You’ve brainstormed some stellar ideas for your virtual conference — even reached out to potential guests to speak at your event. And they’re showing interest, as are your stakeholders!
But hang on: what about the virtual event platform you’d use to host your online gathering?
Tough call? Truth be told: despite the variety out there, it can be challenging to trust an online virtual event solution to meet all your requirements while offering attendees a remarkable (and error-free) event experience.
Thankfully though, there are virtual event tools with friendly customer support teams that can help you host your dream virtual event — be it a multi-day conference, a live training workshop, or a webinar. You only need to find that gem.
In this guide, we’ll help you do just that as we dive into the best platforms for virtual events, including the pros and cons of each platform — from Zoom to Vimeo to On24!
What can virtual event platforms do for your business?
Virtual event platforms offer businesses the ability to host online events that engage attendees from anywhere in the world. These platforms provide a comprehensive suite of tools to organize, manage, and execute everything from webinars to conferences and town halls. With features like live streaming, interactive chats, and virtual booths, businesses can create immersive experiences that replicate the feel of an in-person event.
For businesses, hosting an online event presents a cost-effective alternative to traditional in-person events. Even hybrid events reduce expenses related to travel, venue rental, and accommodations while offering enhanced data analytics that can track attendee behavior, engagement levels, and session participation. This data helps businesses measure ROI more accurately, make informed decisions about future events, and continuously improve the event experience. Additionally, virtual events can increase brand visibility and reach, allowing businesses to expand their audience beyond geographical limitations and attract a diverse, global attendee base.
Host a virtual event with Vimeo →
What to look for in a virtual conference platform
Before we dive into the best platforms for virtual events, let’s first highlight what makes a good virtual event software solution by reviewing the key features to look for when searching for a virtual event solution that meets your needs.
Make sure you bookmark this piece so you can refer to this list of features when selecting your ideal virtual event platform:
- Customization and branding. Look for a virtual event platform that allows you to fully customize the look and feel to align with your brand, such as adding your logo, incorporating your brand colors, and using custom event themes.
- Integrations with other apps. Integrations with your CRM or marketing automation platforms, for example, are crucial for sending personalized email invites, syncing registrants into the event, and sending back detailed attendee-level analytics on your most engaged customers.
- Ease of use. Look for a virtual event platform that’s easy to use. A user-friendly interface makes it simple for you to navigate the software, explore features, and drive the most value for your events program. An intuitive interface also means you can get your virtual event platform up and running yourself — no need to spend additional time and money from outside help.
- High-quality streaming. Your virtual event’s stream quality directly impacts the attendee viewing experience as well as your reputation as an event host. Make sure the virtual event software you choose offers HD quality streaming at various latency options, has no performance complaints, and also lets you download the content in a high-quality resolution.
- Robust analytics. Choose a virtual event platform that provides in-depth data on who attended, how long they watched for, how and when they engaged with your content and with the audience, etc. This data will help you host more engaging virtual events as well as convert attendees into customers based on those who engaged the most.
- Dynamic audience engagement tools. Hosting polls, quizzes, and Q&As are all essential tools for interacting with your audience and improving their experience. The virtual event solution you select should offer these tools alongside letting you create breakout rooms for promoting attendee-to-attendee networking. The ability to add lower thirds and create customizable layouts that allow you to present dynamic content — videos, images, and slides are great ways to make your event even more engaging.
- AI-powered features. AI tools can save you tons of time, offering capabilities like automatic transcription, auto-captioning, multi-language translation, and even automatically selecting and splicing your best clips into a highlight reel.
- Content repurposing tools. You want to get the most from your investment, so look for a virtual event solution that provides tools for easily repurposing your content. This can include clips for sharing on social media, highlight reels, and offering your event recordings for on-demand viewing following the live event.
- Proactive customer support. Lastly, ensure the online event software’s support team is quick and helpful in answering any questions you have. One way to gauge the software team’s helpfulness is to question them about the tool pre-purchase and during the free trial (if there is one). The way the team answers your queries will speak volumes about the way they treat their prospects and customers.
Top virtual event sites: A side-by-side comparison
Compare the key features of each virtual event platform in our side-by-side comparison chart so you can determine which solution best meets your budget and needs.
11 online and hybrid event platforms to check out
For each of the companies below, we’ve shared who it’s best for, where the tool wins, and where it falls short compared to competitors or for certain use cases.
