10 Best Webinar Platforms in 2026 (Compared)

Selection Criteria

How were these webinar platforms evaluated?

We scored each platform across seven dimensions: video and audio quality, audience engagement tools (polls, Q&A, chat), recording and replay options, marketing integrations (CRM, email), pricing transparency, maximum attendee capacity, and ease of setup. All pricing was verified against official websites in March 2026.

A webinar platform is software that enables live or pre-recorded video presentations to an online audience, typically including registration pages, attendee engagement features, and analytics.

The global webinar market reached $4.2 billion in 2025 and is growing at 14.3% annually (MarketsandMarkets, 2025). B2B marketers rank webinars as their #2 content format for lead generation behind only blog posts, with 73% of B2B marketers saying webinars produce the highest quality leads (DemandGen Report, 2024).

“We’ve tested dozens of webinar tools. The difference between a good platform and a great one isn’t the feature list. It’s the attendee experience. If your audience has to download software, troubleshoot audio, or refresh their browser three times, your content doesn’t matter. The best platform is the one your audience doesn’t notice.” Hardik Shah, Founder of ScaleGrowth.Digital

Pricing Table

What does each webinar platform cost in 2026?

Pricing below reflects annual billing. Monthly billing is typically 20-30% higher. All prices in USD.

Platform	Free Plan	Starting Price	Max Attendees	Best For
Zoom Webinars	No (requires Workplace plan)	$79/mo	50,000	Large audiences, enterprise
Livestorm	Yes (20 min, 30 attendees)	$79/mo	3,000	Browser-based simplicity
Demio	14-day trial	$42/mo	3,000	Marketing teams, automation
WebinarJam	14-day trial ($1)	$39/mo	5,000	Sales webinars, high volume
GoTo Webinar	7-day trial	$49/mo	3,000	Enterprise, IT compliance
Riverside	Yes (limited)	$79/mo	10,000	High-quality recording
StreamYard	Yes (StreamYard branding)	$49/mo	1,000	Live streaming + webinars
BigMarker	No	$79/mo	10,000	Large-scale automation
Crowdcast	No	$20/mo	1,000	Community events, creators
eWebinar	14-day trial	$99/mo	Unlimited (async)	Automated/evergreen webinars

Pricing as of March 2026, billed annually. Sources: official pricing pages of each platform.

Zoom

Is Zoom still the default for webinars in 2026?

Zoom Webinars starts at $79/month for 500 attendees and 100 active panelists. The Webinars Plus plan (with simulive events) starts at $290.83/month billed annually. You’ll also need a Zoom Workplace subscription as a prerequisite, which adds $13.33-21.99/month per user. Zoom’s biggest advantage is familiarity. Your audience already knows how to use Zoom. That eliminates the #1 killer of webinar attendance: technical friction. Over 300 million daily Zoom meeting participants (Zoom, 2025) means almost nobody needs onboarding. Key features: HD video and audio, polls, Q&A, hand raising, breakout rooms, live transcription, cloud recording, streaming to YouTube/Facebook, and integration with 2,400+ apps via the Zoom App Marketplace. Simulive (pre-recorded with live chat) is a significant upgrade for teams running recurring webinars. The trade-off: Zoom Webinars requires a desktop app for presenters (attendees can join via browser). Registration pages are functional but not beautiful. Advanced analytics require third-party tools. And the combined cost of Workplace + Webinars pushes the real starting price above $90/month. Best for: Teams already on Zoom that need reliable, large-audience webinars. Enterprise IT teams that require SOC 2 compliance. Events with 1,000+ attendees.

Livestorm

Why do marketing teams prefer Livestorm?

Livestorm runs entirely in the browser. No downloads, no apps, no “can you hear me?” troubleshooting. The free plan supports 30 attendees for 20 minutes. Paid plans start at $79/month for 100 attendees with 4-hour session limits. The browser-first approach isn’t just convenient. It directly affects attendance rates. Livestorm reports 40-60% higher show-up rates compared to platforms requiring downloads (Livestorm, 2025). When your audience clicks a link and the webinar just works, more of them actually stay. Key features: Customizable registration pages, automated email sequences, polls and Q&A, virtual backgrounds, screen sharing, cloud recording, analytics dashboard, and native integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, Slack, and Zapier. The async on-demand webinar feature lets registrants watch recordings on their own schedule. The trade-off: 100 attendee limit on the starter paid plan is low for the $79/month price. Scaling to 1,000+ attendees gets expensive. Browser-based means you’re dependent on your audience’s internet connection and browser performance. No breakout rooms. Best for: B2B marketing teams running regular lead generation webinars. SaaS companies doing product demos. Teams that prioritize attendee experience over raw feature count.

