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Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Crowdcast vs Anchorfree

Crowdcast logo

Crowdcast

Webinar & Virtual Events

Live video Q&As, interviews, and webinars

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
A

Anchorfree

Webinar & Virtual Events

Platform for hosting and distributing live events

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Anchorfree has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Crowdcast exceeding the plan's attendee limit costs $0.15 per extra live attendee, so an unexpectedly popular session bills on the spot; Anchorfree the vendor's own domain (anchorfree.com), as captured by the Internet Archive on 11 January 2023, redirects to and displays the Pango Group corporate site, stating Pango Group is owned and operated by Aura and describes itself as a portfolio of consumer security brands; AnchorFree's original product (Hotspot Shield) survives only under the Pango/Aura ownership structure, confirming the acquisition in the vendor's own words rather than a third party account
  • They diverge on capability: Crowdcast covers Q&A sessions, Anchorfree covers Audience management.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crowdcast and Anchorfree actually diverge.

Attributes where Crowdcast and Anchorfree differ
AttributeCrowdcastAnchorfree
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Founded20152017

Identical on both: platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Webinar & Virtual Events).

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 Crowdcast

  • Q&A sessions
  • Polls
  • Multi-speaker
  • Replay library
  • ConvertKit
  • Mailchimp
  • Stripe
  • PayPal

Only in Anchorfree

  • Audience management
  • Recording
  • Analytics
  • Multi-platform delivery
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Twitch

Both cover

  • Live streaming
  • Zapier
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Crowdcast

  • Hosting live webinars and interactive Q and A sessionsnot Anchorfree
  • Running paid online events with registrationnot Anchorfree

Anchorfree

  • Professional Worknot Crowdcast
  • Content Creationnot Crowdcast

Where each one falls short

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

Crowdcast

  • Exceeding the plan's attendee limit costs $0.15 per extra live attendee, so an unexpectedly popular session bills on the spot
  • Session length is capped by plan, at 2 hours on Lite, 4 on Pro and 6 on Business
  • Team seats are tightly limited, at 1 on Lite and 2 on Pro, with additional seats at $29 each
  • Studio storage is capped at 1 GB on Lite and 5 GB on Pro
  • The 14 day trial allows 10 live attendees and 60 minute sessions, which is short of any real event

Anchorfree

  • The vendor's own domain (anchorfree.com), as captured by the Internet Archive on 11 January 2023, redirects to and displays the Pango Group corporate site, stating Pango Group is owned and operated by Aura and describes itself as a portfolio of consumer security brands; AnchorFree's original product (Hotspot Shield) survives only under the Pango/Aura ownership structure, confirming the acquisition in the vendor's own words rather than a third party account

Pricing, plan by plan

Crowdcast

$49/month
  • Lite$49/month
    • 50 live attendees
    • 2-hour sessions
    • Basic features
  • Pro$89/month
    • 100 attendees
    • 4-hour sessions
    • Custom branding
  • Business$195/month
    • 500 attendees
    • Multi-day events
    • Priority support

Anchorfree

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Basic streaming
    • Limited audience
  • Professional$49/month
    • Advanced features
    • Larger audience
  • Enterprise$199/month
    • Custom solutions
    • Premium support

Which should you pick?

Choose Crowdcast if

  • You need q&a sessions.
  • You also want polls.
Crowdcast review

Choose Anchorfree if

  • You need audience management.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You also want recording.
Anchorfree review

Questions people ask

Is Crowdcast or Anchorfree better?
Neither clearly leads. Crowdcast starts at $49/month and Anchorfree at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crowdcast or Anchorfree?
Anchorfree has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Crowdcast and Free for Anchorfree.
Does Crowdcast or Anchorfree run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Anchorfree for free?
Yes. Anchorfree has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Crowdcast starts at $49/month.
What is Crowdcast best used for?
Crowdcast is most often used for hosting live webinars and interactive q and a sessions, running paid online events with registration. Of those, hosting live webinars and interactive q and a sessions and running paid online events with registration are not what Anchorfree is typically brought in for.
What can Crowdcast do that Anchorfree cannot?
Crowdcast covers Q&A sessions, Polls, Multi-speaker, Replay library. Anchorfree covers Audience management, Recording, Analytics, Multi-platform delivery. Both handle Live streaming, Zapier, Web support.
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