Virtual Event Platforms
Virtual Event Platforms Overview
Top Rated Virtual Event Products
These products won a Top Rated award for having excellent customer satisfaction ratings. The list is based purely on reviews; there is no paid placement, and analyst opinions do not influence the rankings. Read more about the Top Rated criteria.
Videos for Virtual Event Platforms
Virtual Event Platforms TrustMap
TrustMaps are two-dimensional charts that compare products based on trScore and research frequency by prospective buyers. Products must have 10 or more ratings to appear on this TrustMap.
Virtual Event Products
(1-25 of 117) Sorted by Most Reviews
The list of products below is based purely on reviews (sorted from most to least). There is no paid placement and analyst opinions do not influence their rankings. Here is our Promise to Buyers to ensure information on our site is reliable, useful, and worthy of your trust.
ON24 is a webcasting, virtual events platform accessible from any device.
Key Features
- Q&A (351)78%7.8
- Record meetings / events (335)76%7.6
- Slideshows (333)74%7.4
Cvent is a cloud-based enterprise event management company with nearly 4,000 employees and over 300,000 users worldwide. Cvent offers software solutions to event planners and marketers for online event registration, venue selection, event management and marketing, onsite solutions,…
GoToWebinar is GoTo’s webinar and online conferencing solution, and offers features like audience polling and Q&A, flexible scheduling experiences, and webinar templates. It offers CRM integrations and reporting & analytics tools to help engage clients’ audiences.
Key Features
- High quality audio (124)88%8.8
- Audience polling (151)85%8.5
- Q&A (169)84%8.4
Whova, headquartered in San Diego, provides what they describe as Intelligent Event Technology Solutions by creating authentic audience participation and engagement and simplifying the entire event process from planning to registration, networking, and follow-up. Whova's mobile engagement…
AdvocateHub helps B2B marketers capture customer enthusiasm and use it to drive marketing and sales efforts. With AdvocateHub, B2B marketers build an advocate community and invite customers into it to complete “challenges” like referrals, reference calls or product reviews. As they…
Adobe Connect is a web conferencing platform that enables users to create presentations, online training materials, and learning modules. The product is entirely Adobe Flash-based and has several add-ons for customizing its software to suit each users’ unique needs.
Key Features
- Desktop sharing (65)83%8.3
- High quality video (65)76%7.6
- High quality audio (65)75%7.5
OneCause, headquartered in Indianapolis, offers their fundraising solutions supporting mobile bidding for auctions or peer-to-peer giving, Text2Give, and support for ticket sales for fundraising events. OneCause pricing plans support various service levels, including feature breadth…
BlueJeans Events is a scalable, cloud-based platform that enables presenters to interact over video and stream their event to thousands of viewers. It is presented as an ideal solution for all-hands meetings, webinars and large-scale events. Users can present from a computer or a…
Key Features
- Record meetings / events (69)91%9.1
- High quality audio (72)81%8.1
- Participant roles & permissions (64)81%8.1
Socio, from Cisco since the July, 2021 acquisition, is a branded mobile event app for in-person, hybrid, and virtual events supporting a customizable event engagement experience, lead retrieval, live display, and related features.
Splash aims to get event programs in front of the right people by helping users create engaging, branded experiences and optimize conversions at each stage of the event lifecycle. Leverage accurate, visible data for seamless follow-ups and reporting. Empower teams to execute events…
Zoom offers a Video Webinar option supporting unlimited audiences viewing live with presentation engagement tools like group chat, dual screen support, live broadcasting to YouTube or other platforms, polling, and other features supporting streaming webinars and virtual events.
Key Features
- Record meetings / events (44)88%8.8
- Calendar integration (43)87%8.7
- High quality audio (46)79%7.9
Top Pros and Cons
Bizzabo’s event management platform powers immersive in-person, virtual, and hybrid experiences for brands. The Bizzabo Event Experience OS is an open platform for Event Experience Leaders to manage events, engage audiences, and activate communities. Bizzabo was founded in 2011 and…
Webex Events is a tool for webinars and online presentations. It can be used for events for groups of 100 to 3,000 attendees, with multiple presenters. It also includes audio controls and attention monitoring tools. Webex Events compliments other Webex communications, collaboration,…
Key Features
- Record meetings / events (39)92%9.2
- High quality audio (39)88%8.8
- Participant roles & permissions (36)85%8.5
Hopin is an online events platform from the company of the same name in London, that provides tools for virtual events, or hybrid events, like ticketing and registration, limitless event rooms, an expo hall, chat, and networking, as well as event branding and attendee engagement…
BuzzCast supports flagship events for clients such as The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Uber, Fiserv, Carnival, The World Travel and Tourism Council, and AES.Crafted specifically to handle the needs of top tier production companies and their…
Flock is a collaborative business messaging application developed by the small (but multinational) company of the same name, designed to compete with Slack. The company boasts that the app is a fast and reliable means of communication, and is available in a free edition.
