Looking for Zoom Webinar alternatives and competitors to run better (and secure!) events that your audiences love? You’ve just stumbled upon the ultimate list!
We all know that Zoom has been popular ever since it launched. 400,000 signups in its first month. Pretty impressive. And it’s still a favorite among remote workers with currently 300 million active users daily.
But Zoom Webinar has had issues with privacy and security over the years. So, it’s not the best option if you’re a large life sciences pharma or professional services company looking to run fully compliant virtual or hybrid events.
Of course, Zoom is the easy option, because everyone knows how to use it. But if you’d rather not take the security risk, check out the Zoom Webinar alternatives below.
Want to go straight to the list of the 9 best Zoom webinar alternatives? Let’s go!
Are you a Zoom competitor and want to be featured in this article? Reach out to us and we’ll be happy to add you!
Why look for Zoom competitors?
#1 Zoom was not designed for event engagement
Zoom Webinars was fundamentally not designed for comprehensive event engagement. As an online platform primarily conceived for meetings, presentations, and conferences, it focuses on delivering streamlined and robust video communication between parties. Its main features, such as screen sharing, audio and video conferencing, and breakout rooms, are tailored for direct interaction or information sharing rather than immersive, interactive event experiences.
While Zoom Webinars can accommodate a large audience and facilitate basic interaction via Q&A, polls, and chat, it lacks some advanced engagement functionalities commonly seen in dedicated event engagement platforms. For example, interactive networking spaces, virtual exhibitor booths, or customizable event agendas.
Therefore, while Zoom Webinars is an effective tool for straightforward online presentations and discussions, there may be better choices for hosting highly engaging, interactive events.
#2 Lack of security and control
Zoom Webinars has been criticized for not providing robust and comprehensive security and control measures. The platform doesn’t offer a method to moderate chat in real time or filter for inappropriate content.
Additionally, the security of chat content is a concern; while Zoom has introduced end-to-end encryption, it is not enabled by default, leaving potential vulnerabilities if users aren’t aware to activate it.
There’s also the issue of “Zoombombing” where uninvited guests could join and disrupt the meeting with inappropriate content.
This lack of advanced control over chat messages could potentially lead to situations where harmful, offensive, or inappropriate communication takes place, disrupting the smooth running of the webinar and creating an uncomfortable environment for attendees.
#3 No customization options
While Zoom Webinars lacks extensive customization options – now an essential tool if you want to engage participants at your events and build relationships with potential customers.
The platform’s standardized interface and feature set do not allow for much tailoring to fit the unique branding needs and creative aesthetics of different organizations or events. Unlike some other webinar or virtual event platforms, Zoom doesn’t offer options to customize the overall look and feel of the webinar space, such as adding branded backgrounds or personalized event landing pages.
Furthermore, customization of the webinar’s functional layout is also limited, which can make it difficult for hosts to differentiate their events or tailor the webinar’s functionality to suit their specific needs. For organizations that value a distinct, branded experience, this lack of customization might be a considerable disadvantage.
#4 Poor customer support
Zoom Webinars has been critiqued for its reportedly subpar customer support. Many users have expressed frustration over the lack of timely responses and the difficulty in reaching a human representative for complex issues that automated or prewritten responses cannot resolve. Some users have reported long wait times for responses to inquiries, or receiving generic advice that doesn’t address their specific problems.
Additionally, the platform’s knowledge base, while extensive, can be overwhelming for users looking for quick, simple solutions. Also given the fact that there are so many different add-ons to understand. This dissatisfaction with customer support has been an ongoing issue for some users, detracting from the otherwise high functionality of the Zoom Webinars platform.
Zoom Meetings vs Zoom Webinars vs Zoom Events
Zoom can get rather confusing. With lots of different products available under the Zoom umbrella today, it’s important to understand the difference. Let’s break them down before diving into the 9 best alternatives to Zoom Webinars and Events.
Zoom Meetings
Zoom Meeting is the name of the popular video conferencing tool. It works well for customer-facing meetings, sales meetings, and training sessions.
Do you work remotely? Chances are Zoom facilitates your meetings with your remote colleagues.
The tool helps with collaboration. Mainly through features such as screen sharing, chat, and annotation. This has led to widespread adoption by universities and governments. Zoom Meeting supports up to 100 participants on a free license. Depending on your plan, you can increase this to 1,000 for large group meetings.