Feature | Vimeo | ON24 | Webex | Cvent | GoToWebinar | Kaltura |
Cost | Freemium, $0–$65/mo | Not available | Webex Webinars: $56.25 /license/mo Webex Events: Only available with select Enterprise options, custom pricing | Not available | $43.12-$351.12 /users/mo | From $150/mo Limited Trial: 2 webinars for $1 Custom pricing for enterprise |
Video quality | 4K HDR (up to 8K) | 1080p to 720p | Up to 1080p | Up to 1080p | Up to 1920p x 960p | 4K HD |
Maximum video, meeting, or stream length | Live broadcast: 12 hours (24 hours with Livestream.com) Webinar: 12 hours Venue: Unlimited (Enterprise Plan required) | Breakout rooms: 60 minutes Go Live: 1 to 5 days | 24 hours (40 minutes for Basic accounts) | Webinar: 24 hours Virtual events: Up to 2 days | 8 hours (Classic) | 24 hours |
Live streaming | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable registration forms | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable video player | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Embeddable video | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Pre-recorded live events | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Event templates | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Screen recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Screen sharing | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Maximum number of attendees | Live broadcast: 100,000s Webinar: Up to 100 (Advanced and Premium Plans) Up to 500 (Enterprise Plan) Venue: Up to 3,000 (Enterprise Plan required) | Live events: 5,000 live concurrent attendees On-demand events: 1,000 concurrent attendees Limits may be extended on request Go Live Keynotes: Up to 500 Go Live Breakout sessions: Up to 50 | Webex Webinars: Up to 100,000 Webex Meetings: Up to 1,000 Webex Events (Classic): Up to 100,000 Webex Training: Up to 1,000 | Webinar Pro: Up to 1,000 Webinar Premium: Up to 5,000 Cvent Video Conferencing (embedded): Up to 250 active participants, including hosts and speakers Up to 1,000 total attendees per meeting Cvent Video Conferencing (powered by Zoom): Up to 500 attendees per meeting Cvent Video Player: Unlimited | Standard and Pre-recorded Webinars: Lite: Up to 250 Standard: Up to 500 Pro: Up to 1,000 Enterprise: Up to 3,000 Webcast: Up to 3,000 (Plus) Up to 1,000 (Pro) Virtual Events: Up to 3,000 | Limited Trial: Up to 100 Business: Up to 1,000 Enterprise: Unlimited |
Number of concurrent speakers | Live broadcast: Up to 7 Webinar: Up to 7 Venues: Up to 45 (Enterprise Plan required) | Up to 10 | Up to 500 | Up to 25 Maximum of 10 can be displayed on screen at a time | Up to 6 organizers, presenters, and panelists | Up to 5 speakers and moderators (Limited trial and Business plans) Unlimited for Enterprise |
Audience engagement tools | Q&A Live chat Polls Clickable links CTAs | Engagement hubs Personalized content pages Q&A Conversion tools Surveys Live chat Polls Downloadable resources | Moderated Q&A Live chat Polls Gamification Emoji reactions Gesture recognition | Chat Emojis Reactions Q&A Upvoting Polls Surveys | Polls Q&A Surveys Share handouts (up to 5 per webinar) | 1:1 chat Group chat Q&A Crowd reactions Polls, votes, and rating bars Notifications Bring attendees to stage |
Video editing capabilities | Trim Crop Cut Compress Add video clips, images, music, text, backgrounds, and filters Timeline editor to rearrange clips Text-based editing to remove pauses, errors, and awkward words or phrases | Trim Split Cut Drag-and-drop clips into timeline Offset marker | Basic editing tools, including adjusting start and end times, deleting portions of the audio or video, and inserting a recording into another video | Basic editing tools, including cutting and trimming videos, splitting videos into clips and removing clips | Trim Cut Change webcam background Virtual webcam backgrounds | Create and edit quizzes Clip, trim, chop and splice videos Add hotspots |
AI tools | Text-based editor that removes filler words Video trimmer AI video summary Auto caption Video highlights Ask a question Library search Search by caption Auto-generated video titles summaries and chapters | Dynamically delivers personalized content AI-assistant copywriter creates video abstracts, emails, and subject lines Automatically generate written content like blogs, e-books, transcripts, and summaries | Automated meeting and messaging summaries (Vidcast) Automatic chapter generation AI video translation Background noise removal and voice optimization Transcription and closed captioning AI Audio Codec and Super Resolution using AI | AI Writing Assistant for descriptions, comments, emails, event websites, and mobile event apps Chatbots and virtual assistants Automatically generated descriptions, captions, and subtitles Session and event summaries And more | AI meeting summaries with actionable next steps AI screen translation AI-powered search | Real-time translation AI user-contorlled chat Multi-language dubbing Highlighting and chaptering AI-powered content curation |
Analytics dashboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Video library | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
1. Vimeo virtual events platform
Vimeo's virtual event software is easy-to-use and browser-based — a virtual events platform suitable for event marketers with any level of familiarity with hosting virtual events.
