Since the beginning of the pandemic which brought disruptions to events globally, top virtual event platform providers like Pathable have shown leadership by providing previously unimaginable virtual event solutions for associations, nonprofits, corporations, and other organizations. Many event organizers are now able to deliver education, networking, and value to attendees in ways they have never experienced before, even amidst social distancing guidelines.
Now, virtual events have become much more prevalent and as the technology continues to evolve to create better experiences, it will remain a viable alternative that many organizations will continue to embrace. However, with many acclaimed platform providers out there, deciding on a platform for your virtual event can be tricky.
Therefore, to get you started in your virtual event platform comparison, we’ve gathered a list of 20 top virtual event technology providers and categorized them based on the type of events they support and the organizations they serve. But before we jump into that, let’s take a look at all we’ll be covering to give you a broad perspective on choosing a suitable platform for your event.
Table of Contents:
- What Is An Online Event Platform?
- What Types of Organizations Use Virtual Event Platforms?
- How Much Do Online Event Platforms Cost?
- What are the Most Important Features to Look For In Virtual Event Platforms
- Top Overall Virtual Event Platform
- Pathable
- Top Virtual Event Platforms for Conferences
- Remo Conference
- vFairs
- Bizzabo
- Top Virtual Event Technology for Associations
- Web Courseworks
- Fonteva
- Nimble AMS
- YourMembership AMS
- ePly
- Top Online Event Software for Nonprofits
- OneCause
- AccelEvents
- Soapbox Engage
- Handbid
- Best Virtual Event Registration Solutions
- Configio
- Regpack
- Eventbrite
- RegFox
- Aventri
- Other Top Online Event Platforms
- Doubleknot
- Weshowup
Let’s dive in to learn more!
What is an online event platform?
An online event platform is a web or mobile interface where gathering attendees can experience learning, interaction, and commerce in ways similar to in-person experiences. The platform is usually provided by an event technology company and is set up according to specific event requirements.
A typical platform has features that include live video streaming, video conferencing, live chats, Q&A, polling, file sharing, content upload, exhibition and trade shows, and more as required by event organizers. The platforms are hosted on dedicated domains such as event microsites or on mobile event apps. Their lifespan can either last simply for the event duration or year-round to continue to serve attendees.
To gain a deeper understanding of how virtual event platforms work, request a personalized demo by our team.
What types of organizations use virtual event platforms?
Virtual event platforms serve different types of organizations including associations, nonprofits, corporations, and educational institutions. These organizations often plan virtual conferences, conventions, virtual summits, networking and happy hours, entertainment, fundraising, and other event types using the software.
How much do online event platforms cost?
The cost of virtual event platforms vary depending on client requirements, and of course, the pricing model of specific providers. Some platforms are subscription-based—they have monthly and annual plans—while some have fixed amounts based on specific event sizes, duration, and requirements. You may find the price for different providers is displayed on their website or is provided after requesting a quote.
Here are some common factors that can determine the prices charged for using a virtual event platform:
- Event dates
- Duration of event
- Number of attendees
- Event sessions
- Breakout sessions
- Interactive elements required
- Entertainment and gamification requirements
- Video streaming requirements
- Content requirements
- The lifespan of the platform
While negotiating prices, ask for the features included in each plan. Some features may not be required for your event, so you might be able to negotiate a rebate on price by asking that redundant features be removed.
What are the most important features to look for in virtual event platforms?
To understand the most important virtual event platform features to look for, you first need to understand the difference between virtual events and webinars. A virtual event platform must have real-time interactive features that simulate a live event experience. A webinar platform may support live video streaming, live chats, and Q&A. Some webinar platforms may resemble virtual event platforms, so here are some key features to look out for to distinguish a virtual event platform from a webinar system:
- Live video streaming
- Live chats and Q&A
- Private meetings/Group Chats
- Virtual trade show booths
- Breakout sessions
- Live chats
- User Profiles
- Polling
- Q&A
- Event Analytics
- Accessible platform before and after event
An effective virtual event platform should provide attendees, speakers, and sponsors the opportunity to have warm interactions that will translate to a real event experience.
Top Overall Virtual Event Platform
Pathable
Pathable is the leading virtual event platform provider for associations, nonprofits, and corporations. The intuitive platform provides mobile event apps that are custom-built for attendees, speakers, and exhibitors to learn, interact, and conduct business in powerful ways.
The platform also helps to deliver event keynotes and breakouts as attendees make real human connections through messages, video chats, live chats, group chats, polling, Q&A, and more.
Pathable enables event organizers to increase an event ROI through sponsorships. The platform has interactive exhibitor elements that offer attendees the opportunity to experience virtual trade show booths, video call booth staff on-demand, and view or download digital collateral posted by sponsors.
What are the best features of this platform?