Key Zoom Meeting features
- Video conferencing
- Screen sharing
- Recording and transcriptions
- Breakout rooms
- Interactive reactions and polling
Zoom Webinars
Zoom Webinars is a Zoom Meeting spin-off. It aims to facilitate webinars of up to 10,000 attendees. Zoom Webinar has event features that include polling and Q&A. You can use it for town halls, quarterly updates, and lectures.
Zoom Webinars supports streaming to live platforms. Whether you’re on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, or any custom streaming service. Breakout sessions for smaller groups are also an option.
No doubt, Zoom Webinars has solid features. It works on all platforms and has a great mobile app version. But, if you’re like us and take security seriously, weigh up the pros and cons. You might want to opt for safety. There are plenty of Zoom Webinar alternatives you can consider.
Key Zoom Webinar features
- Large attendee capacity
- Q&A functionality
- Webinar reporting
- Interactive polling
- HD video and audio
Zoom Events
Zoom Events is a platform designed to host and manage virtual events, bringing an elevated experience compared to standard Zoom Meetings or Webinars. It combines the robust video conferencing capabilities of Zoom with added features to support larger-scale and multi-faceted events.
With Zoom Events, hosts can create customized event hubs, allowing for branding, schedules, and event information to be housed in one central place. One of its distinguishing features is the ability to create multi-session events, providing a space for conferences or workshops with various separate but related sessions.
However, if you run hundreds of large events a year, you may want to choose an event platform with outstanding customer support and professional event services to help you deliver smooth and engaging experiences. Plus, we’re now back to in-person events but Zoom Events caters only for virtual ones, not even hybrid.
Key Zoom Events features
- Event registration
- Multi-session event capability
- Branded event hubs
- Networking
- Post-event analytics
The 9 best alternatives to Zoom Webinars and Events
#1 Zoom vs SpotMe
Named a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: B2B Event Management Technology, Q1 2023 report and a Market Leader in Research In Action’s Vendor Selection Matrix™ Report – Marketing Event Management: The Top Global Vendors 2023.
SpotMe is the enterprise event platform to create engaging, personalized, and compliant event experiences that help companies build better customer relationships. With 20+ years of unrivaled experience in the event tech industry, SpotMe is the first choice for enterprise event engagement.
SpotMe brings all your enterprise event needs under one roof making it one of the best Zoom Webinar alternatives. Its event platform and mobile event app that can be used at in-person, virtual, and hybrid events make it stand out from Zoom Webinar and other Zoom Webinar competitors.
Engaging your participants from the moment your events start to the moment they end is easy with SpotMe. With personalized event registration, seamless onsite check-in & badging, and an intuitive mobile event app, you can make a great impression as soon as attendees sign up. And with an interactive activity feed, networking tools, a meeting scheduler, and live chat to Q&A, polls, live applause, quizzes, gamification, and much more, your attendees will never get bored.
Its fully customizable, integrated, and intuitive mobile event app makes it the ideal solution for leading Fortune 500 companies in high-touch industries, such as life sciences, pharmaceuticals, and professional services, looking to create branded and personalized experiences their audiences will love.
SpotMe has deep native integrations with CRM systems and MAPs, including Veeva, Hubspot, Marketo, Salesforce, and Rainfocus, to name a few, making it effortless to automatically track numerous event metrics to help you drive your next best action with customers.
SpotMe stands out from other Zoom Webinar competitors thanks to the white-glove professional event services and instant 24/7 support it offers alongside its event platform to ensure your events run as smoothly as possible from the moment you start planning. Trust SpotMe to handle all your event technology needs with their battle-tested processes and trained professionals, whether onsite or remote. Services range from event app creation, event app training, and speaker orientation to live production, coordination, and onsite attendee help desks.
Thanks to its enterprise-grade security and enterprise deployment, SpotMe is trusted by 10 of the world’s top 20 life sciences and pharma companies, including Roche, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Novartis, Sanofi, and GSK.
If you’d like to see for yourself why SpotMe is one of the best Zoom Webinar alternatives and run better events that give you a wealth of data and help drive your next best action, book a personalized demo now.
Key SpotMe Features
- Activity feed
- Networking
- Breakout rooms
- Q&A
- Polling
- Live applause
- Gamification
- And more!
