Softwr

Events · head to head

ACTIVE Network vs Zoom Webinars

ACTIVE Network logo

ACTIVE Network

Events

Registration and payment software for parks departments, races and camps, owned by Global Payments

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Zoom Webinars logo

Zoom Webinars

Webinars

Dedicated webinar platform by Zoom for large-scale events

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ACTIVE Network revenue comes from registration processing rather than licence fees, so the vendor is aligned with transaction volume and not with the quality of the administrative experience.; Zoom Webinars exact pricing amounts not published on pricing pages
  • They diverge on capability: ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, Zoom Webinars covers Attendee registration.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ACTIVE Network and Zoom Webinars actually diverge.

Attributes where ACTIVE Network and Zoom Webinars differ
AttributeACTIVE NetworkZoom Webinars
Pricing modelquotesubscription
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidCloud-based SaaS
CategoryEventsWebinars
FoundedUnknown2011

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in ACTIVE Network

  • ACTIVENet
  • ACTIVEWorks Endurance
  • Camp and Class Manager
  • Participant-paid fees
  • Facility and league scheduling
  • ACTIVE.com listing

Only in Zoom Webinars

  • Attendee registration
  • HD video
  • Screen sharing
  • Polls and surveys
  • Q&A
  • Breakout rooms
  • Recording
  • Analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

ACTIVE Network

  • A city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residentsnot Zoom Webinars
  • A race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendornot Zoom Webinars
  • A YMCA needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one systemnot Zoom Webinars
  • An agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing feesnot Zoom Webinars

Zoom Webinars

  • Interactive webinarsnot ACTIVE Network
  • Virtual events with multiple sessionsnot ACTIVE Network
  • Ticketed eventsnot ACTIVE Network
  • Hybrid event hostingnot ACTIVE Network
  • Networking eventsnot ACTIVE Network

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

ACTIVE Network

  • Revenue comes from registration processing rather than licence fees, so the vendor is aligned with transaction volume and not with the quality of the administrative experience.
  • Passing the processing fee to participants is normal practice, which makes the cost invisible on the agency budget and visible to residents as a service charge at checkout.
  • The ACTIVENet codebase is long-lived and parts of the administrative interface remain dated, with upgrade cycles driven by the parent rather than by agency requests.
  • Support responsiveness is a persistent complaint among municipal customers, and escalation paths are slower than in a standalone software vendor.
  • Because Global Payments owns the merchant relationship, moving off ACTIVE means changing processor as well as software, which usually requires a procurement process rather than a simple switch.

Zoom Webinars

  • Exact pricing amounts not published on pricing pages
  • Multiple webinar tiers exist but costs not specified online
  • Requires direct sales contact for pricing quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

ACTIVE Network

On request
  • ACTIVENet$undefined/year
    • Registration, facility and membership modules
    • Revenue derived primarily from registration processing fees
    • Fee can be absorbed by the agency or passed to the participant
  • Camp and Class Manager$undefined/year
    • Flat rate or per registration fee model
    • Rates quoted per account, not published
  • ACTIVEWorks Endurance$undefined/year
    • Race registration priced on a per registration fee
    • ACTIVE.com listing included

Zoom Webinars

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Zoom Webinars review.

Which should you pick?

Choose ACTIVE Network if

  • You need activenet.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want activeworks endurance.
ACTIVE Network review

Choose Zoom Webinars if

  • You need attendee registration.
  • You work on Cloud-based SaaS.
  • You also want hd video.
Zoom Webinars review

Questions people ask

Is ACTIVE Network or Zoom Webinars better?
Neither clearly leads. ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Zoom Webinars at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ACTIVE Network or Zoom Webinars?
ACTIVE Network starts at On request and Zoom Webinars at On request.
Does ACTIVE Network or Zoom Webinars run on more platforms?
ACTIVE Network runs on Web, iOS, Android. Zoom Webinars runs on Cloud-based SaaS.
What is ACTIVE Network best used for?
ACTIVE Network is most often used for a city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residents, a race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendor, a ymca needing membership, childcare billing and facility booking in one system, an agency with no software budget that can fund registration through participant-paid processing fees. Of those, a city parks department taking swim lesson, camp and league registrations online with fees passed to residents and a race director who wants registration, bib assignment and a consumer listing from one vendor are not what Zoom Webinars is typically brought in for.
What can ACTIVE Network do that Zoom Webinars cannot?
ACTIVE Network covers ACTIVENet, ACTIVEWorks Endurance, Camp and Class Manager, Participant-paid fees. Zoom Webinars covers Attendee registration, HD video, Screen sharing, Polls and surveys.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

ACTIVE Network: Who owns ACTIVE Network?

Global Payments, which acquired it in 2017 for around 1.2 billion US dollars. It sits in the merchant solutions business.

Zoom Webinars: What are Zoom Webinars pricing tiers?

Zoom's webinar pricing is not publicly displayed on the pricing page. Customers must contact Zoom sales directly or log into their account to view available plans and rates.

Source
ACTIVE Network: How does ACTIVE make money?

Primarily from registration processing fees, charged as a percentage plus a fixed amount per registration.

Zoom Webinars: Does Zoom offer a free webinar plan?

No pricing or trial information is visible on Zoom's public pricing page. Contact Zoom sales to learn about trial options and starter plans for webinars.

Source
ACTIVE Network: Can we absorb the fee instead of charging residents?

Yes, the agency chooses. Most pass it to the participant, which is why registrants see a service fee.

ACTIVE Network: Is pricing published?

No. Both licence and processing rates are quoted per account.

Share

Related pages

More on ACTIVE Network

More on Zoom Webinars

Keep looking

Other head to heads