- Multi-screen solutions
- Customized branding
- Interaction, engagement, and networking
- Sponsor & exhibitor listings
- Metrics and analytics
How much does this online event platform cost?
Pathable approaches pricing from a tiered approach that is based on attendance, sessions, event duration, and other platform features. Request a personalized, in-depth demo with a sales specialist to discuss pricing for your event.
Why does this virtual event software stand out?
Everything on the Pathable virtual event platform can be customized to suit your event requirements through a widget-based interface and configurable permissions settings. You decide what you want and create your own event experience. Another reason Pathable stands out is that it offers expert support throughout the event’s entire life cycle.
Top Virtual Event Platforms for Conferences
Remo Conference
Remo is a conference and summit solution that helps event organizers provide online networking that is comparable to the in-person alternative. On the platform, attendees can interact in real-time by joining a virtual table to connect with others. The platform also provides admin access for speakers and hosts to interactively facilitate event sessions.
The platform is made for conference organizers and can be used by teams working together to accomplish a common goal. It’s easy to set up and use and does not require download or installation. The capacity ranges from 50 for very small groups to larger groups of unlimited attendees.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- HD Video & Audio streaming
- Real, authentic social interactions
- Group screen sharing
How much does this online event platform cost?
Remo operates a monthly subscription-based plan which is billed annually. The platform’s main audience consists of organizations and teams hosting regular events. Prices range from $100/month to $1,560/month for 50 to 850 attendees respectively. An event duration range of between 1.25 hours to 8 hours applies to the above price range. Custom monthly plans can be built for more attendees and longer durations.
In addition, Remo has packages for one-time events and larger attendee numbers which starts at $2,500. Planners should reach out to get specific quotes for such events.
vFairs
vFairs is a platform for online conferences, trade shows, and job fairs. It’s suitable for companies and businesses, trade show organizers, organizations, universities, and job boards. The platform provides custom event landing pages to make a great first impression that persuades visitors to register and attend.
vFairs also provides a comprehensive toolbox to ensure your virtual event delivers the desired impact. The platform’s feature-packed booths include immersive colorful environments that enable users to comfortably browse content, attend live presentations and network with peers and exhibitors.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- 3D virtual lobby
- Virtual briefcase for attendees
- Interactivity tools
How much does this online event platform cost?
While the pricing for vFairs isn’t available on their website, you can reach out to request a quote if you’re interested in their online event platform.
Bizzabo
Bizzabo is a fully-embedded virtual event solution that provides a seamless experience for attendees as they enter an event and start participating in various activities. The platform helps to deliver high-quality live video streaming to audiences of any size and on-demand videos that are at scale with an enterprise-grade solution. It also provides audience engagement opportunities that enable attendees to connect and network with peers and sponsors.
The virtual solution connects easily to popular video technologies and the team is always available to help deliver a full suite of services including full production, audio and visual, design, implementation, and more.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Webcast live sessions
- Robust engagement tools
- Real-time insights
How much does this online event platform cost?
Contact the Bizzabo team for a quote on their online event platform.
Top Virtual Event Technology for Associations
Nimble AMS
Nimble AMS is an association software suite that helps professional, philanthropic, and trade associations increase revenue, improve efficiency, and engage members in multiple ways.
The platform includes learning management and event management solutions. It is an open platform that allows for you to create and update integrations with other systems with just a few clicks. Nimble AMS is 100 percent native to Salesforce so it supports attendee data management directly from your CRM.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Event and exhibit management
- Seamless integrations
- Learning management solutions
- How much does this online event platform cost?
How much does this online event platform cost?
Prices can be obtained by completing a quote request form on the Nimble AMS website.
YourMembership AMS
YourMembership is a learning management and membership management software that helps associations, nonprofits, and associational membership organizations deliver live and on-demand content to facilitate attendee career growth.
The platform boosts learner engagement through live events, on-demand content, webinars, webcasts, sharable content reference model (SCORM), and more. You can use the system to manage, track, organize, store, and deliver courses and documents—all from one platform. YourMembership helps organizations drive non-dues revenue by supporting trade shows and events.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Learning management system
- Membership management software
- Mobile event app
How much does this online event platform cost?
Contact the YourMembership team to request a quote.
Web Courseworks
Web Courseworks is a learning management production company. They offer services for conferences, trade shows, meetings, educational events, and webinars. Their webinar production services cover small group discussions or more expansive ones with hundreds of participants. Their service team can also help to manage tech prep sessions with presenters and technical aspects of your live webinars, pre-recorded sessions, and live chat features.
Before your event, the Web Courseworks team will design and configure the conference platform to meet your association’s specific virtual event needs. This platform can manage hundreds of sessions, exhibitions, and networking experiences from one centralized location.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Webinar and conference production
- Integration with popular video conferencing software
- Full customization and tech support
How much does this online event platform cost?