SpotMe Reviews
Check out our article with insights from Takeda to find out more about how to run events that fully respect HCP compliance regulations with an event platform like SpotMe.
#2 Zoom vs GoToWebinar
GoToWebinar is similar to the popular GoToMeeting app. It was built by Citrix GoTo and launched in 2004. GoTo products were at the forefront of their space for years. They received quite the recognition and fame. When the video conference market rapidly became more crowded with more and more Zoom competitors started appearing, GoTo products stayed strong players in the market. And they still are today!
GoToWebinar is a solid and proven choice for virtual events and a good alternative to Zoom for webinars. Features include HD video, file sharing, whiteboard, Q&A, and polling. It includes a centralized webinar hub for your on-demand event content. This virtual event tool supports up to 2,000 participants.
Is security the reason you’re looking for Zoom Webinar alternatives? GoToWebinar would give you peace of mind. Data transmission is protected with high-end encryption. Plus, it has advanced security protocols in place. The company only works with SOCII certified data centers. This is seen as proof of its security efforts.
Key GoToWebinar features
- Interactive webinars
- Webinar customization
- Analytics
- Integrated marketing tools
Reviews
Thinking about GoToWebinar? Check out our GoToWebinar review and alternatives guide.
#3 Zoom vs Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect is a video conferencing platform. It aims to deliver a tailored user experience (UX) for each session. This makes the platform interesting for remote educators. They form the majority of the Adobe Connect user base. Educators can easily deliver virtual lectures and training.
The Adobe Connect sweet spot is live lectures. But, there are great features supporting webinars that make it one of the top Zoom competitors. Video chat, desktop, and document sharing are available. Want to add more features? Then you’ll need to add third-party apps. These are available via the Adobe Connect Apps page.
Third-party apps include Q&A, polling, clapping, and thumbs-up. These features are key to interacting and boosting engagement during events. Adobe chose not to include them as standard features.
In Adobe Connect, you can host up to 1,000 participants. These can be split between rooms that have a capacity of up to 100 people. As for security, this is taken care of. Adobe offers multi-layered security.
Are you organizing a big conference? More than 1,000 attendees and multiple breakout sessions? In this case, Adobe Connect isn’t one of the best alternatives to Zoom for webinars for you.
Key Adobe Connect features
- Customizable virtual rooms
- Interactive content
- Multi-layered security
- Mobile access
- Breakout rooms
Reviews
Want to know more about Adobe Connect? We did a full review! Or are you looking for alternatives? Check out our Adobe Connect alternatives guide.
#4 Demio vs Zoom
Demio is another one of the Zoom alternatives for webinars. It’s a streamlined platform that provides just the core elements for webinars. That way, event marketers can live stream or provide pre-recorded videos to audiences as quickly and easily as possible. Even if they have no previous webinar experience.
Despite its simplicity, Demio does have various marketing features to support lead generation. For example, you can integrate it with the marketing tools you’re already using to help boost conversions through automation. But, there is an added cost if you have more than 50 webinar attendees.
You can also customize Demio down to every last detail. In fact, it claims to give you more options to brand your webinar that any other solution. Other features include polling, launch offers, handouts, Q&A, chat, mentions, and gestures.
With regard to security, Demio only uses “encrypted communication channels with SSL/TLS protocols and 256-bit certificates”. And they protect in-session content using HTTPS encrypted connections.
Looking for a Zoom competitor that’s secure and easy to use? Demio could be the one for you!
Key Demio features
- Real-time streaming
- Analytics
- Automations
- Interactive tools
- Integrations
Reviews
#5 Livestorm vs Zoom
Livestorm is a Zoom competitor that allows you to easily manage webinars from start to finish. It has a free plan that includes chat, polling, and question features. And its user-friendly user interface means you can set up webinars fast.
It gives you the chance to organize different types of webinars, from live to on-demand or automated. Like Zoom, you can launch instant browser meetings or set them up in your calendar.
Livestorm has been marked down for its display that can appear blurry. And it’s not as customizable as some of the other alternatives to Zoom for webinars. For example, you can’t personalize email reminders. So, your branding won’t shine through as much.
The platform encrypts all transmitted data using Transport Layer Security (TLS). Plus, it rated A+ in its SSL audit carried out by Certification Qualys SSL Labs. So, its security level appears to be pretty solid.