We give you the tools to host events with confidence. You, your guest speakers, moderators, and event attendees don’t need to download any additional software to set up, create, and join an event with Vimeo. In addition, we offer the highest quality and most reliable stream through adaptive streaming, backup streams, stream health monitoring, a proprietary high-latency protocol, and more.
What’s more, it’s suitable for hosting all types of virtual events — from company-wide townhalls to interactive webinars, live broadcasts, product demos, workshops, and more. You can use Vimeo to host virtual events and stream them in real time, or you can craft all aspects of your event ahead of time and simulate a live event. Finally, you can embed as well as simulcast your event across multiple platforms and channels to maximize your reach.
Pros
- CRM and marketing software integrations with everything from Hubspot and Constant Contact, to Marketo and Meta
- Customizable registration forms
- Advanced analytics
- Create a branded and engaging viewing experience
- Comprehensive video editing tools
- Host live, pre-recorded, or hybrid events
- Audience engagement tools such as polls, Q&A, and moderated chat
- AI-powered script generator and teleprompter
- Automatic captions, subtitles, chapters, and descriptions
Cons
- Typically better suited for medium- to large-scale webinars, virtual venues, and town halls than smaller team meetings
- Storage limits (based on plan)
- Some features may only be available on higher-tier plans
Want to explore more? Try making an online event with Vimeo right now!
2. Zoom events platform
While it’s best-known for hosting one-on-one meetings, Zoom lets you host virtual events as well. In fact, Zoom's online events can have as many as 1 million view-only attendees, depending on your plan. You can also host multi-track and multi-day events with Zoom’s virtual event platform.
Pros
- Create branded event registration pages, customized emails, and a customized viewing frame
- Audience engagement tools like chat, surveys, and a whiteboard
- Easy to use
- Automatically generates summaries, highlights, and next steps
- Automatically generates descriptions, speaker bios, and lobby announcements
- Video library
Cons
- Maximum video quality of 1080p (no 4K or 8K)
- Costly for virtual events with a large audience
- Simulcasting limited to 3 different services
- Limited video editing features
- Some features only available on higher-tier paid plans
3. RingCentral Events (formerly Hopin)
Like Zoom, Hopin’s pricing depends on the number of attendees, which can make it costly to scale up with this platform, although it does have a generous maximum attendee limit of 100,000. Now known as RingCentral Events, this online event platform focuses on attendee engagement with features like a reception area, breakout sessions, a networking area, and an expo area where sponsors and vendors can have a virtual-booth-like setup.
Pros
- Customizable event registration page and virtual event venue
- Reception area that displays an event summary, schedule, speaker bios, and sponsors
- Up to 100,000 attendees
- Attendee networking area with random matching
- Vendor expo area
- Integration with third-party apps
- Speakers and attendees can join from their mobile devices with Hubilo’s event apps
Cons
- No tools to repurpose and reuse your virtual event content
- Scaled pricing model based on attendees, which is costly for large events
- Events limited to 3 hours
- No option to embed a live video player on your website
- Limited features on lower-tier plans
4. GoToWebinar
GoToWebinar is best for creators and small businesses hosting small events — up to 3,000 attendees, which is less than what Vimeo, Hopin, and Zoom offer.
It’s also a good choice for creators or solo business owners conducting paid training workshops as GoToWebinar directly connects with Stripe, letting you receive payments. GoTo Webinar’s virtual event platform does offer audience engagement tools, an analytics dashboard, and a video library, although its video editing options are limited.
