Do you want to skip the read and get right to my top picks? The top free webinar platforms for most people is GoToWebinar!
Introduction:
Webinars have become a popular marketing trend, with around 58% of marketing specialists using this communication tool. Statistics show that webinars have the capacity to generate 500 to 1,000 leads per session. Therefore, many people are jumping on the webinar bandwagon to improve their bottom line. The best thing about webinars is – wait for it – there are actually free webinar platforms out there! With so many free webinar software vying for your attention, which webinar platform frontrunners should you pick?
Indeed, we’ve helped clients with their digital marketing efforts for years and we know for a fact that webinar services free of charge are the real deal. Aside from being a powerful way of connecting with audiences, it ticks boxes for today’s on-the-go and mobile consumer. Specifically, webinars are a convenient, recurring, and effective tool to communicate, interact, and engage your prospective consumers.
In this guide, we’re going to present our curated list of the best free webinar software and open-source free webinar software to add to your marketing toolset.
What is a Free Webinar Platform?
From its name alone, a webinar merges the elements of the Web and “seminar.” It is a virtual or online event exclusively attended by a “virtual” audience. Other terms interchangeably used with webinar are online seminar, web lecture, virtual event, or virtual conference.
A free webinar platform refers to software that allows you to host webinars at zero cost, but usually with specific limitations.
Our Handpicked Top 5 Free Webinar Platforms:
Using the above criteria, we present our top 5 free webinar tools:
- GoToWebinar– Free trial for 7 days
- Zoho – Free plan, 3 participants, 10 attendees
- Livestorm – Free plan, 10 attendees, 20-minute session limit
- Demio – 14-day free trial, 20 attendees, 1-hour session limit
- WebinarJam – $1 for 14-day trial
How to Choose the Top Free Webinar Platform?
Below, you’re going to see our handpicked list of the top 5 free webinar tools to use for your next virtual event. Before we go through that, however, here’s how we vetted our candidates for the best free webinar software.
We evaluated webinar recording software free trial/plan and free webinar hosting platforms each based on specific criteria, including ease of use, features, support and resources, and pricing.
Here are the factors we looked at when coming up with our top 5 free webinar software list:
- Ease of Use – To monetise your webinars, you need a tool that you can use. So – the first important question is – is the free webinar tool user-friendly? Is there a learning curve?
- Features – What tools does the free webinar tool have and how far can a webinar app free of charge go in terms of letting you market and sell products online? We looked at video and audio capabilities, customisation tools, integrations, screen sharing and presentation, customer engagement, and monetisation.
- Support and Resources –What support and knowledge base can you access to help you create a successful webinar?
- Pricing –What are the limitations of their free offering? And what is the price range should you decide to go all the way and buy a subscription?
The Handpicked 5 Best Free Webinar Tools in detail:
Get to know our curated list of the 5 best webinar services free of charge here:
GoToWebinar (free trial)
GoToWebinar comes from a long line of excellent virtual conference software, including its sister product GoToMeeting. It was developed to accommodate larger audiences beyond simple meetings and collaboration that GoToMeeting caters. It’s one of the most popular free webinar tools out there and the choice of several business organisations – small to large.
What makes GoToWebinar stand out as free webinar tool options is its suite of tools that are available for your webinar requirements. Its subscription plans can accommodate 100-3,000 participants, offers a full-featured software capable of recording, screen sharing, and automated emails, pre-recorded webinars, and several interactive tools.
What to expect from GoToWebinar free platform: 7-day free trial, 10 attendees only, recording and screen sharing available.
If you’re wowed by the free trial, you can upgrade from your webinar services free trial to a paid subscription which starts at £69.00 per month.
Pros:
- User-friendly and straightforward to set up
- Excellent and reliable screen sharing
- Trim and edit recordings capability
- Has an annotation feature
Cons:
- Requires download and installation
- Relatively more pricey
- Doesn’t offer customisation for landing pages
Zoho (free plan)
ZOHO Meeting began as a virtual meeting software before launching its own webinar tool. As a result of constant product development, it now comes with several features that make it a low-cost webinar software choice. It is best known for exceptional firewall security, and detailed analytics and reports.