Pricing information is not publicly available. Contact the Web Courseworks team to get a quote.
Fonteva
Fonteva is a membership, events, eCommerce, and communities support technology company. Their team serves trade associations, professional societies, association management companies, associations, customer user groups, and local governments. The platform supports virtual and hybrid events with configurable registration and top-notch speakers, sponsors, and attendees management.
The Fonteva platform is 100% native to Salesforce. Therefore no integration is required, enabling you to access real-time events data such as customer demographics and create comprehensive reports without leaving your CRM.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Event lifecycle management
- Syncs with popular virtual meeting platforms
- eStore & transaction processing
How much does this online event platform cost?
Fonteva runs on Software as a Service (SaaS) model. Therefore, access is based on the payment of a single annual fee. You can contact their team to get a quote.
ePly
ePly is an intuitive platform that offers event registrations and supports virtual events. It’s an effective platform for both single-session and multi-session conferences, panels, and workshops.
The single-session feature has a direct Zoom integration that can be used for hosting recurring leadership and shared interest meetings including those focused on virtual education, networking, webinars, and training. The platform provides real-time attendee data and surveys, allowing event organizers to easily evaluate event performance.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Dedicated event landing page and registration platforms
- Simplified presentation capabilities
- Multi-session and single session software
How much does this online event platform cost?
Pricing information is not available on display on the ePly website, but you can contact the sales team to get a quote for the software.
Top Online Event Software for Nonprofits
OneCause
OneCause offers powerful fundraising solutions and dedicated virtual fundraising software to manage nonprofit virtual events, elevate your cause, and inspire giving.
The software can be used for online auctions and paddle raiser events, helping nonprofits receive online donations and creating engaging bidding opportunities between remote supporters. The platform supports high-quality multimedia virtual fundraising events with both live and pre-recorded videos that keep supporters on the screen.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Flexible branding and creative campaigns
- Versatile fundraising options
- Gamification and motivation
How much does this online event platform cost?
Contact OneCause’s team to get a quote for one of the various plans available on their website.
AccelEvents
AccelEvents is a virtual event platform designed to support conferences, festivals, and fundraising. It has a Silent Auction feature with online and mobile bidding options that can be incorporated into your virtual event to generate additional funds for your nonprofit.
The platform also has AI-powered virtual cocktail hours and networking sessions that allow attendees to “match” with each other through real-life interactions in ways that will enhance participation and giving. AccelEvents also has a virtual exhibition feature that enables organizations to sell sponsorships and further increase revenue.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Auction and fundraising tool
- Interactive tools
- Integrated live streaming
How much does this online event platform cost?
AccelEvents offers event ticketing as a part of their event packages. Therefore, for their pricing model, they charge 20% of paid tickets or $3 per participant for free attendance. The greater value of the two is charged and then multiplied by the number of days of the event. There are other add-on services that might require additional charges or fees depending on your event type.
Soapbox Engage
Soapbox Engage is a full-suite online solution that can be used to manage multiple events for your organization. The platform processes and stores ticketing and registration data straight to your Salesforce system and has a wide range of payment processors to choose from.
Soapbox has integration with popular meeting software such as Zoom, as well as Google Analytics, and various social media sites. It also offers a donation feature for seamless and secure transactions which are saved in real-time on Salesforce.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Integrations with Salesforce, Google, and Zoom
- Strategic event management
- Marketing and branding features
How much does this online event platform cost?
Soapbox Engage has an unlimited plan that starts at approximately $3,000 per annum, and there is a surcharge of 1.9% on total transactions that are less than $5,000 per month. Apart from this, some add-on services attract extra charges based on your nonprofit’s needs.
Handbid
Handbid is an online fundraising solution that supports live streaming, peer-to-peer fundraising, donation campaigns, crowdfunding, and text-to-give.
It’s primarily used for its silent auction software and event fundraising tools that can help you reach your donors remotely. Bidders can participate from anywhere and your team can virtually manage from check-in to check-out with ease. You can also process invoices, generate reports, and perform more actions within the intuitive system. The software works well for nonprofits, faith-based organizations, sports organizations, schools and universities, and associations.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Auction app
- Web-based and live event bidding
- Live video streaming
How much does this online event platform cost?
Handbid’s premium package starts at $2,495 per year. For an unlimited plan, you can contact the team to get a price quote.
Best Virtual Event Registration Websites
Configio
Configio is a registration software solution for events and conferences with a simple and secure payment process. It also includes features to promote your event with automated SMS and email communications.
Configio’s robust reporting dashboard can help you monitor registration totals, and compare data from previous events to gain insights into the effectiveness of your marketing campaign.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Custom event website
- Access to sales pipeline
- Access to data and reporting across functional areas
How much does this online event platform cost?
