’ll be no need to second guess how each session thanks to dashboards showing attendance, participation, and interest from the audience.
Another benefit of GoToWebinar is the quality of the video and audio, which only helps to show your brand in a professional light. You also get the option for online or local recording so you can keep sessions to share later with other members if you were happy with how they went, and they’ll all be in HD format.
One downside of this software is the high cost, so while it brings a lot to the table, you have to be sure it’s got everything you need before you commit. The cheapest starter plan misses out on a lot like video sharing, transcripts, recorded events, and a custom URL, so there’s a good chance you’ll have to upgrade to the next level regardless.
Another point that users made was that GoToWebinar’s interface was a little clunky and not as polished as you’d expect for something this price. While they had a ton of features available for users, it took some time to find them all and put them to use, so there’s a steep learning curve here that could have been fixed with an upgrade to the user interface.
GoToWebinar allows you to brand everything, including handouts, registration pages, and webinar materials, and you can use their video editing software to ensure your recorded content is of the highest quality. When the webinar ends, use GoTo’s polls, handouts, certificates, and Q&A sessions to keep people engaged.
Although GoToWebinar has a lot to offer, it’s one of the more expensive options, and their plans include Start, Pro, and Plus. To save 22%, you can sign up for an annual plan rather than monthly, and depending on what tier you’re on, you’ll be able to make use of some or all of the features available. GoToWebinar is a great choice for serious users who want their sessions to be professional and polished every time for a better impact.
Alternative: Zoom
- Automated: Yes
- Download required: Yes
- Smartphone friendly: Yes
Zoom has quickly become one of the biggest names in video conferencing but their webinar software is another huge hit. This smartphone and desktop-friendly tool includes features like automated sessions, expert advice from Zoom professionals about hosting webinars, marketing tools, audience engagement services, and more.
Where Zoom stands out is its capabilities when it comes to audience possibilities, and with their most advanced plan, you can securely and safely host up to 50,000 attendees. This means, even with such a large crowd, you’ll still give everyone that personal experience that only a quality webinar can provide.
Another huge bonus of working with Zoom is branding and how it enables you to create a webinar that’s uniquely your business. Unlike others with simple branding features, Zoom goes all in, so you can add a watermark to presentations, build a landing page for post-webinar sessions that are all about your company, promote your social pages, and create a customized registration page with your brand front and center.
There are some flaws with the Zoom software though, with people’s biggest gripe being a lack of quality analytics and reporting. Although Zoom attempts to give data like audience attendance and post-session polls, it’s hard to get the information and even harder to export it successfully, with a lot of people feeling frustrated.
Among their extra features, Zoom goes above and beyond what many others do, including audience engagement, so you can use features like polls, moderators, and the option to promote an attendee to a panelist to get people involved. Other features you’ll get with Zoom Webinar are marketing tools like paid registration, creating contact lists, marketing automation integrations.
The plans are also expensive and they vary a lot in price when you jump from 500 webinar attendees to more, and it’s hard to get an idea of exactly what’s on offer at each level. For smaller-scale businesses, it presents a good value but for others, it might not. If you want something heavier on analytics, you probably don’t want to waste your money with the Zoom option, especially if you have a larger target audience.
Zoom Webinar’s plans range from basic for under 500 attendees to fully customizable with up to 50,000 attendees, and there are a lot more options in between. Like others, you save money with an annual pass, but it requires some commitment, and without a free trial, that can be hard to do. All in all, though, Zoom Webinars is simple without lacking and would be a great option for you and your audience.
Alternative: Demio
- Automated: Y
- Download required: N
- Smartphone friendly: Y
Demio is a simple alternative to other webinar platforms out there, requires no download to use, and no previous knowledge of this type of software. It features some automation, multiple hosts, engagement tools, support from the Demio teams, and varied session lengths depending on the plan you join. The goal of Demio is to make webinars simple, and they achieve this for both attendees and hosts.
The biggest benefit of Demio is that it requires no download for users to watch your webinars. If you have people feeling unsure about tuning in or those hesitant about downloading software, this will be a huge bonus. There’s no need for them to do anything but visit the page and start watching, so in terms of simplicity, Demio has got it covered.
Another major selling point of Demio is how easy it was to set up, with a user-friendly interface that can get you started in just a few clicks. It’s also one of the most affordable options for webinar software and a good way to test the waters and see if this type of marketing is for you, in both price and usability.
The downside to Demio though, is this simplicity can limit you somewhat in how your webinars are run. There are only a few options for customization of rooms and you won’t get to do things like automation that allows you to follow up with attendees once the meeting is done. As a cheaper option, it’s to be expected, but if you require a more advanced set of features from a webinar software, Demio won’t be it.
