5 Top Free Webinar Platforms You Need to Try

In a recent Content Marketing Institute study, 47% of marketers reported that virtual events were the single channel with the best results for their content marketing in the last 12 months. 

The numbers don’t lie: Webinars and online events are a powerhouse for generating leads, building brand awareness, and driving conversions. 

But with several platforms on the market, it’s hard to know which will bring the best ROI for your business. Trying out webinar software for free is a great way to explore the best tools out there without breaking the bank or committing to a long-term contract.

We’ve reviewed the best 5 free webinar platforms to make your decision easier and faster, evaluating each tool based on features, limitations, and overall value for marketers. Let's dive in and find the perfect fit for your webinar strategy!

* Content Marketing Institute, 2023 

What to Look for in a Free Webinar Software

The right features are important enough to make or break your virtual events. Here’s what you should always consider when deciding on the right option for you.

Ease of Use & Intuitive Design

A user-friendly interface is critical not just for the presenter but also for attendees. 

Look for a platform that’s easy to navigate with a clean, intuitive design. 

You may also want to prioritize platforms that don’t require users to download a desktop version to host or join virtual events, for ease of use.

Reliability & Tech Support 

A reliable, high-bandwidth webinar platform is crucial to make sure there are no interruptions during your events. 

You don’t want to deal with glitchy videos or technical issues while hosting a workshop or presenting a live product demo to your prospects. 

You’ll also want to choose a platform that has strong 24/7 customer support to troubleshoot any issues.

Engagement Features

Great webinars aren’t all about you or your product — they’re also a chance to have real dialogue with your attendees, hear their feedback, and keep them engaged. 

Always opt for a platform with interactive features like polls, Q&A, screen sharing, and chat to enhance audience engagement — and pinpoint highly-engaged attendees.

Analytics & Reporting Tools

Analytics and reporting help marketers to make informed decisions. 

After hosting a webinar, you’ll want to measure its success and determine which attendees are warm leads to prioritize. 

Look at webinar software that provides in-depth webinar analytics to power up your marketing ROI.

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Integrations

Marketers work with several tools across all of their jobs-to-be-done — from strategy to execution to reporting.

Jumping between different software interrupts your workflow and limits the usability of your insights.

That means you should look for a webinar software that supports a range of integrations with your existing marketing tools, especially your CRM system.

‍Want to do deeper on what to look for in a webinar platform and how to navigate the myriad of options out there? Download our buying guide for webinar software absolutely free. 

5 Best Free Webinar Platforms for 2024

Choosing an easy-to-use, interactive webinar software will help you deliver on marketing objectives while saving on time and resources.

We've selected 5 top webinar software options that are either fully free or have free versions/trials so you can try things out and make a more informed decision.

1. Demio

^‍Demio is an all-in-one webinar platform that's designed to help marketers run unforgettable online webinars that drive real results. 

Demio simplifies the process of hosting automated, on-demand, and live webinars while providing you with all the tools and insights you need to maximize your webinar marketing ROI. 

The free trial option allows you to use all the features in the growth plan to test drive the tool.

The 14-day trial requires no credit card and like all versions of Demio, it’s web-based — there's no need to download any software. 

🛠️ Free Features:

• High-attendance sessions — The free trial includes up to 20 attendees with 6 people on stage and a 1-hour session limit.
• Intuitive design — Simple, clear-cut, web-based interface that’s easy for both hosts and attendees to navigate.
• Participation and engagement features — Interactive polls, surveys, chat, and attendee tagging and spotlighting to foster audience involvement.
• In-depth webinar analytics — Track registrations, attendance rates, conversions, and other webinar KPIs.
• Engagement and focus analytics — Invaluable data on content interactions, downloads, conversations, focus rates, and attendance dropoff to prioritize leads.
• Evergreen webinars — Repurpose live events into on-demand and automated webinars. 
• Test drive Demio’s Hubspot integration — On the trial, you can connect Hubspot to build webinar analytics into your workflow (many more integrations available on paid subscriptions).
• Personalized interfaces and backgrounds — Look professional and creative, no matter where you're broadcasting from.
• Downloadable resources — Upload presentations, videos, and documents. For on-demand, automated events, you can even set up timed handouts.
• Customized branding — Run branded webinars by adding your logo to your landing page, registration page, email reminders, and event room.
• Events Showcase — Easily embed a branded showcase of your webinars on your website or share your collection online.
• 24/7 customer support — Quick, effective troubleshooting and responses so that everything runs smoothly.
• Strong security and data protection — Exclusively uses encrypted data communication channels, secure Unique Join Links, and protected storage.