What to expect with ZOHO free webinar software: Having webinar services free of charge, ZOHO offers a free plan with limited functionality. You can expect up to 3 participants, 10 attendees, screen sharing, polling, raise hand, Q&A, webinar registration, and others.
If ZOHO webinar services free plan tickles your fancy, you can sign up for a subscription, which starts at $15 per month.
Pros:
- Economical
- Great features for basic webinars
- Accommodates up to 40 video feeds at once
Cons:
- Lacks compatibility with Internet Explorer
- No whiteboard feature
- Limited customer service
Livestorm (free plan)
Livestorm is a browser-based free webinar tool that has made the virtual conference platform rounds since 2016. Its free plan offering is an attractive feature. For example, some of its standout features include excellent video quality, multiple language support, superb interactive tools, and fantastic ease of use.
What to expect with Livestorm free webinar software: Its free plan allows access to features but limited to 10 registrants, 10 webinar attendees, and 20 minutes for the webinar session.
If you want the full-featured webinar software, pricing starts at $99 per month.
Pros:
- Terrific software of training and product demos
- Easy to use and browser-based
- Customisable branding
Cons:
- Video and audio quality drops with Internet connection
Demio (free trial)
Demio is one of the most recognizable free webinar tools today. It’s known for its modern look and seamless functionality. However, what really sets this software apart is that it offers both live and automated webinars, as well as automation tools.
What to expect with Demio free webinar software: The software offers a 14-day free trial but limited to only 20 attendees and a limit of 1 hour per webinar session.
If you’d like the whole functionality, Demio pricing begins at $34 per month.
Pros:
- Browser-based so no downloads needed
- Offers both live and automated webinars
- Modern-looking interface
- Automated emails
Cons:
- Could be pricey than rivals
- Video and audio quality can drop
WebinarJam ($1 for 14-day free trial)
WebinarJam, sister product to automated webinar software EverWebinar, is a cloud-based free webinar platform that claims to be designed for marketing. It allows organisations and businesses to perform live streaming on Facebook and YouTube, with a maximum reach of 5,000 participants.
What to expect with WebinarJam free webinar software: Strictly speaking, it isn’t a free trial. It’s a $1 for a 14-day trial offer, one which allows you to test-drive all of its features.
Hence, if you’re sold with the trial, you can level up to the most basic package at $499 per year. Unfortunately, no monthly plans are available and all at a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros:
- Easy setup, zero downloads
- Competitive pricing
- Customisable landing pages
- Great apps integration
Cons:
- External video hosting (via YouTube)
- Not so great-looking interface
Conclusion and Recommendation:
So there you have it – our top 5 webinar services free of charge! In our view, GoToWebinar is your best choice.
Here’s our recommendation: your pick should not be all about the bells and whistles. When choosing the best webinar platforms free of charge, ask yourself what you actually need and what tools you need to reach your goals. It’s not smart to invest in things you don’t need and will end up being cumbersome in the future. But that said, a free webinar platform that matches your requirements is a great first step to clearing your bottom line!
FAQ:
What time is best for hosting a webinar?
There’s no “best” time, but most marketing experts prefer the middle of the week. Mondays and Tuesday are busy days, while the weekend is for rest and relaxation.
Can I charge for a webinar?
Definitely, you can! You can host either a free webinar or a paid webinar.
That's all for now:
If you've read all the way through this best free webinar platforms guide, we are thankful and hope you can now answer the question on what a free webinar platform can do and available webinar services free of price! We have a large collection of articles, guides, and comparison reviews of Best Virtual Event Platforms, eCommerce solutions, web hosting providers, website builders, and more! Feel free to check them out;
- GoToWebinar Pricing Review
- Zoho Meeting Pricing, Features, and Analysis
- Demio Webinar Review
- LiveWebinar Review
Not only the best tea/coffee maker on the team Sophie is our Chief Editor. Skilled across multiple marketing skill areas Sophie is our all rounder and a great asset to the team. Sophie is a website building trainer and tech writer who takes pride in helping small businesses and startups build their websites and launch their eCommerce platforms. Sophie is also the practical joker of the team and always wears a smile on her face. In her spare time she likes to spend her time with family. She loves going on holidays and spending time with friends.