Livestorm is one of the top Zoom alternatives to webinars if your company organizes online courses, product tours, and other kinds of training sessions.
Key Livestorm features
- Browser-based platform
- Email logistics
- Analytics
- Interactive features
- Integrations
Reviews
To compare Livestorm with SpotMe, check out our comparison page.
#6 Zoom vs Webex Webinars
Like other Zoom competitors, Webex allows you to run webinars as well as in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
Its software is very intuitive meaning that almost anyone can use it easily without any training. Its tagline is ‘Simplify webinars without compromising experience’. And although it is a simple platform, it does give you the option to run polls, Q&A, and chat during webinars.
With regard to security, Webex is one of the Zoom Webinar alternatives that has E2E encryption for meetings. But to make your webinars and events as secure as possible, you have to add security options to your package.
Key Webex features
- HD video and audio
- Screen sharing and whiteboarding
- Recording and transcription
- Breakout sessions
- Integrations
Reviews
#7 Hopin vs Zoom
Hopin is another Zoom competitor you can use to host virtual, hybrid events, or webinars. It promotes the fact that it’s capable of making online experiences feel like they are in-person.
With registration, livestreaming, email, and analytics all included, you don’t need to use Hopin alongside other platforms like other Zoom Webinar alternatives. You can choose to keep things simple with Hopin or enhance the user experience with pre-recorded content, live broadcasts, and RTMP streams.
Hopin has the common security features that most of the Zoom competitors in this list has, such as cloud security, network security, and encryption. But it may be difficult to run a fully compliant event with it.
Key Hopin features
- Event customization
- Networking
- Expo booths
- Interactivity
- Analytics
Reviews
Want more information about Hopin? Check out our Hopin review.
#8 ON24 vs Zoom
Named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave™: B2B Event Management Technology, Q1 2023 report.
ON24 is different from other Zoom competitors because it’s an event platform specifically for sales and marketing. It central focus is on digital engagement and marketing insights to help drive revenue and growth.
With it, you can create webinars, virtual events and personalized content experiences. Unlike Zoom, ON24 helps you gather analytics about attendees that helps you understand their interest in your products/services and whether they are ready to buy.
ON24 is one of the most secure Zoom Webinar alternatives with Enterprise-grade DDoS protection in place and having been SOC 2 Type II / SSAE18 audited.
Key ON24 features
- Engagement tools
- Customizable webinars
- Analytics
- On-demand
- Integrations
Reviews
Find out more about ON24 by reading our ON24 review. And if you’re still not sure whether ON24 is right for you, check out our list of ON24 competitors and alternatives.
#9 BigMarker vs Zoom
BigMarker is a Zoom competitor that’s highly customizable for webinars, but also virtual and hybrid events. It allows you to present your event content with powerful video technology. And similarly to ON24, it’s geared towards sales and marketing teams.
BigMarker also has integrations, APIs, and white label services. These allow you to integrate interactive video experiences into their events. BigMarker uses industry-standard SSL and HTTPS encryption.
Key BigMarker features
- No-download webinars
- High-quality streaming
- Interactivity
- Customizable landing pages
- Analytics
Reviews
Find out more about BigMarker by reading our BigMarker review. Or check out other similar platforms in our article about BigMarker alternatives and competitors.
Why Spotme Is The Best Zoom Webinar Alternative
When it comes to delivering engaging in-person, hybrid, and virtual events, every interaction, whether face-to-face or digital, is important. 86% of event marketers believe that technology can have a major positive impact on the success of their events. That’s why it’s important to find the right Zoom Webinar competitor that will help you achieve your business goals. SpotMe helps companies in high-touch industries such as life sciences and pharma stay one step ahead of the competition by prioritizing attendee engagement, personalization, and the overall event experience.
Here are some reasons why SpotMe is the best Zoom Webinar alternative.
Engage Participants Like Never Before
Unlike other Zoom Webinar competitors, SpotMe delivers a complete omnichannel event experience so you can meet attendees where they are and create a personalized journey for them. 10 of the top 20 life sciences and pharma companies, including GSK, Sanofi, and Takeda, use SpotMe’s event platform to create engaging digital-first experiences that are fully compliant and secure.
With its wide range of interactive features, event organizers can engage attendees before, during, and after events. This leads to stronger relationships that last a lifetime. Meanwhile, attendees enjoy relevant and engaging content that’s right at their fingertips.
