Cards, meet table.
There are dozens of webinar platforms. And too many (sponsored) blog posts about which is the best one.
You need information, not a sales pitch.
So we put together a breakdown of the features & functions of the most popular platforms. That includes our competitors’.
Damn, what if you like theirs more?
Why do this?
Here’s the thing though.
A little sunlight isn’t a threat. It’s an opportunity.
So full disclosure: this guide is the best way to get more eyeballs on WebinarNinja. Which you probably guessed.
That’s true even if it gets those same eyeballs on other options too. You’ll figure out which is the best webinar platform for you.
In short, the exposure we get is worth the exposure we give.
We could pay a blogger to pretend they like WebinarNinja, but you’re smarter than that. We've been in the game a long time now. We know the more a customer knows when they sign up, the less likely they are to cancel down the road.
So we saved you some research. We went to each company’s website, and found out what they offer. Cold, hard facts, no spin.
At minimum, this post can save you time while you’re researching. At best, it’s the start of your journey to Webinar Ninja status.
The Platforms
We didn’t include every webinar software on the market. That’s for 3 reasons:
- Some aren’t well-established enough.
When we started WebinarNinja, we were one of the only dedicated webinar platforms. Now, it seems like there’s a new one every month.
That’s not to say new platforms are bad. But experience has no substitute. If the noobs are good now, they’ll be much better later!
We can update this post to include any rising stars. - Some were made for large corporate enterprise use.
Ours wasn’t.
We created WebinarNinja for the coach, teacher, and independent creator. In this chart, we only included platforms for small-to-midsize businesses. We want to help companies out there on their own trying to share value, grow their brand, and earn authority.
And...y'know, sell stuff. - Some aren’t exactly “webinar” platforms.
There are meetings, videos, courses, and social media content. Then there are webinars.
Webinars are something else.
Webinars are marketing assets. Their job is to facilitate business goals. Think lead and sales generation. They do so by informing, offering value, and demonstrating your expertise.
If it wasn’t made to convert, it’s not a webinar platform.
The best examples of the distinction are Zoom and GoTo. Zoom is a meeting software, but since they offer a dedicated webinars option, we included it. GoToMeeting is not a webinar platform — but GoToWebinar is.
Other platforms live in a gray area. They're somewhere between meeting, marketing, academic, and social functions. It gets complicated.
To make it simpler, we (again) only included platforms that make sense for users like ours. Everything here is for creators looking to coach and teach their way to business growth.
We also didn’t include free “webinar” platforms that aren’t really webinar platforms. YouTube, for example.
For transparency’s sake, here are platforms we didn’t include for one reason or another:
Anymeeting Webinars
EZTalks Webinars
Facebook/IGTV
GlobalMeet Webcast
GoToMeeting
ON24
Webinar.net
LiveStream
YouTube
Zoho Webinar
WebinarGeek
JetWebinar
GetResponse
Cisco Webex
Business Hangouts
What We Looked For
Listing every feature of every platform isn’t realistic. Or very helpful. So we narrowed our focus to the most important considerations.
The chart is broken down into 5 categories:
Plans & Prices
Exploring different tiers and pricing options can be a labyrinth. We focused on where most people start: the basic plans.
We broke down what each platform offers re: free trials, subscription costs, and how many attendees you can have. We also compared monthly and annual prices for each. Note: Annual plan prices are broken down to the monthly cost, when you factor in the annual savings.
For companies with free plans, we listed price and attendee numbers for the cheapest paid plan.
Tech
The first question: do you or attendees have to download software?
It’s a cloud-based world. No one should have to. But that’s not the case for every platform, so we included it.
Otherwise, we listed which platforms broadcast in “full” HD. That means a resolution of at least 1080p. Resolution as low as 720p is still HD, but 1080 is the gold standard.
Bear in mind that with HD platforms, the resolution can dip to accommodate a weak signal or Internet connection on the user end. So we listed what the platform is capable of, assuming your connection is solid.
User Features
This is the big one.
We listed 19 in-studio features. These have the biggest impact on the experience, for you and the audience. From chat to polls, layouts to handouts, how you can present and interact is everything.
Marketing & Promotion Features
A platform that helps you host a webinar is great. A platform that helps bring people to it is even better.
We listed features like automated email sequences and landing page builders. If it helps you get (virtual) butts in the (figurative) seats, it’s here.
Analytics & Support
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
- Peter Drucker
We take that old chestnut seriously. For each platform, we listed what metrics it includes. How many people signed up? Showed up? Clicked on an offer?
The more you know, the better.
With that, here’s your 2021 guide to the best webinar platforms. For creators, independents, coaches, consultants, trainers, teachers, and more, start here.
And if you want a closer look at ours, check out a quick demo vid.
We hope this helps!
Obviously, we want you to choose WebinarNinja. If not, we hope this at least pointed you in the right direction. If so, you can give us a whirl below.
Try WebinarNinja free for with our Free 14-Day Trial. Sign up and create your first webinar in seconds:
