9 Best Webinar Software for Small Business

Webinars have been a vital B2B marketing strategy, especially in the prevailing technology age. Consumer brands are quickly adopting webinars as an essential part of their marketing efforts. These platforms allow organizations to attract and interact with valuable leads while nurturing them to conversion.

While they can work wonders for your business, live webinars are not always the easiest to host. From troubled internet connections to forgetting to record the webinar, there is a lot that can go wrong during a live webinar.

However, with some quick tips and a great platform, they need not be a pain.

A successful webinar depends on some factors;

• The ease with which the attendees can join meetings and interact with others
• The number of presenters and attendees that can be present at a time
• The ease with which attendees can interact with presenters
• The quality of the audio and video

There are countless platforms in the market today that are meant to make your webinar experience smooth and painless. Most of them come with features and add-ons that make the whole experience pleasurable for the presenters and attendees alike.

Here are a few examples of some of the best webinar software options for small businesses.

1. WebinarJam

WebinarJam is the perfect platform for people who are trying out webinars for the first time, and may not have the skills or technical knowledge regarding hosting. In addition to being easy to use, this platform can easily host automated webinars to large audiences.

WebinarJam is the simplest to use among today’s webinar software options. In some marketers’ opinion, this software is the most intuitive in the market today, especially for those who are looking to sell services or products via webinar. Additionally, it is among the most affordable solutions in the market today.

This software is built on top of Flash, WebRTC, RTMP and HLS among other latest web technologies. This allows it to work smoothly on any device and browser. It comes with features such as multiple presenters and HD video coupled with slick customer interface as well as easy presenter dashboard.

How Much Does WebinarJam Cost?

There are three options available to you. All options allow you to host unlimited webinars.

• The basic plan costs $499 per year and allows 2 presenters with 500 attendees in a session whose duration is a maximum of 2 hours.
• The professional plan costs $699 per year and allows up to 4 presenters with up to 2,000 attendees per session A session is a maximum of 3 hours and allows a panic button and an Always-on live room
• The enterprise plan costs $999 per year and allows up to 6 presenters and 5,000 attendees. Each session can go up to 4 hours and comes with a control center, panic button and an always-on live room.

Regardless of the plan you select, you will be offered a 30 day money back guarantee. Additionally, depending on the current offers, you can get a few days trial of the software before you purchase a plan.

How to Host a Webinar?

You get two choices when creating an event with WebinarJam; full configuration and express configuration. The express configuration is based on smart defaults and is simple and fast to set up. The full configuration is powerful and flexible, takes about 10 minutes to set up, and it is based on custom settings.

The full configuration has an array of options. The set up wizard takes you through all the 9 set-up stages, with multiple panels in each stage. It is easy to configure, and scheduling is extremely flexible and detailed.

Integrate all the marketing tools you need to make a stellar presentation. On the dashboard you’ll see the view that your audience will see during the presentation.

Who is the Platform for?

WebinarJam is easy to use, and is perfect for hosts who have little or no technical skills regarding webinars.  According to a number of marketers, WebinarJam is one of the best webinar solutions for them today as it seamlessly integrates a host of marketing tools.

This software is also perfect for people who want to engage with a large audience in one session. As it allows multiple hosts and teams, this flexible solution makes it easy to interact with the attendees.

Pros

• It is easy to use and is affordable
• Provides pop-ups in a live webinar to prompt them to take action such as buy a product or service
• The software comes with training resources
• There are live reps available 24/7
• Live chat option that allows you to engage your audience
• Attendee spotlight that encourages live interactions and testimonials
• Live offers display as the webinar is in session
• Drawing board allows sharing of notes that you can hand-write on the slides while live
• Automated recordings that allows you to share it out
• Page builder that allows registrations on professional, fully customizable and mobile responsive pages
• Allows you to quiz attendees through surveys and polls
• Allows you to share pre-recorded videos and run presentations on autopilot while live
• Flexible scheduling option for webinars ad recurring series
• Schedule email and SMS notifications before and after the webinar
• Allows file sharing with attendees during live webinar
• Allows you to create a payment gateway during webinar registration for paid webinars

Cons

• Some attendees say they experience video and audio delays of a couple of seconds. This, however, is a problem that is common with a lot of webinar platforms
• Some large companies complain that the software doesn’t easily integrate with some 3^rd party AV tools

2. Livestorm

Livestorm webinar platform is known for its modules that help create differing webinar styles. With Livestorm, you can create client trainings, live events and online courses as well as product demos. Additionally, you can do video podcasts and hiring sessions among other webinar styles.