🤔 Limitations:

• Free trial ends after 14 days — to keep using Demio's powerful features, you’ll need to sign up for a paid plan. The good news is that all of Demio’s plans — from Starter and Growth plans to the highest tier, Premium — are accessibly priced and feature-rich.
• You’ll need Demio Premium to access AI-powered features such as automated chat with on-demand attendees.
• The free trial doesn’t support premium integrations like Salesforce and Marketo — these are available on Premium, with extra Zapier integration services available for purchase.
• The free trial allows for a 20-person audience. Higher-tier Growth plans and Premium let you have up to 3,000 audience members, 10 people on stage, and 50 admins.
• Boost features, which encourage your registrants to drive further signups with social sharing and incentives, are only available for purchase with paid plans. 

2. Zoom

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that can be used for hosting small-scale, more basic webinars. It has a limited free plan. 

For most marketing webinar use cases, you’ll need to pay to upgrade to Zoom’s paid versions or Zoom Webinars.

🛠️ Free Features:

• Get up to 40 minutes per webinar meeting with your audience 
• Up to 100 attendees per meeting
• Chat and share files with webinar attendees 
• Mail & calendar integrations  so attendees can block off the time in their calendar

🤔 Limitations:

• 40 minutes per session means there’s limited time to engage with your audience — you’ll need a paid version to bump up the time.
• Zoom’s free version is a video conferencing tool with no access to webinar analytics, meaning you miss out on valuable insights and can't effectively target your follow-up.
• Lacks interactive features like integrated/scheduled downloads and highlighted 'featured actions'. 
• Free version lacks cloud storage, Zoom apps, and integrations with marketing tools.
• Some users say the tool can have poor video quality or often requires updates before attendees can join online meetings.

3. Google Meet

Like Zoom, Google Meet is more of a meeting/conferencing tool than a fully-fledged webinar software, though it can be used for some low-level webinar and virtual event use cases.

It offers a limited free version forever. 

🛠️ Free Features:

• Up to 100 people in a webinar with a time cap of 60 minutes.
• Use in-meeting chat to send messages to meeting participants.
• Possible to add live closed captions in a video call to view subtitles as a participant speaks in the meeting, though their accuracy varies.
• Virtual backgrounds and visual effects help limit distractions and make meetings more fun.
• Schedule a meeting in advance or set up instant meetings for people to join when ready.

🤔 Limitations:

• You need a premium plan to add more meeting participants or extend the webinar time.
• Doesn’t support integration with marketing tools and CRMs.
• Even paid plans don’t have in-depth analytics to get insights on webinar engagement and KPIs.
• Free version doesn’t allow you to record meetings. 
• Some users complain of bugs and glitches when sharing their screens or giving presentations.

4. Zoho Meeting

Zoho Meeting is a video conferencing and webinar tool with a limited free version available.

🛠️ Free Features: 

• Up to 100 attendees and 60 minutes of meeting time with basic screen-sharing features.
• Browser-based and desktop app options.
• Chat, polls, Q&A, and emoji reactions.
• Basic post-webinar analytics reports.
• Offers basic customer support for easy troubleshooting.

🤔 Limitations:

• You’ll need a paid plan to extend meeting duration and attendee numbers. 
• Free plan only includes high-level analytics — for a fuller breakdown of webinar KPIs and engagement, you’ll need to pay for one of the Zoho Webinar Plans. 
• No co-hosts on the free version. 
• You can’t customize your registration form or attendee emails on the free plan.
• No session recordings on the free plan.
• You need a paid plan for priority support.