Demio

What makes Demio the go-to for marketing-focused webinars?

Demio starts at $42/month (annual billing) for 50 attendees. The Growth plan at $80/month supports 150 attendees and adds automated webinars. Premium plans scale to 3,000 attendees with up to 10 presenters on stage. A 14-day free trial is available on all plans. Demio was built specifically for marketers, not general video conferencing adapted for webinars. The difference shows in the registration page builder, the engagement timeline, and the lead scoring that happens automatically based on attendee behavior (did they stay the full duration, click a CTA, answer polls). Key features: Browser-based joining, custom-branded registration pages, automated email reminders, engagement scoring, polls and handouts, featured actions (CTA pop-ups during the webinar), screen sharing, HD recording, and replays with engagement data. Integrations include HubSpot, Marketo, ActiveCampaign, and Zapier. The trade-off: The 50-attendee starter limit feels restrictive. No breakout rooms or virtual whiteboarding. The analytics are good but not as deep as dedicated tools like Google Analytics. HD recording quality doesn’t match Riverside or dedicated recording tools. Best for: Marketing teams that treat webinars as a pipeline channel, not a one-off event. SaaS companies running product demos. Teams that want built-in engagement scoring without connecting a separate analytics platform.

Webinarjam

Is WebinarJam worth it for high-volume webinars?

WebinarJam offers plans starting at $39/month (billed annually) for 500 attendees. Higher tiers scale to 5,000 attendees. A 14-day trial is available for $1. WebinarJam was built for selling from the stage, and the feature set reflects that focus. The “Panic Button” feature lets you redirect all attendees to a new room instantly if technical issues arise. The Active Offer pop-up tool lets you display time-limited offers during the webinar. These features matter when your webinar is a sales event with revenue on the line. Key features: Live and pre-recorded webinars, up to 6 presenters, polls, Q&A, private chat, screen sharing, Active Offer pop-ups, Panic Button, automatic recording, page builder, and email integration. Runs on WebRTC for browser-based delivery. The trade-off: The interface feels dated compared to Livestorm or Demio. The $1 trial (not free) creates friction. Analytics are basic. Audio and video quality is adequate but not best-in-class. WebinarJam is a workhorse, not a showpiece. Best for: Coaches, course creators, and sales teams running live selling webinars. Anyone who needs 500+ attendee capacity at under $50/month.

Gotowebinar

Does GoTo Webinar still compete against newer platforms?

GoTo Webinar plans start at $49/month (Lite) and scale through Standard ($99), Pro ($199), and Enterprise ($399), all billed annually. Monthly billing runs $59-499. The platform has been around since 2003, making it one of the oldest webinar tools still in active development. GoTo Webinar’s strength is enterprise reliability. IT teams trust it because it’s been through 20+ years of production use. SOC 2 Type II compliance, single sign-on, and admin controls make it an easy approval for corporate procurement. The platform supports up to 3,000 attendees on higher plans. Key features: Custom registration, automated email workflows, polls, handouts, surveys, breakout rooms, recording, transcription, analytics dashboard, and integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, and Microsoft Teams. The mobile app works well for attendees joining from phones. The trade-off: GoTo Webinar requires a desktop app for presenters. The UI feels dated compared to Livestorm and Demio. The Lite plan at $49/month only supports 250 attendees. Innovation has slowed compared to newer competitors. Best for: Enterprise teams with IT approval requirements. Established companies that prioritize stability over features. Organizations already using GoTo Meeting or GoTo Connect.

Riverside

Can Riverside work as a webinar platform or just a recording tool?

Riverside started as a podcast and video recording tool with studio-quality local recording. They’ve since expanded into live events and webinars. Plans start at $79/month with support for up to 10,000 attendees. A free plan with limited features is available. The key differentiator is recording quality. Riverside records each participant’s audio and video locally (on their device), then uploads it. This means your recording quality doesn’t depend on internet connection. Each participant is captured at up to 4K video and 48kHz WAV audio. No other webinar platform matches this for recording fidelity. Key features: Local recording (up to 4K), live streaming, screen sharing, live transcription, AI-powered summaries, separate audio/video tracks per speaker, custom branding, chat, and direct streaming to YouTube, LinkedIn, and Twitch. Editing tools are built into the platform. The trade-off: The webinar features (registration pages, polls, engagement scoring) are less mature than Demio or Livestorm. Riverside is primarily a recording tool that added webinar functionality, not the other way around. The learning curve for post-production features is steeper than competitors. Best for: Teams that repurpose webinar recordings into podcasts, YouTube videos, or social clips. Anyone where recording quality is the top priority. Content creators who want studio-grade output from a remote setup.