Each module allows you to customize the style you prefer to use. For example, if you choose an online course module, it will allow you to organize and manage sessions as well as communicate with students. If you want unique modules that you can customize to suit your marketing needs, you can look into Livestorm.

How Much Does Livestorm Cost?

There are three basic Livestorm pricing plans

• The basic webinar plan is free. It allows you to host unlimited webinars and meetings that are about 20 minutes per session. You get one meeting room and 4 participants per meeting.
• The premium webinar plan costs $99 per month for each host. It allows unlimited webinars and meetings with unlimited moderators. Each webinar session under this plan is a maximum of 4 hours and all the software’s features are included in this package. The $99/month allows you 100 live attendees, $198 allows 250 and $308 allows 1000.
• The meet premium plan costs $31 per month per host. It allows unlimited meetings in unlimited meeting rooms. Each meeting is allowed 8 participants. This plan is free until COVID -19 is over. You can use the Coupon provided.

How to Host a Webinar

Livestorm comes with a 30 minute product demo that shows you how to leverage all the tools and features of the platform when hosting paid and free events. The demo shows you how to plan and the basic requirements of a successful virtual event.

The demo also shows to use other tools such as Eventbrite, Zapier and Google sheets in your presentation. You also get information on how to debug workflows as well as how to do post-event follow-ups and analytics.

Who is the Platform For?

If you are a company that is interested in full automation of such tasks as landing pages, email reminders, meeting/webinar recordings among others, this is your platform. If you require specific branding and customization options, this might not be your platform.

Pros

• Easy accessibility; no need to download
• Easy to share HD files with webinar attendees
• Automatically records a webinar for future use
• Corporate webinars with options for several company profiles and languages
• Analyzes video meets and webinars and sends data to preferred tools
• Interactive webinars that include live chats, polls, questions and automated messages
• On-demand webinars as well as grants registered audience to access pre-recorded webinars
• Instant Livestorm meetings with quick invites via a link through which one can join
• Scheduled meetings where an automatic online conference room is created at a set date
• Automated reminders, updates and thank you notes through emailing tools

Cons

• Larger companies with more than 1000 attendees may not use the platform
• Some companies need more control over branding and customization

3. Demio

One of the distinguishing factors associated with Demio is a range of tracking options. These options allow you to add tracking, retargeting and conversion pixels on the registration page, webinar room and thank you page.

Demio allows you to send the webinar recording to attendees who join 30 minutes late. Additionally, the software makes it easy for you to segment the audience.

If you are a beginner, Demio is the software for you. Its interface is easy to navigate. Additionally, it doesn’t have numerous settings or clunky interface, making it easy to use.

How Much Does Demio Cost?

You can get a free 14 day trial before selecting a plan. The free trial allows you to hold a session that is at most 1 hour long and allows a maximum of 20 attendees. Once you are through with the trial, you can purchase any of the following 3 plans. All the plans come with standard software features.

• The Demio starter plan which goes for $34 per month, paid annually. It is meant for small businesses as well as solo entrepreneurs. It allows up to 50 attendees per session with 1 host.
• The growth package costs $69 per month, payable annually. This plan is perfect fr businesses looking to automate events and enjoy custom branding. The plan allows you to have 150 attendees per session with 1 host.
• The business plan goes for $163 monthly, which is paid annually. It allows 500 attendees in a session with 4 hosts.

How to Host a Webinar

The Demio dashboard is a clean, minimal user interface. The first choice you get is between an automated and a live webinar. Once you choose the event you want, give it a name and set your preferences on the overview page.

The Demio webinar room is clean and simple. It shows you the presentation view that your attendees see, the chat/pools/CTA area and a collapsible panel with sharing options and attendee info. You can customize he presentation view to your liking by adding any of the available features such as downloadable files.

Note that Demio automatically redirects your attendees to a landing page advertising their services. As such, be sure to change the URL of the redirect to your preferred landing page at the Settings panel. Confirm that you have the right landing page URL before you start the webinar.

Who is the Platform For?

This webinar platform is made to suit the needs of the following organizations.

