According to TrustRadius, video conferencing saw a massive boost leading up to 2020 – and we’ve been riding the wave ever since, with more companies adopting the technology every single day. It simply makes sense to conduct webinars in a more flexible way; there’s more room for a wider audience, and if anyone misses out, they can always catch up later.
Zoom was one of the frontrunners in the online video conferencing world and remains an industry giant – but it’s by no means the only player in town. While Zoom and others offer video conferencing features, GoToWebinar offers some unique features of its own.
So, how do you choose the right webinar provider? Let’s examine these professional video conferencing tools and see how they stack up against each other.
Jump to:
- What is GoToWebinar?
- What is Zoom?
- GoToWebinar vs Zoom: Main Features Comparison
- GoToWebinar vs Zoom: Main Differences
- GoToWebinar vs Zoom: Pros and Cons of Each Platform
- GoToWebinar vs Zoom: Pricing Plans
- GoToWebinar vs Zoom: Typical Customer Of Each Platform
- GoToWebinar vs Zoom: Which Tool Suits Your Business More?
- Conclusion
What is GoToWebinar?
GoToWebinar, headquartered in Boston, is a widely-used webinar platform that enables users to host online events. It primarily caters to education and marketing professionals across the globe. This versatile platform offers support in multiple languages like French, English, and more.
As part of GoToConnect’s all-in-one communication software tailored for SMBs, GoToWebinar powers over 2.8 million webinars each year. The platform comes packed with features such as custom registration pages, event management tools, webinar templates, video-sharing options, surveys for audience engagement, and many others.
Users can also personalize their materials using white-label capabilities that allow them to establish brand identity through custom logos, images, and colors.
What is Zoom?
Zoom is a popular cloud-based video conferencing platform that has transformed the way people communicate virtually. Over 45 billion webinar minutes were recorded by Zoom in 2022 alone.
With its high-definition video and audio quality, Zoom offers users a seamless experience for online meetings, webinars, and chat functions. Its user-friendly interface allows you to easily control your camera and audio settings, making it perfect for both personal and professional use.
One of the reasons behind Zoom’s popularity is its versatility. The platform can be accessed on various devices like desktops, mobile phones, or even dedicated video conferencing systems. Moreover, with features such as screen sharing and virtual backgrounds, you can customize your meeting experience to suit your preferences.
Zoom also caters to its global clientele by offering services in multiple languages such as English and Spanish.
GoToWebinar vs Zoom: main features comparison
When comparing GoToWebinar and Zoom, it’s essential to evaluate their main features and how they cater to different user needs. Both platforms provide advanced tools for hosting webinars, but each has its unique offerings.
Zoom is known for its excellent audio-visual quality, even in challenging network conditions, allowing users to adjust video settings according to their preferences. The platform also offers the “Touch up my appearance” setting for a polished look during calls.
With the Zoom App Marketplace, users can access numerous plug-ins and integrations with other platforms like Google Workplace or Epic HubSpot.
Key features of Zoom include:
- Host, co-host, panelist, and attendee roles
- Attendees join in listen-only mode
- Email reminders can be sent out to registrants
- Chat, reactions, Q&A, polling, and surveys can be used in the webinar
- Livestream to any platform
On the other hand, GoToWebinar emphasizes ease of interaction through an intuitive interface that allows attendees to raise virtual hands when they want to speak or send private messages within group chats. Screen sharing options along with video camera functionalities further enhance user experience on this app.
GoToWebinar offers toll-free local numbers from countries worldwide on its mobile app version – ensuring seamless international participation without any hassle. Available as a SaaS model; support is provided via phone calls FAQsand other online resources while navigating through various subscription plans based on individual requirements.
Key features of GoToWebinar include:
- Webcast mode: Enable 3,000 attendees to join live
- Flexible scheduling: One-time, series, or on-demand events
- Custom registration forms: Capture registrant info effectively
- Branding: Personalize materials with logo/colors/images
- Event analytics: Monitor engagement through key metrics
GoToWebinar vs Zoom: main differences
While both platforms offer robust solutions tailored towards specific use cases, GoToWebinar focuses more on large-scale events and interactivity, whereas Zoom caters to delivering high-quality communication experiences across diverse scenarios.
Here are the main differences we’ve picked up on:
- Zoom caters to a much higher attendee count
- GoToWebinar has more intuitive, user-friendly tools that most people can pick up on their own
- Zoom is more tailored and customizable to suit your specific needs
- GoToWebinar is significantly cheaper with fewer add-ons
Note that Zoom’s webinar feature is built with premium quality in mind. It’s for enterprise-level webinars that need strong, powerful infrastructure to fall back on. GoToWebinar doesn’t have the same level of structural sophistication – although its quality and connectivity receive great reviews from the existing user base.