Prices are not on displayed on Configio’s website. Contact their team to get a quote for this virtual registration solution.
Regpack
Regpack is an online registration software with secure gateways for accepting and managing payments for your virtual event. It features a customized online registration payment process that has a proprietary conditional logic engine that creates a unique registration flow for every applicant.
The registration software is built to embed perfectly on any organization’s website or event microsite. That means you won’t have to redirect users to a third-party website to register, making your data management easy. The software includes every tool you need to analyze and interpret your data, so you can easily generate and share reports with your team.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Event registration on your website or microsite
- Mobile optimized registration
- Personalized event registration process for every attendee
How much does this online event platform cost?
Regpack plans start at $125 per month per admin, and an additional 2.1% payment processing charge applies to every transaction.
Eventbrite
Eventbrite is an event registration, ticketing, marketing, and management platform all available from a single system. You can use Eventbrite to automate the collection of registration data and payment processing securely.
With its powerful built-in marketing and communications tools, the platform can help you reach new customers. You’ll also have access to real-time, actionable insights into your event’s performance and traffic sources.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Automated ticketing solutions
- Customizable event pages
- Large attendee marketplace (from 170+ countries)
How much does this online event platform cost?
Eventbrite uses a tiered pricing model. The basic plan is Essentials, which allows users to create events on Eventbrite’s website. The Professional package can be used to sell tickets on the event organizer’s website. Both the Essential and Professional packages are free for non-paid tickets. However, charges of 2% + $0.79 apply to paid tickets on Essential, while charges of 3.5% + $1.59 apply to the Professional plan.
There’s also the premium package which is tailored for large and complex events and will require you to contact their team for a quote and set-up procedures.
RegFox
RegFox is both an event registration and virtual event platform. It provides tools to create stunning registration pages that will match your website and brand. You’ll also gain access to tools that provide seamless integrations when syncing data with popular tools.
RegFox guarantees attendee data privacy, and it can help you to get direct and fast funding from event registration.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Event page builder for registration
- Conditional logic and dynamic pricing
- Sell merchandise during registration
How much does this online event platform cost?
RegFox’s pricing plan charges 99¢ per attendee. There are no contracts, set up, or cancellation fees. However, there are optional upgrades that include email communications at 2¢ per recipient and a custom 3rd party payment gateway for a 1% fee.
Aventri
Aventri offers a virtual event platform that includes a fully-integrated event registration experience, live video streaming, on-demand video, community moderation, and designated areas as an online event lobby for attendees, speakers, and sponsors respectively. It’s a suitable system for conferences, exhibitions, and trade shows, as well as internal meetings and events.
The platform can accommodate events of different sizes and formats. It provides a high level of security and privacy, which is necessary for delivering virtual experiences to any audience. It also has real-time attendance tracking and reporting capabilities.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Seamless event registration
- Digital lead capture
- Virtual event intelligence
How much does this online event platform cost?
Pricing information is not on display on the Aventri website. You can contact their sales team to get a quote for the software.
Other Top Online Event Platforms
Doubleknot
Doubleknot is an integrated software solution for managing cultural organizations and nonprofits. The platform includes seamless event registration with secure payments and a mobile app to update registrations and collect payments.
This system also has a feature for membership and fundraising that you can use to request donations at every touchpoint with custom database queries used to identify recipients for every campaign.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Event registration
- Powerful CRM integration
- Comprehensive event reporting
How much does this online event platform cost?
Doubleknot’s pricing isn’t available on their website, but you can contact their sales team to get a quote for their software.
Weshowup
Weshowup is an event registration and ticketing service that helps you to set up online events and connect with favorite streaming platforms. It promises attendees to ‘enjoy the service’ before they pay, thereby encouraging more attendance. The service is mainly for artists who want to have more signups for their virtual performances.
For a small fee, attendees can reserve their spot and then show up at the virtual event and interact with fellow attendees. After the event, attendees receive an email or text message asking them to pay whatever they feel the event is worth. Therefore, monetization is based on attendee satisfaction.
What are the best features of this virtual event platform?
- Branded shareable event page
- Payment processing
- Live streaming
How much does this online event platform cost?
Learn more about how the pricing for Weshowup works by contacting their sales team.
Wrapping Up
Virtual event platforms are now more effective than ever in creating memorable virtual events that are as connective and valuable as live experiences. If you are still skeptical about virtual events for your organization, you might try out a demo from one of the providers or join a full-fledged virtual event in your industry to have an experience.
Additional Resources
- Virtual Events: The Ultimate Guide for Planning or Pivoting
- Mobile Event Apps: The Top 21+ Providers for Your Conference
- How Virtual & Hybrid Event Solutions Create Meaningful Connections Both Online & In-Person
- 10 Best Questions To Ask Your Registration Software System
Want to experience how virtual event platforms work? Discover more in our live demo.