• Business owners who are looking for a simple, easy to use webinar platform
• Solo entrepreneurs and small businesses that are on a growth trajectory
• Businesses looking for custom branding and automated events
• Businesses looking to host small events

Pros

• No software downloads – the attendees simply click to join
• Real time HD streaming with interactive polls, chats, CTAs
• Intuitive, well designed user interface
• Unlimited sessions with unlimited registrations
• Offers storage for up to 100 recordings
• Allows you to share media or upload slides during a webinar
• The software allows you to customize registration options
• You get detailed insights and room engagement tools

Cons

• Hard to manage questions and answers
• The replay option is devoid of the marketing and engagement features of the live webinar
• Only allows a maximum of 500 attendees, which may not work with larger organizations

4. Zoom

Zoom offers basic webinar features free 40 minutes sessions of not more than 100 attendees. Note that this is more of a conferencing tool than a webinar tool, hence not suitable for selling while you are live!

Zoom is perfect for one on one or group meetings and calls. In such sessions, you can share webcam, audio and screen, just like in Google Hangouts or Skype. This software is popular with coaches or trainers as well as companies as a meeting solution.

How Much Does Zoom Cost?

The basic plan is free, and it allows you to host a 40 minute session with 100 participants. You can host unlimited meetings with the free option.

• The pro plan costs $14.99 per month per hosts and affords you all the features available with the basic plan. This is perfect for small teams
• The business plan goes for $19.99 per month per host. It allows up to 300 participants. It works well for small and medium businesses.
• The enterprise plan goes for $19.99 per month per host which allows 500 participants. Enterprise plan allows up to 1000 participants. This package is made for larger enterprises.

How to Host a Webinar

The first thing you notice about Zoom dashboard is that it has a corporate feel to it and it is more functional than aesthetic. From the dashboard, you can schedule meetings or calls and webinars. If you have not installed any other webinar add on, you’ll notice that Zoom on its own has limited webinar options compared to other dedicated webinar platforms.

You need to download and install a desktop app in order to use Zoom. At the bottom of the Zoom UI, there is a ribbon of applications that shifts to the top once you share your screen. Note that all other features such as Q&A, Polls etc. appear in different windows, making the platform a bit chaotic especially for those trying out the software for the first time.

Who is the Platform For?

Zoom is mainly made for small to large businesses that are seeking a calls and meetings platform. It offers private group chats as well as allows sharing of local recordings. Zoom is mainly used for teaching purposes by entrepreneurs and corporate entities.

Pros

• You can share your screen with several attendees
• The free desktop app works on all devices
• Zoom offers video and web conferencing features
• You get company branding, custom emails and managed domains
• Offers cloud recording transcripts and post session reports
• The software records the sessions and offers cloud storage

Cons

• One needs to download a desktop app
• UI has been termed as confusing for beginners
• Lacks the marketing features that are common with marketing webinars

5. EverWebinar

EverWebinar is one of the platforms in the market that is specializing in evergreen automated webinars. This means that once you record a webinar, it will be available for use for as long as you want it to.

Even with webinar automation, the software allows you to host live sessions where you can engage with the attendees in real time. This live webinar is then recorded. When the attendees are accessing the automated webinars, they’ll need to register as though attending a live session.

How Much Does EverWebinar Cost?

• The Installment Plan goes for $199 per year. It offers you automated webinars, pre-made landing pages as well as advanced simulation tools
• The Annual Plan goes for $499 per year
• The Biennial Plan goes for $799 for 2 years

All plans come with all the EverWebinar features as well as a 30 day money back guarantee.

How to Host a Webinar

The EverWebinar dashboard is simple and straightforward. The column on the left has icons that take you to your previous webinars, analytics, training resources and a platform on how to edit your webinar.

The top navigation bar has the features that allow you to set up your webinar as you like. It also allows you to configure presenters, add registration information, set up notifications as well as a host of other features that allow you to customize a session.

Who is the Platform For?