Another point worth noting is reporting and analytics aren’t as detailed with Demio. If you like to see what’s happening after a meeting, how much engagement has occurred, and which users have watched your webinars overall, you’ll need to upgrade to a more advanced webinar platform. The name of the game is simplicity with Demio, and that is true for all of its features.
Demio might be simple but it has loads of features that help you reach out, including branding on rooms and emails, marketing integration with Marketo, live events, pre-recorded sessions, and more. Their premium plans take it even further with tools like an onboarding concierge for attendees and a dedicated account manager to make sure you’re getting everything you need from the software.
Demio is available at different tiers including Starter, Growth, Business, and Premium, and each comes with a free trial and no credit card required to join. They offer a generous 30% discount on all plans when you sign up for a year so it’s even better value for money than you might think. If you crave simplicity for your business and want your webinar platform to do the same, Demio is the way to go.
Alternative: WebinarJam
- Automated: Yes
- Download required: Yes
- Smartphone friendly: No
WebinarJam is another top contender for best webinar software and it’s a great choice if you value customer support and an always updated platform. Within the WebinarJam plans, you’ll get access to features like unlimited webinars each month, tech support, marketing tools, audience engagement tools, and up to 5,000 attendees, so you can customize each session to suit.
WebinarJam has some features you won’t find anywhere else which makes it an enticing choice. Their Panic Button quickly moves everyone to a new room if something goes wrong, or you can use the Always-On Room which is always available should you want to reach out to the audience. These are unique tools that would be priceless in certain situations, so it’s worth considering WebinarJam for their benefits alone.
Another cool thing about this platform is that it’s always updating and upgrading, so although it’s not an open-source webinar software, it comes close enough. Users reported that issues were fixed quickly and the staff of WebinarJam always listening for advice and taking it. You’ll have a dedicated account manager on their higher-grade plans plus access to support, so there’s always the chance to have your say on features that might be lacking.
Some things are missing from WebinarJam that makes it a little lackluster compared to others, and this is mostly to do with creating more than just live-streamed webinars. If you want the opportunity to produce an evergreen session, you won’t be able to do it using this software alone. To do so, you’ll need to also subscribe to EverWebinar and use them together which adds a lot of time and effort, so it’s not the best evergreen webinar software out there.
Some users didn’t like the lack of customization when it came to design, and it seemed like some parts could be branded and others didn’t, which made it a mess sometimes. Others noted that there was a consistent lag for attendees that meant they were seeing and hearing things much later than they happened, which of course created issues with live chat and audience engagement.
There are lots of features worth discussing with WebinarJam though, including automated recordings, page builders, email and SMS communication with attendees, attendee spotlight, and live chat. If you want to get more out of participants, they also offer the chance for paid sessions and active offers that can be presented during a webinar as an additional way to earn income while you speak.
WebinarJam offers a 30 day money-back guarantee so you can see whether it’s working for you before you commit. Their plans include Basic, Professional, and Enterprise, and it’s mid-range in price when compared to the others we’ve reviewed. If you want a webinar platform with extras, you’ll be thrilled to look through everything WebinarJam has, and there’s no risk to stay thanks to their cancel-anytime option.
Webinar Software FAQs
Whether you choose a free webinar software or a paid platform with all of the perks, it’s never been more important to add this tool to your business’s marketing strategy.
To learn more about what the webinar offers and how to use them to your advantage, read on to see our answers to a few FAQs.
Is Zoom Good For Webinars?
Zoom has a webinar feature that can be used to live stream or pre-record a session for an audience of up to 50,000 people and in high definition.
This is a paid software that can be used on a smartphone or desktop and has several features that let you get better customization for your business, including social promotion, reminder emails, branded registration pages, and video watermarks.
What Software Do I Need For A Webinar?
There are a few leaders in webinar software including Zoom, Demio, Webinar Jam, Go To Meeting, and Webinar Geek.
To get a better understanding of the best fit for your business, you’ll need to compare the features and pricing of each platform to see which suits the style of the webinar you plan on hosting.
How Much Should I Charge For A 1 Hour Webinar?
A one-hour webinar can vary in price depending on the host of the session and what it entails.
To come up with a fair price, consider how much effort and money went into creating the webinar, what the potential attendees can afford, and the quality of the content you’ll be covering.
Do I Need To Be On Camera For A Webinar?
If you are attending a webinar as an audience member, there’s no need to have a camera or show your face, unless requested by the host before the session.
For webinar hosts, it’s recommended to be on camera as this personalizes the experiences and lets your audience engage better with the content you’re presenting.
The Modern Way to Engage
A successful marketing strategy should see your brand utilizing a number of tools, and there’s no better way to connect with a large or small audience on a personal level than with webinars.
Thanks to our recommendations, you’ll have the ideal tool for communication and engagement, and with the precise features that suit your business.