Pros
- Audience engagement tools including polls and Q&A
- Up to 6 presenters
- Easy to set up and implement
- Automate invites, reminders, and follow-up emails
Cons
- Limited attendees; only up to 3,000 on Enterprise plan
- No tools for repurposing or reusing your virtual event content
- Limited video editing tools
- Simulcasting only possible through RTMP connection
5. Cvent
Cvent supports high-volume virtual events and enables you to set up Attendee Hubs, thus keeping your audience engaged even before and after your events rather than just during your event so you can engage your audience before and after your events. It also offers a few time-saving AI tools, like auto-generated descriptions, comments, emails and even content for event mobile apps and websites, and AI-powered recommendations for attendee networking. On the other hand, its documentation and support resources are sparse, meaning it will be up to users to figure it out should something go wrong.
Pros
- Attendee Hubs for pre- and post-event engagement
- Integration with third-party tools
- Audience engagement tools
- AI-powered networking recommendations
- Virtual booths for sponsors and vendors
- Analytics
Cons
- Limited training resources and support documentation
- Limited customization options
- No tools to repurpose and reuse virtual event content
6. On24
On24 is a virtual event platform geared toward marketers who want to organize webinars and multi-session events, with an emphasis on audience engagement and lead nurturing. However, despite its focus on lead generation and nurturing, it doesn’t support simulcasting to social media platforms.
Pros
- Extensive analytics on attendees
- Content management hubs and personalized landing pages
- Integration with third-party tools like CRMs
- Attendee networking recommendations
- Exhibit halls and sponsor areas
- Generative AI tools can automatically generate ebooks, blogs, and other assets
Cons
- Costly, especially for larger audiences
- Complex onboarding flow
- No support for simulcasting to social media sites
- Must request a quote for pricing information
7. Kaltura
Kaltura’s intended audience is educators, offering useful tools for instructors like virtual classrooms, digital white boards, and group chats. This virtual event platform offers live streaming along with a wide range of collaboration tools, including managing virtual event content, event analytics, and AI-powered tools like Q&A, session moderation, audience reactions, and live translation, though it lacks a built-in script writer and teleprompter. It also has relatively low participant caps — up to 1,000 on the Business plan.
Pros
- Live streaming
- Library for managing virtual event content
- Customizable landing pages
- Virtual event analytics
- Integrations with third-party apps
- Dedicated virtual classroom with white boards and chat
- Live translation
Cons
- Integrations can be costly to set up
- Maximum of 1,000 attendees on Business plan
- Expensive for large audiences
- No built-in teleprompter or script writer
8. Webex
Webex is a virtual event platform that’s well-suited for businesses with large audiences. It offers a variety of monetization options for your virtual events, including the ability to create different ticket types, set multiple pricing tiers, and offer group discounts and other deals. You can also create customized event apps and virtual communities, enhancing attendee engagement before and after your virtual events.
On the downside, Webex offers limited video editing capabilities for repurposing your virtual event content. It also has a proprietary video file format, resulting in a clunky process for exporting your event recordings for use with other tools. That said, it’s worth noting that with Vimeo’s Webex integration, you can automatically upload your Webex virtual event recordings to Vimeo, so you don’t have to deal with converting file formats.
Pros
- Up to 100,000 attendees
- Supports simulcasting virtual events to social media sites
- Q&A, chat, emoji reactions, and other audience engagement tools
- Real-time translation (100+ languages)
- Multi-track events
- Build virtual communities for engagement before and after events
- Customizable virtual event apps
- Stage and content management tools
Cons
- Limited options for editing and repurposing event recordings
- Webex Events only available with select Enterprise plans
- Proprietary video format makes exporting and uploading more complex
9. Airmeet
Airmeet is a virtual event solution that emphasizes attendee engagement with advanced networking tools, including speed networking with matchmaking criteria, virtual tables for group discussions, and 1:1 meetings. However, its video editing capabilities are limited compared to virtual event platforms like Vimeo, so there aren’t built-in options for repurposing your event content.
Pros
- Easy-to-use event dashboard
- Attendee engagement tools such as networking, Q&A, live chat, and polls
- Unlimited virtual event duration
- Up to 18 speakers or presenters
- AI-generated event titles, descriptions, captions, and speaker bios
- Multi-language caption translation
Cons
- Limited editing capabilities
- Limited options for repurposing virtual event content
- Does not support multi-cam streaming
- No support for 4K or 8K streaming, limited to 720p or 1080p
10. Goldcast
Goldcast is a virtual event platform that allows businesses to create a branded, interactive event experience with features like Q&A, polls, 1:1, video, and group chat, and breakout rooms.