Get First-Party Insights Fast With Deep CRM Integrations
Events are one of the few remaining sources of first-party data. And with onsite events more popular than virtual and hybrid events, using technology like Zoom Webinar is the only way to get these valuable insights. SpotMe, however, is more advanced, collecting hundreds of event metrics and feeding them automatically into your CRM system/MAP. This way, event marketers don’t have to manually extract data.
With deep, vertical-specific CRM/MAP integrations with systems such as Veeva, you can view all the rich engagement data collected when participants use the SpotMe event app. You can see the entire participant journey – from the average time spent on the event app, and the average number of interactions per visit to the features they used most and the path they took through the event app. As a result, event marketers and sales teams can understand participant behavior and follow up with the most appropriate next best action.
SpotMe Is Always On Hand To Help
Finding a Zoom Webinar competitor that is easy to set up and use for both attendees and event organizers is critical for organizations that run many different types of events every year. Leading life sciences and pharma companies such as Novo Nordisk, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Roche don’t just choose SpotMe for its intuitive mobile event app. They also choose it for the exceptional event technology support services we offer alongside it.
With 100+ certified event professionals worldwide, 20+ years of event technology training, and excellent customer NPS scores, our support team is always on hand with their industry-specific event expertise to help you deliver great events.
Give SpotMe A Try
Our fully branded and compliant event platform and mobile event app is designed to create engaging events that audiences love. By equipping your event organizers with the digital tools they need to keep attendee engagement high and gain detailed insights into participant behavior, you can build lasting relationships with them at scale. And with our battle-tested professional services, it has never been easier to deliver smooth hybrid events with a flawless user experience.
Join the 12,000+ event builders from high-touch industries who choose SpotMe over Zoom Webinar to run better events. Request a demo today.
Want To Know More About SpotMe’s Products & Services? Take A Look!
FAQ
Zoom alternatives to host engaging webinars and events include:
– SpotMe
– GoToWebinar
– Adobe Connect
– Demio
– Livestorm
– Webex Webinars
– Hopin
– ON24
– BigMarker
Is Zoom good for webinars?
Zoom can be good for webinars but it depends on your needs. Zoom aims to facilitate webinars of up to 10,000 attendees. Zoom Webinars has event features that include polling and Q&A. You can use it for town halls, quarterly updates, and lectures. Zoom Webinars supports streaming to live platforms. Whether you’re on Facebook Live, YouTube Live, or any custom streaming service. Breakout sessions for smaller groups are also an option. No doubt, Zoom Webinars has solid features. It works on all platforms and has a great mobile app version.
What can I use instead of Zoom?
There are plenty of alternatives to Zoom that can help you achieve your business goals, particularly at events and webinars. Some examples are:
– SpotMe
– GoToWebinar
– Adobe Connect
– Demio
– Livestorm
Who are Zoom’s competitors?
Zoom has a lot of competitors in the field, particularly when it comes to events and webinars, where Zoom lacks a lot of the fundamentals for businesses to run successful events. Some competitors are:
– SpotMe
– Webex Webinars
– Hopin
– ON24
– BigMarker
What is comparable to zoom?
There are many platforms that are either comparable or better than Zoom with regard to security and customer support. Some options are:
– SpotMe
– GoToWebinar
– Adobe Connect
– Demio
– Livestorm
– Webex Webinars
– Hopin
– ON24
– BigMarker
What are other apps like zoom?
If you’re looking for other apps like Zoom, this article has a list of some of the best. Here are a few of them:
– SpotMe
– GoToWebinar
– Adobe Connect
– Demio
– Livestorm
What is Zoom Webinar?
Zoom Webinar is an extension of the Zoom platform, designed specifically for hosting large-scale virtual events such as webinars, conferences, and presentations. Unlike regular Zoom Meetings, which focus on collaborative interaction, Zoom Webinars typically follow a one-to-many model where the host and any designated panelists present and the audience listens, often with their microphones muted and videos off. Attendees can interact through features such as the Q&A box, chat, and polling. Depending on the licensing, Zoom Webinars can accommodate between 100 to 10,000 view-only attendees. It’s a popular choice for organizations seeking to host online events with large audiences, offering features like registration, analytics, and customization options.