There are several categories of professionals who may find automated webinars helpful and convenient. These are:

• Bloggers seeking to offer/sell coaching programs, free tutorials or selling other services or products
• B2B companies delivering product demos, sales pitches, Q&A for lead qualification
• Software companies seeking to showcase their products or educate their clients
• Human resource seniors can use automated webinars to train teams
• Educators use EverWebinar to engage with their students
• Ecommerce businesses use this webinar platform to sell products

Pros

• Allows you to customize webinar scheduling
• Automated live chat anticipates the customer’s needs by pre-scheduling Q & A
• You can join even during a pre-recorded webinar and answer questions live
• Automated email reminders
• Control over the size of dynamic attendee list
• Product offers and live sales alerts
• The software seamlessly integrates with other tools
• Automated waiting room video

Cons

• A few users have cited streaming issues especially on mobile
• The UI for inviting attendees can be complicated for beginners

6. GoToWebinar

The fact that GoToWebinar has been around since 2003 makes it one of the most trusted platforms in the market today. It is built for organizations with larger numbers of participants. The platform is perfect for training, marketing and corporate communications.

Marketers who use webinars to sell appreciate the stability and reliability that GoToWebinar offers. According to some marketers, the platform does not crash or experience technical issues mid-session. While it doesn’t have loads of fancy features, marketers love the platform simply for its reliability and stability.

How Much Does GoToWebinar Cost?

GoToWebinar has 3 pricing plans. All the plans are billed annually

• The Starter Plan costs $89 per month. You get to host 100 participants
• The Pro Plan goes for $199 per month and allows 500 participants
• The Plus Plan goes for $429 per month and allows up to 3,000 participants

How to Host a Webinar?

The first step is to download and install the desktop app. You’ll get a sort of old-school user interface once you open the platform. The UI has a panel that shows many segments which can be resized and undocked to suit your preferences.

The panels always show on top of everything else you are doing. That way, you will always have quick access to webinar controls even as you share your screen with viewers.

You may need to test the viewer’s perspective of the webinar, especially if you intend to share your screen. This is because with the UI, you may not be certain of what the viewer is seeing between the camera feed and your screen.

Who is the Platform For?

GoToWebinar is best used by people who have some technical skills in handling webinars. This is because the user interface is not as easy to navigate.

The platform is made for businesses seeking to engage large number of attendees. It is also a good choice for corporates who are looking for live webinar hosting

Pros

GoToWebinar platform offers the following features;

• Chats with polls, voting, handouts and Q&A
• On demand and live webinars with multiple hosts
• Custom branding with custom URL
• Reports and analytics with data on performance and attendees
• Automated invitations, notifications and follow up emails
• Easy integration with all devices

Cons

• UI is not as easy to use, especially for beginners
• The pricing is a bit steep for some businesses
• A solo presenter may find it difficult to manage messages during a session

7. WebinarNinja

WebinarNinja is easy to use and is designed to help you focus on the session as opposed to fussing over the technicalities of hosting a webinar. The software automatically records the sessions, which are then available on the replay room.

WebinarNinja integrates with other communication and marketing tools to give a good hosting experience. Additionally, the platform makes it easy for the host to customize email notifications and registration pages.

How Much Does WebinarNinja Cost?

WebinarNinja has 4 main pricing plans, all of which are billed annually.

• The Starter Plan costs $39 per month and allows 100 live attendees
• The Pro Plan goes for $79 per month and allows up to 300 attendees on live sessions
• The Plus Plan costs $129 per month and allows up to 500 live attendees
• The Power Plan costs $199 monthly for 1000 live attendees

How to Host a Webinar

Once you log in to your WebinarNinja dashboard, you get a clean, modern UI. At first glance, you’ll see a stats overview as well as links to your last and next sessions for easy editing. The side panel has various settings such as access to all your recordings and webinars, landing page templates, statistics, integrations among others.

Starting a webinar is easy. Click on “create webinar”. You’ll get 4 options; live, automated, hybrid, and series. Choose the one that suit your purpose and follow the prompts to set up a session.

The top navigation bar is intuitive and clean. The chat bar is on the right side and the main view shows screen sharing or webcam presentation. You can switch between layouts even mid-session to emphasize the screen.

Who is the Platform For?

This software is made for small and medium enterprises that seek to host events with up to 1000 attendees. The software is also among the modern webinar platform choices for professional marketers.

The starter package is perfect for hosts who are looking for a basic webinar platform. Be sure to take advantage of the free 14 day trial. If you do not intend to purchase the software, remember to cancel the free trial as they will charge you anyway without any notification.

Pros

WebinarNinja is moderately priced, which many small businesses appreciate.