Key Features
- Chat (8)90%9.0
- Mobile Access (8)90%9.0
- Notifications (8)85%8.5
Aventri (formerly etouches) offers end-to-end event management and venue sourcing solutions. The open source platform aims to help streamline the event process, providing real-time data and analytics on event performance, customer engagement, and therefore increasing measurable event…
Brazen is a social collaboration software solution built to assist companies with recruiting and HR to engage with potential employees from anywhere.
Greater Giving, a Global Payments company, works exclusively with schools and nonprofits across the United States and Canada—offering integrated technologies to help simplify event management; quickly train volunteers; streamline check-in and check-out; and raise more funds. Greater…
BrightTALK Central is a B2B marketing platform to create content, engage an audience, and reach new prospects to deliver revenue growth. BrightTALK is a subsidiary of TechTarget.
Eventzilla provides a free management and registration solution targeted for organizers of any size. This solution allows users to host free events at no charge. However, for paid events, there is a $1 flat fee per attendee. The solution can be used for conferences, fundraisers,…
Hubilo is a virtual and hybrid event platform built for attendee engagement and event excellence. Their mission is to drive engagement and improve business results for their customers. Hubilo aims to optimize the attendee experience and foster connections with a unique brand experience.…
BigMarker is a cloud-based webinar platform that provides webinar hosting for up to 1,000 attendees, with no downloads required, featuring HD audio and video conferencing, screen sharing, and recording. It is also the first platform that can integrate a Twitter chat into a webinar.…
eve virtual brings education, innovation, bespoke customization, and any on-ground event, exhibition, trade show, and any kind of conference imaginable into the virtual world.The solution aims to give attendees and organizers alike all the excitement and interaction of real life,…
EventPilot is an event management software system offered by ATIV Software.
Learn More About Virtual Event Platforms
What are Virtual Event Platforms?
Virtual event platforms are solutions that combine different tools to organize, promote, manage and host interactive online events. Virtual event platforms provide a broadcast infrastructure while engaging virtual audiences as much as in-person events through interactive digital experiences.
To start, users must consider the event's content, financial goals, and attendee experience and choose a platform that supports all required needs. Audiences/attendees will vary and have their own unique needs, from fundraising to education/training, entertainment/shows, networking, or staying relevant. Virtual event platforms should allow users to webcast or stream live events, record events, produce interactive content, and track attendance and engagement data.
Virtual Event Platform Features
At their core, virtual event platforms allow businesses to host virtual events and webcast them out to an online audience. A primary goal that virtual event software helps accomplish is providing a stimulating and interactive digital experience for event participants.
Key features used to plan, promote, and host a virtual event include:
- Webcasting
- Event budgeting
- Online registration
- Registration portals
- Virtual waiting rooms
- Attendee tracking
- Engagement tracking
- calendar integrations
- Chat & breakout room monitoring
- Event campaign management
- Marketing and Communication
- Administration
- Engagement
- Audience polls
- Q&A
- Surveys
- Gamification tools
- Lead generation
- Analysis of business insights
When planning a virtual event, determine if the event is public or private, for example: will it be hosted publically on a social media platform or will it be a closed ticketed event? Consider convenience for viewers and look for a virtual event platform that allows access to the event's content from any device.
Virtual Event Platform Comparison
Ask yourself the following questions before purchasing a virtual event platform:
- What type of content will be presented at the event?
- What are the financial goals of hosting the event?
- Is the event private with tickets or accessible to the public?
- What type(s) of interactive experiences will the event host?
- What devices can attendees gain access to the event on?
- How many attendees are you expecting?
Before deciding to invest in a virtual event platform, take inventory of existing suite-style platforms already in use. Some larger vendors may have virtual event platform features already included. Other types of software types to look at that may include these features are:
- Event Management Platforms
- Event Registration Software
- OTT Software
- Video Conferencing Equipment
- Web and Video Conferencing Software
- Webinar Software
Pricing Information
Many platforms will offer meeting and event-level pricing, ranging in price from features or event capacity limits. Starting prices for products like GoToWebinar and BlueJeans Virtual Events range from $50-$500 per month. Some larger platforms like Zoom Video Webinar have more expensive starting prices—$700 per year for 500 people. Price levels increase according to attendee count, for example, Zoom Video Webinar’s top tier hosts up to 50,000 attendees.
Take inventory of providers who offer free trials to better find services that meet all business and event needs. Some products that offer free trials are:
Products that offer advanced features designed for hosting large-scale events are more expensive; they can range from $400-$1,000 per month. Cost may vary depending on the number of attendees the product supports and the range of the virtual event.
Virtual Event Platforms Best Of Awards
The following Virtual Event Platforms offer award-winning customer relationships, feature sets, and value for price. Learn more about our Best Of Awards methodology here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What do Virtual Event Platforms do?
What are the benefits of using Virtual Event Platforms?
What are the best Virtual Event Platforms products?
The top rated virtual event platforms include: