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Software · head to head

Hopin vs Podia

Hopin logo

Hopin

Software

Virtual and hybrid events at scale

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Podia logo

Podia

Software

Sell online courses, memberships, and digital downloads

From
$42/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Hopin has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Hopin platform complexity with feature breadth that results in no single feature being particularly strong compared to specialized competitors; Podia mover tier charges 5% transaction fees on all sales; higher tiers offer fee-free processing
  • They diverge on capability: Hopin covers Virtual stages, Podia covers Course hosting.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Hopin and Podia actually diverge.

Attributes where Hopin and Podia differ
AttributeHopinPodia
Starting priceFree$42/month
Pricing modelUnknownsubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded20192014

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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
  • HubSpot
  • Salesforce
  • Marketo

Only in Podia

  • Course hosting
  • Digital downloads
  • Memberships
  • Email marketing
  • Webinars
  • Community
  • Affiliate marketing
  • Custom website

Both cover

  • Stripe
  • Zapier
  • Web support

What people use each for

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

Hopin

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

Podia

  • Content creators selling digital courses with email marketing integrationnot Hopin
  • Coaching businesses managing memberships and community spacesnot Hopin
  • Newsletter publishers monetising subscriber base with events and digital productsnot 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

Podia

  • Mover tier charges 5% transaction fees on all sales; higher tiers offer fee-free processing
  • Mover plan capped at 50 products maximum; Shaker at 150 products; only Earthquaker offers unlimited
  • Video storage limited by plan: 500 videos (Mover), 1,000 (Shaker), unlimited (Earthquaker)
  • Email subscriber limits tiered: 100 (Mover), 500 (Shaker), 1,000 (Earthquaker); overage model not stated
  • Annual billing required for all plans with 72-hour refund window; partial refunds excluded

Pricing, plan by plan

Hopin

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Hopin review.

Podia

$42/month

No published plan breakdown. See the Podia review.

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 Podia if

  • You need course hosting.
  • You also want digital downloads.
Podia review

Questions people ask

Is Hopin or Podia better?
Neither clearly leads. Hopin starts at Free and Podia at $42/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hopin or Podia?
Hopin has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Hopin and $42/month for Podia.
Does Hopin or Podia run on more platforms?
Hopin runs on Web, iOS, Android. Podia runs on Web.
Can I use Hopin for free?
Yes. Hopin has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Podia starts at $42/month.
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 Podia is typically brought in for.
What can Hopin do that Podia cannot?
Hopin covers Virtual stages, Networking sessions, Expo areas, Breakout rooms. Podia covers Course hosting, Digital downloads, Memberships, Email marketing. Both handle Stripe, Zapier, 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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