• Unlimited free and paid webinars with unlimited registrations with multiple presenters
• The software auto records and archives webinars and allows social sharing
• You have the option of setting automated notifications
• Can incorporate chats with emojis, Q&A, polls and presentation slides to a live webinar
• The host can include offers (instant or timed) to a webinar
• The software comes with tutorials and full training
• You get templates for the registration page and thank you page
• The platform grants hosts access to referral program

Cons

• Low video quality despite fast internet and high resolution camera
• Limited run-time which is not favorable for high end sales events
• Weak implementation of CTA features and offers
• Some users claim that the polls and Q&A are disappointing

8. WebEx

Being a product of the world famous networking solution Cisco, WebEx offers a wide range of features. It is made to hold online meeting, training sessions, events, team collaborations as well as interactive presentations.

How Much Does WebEx Cost?

Cisco prefers to give a customized quote through their sales team. However, here are some simple insights into how the pricing plans may look like.

The price starts as low as $13.5 per month per host. WebEx sessions with as little as 8 attendees per session are charged at $19 per month. You can upgrade to the Premium 25 plan that allows 25 attendees at $29 per month. You can also opt for Premium 200 that allows a maximum of 200 participants per meeting at $39 per month when paid annually or $49 when paid on a month-to-month basis.

How to Host a Webinar

WebEx comes with tutorials on how to fully utilize each feature. When you get to the dashboard, the first choice you make is whether you want to host a meeting, an event or training.

Once you have chosen what you want to host, then you can choose the specific settings such as the type of event. You can also schedule it as well as specify event settings down to the preferred duration. Once done, send invites for your event from the platform.

Who is the Platform For?

This platform is made for businesses that are looking for superior video and audio conferencing solutions. While businesses may use it for its superior communication features, it is not always the ideal marketing item as it lacks dedicated marketing features as well as in built analytics.

Pros

• HD audio and video for online meetings and conferencing
• Seamless and secure integration with marketing tools
• Cloud based platform with collaborative sessions
• The platform is easy to use and is compatible with all devices and browsers

Cons

• Lacks built in analytics

9. BigMarker

Founded in 2012 in the USA, BigMarker is a platform that combines robust marketing features with powerful webinar software to create the world’s premier end to end webinar solution.

The platform has been built by marketers, which explains why it incorporates as many opportunities as possible to drive results for businesses. The features of the platform are easy to use and customize. It is an extremely responsive platform that works seamlessly on all devices and browsers.

How Much Does BigMarker Cost?

BigMarker webinar software has 3 pricing plans, all of which are billed annually.

• The Starter Package goes for $79 and allows up to 100 attendees and 1 host
• The Elite Package costs $159 for 2 hosts and 500 attendees
• The Summit Package goes for $299 for 1000 attendees and 4 host account

How to Host a Webinar

When you sign into BigMarker, the first thing you see is an array of options for the type of event you wish to create. The options are live webinar, on demand webinar, automated webinar, evergreen webinar, webinar series, 24-7 webinar and live stream.

Selecting one option takes you to the next step where you will set up your event. The top navigation bar retains the event options while the main window allows you to customize your event of choice.

The UI is clean, well designed and easy to use. It is relatively intuitive. If you get stuck at any point, you can always refer to the demo for clarification. The demo is especially useful when it comes to managing the webinar.

Who is the Platform For?

This platform is a good choice for non-profits, businesses and educators. It is available to any organization looking for quality and affordable webinar software and online meeting solution.

The software is made for organizations that do a bit of all events and webinar types since it doesn’t specialize in any one type of webinar.

Pros

• Pleasant, intuitive user interface
• Wide selection of templates and good options for customization
• Perfect solution for organizations that host varying types of online events
• HD streaming with up to 9 presenters in a session
• Customization and branding options
• Interactive engagement tools and features as well as international dial-in calls
• Integrates with social media tools
• Works with all device and browsers

Cons

• Features such as public chat, private chat, Q&A, tweets, each have a tab, which can be too many to handle especially for a solo presenter
• Offers are presented in a way that makes sales webinars a tad difficult

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts

Every business, especially in the COVID-19 period, understands the importance of corporate communications as well as seeking out quality leads for future business. As such, choosing an effective platform on which to engage your team as well as external clients is imperative. Additionally, hosting a successful webinar that imparts value to your audience is the beginning of brand loyalty and  growth.