GoToWebinar vs Zoom: pros and cons of each platform
Zoom pros
- Host up to 50,000 participants
- You can choose to unmute participants if required
- Most settings are completely customizable (registration, scheduling, Q&A, and recording options)
Zoom cons
- Participants cannot pause viewing – they have to fully exit and then be let back in
- No cloud storage for recordings on the free meeting plan
Zoom has expertly weaved its way into the webinar space – and while it can get pricey for larger organizations, its features are polished, high-quality, and reliable.
GoToWebinar pros
- An intuitive set of tools
- 24/7 customer care
- Great value for money
GoToWebinar cons
- Quality and connectivity are not as secure as Zoom
- Limited integrations
- Participants capped at 3000
GoToWebinar is the ideal webinar platform for those looking to host events with up to 3,000 participants – and if you like the style and range of features, it might be the right fit for you! But let’s weigh up the pricing plans first.
GoToWebinar vs Zoom: pricing plans
While Zoom technically has a few different pricing tiers for its regular workspaces, Webinar features are offered as an enterprise solution – so you need to have the Pro Zoom One license ($149.90/year/user) and then contact Sales to negotiate pricing based on your number of attendees (which must be 500+).
There are two other Webinar options, however:
- Zoom Sessions is available through the Pro Zoom One license and costs $990/year/license. It offers team collaboration, session branding, production tools, event hubs, analytics, and interactive features.
- Zoom Events is also available through Pro Zoom One, but costs $1490/year/license. It offers all the features of Sessions plus multi-day webinars, sponsors, and more robust networking capabilities.
You may also choose to add:
- Additional host or co-editor ($650/year)
- Event expert assistance ($300/hour)
- Translated captions ($50/year)
- Cloud storage ($120/year)
With GoToWebinar, there are four different pricing options to choose from depending on your needs:
- Lite ($59/organizer/month for 250 participants). Comes with reporting and analytics, registration, automated emails, and mobile app access, as well as Q&A functionality.
- Standard ($129/organizer/month for 500 participants). Adds payment processing, recording, and custom branding.
- Pro ($249/organizer/month for 1000 participants). Adds unlimited cloud storage, integrations, source tracking, live streaming, and more advanced video features.
- Enterprise ($499/organizer/month for 3000 participants). Adds more channel pages and allows for a much bigger audience.
You can choose to add on GoToMeeting.
As you can see, GoToWebinar is significantly cheaper than Zoom; you just need to weigh up the requirements of your webinars and decide which is better value for money. Larger webinars are going to seriously benefit from the added security and capacity Zoom provides. A smaller organization, however, may find that GoToWebinar does the job.
GoToWebinar vs Zoom: typical customer of each platform
The interesting thing about Zoom is that, on the whole, it is designed to suit any and every person. Students use it for remote classes; consultants use it for client meetings; and teams use it to collaborate.
Webinars have been added on as a feature catering specifically to larger groups, however – and while any group could technically use it, its price point means that only larger businesses, organizations, or educational institutions tend to opt for it.
GoToWebinar is the opposite; it’s designed specifically for webinars, and its price point reflects that. It’s great for small-medium-sized businesses who want to hold webinars (without the need for a full event platform) as well as any organization needing a basic solution.
GoToWebinar is also used by many higher education institutes that are looking to offer lectures remotely while maintaining some form of control over their systems.
GoToWebinar vs Zoom: which tool suits your business more?
Now that we’ve covered all the juicy details, it’s time for the verdict: which should you choose?
GoToWebinar has a few more interactive functions and capabilities at face value – and the user-friendliness is also a plus. However, Zoom has invested a lot more time and money into its base infrastructure; its quality is more reliable, and the modest list of features is expertly refined.
In saying that, GoToWebinar and Zoom are evenly matched in a lot of areas – so refer to the size of your organization and the desired reach of your webinars to decide which tool suits your specific needs.
What if neither will do?
For some organizations, neither Zoom nor GoToWebinar will be the right fit – and that’s where we enter stage left. Kaltura is our all-encompassing solution that offers a personalized and branded webinar experience. We add the fun with polls and confetti, and we maintain the sophistication with mod control, advanced analytics, and a fully-branded site.
Interested to know more? Start our 14-day free trial and see how Kaltura can transform your webinars – no strings attached.
Conclusion
Both GoToWebinar and Zoom are great options for hosting webinars. While GoToWebinar offers interactive functions and user-friendliness, Zoom provides reliable quality and a modest list of features. Considering how they cater to different user needs is crucial. Zoom offers high-quality communication experiences across diverse scenarios, while GoToWebinar focuses more on large-scale events and interaction. But why settle for one or the other when you can have both? Our Kaltura Webinars platform offers a range of unique features that prioritize interactivity and engagement, while still providing premium quality video and audio. With personalized branding options, a flexible scheduling system, and detailed event analytics, Kaltura Webinars is the perfect choice for businesses looking to host large-scale events or webinars easily.
Disappointed with today’s webinar solutions? Try Kaltura Webinars for free, today!