Streamyard

What if you need a webinar tool that also live-streams?

StreamYard is primarily a live streaming platform with webinar capabilities. The free plan includes StreamYard branding. Paid plans start at $49/month, and the On-Air webinar feature costs $49/month. StreamYard supports simultaneous streaming to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, and custom RTMP destinations. StreamYard’s interface is the simplest on this list. You join from your browser, share your screen, and go live. Guests join via a link with zero downloads. The studio overlay system lets you add logos, banners, and lower thirds in real time. Key features: Multi-platform streaming, browser-based studio, custom branding, screen sharing, comments from all platforms in one dashboard, guest management, recording, and live captions. The interview format (up to 10 on-screen guests) works well for panel-style events. The trade-off: StreamYard is a streaming tool first, webinar tool second. Registration pages are basic. No built-in email sequences. No attendee engagement scoring. No polls or Q&A in the traditional webinar sense (you use platform-native comments instead). Maximum 1,000 attendees on webinars. Best for: Content creators who want to stream to multiple platforms while running a webinar. Teams hosting panel discussions. Marketers who prioritize reach (streaming to 5 platforms) over lead capture (registration data).

Bigmarker

When does BigMarker make sense over Zoom or Livestorm?

BigMarker is built for scale. Plans start at $79/month and support up to 10,000 attendees on higher tiers. The platform specializes in automated webinar series, on-demand content hubs, and white-labeled virtual event experiences. No free plan is available. BigMarker’s automation engine is its strongest feature. You can build entire webinar funnels: automated registration, pre-event sequences, live or simulive delivery, post-event nurture, and on-demand replay pages. The summit and virtual conference features support multi-session, multi-day events with sponsor booths and networking rooms. Key features: Live, automated, and hybrid webinars, virtual summits, custom landing pages, email automation, polls, handouts, Q&A, breakout rooms, sponsor booths, networking, integration with 50+ CRMs and marketing tools, and API access for custom workflows. The trade-off: Pricing isn’t transparent (enterprise plans require a sales call). The interface has more features than most teams need, which increases the learning curve. The platform is overkill for simple monthly webinars. Setup time for a virtual summit is 10-20x a standard webinar. Best for: Marketing teams running 10+ webinars per month. Companies hosting virtual summits or multi-day conferences. Organizations that need white-labeled event experiences for partners or sponsors.

Crowdcast

Is Crowdcast the best option for community-driven events?

Crowdcast plans start at $20/month (Starter, billed annually) and scale through Lite, Pro, and Business tiers. The platform supports up to 1,000 attendees on higher plans. Crowdcast was designed for creators and community builders, and the feature set reflects that emphasis. What makes Crowdcast different is the community layer. Events have persistent pages that act as content hubs. Attendees can follow hosts, get notified of upcoming events, and engage in threaded Q&A that stays accessible after the event ends. This creates ongoing relationships instead of one-time transactions. Key features: Browser-based joining, Q&A with upvoting, polls, screen sharing, multi-stream to YouTube and Facebook, recording, event series, attendee profiles, community pages, and integrations via Zapier. The event replay page includes timestamped Q&A. The trade-off: Video quality is adequate but not studio-grade. No breakout rooms. The analytics are basic compared to marketing-focused platforms like Demio. The brand isn’t as well-known, which may matter for enterprise buyers. The 1,000-attendee cap limits large-scale events. Best for: Creators, educators, and community builders who run recurring events. Teams that want attendees to build ongoing relationships with the brand. Anyone who values Q&A depth over production polish.

Ewebinar

Do automated webinars convert as well as live ones?

eWebinar costs $99/month for 1 published webinar, scaling to $299/month for unlimited webinars. Annual billing saves roughly 20%. A 14-day free trial is available. eWebinar is exclusively focused on automated (evergreen) webinars, not live events. The premise is compelling: record your best webinar once, then run it on autopilot forever. Attendees pick a time slot, watch the pre-recorded content, and interact through live chat that your team answers from Slack. eWebinar reports that their customers’ automated webinars achieve attendance rates of 65%+ and engagement rates of 50%+, compared to 40% industry average for live webinars. Key features: Pre-recorded webinar hosting, just-in-time scheduling (sessions start every 5-15 minutes), live chat during pre-recorded playback (team responds from Slack or email), polls, CTAs, handouts, custom registration pages, email sequences, and analytics. Integrations with HubSpot, Salesforce, ActiveCampaign, and Zapier. The trade-off: No live webinar capability. If you need live Q&A with the presenter on camera, eWebinar isn’t the tool. The $99/month starting price for a single published webinar is steep. And some audiences can tell the content is pre-recorded, which may reduce trust. Best for: SaaS onboarding webinars. Product demos that don’t change month-to-month. Teams running the same webinar 10+ times and want to reclaim presenter time. Any recurring webinar where the content is standardized but the audience changes.