However, Starter and Pro plan users can only host webinars (not other types of virtual events) and are limited to 90 minutes in length. Goldcast also limits the number of virtual events you can hold each year, based on your plan.
Pros
- Breakout rooms
- Video, 1:1, and group chat
- Event analytics
- Up to 50 speakers/presenters
- Drag-and-drop video editor
Cons
- Streaming quality limited to 720p or 1080p (no 4K or 8K)
- Events limited to 90 minutes on Starter and Pro plans
- Number of events limited per year based on plan
- Starter and Pro plans only offer webinars
11. Hubilo
Hubilo is a virtual event platform that places a strong emphasis on lead generation with tools like a landing page builder and the ability to gate content with lead-generation forms. You can host pre-recorded live events, and Hubilo automatically generates over 40 assets for repurposing your virtual event content, including e-books, blogs, surveys, feedback forms, and infographics. Like some of the other virtual event solutions on this list, Hubilo’s streaming quality is limited to the 1080p standard, and your events are limited to 3 hours in length.
Pros
- AI-generated content hub for audience engagement
- Automatically generates 40+ assets to repurpose your content
- Integration with CRMs and other tools
- Virtual event analytics
- Supports simulcasting to social media platforms
- Host pre-recorded live events
Cons
- Higher-tier plans required for many features
- Limits on total attendees per year based on plan
- Video quality is a maximum of 1080p
- Events limited to 3 hours
Virtual event FAQ
How do I start a virtual event?
The first step is choosing a virtual event platform that meets your event needs. Outline your event — define your goals for the event, the audience you want to reach, and the format (webinars, panel discussions, networking, etc.). Advertise the virtual event to your audience, get signups, and make sure all the technology works before your event kicks off. Manage your attendees, speakers, and technology effectively before and during your event to ensure it runs smoothly.
How do I choose a virtual event platform?
Review your business needs such as your budget, how large an event you want to host, and how many virtual events you want to host. Then choose a virtual event platform that not only fits your budget but is also easy to use, offers in-depth analytics, audience engagement tools, high-quality streaming, and lots of integrations.
How do I make my virtual event more interactive?
Make your virtual events more interactive by encouraging your audience to ask questions, leave their thoughts in the chat box, host polls, and quizzes, and have a Q&A session mid-way or toward the end of the event. To be able to do all of this through, be sure to invest in a virtual event platform that offers dynamic audience engagement tools.
How much does a virtual event platform cost?
What you can expect to pay for a virtual event platform depends on the features you’re looking for and how many attendees you want to reach. Basic plans start at around $5 to $150 per month, but you can expect to pay more for platforms with advanced features (e.g., branding, analytics, and networking tools) can cost a few hundred dollars per month, depending on the size of your event and customization options. Some virtual event platforms also offer pay-per-use pricing.
What are the most popular virtual event platforms out there today?
Vimeo, On24, Zoom, and GoToWebinar are some of the most popular event platforms you can try, but there are many options today. Each comes with its pros and cons. Pick based on your budget and specific event requirements.
Conclusion: which virtual event platform is best for you?
The best virtual events platform for you is one that meets your business needs the most. This includes:
- Your attendee size
- Use case (how much you plan to leverage virtual events for your sales and marketing and whether you offer paid workshops)
- How much time you’ve to learn to use a new tool
- How much you plan to scale (you don’t want the platform to slip out of your budget as you scale)
We’ve shared some virtual event software tools that offer poor-quality streaming with limited video editing tools, which makes it more difficult to repurpose your virtual event recordings as short clips, highlight reels, and other types of content. Pricing can get expensive for hosting larger audiences with some of these tools, and others limit the length of your events or the number of events you can run each year.
Vimeo's virtual events offers a ton of customization, high-quality streaming, and an intuitive user interface. It also plays a helpful role in reusing content from the events you host, helping you drive the most ROI from your efforts. If you need high-quality streaming, seamless integrations, and a wide range of tools for engaging with your audience and repurposing your content after your events, Vimeo is an all-in-one solution built for events of every shape and size.
Try Vimeo for your next online or hybrid event