5. Livestorm

Livestorm is a webinar platform with features like Q&As, polls, and the ability to live-stream pre-recorded videos. They offer a fully free version so you can test the tool or use it for smaller, shorter webinars.

🛠️ Free Features: 

• Host webinars up to 20 minutes/session with 30 virtual event attendees and 30 monthly active contacts (people who register for or join your event). 
• Customizable branding for your registration pages and event rooms. 
• Basic webinar analytics you can use to check your webinar success.
• Some interactive features like polls and Q&A.
• Replays available for up to 30 contacts per month.

🤔 Limitations:

• Short free webinar time — you’ll need to upgrade to premium to extend your meeting duration. 
• Just 30 attendees if you don’t purchase a subscription. 
• Free version doesn’t include integrations with premium tools like Zapier, HubSpot and Salesforce. 
• The free version only provides basic email support.
• In general, some users find the pricing model (it’s priced per contact, not just per attendee/feature) confusing and say it can push costs up. Some say the platform doesn’t provide detailed enough webinar analytics.

Getting Real Results with the Right Webinar Platform

As the demand for virtual events continues to soar, exploring free versions of webinar platforms is a strategic move for savvy marketers looking to maximize their ROI. 

Free trials and free tools are a risk-free way to test-drive features, gauge audience engagement, and refine your webinar strategy before committing to a long-term investment. 

But while free webinar platforms can be a great place to start, they often come with limitations. Restricted attendee capacity, time constraints, and a lack of advanced analytics can hinder your ability to deliver captivating experiences and gain valuable insights. 

You’ll want to make sure you choose a platform that strikes the perfect balance between robust functionality and affordability, ensuring that your marketing efforts are well-supported.

We think Demio is the right choice for most marketers. With our 14-day free trial (no credit card required), you’ll be able to unlock a comprehensive suite of features designed to elevate your webinar game. With interactive tools like polls, surveys, featured actions and handouts, plus in-depth analytics that give you a granular understanding of audience engagement, Demio makes it easy to create unforgettable virtual experiences that deliver.

But Demio's true power lies in its ability to support your marketing efforts beyond the initial free trial. With a range of affordable pricing plans Demio evolves alongside your growing needs, empowering you to scale your webinar strategy and engage your prospects, nurture your pipeline, and drive tangible results that propel your marketing efforts forward.

Frequently asked questions about free webinar platforms

Can I get a free trial of webinar platforms? 

Yes, many webinar platforms offer free trials or limited free versions of their software.  For example, Demio offers a 14-day credit-card-free trial with access to all features in their Growth plan. 

Free trials allow you to explore and test the platform's features, functionality, and user experience so you can evaluate whether a particular webinar platform aligns with your needs, budget, and objectives before committing to a paid plan. 

However, it’s important to remember that free trials may have certain limitations, such as a cap on the number of attendees, session duration, or access to advanced features.

What are the essential features to look for in a free webinar platform?

When evaluating free webinar platforms, it's crucial to look for features that will enable you to host engaging and effective webinars while providing valuable insights into your performance. 

Look for tools that include the following — 

• ‍User-friendly interface: A clean, intuitive design that is easy to navigate for both hosts and attendees, ensuring a smooth webinar experience without technical hurdles.‍
• Interactive tools: Features like polls, surveys, Q&A sessions, and chat functionality that foster audience engagement and participation throughout the webinar.‍
• Webinar analytics: Access to detailed analytics and reporting tools that provide insights into registration rates, attendance, engagement levels, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success.‍
• Branding customization: The ability to customize the webinar experience from signups to events to follow-up with your brand's logo, colors, and messaging. ‍
• Marketing integrations: Platforms that integrate with your existing marketing tools, such as CRMs, to streamline workflows and enhance lead management processes.‍
• Reliable support: Responsive and knowledgeable technical support to quickly resolve any issues or questions that may arise.‍
• Security and data protection: Robust security measures, like data encryption and secure access controls, to protect your webinars and attendee data.

By focusing on these essential features, you can maximize the value of a free webinar platform and make an informed decision about whether to upgrade to a paid subscription.