Features

How do the top webinar platforms compare on features?

Here’s how the top 6 platforms compare on the features that matter most for marketing and lead generation.

Feature	Zoom	Livestorm	Demio	GoTo Webinar	Crowdcast	eWebinar
Browser-based (no download)	Attendees only	Yes	Yes	Attendees only	Yes	Yes
Polls	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Q&A	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (threaded)	Chat-based
Breakout rooms	Yes	No	No	Yes	No	No
Automated webinars	Simulive	On-demand	Yes	Yes	No	Core feature
Engagement scoring	No	Basic	Yes	Basic	No	Yes
CRM integrations	Extensive	Good	Good	Good	Zapier	Good
Recording quality	Good	Good	Good	Good	Adequate	Pre-recorded

If you’re running live webinars for lead generation, Demio or Livestorm gives you the best marketing-focused feature set. For enterprise-scale events, Zoom or GoTo Webinar. For automated evergreen webinars, eWebinar is purpose-built. For community engagement, Crowdcast. Your content marketing strategy should dictate which platform you pick, not the other way around.

Best For

Which webinar platform should you choose?

Here’s our decision framework after running hundreds of webinars across platforms. Running weekly lead gen webinars? Demio. The engagement scoring and marketing automation integrations are built for this exact workflow. Hosting large corporate events (500+ attendees)? Zoom Webinars. The platform scales reliably, and your audience already knows how to use it. Want the simplest possible setup? Livestorm. Browser-based for everyone (hosts and attendees), clean UI, and solid analytics. Running the same webinar on repeat? eWebinar. Record once, automate forever, and respond to live chat from Slack. Need to stream and run a webinar simultaneously? StreamYard. Broadcast to YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitch while running a webinar. Building a community around your events? Crowdcast. Persistent event pages and threaded Q&A create ongoing relationships. Selling from the stage? WebinarJam. Active Offer pop-ups and high attendee limits at low cost make it the sales webinar default. Want help building a webinar-driven lead generation system? Our content marketing team can design the entire funnel, from topic selection to post-webinar nurture.

Related Resources

17 Landing Page Examples That Convert

Registration page designs that drive webinar signups.

Email Subject Line Examples

Subject line formulas for webinar invitations and follow-ups.

Marketing Plan Template

Plan your webinar calendar as part of your overall marketing strategy.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How many attendees should I expect at my first webinar?

The average webinar attracts 148 registrants and sees a 44% attendance rate (ON24, 2024). For your first webinar, expect 50-100 registrants if you promote to an existing email list of 1,000+ contacts. Cold audiences (paid ads, social promotion) typically register at 2-5% of impressions. Focus on delivering value to whoever shows up rather than chasing a target number.

What is the ideal webinar length?

45-60 minutes performs best for most B2B webinars. That breaks down to 35-40 minutes of content and 15-20 minutes for Q&A. Webinars under 30 minutes feel too short for the registration commitment. Over 90 minutes, drop-off rates spike above 50%. The sweet spot is 45 minutes: long enough to deliver real value, short enough to fit in a lunch break.

Should I use a free webinar platform or pay for one?

Free plans work for small, internal events. For lead generation webinars, pay for a platform. The differences that matter are custom registration pages (brand trust), email automation (attendance rates), analytics (ROI tracking), and CRM integration (lead routing). A $50-80/month platform that generates 10 qualified leads per webinar pays for itself immediately.

Can I run webinars and podcasts on the same platform?

Riverside is the best option for dual use. It records each participant locally at studio quality, making recordings suitable for both webinar replays and podcast episodes. StreamYard also works for both, though recording quality is lower. For most teams, separate tools for webinars and podcasts will give better results since the workflows and audience expectations differ.

What day and time works best for webinars?

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 10-11am in your primary audience’s time zone consistently produce the highest attendance rates. ON24 data from 2024 shows Wednesdays at 11am produce 26% higher attendance than Friday webinars. Avoid Mondays (inbox overload) and Fridays (early weekend mode). If your audience spans time zones, 1pm ET works as a reasonable compromise for US audiences.

Want to turn webinars into a pipeline channel?

We design webinar funnels that fill seats, capture leads, and feed your sales pipeline. From topic strategy to post-event nurture sequences. Build a Webinar Strategy Talk to Us

10 Best Webinar Platforms in 2026 (Features, Pricing, and Honest Trade-Offs)

What’s in this comparison