Softwr

Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Crowdcast vs Hopin

Crowdcast logo

Crowdcast

Webinar & Virtual Events

Live video Q&As, interviews, and webinars

From
$49/month
Rated
-
Hopin logo

Hopin

Webinar & Virtual Events

Virtual and hybrid events at scale

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Hopin 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; Hopin platform complexity with feature breadth that results in no single feature being particularly strong compared to specialized competitors
  • They diverge on capability: Crowdcast covers Q&A sessions, Hopin covers Virtual stages.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Crowdcast and Hopin actually diverge.

Attributes where Crowdcast and Hopin differ
AttributeCrowdcastHopin
Starting price$49/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20152019

Identical on both: 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
  • PayPal

Only in Hopin

  • Virtual stages
  • Networking sessions
  • Expo areas
  • Breakout rooms
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo
  • Ios support

Both cover

  • Live streaming
  • Zapier
  • Stripe
  • 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 Hopin
  • Running paid online events with registrationnot Hopin

Hopin

  • Event planningnot Crowdcast
  • Ticket salesnot Crowdcast
  • Attendee managementnot Crowdcast
  • Virtual eventsnot Crowdcast
  • Event marketingnot 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

Hopin

  • Platform complexity with feature breadth that results in no single feature being particularly strong compared to specialized competitors
  • Hard registration caps with additional charges if events exceed 100 registrations
  • Post-acquisition delays with slow account activation taking up to 45 days and slow responses to onboarding questions
  • High pricing particularly problematic for organizations running occasional or simple webinars
  • No Facebook or YouTube live streaming integration and limited caption support for accessibility

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

Hopin

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hopin review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Crowdcast if

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

Choose Hopin if

  • You need virtual stages.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want networking sessions.

Questions people ask

Is Crowdcast or Hopin better?
Neither clearly leads. Crowdcast starts at $49/month and Hopin at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Crowdcast or Hopin?
Hopin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $49/month for Crowdcast and Free for Hopin.
Does Crowdcast or Hopin run on more platforms?
Crowdcast runs on Web. Hopin runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Hopin for free?
Yes. Hopin 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 Hopin is typically brought in for.
What can Crowdcast do that Hopin cannot?
Crowdcast covers Q&A sessions, Polls, Multi-speaker, Replay library. Hopin covers Virtual stages, Networking sessions, Expo areas, Breakout rooms. Both handle Live streaming, Zapier, Stripe, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Hopin: What is Hopin's pricing?

Hopin (now RingCentral Events) starts at approximately $99 per organizer per month (billed annually) for the Events Pro plan, with higher tiers at $199 and $299 per month adding onsite capabilities and advanced integrations. A free plan is available with limited features.

Source
Hopin: What features does Hopin include?

Hopin provides registration, live streaming, networking tools (1:1 video matchmaking, breakout rooms), virtual reception and expo areas, real-time analytics and reporting, and integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot.

Source
Hopin: Can Hopin live stream to Facebook or YouTube?

No. Hopin does not offer native options to live stream video conferencing directly to Facebook or YouTube. This requires manual setup or third-party solutions.

Source
Hopin: Does Hopin provide automated captions during events?

Hopin does not offer built-in caption support across all features, which is a limitation for accessibility and engagement during live sessions.

Source
Hopin: Who acquired Hopin?

RingCentral acquired Hopin in late 2023. The platform is now sold as RingCentral Events with ongoing support and updates managed by RingCentral.

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