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Webinar & Virtual Events · head to head

Hopin vs Pear Deck

Hopin logo

Hopin

Webinar & Virtual Events

Virtual and hybrid events at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pear Deck logo

Pear Deck

Learning Management

Interactive presentations that engage every student

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Hopin platform complexity with feature breadth that results in no single feature being particularly strong compared to specialized competitors; Pear Deck the Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
  • They diverge on capability: Hopin covers Virtual stages, Pear Deck covers Interactive slides.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hopin and Pear Deck actually diverge.

Attributes where Hopin and Pear Deck differ
AttributeHopinPear Deck
Pricing modelUnknownfreemium
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Chrome Extension
CategoryWebinar & Virtual EventsLearning Management
Founded20192014

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), 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 Hopin

  • Virtual stages
  • Networking sessions
  • Expo areas
  • Breakout rooms
  • Live streaming
  • Stripe
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce

Only in Pear Deck

  • Interactive slides
  • Real-time responses
  • Formative assessment
  • Student-paced mode
  • Dashboard
  • Audio responses
  • Drawing
  • Vocabulary

Both cover

  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Hopin

  • Event planningnot Pear Deck
  • Ticket salesnot Pear Deck
  • Attendee managementnot Pear Deck
  • Virtual eventsnot Pear Deck
  • Event marketingnot Pear Deck

Pear Deck

  • Turning slide decks into interactive lessons with student responsesnot Hopin
  • Running formative checks for understanding during classnot Hopin
  • Student paced review activities and assessmentsnot Hopin

Where each one falls short

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

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

Pear Deck

  • The Teacher Dashboard, draggable and drawing responses and Reflect and Review require Teacher Premium at $149 per year
  • Pear Assessment Premium is a separate $125 per year purchase from Pear Deck Premium
  • Standards aligned content, district library and efficacy reports are only in the Schools and Districts plan
  • SIS and LMS integration is only in the Schools and Districts plan
  • School and district pricing is by quote with no published rate

Pricing, plan by plan

Hopin

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hopin review.

Pear Deck

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 question types
    • Real-time responses
    • Student-paced mode
  • Premium$149.99/month
    • All question types
    • Audio responses
    • Flashcard factory
  • School/District$undefined/month
    • All Premium
    • Admin dashboard
    • Rostering

Which should you pick?

Choose Hopin if

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

Choose Pear Deck if

  • You need interactive slides.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Chrome Extension.
  • You also want real-time responses.
Pear Deck review

Questions people ask

Is Hopin or Pear Deck better?
Neither clearly leads. Hopin starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hopin or Pear Deck?
Hopin starts at Free and Pear Deck at Free.
Does Hopin or Pear Deck run on more platforms?
Hopin runs on Web, iOS, Android. Pear Deck runs on Web, Chrome Extension.
Can I use Hopin for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Hopin best used for?
Hopin is most often used for event planning, ticket sales, attendee management, virtual events. Of those, event planning and ticket sales are not what Pear Deck is typically brought in for.
What can Hopin do that Pear Deck cannot?
Hopin covers Virtual stages, Networking sessions, Expo areas, Breakout rooms. Pear Deck covers Interactive slides, Real-time responses, Formative assessment, Student-paced mode. Both handle 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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