Are you looking for a GoToWebinar review to help you decide if it’s right for your virtual event? Please keep reading for our GoToWebinar review (and a few bonus alternatives).
The Verdict of Our GoToWebinar Review:
GoToWebinar is a simple and easy to use virtual technology platform and a good choice for hosting webinars. They’re great for seminars, presentations and virtual conferences with up to 1,000 participants at a single event. 
What Types of Events Is GoToWebinar Suited To?
GoToWebinar seems best suited for small to medium-sized organizations looking for marketing tools and robust branding control. It’s slightly less automated than other platforms, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a pretty seamless operation.
Reviewing GoToWebinar Pricing: Is It Free?
GoToWebinar pricing is comparable to other virtual technology companies. They offer a free one-week trial.
- Paid plans begin at $49 monthly, with the Starter plan that allows you to host events with up to 100 participants.
- The Standard plan can handle up to 250 conference participants for $99 monthly.
- The Pro plan charges $199 for up to 500 participants.
- If you still need more, GoToWebinar’s Enterprise plan allows you to have up to 3,000 participants for $399 monthly.
GoToWebinar Features Review
GoToWebinar features include:
- You can generate key data reports, such as attendance and source tracking.
- Customer engagement tools including webcams, polls, and live/ video chat.
- It’s user friendly and suitable for novices to the world of virtual events.
- Participants have the option of direct interaction with presenters through chat or “raising their hand” virtually.
- Presenters can participate remotely from any location, from all standard devices.
- Remote access and support opens up your event to the potential of being truly global.
Pros
- It’s compatible with multiple CRMs and marketing tools.
- It makes tracking customer engagement easy, with a dashboard providing detailed information on engagement type, plus webcams, polls, and other tools.
- You can pre-record events for delayed or on-demand viewing.
- Branding and marketing tools, and analytics that are some of the best on the market.
- Their TimeZone tracking feature makes having an event across multiple time zones a breeze.
Cons
- GoToWebinar’s frequent improvements mean you’ll have to update your software often, which can be frustrating, especially if you’re on a tight schedule.
- Some users report finding the settings annoying, and the login process to be clunky.
- While the recording quality is decent, it’s not exceptional.
- The desktop interface works well but feels rather old-school and outdated. Functionality gets an A+, but the design could use an overhaul.
What’s the Difference Between GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar
GoToMeeting is part of the GoTo line of technology products and is a web-based video conferencing tool with a desktop-sharing ability. GoToMeeting is a useful tool for organizations with frequent presentations, meetings, or conference calls. Users can schedule meetings via desktop or mobile.
The main difference between GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar is that using GoToMeeting can be a spur of the moment thing, great when the need for connecting face to face pops up unannounced. GoToWebinar on the other hand is not instant; it requires careful pre-planning and organization to set up the more robust virtual event platform.
GoToMeeting pricing includes a basic-feature free plan for a team of no more than three participants.
- Their Starter Package is $19 monthly for up to 10 participants.
- Their Pro Package will set you back $29 monthly and allow you to have up to 50 participants.
- GoToMeeting’s Plus Package goes for $49 monthly and allows up to 100 participants.
What Do Online Reviews Say About GoToWebinar?
With more than 550 reviews, GoToWebinar scores a 4 out of 5 available stars on G2
Capterra gave the following rankings:
- Overall, 4.5 out of 5 available stars and more than 1,200 reviews
- Ease of use earned a 4 out of 5 available stars
- Customer Service earned 4.3 out of 5 available stars
5 GoToWebinar Alternatives for Virtual Events
Here are the top 5 GoToWebinar Alternatives for Virtual Events. In the reviews, we look at ease-of-use, features, and ideal event types.
Alternative #1) ON24
ON24 is at it’s best when used as a webinar solution. So, great as GoToWebinar alternative. ON24 can also host on-demand content. It also scores well on live webinars aspects.
The ON24 platform is easy to use. However, it lacks certain virtual event features. Think of it as a broadcast platform. But, it is not a two-way engagement platform. If you have questions next to content, ON24 is not the best choice. Speakers can’t easily get feedback. Thus, if you are looking for more than a webinar, look elsewhere.
It is good to note that security is taken care of quite well. ON24 encrypts all sensitive information in transit. In addition, the data on their databases is encrypted too.
Considering ON24 as GoToWebinar alternative? Check out our complete ON24 review for more insights.
We also looked at 5 alternatives to ON24.
G2 Score: 4.2 (690 reviews)
Alternative #2 SpotMe
SpotMe is truly all about audience engagement. It is built to deliver an event experience. Something which other tools cannot deliver.
First of all, the platform creates experiences that last. It combines live features such as clapping, and Q&A with on-demand. Secondly, the platform scores high on ease-of-use and being adaptable. Part of the reason is the ease at joining it to other tools. Popular marketing and sales tools are connected in no-time. Lastly, they support virtual booths, networking, and personalized agendas. These help to enhance your virtual event.
Virtual events and conferences use breakout sessions. These sessions go deeper into certain subjects. This platform does a fantastic job of supporting this type of event.
SpotMe has earned its spot in the list of GoToWebinar alternatives. It’s the complete virtual event package that keeps your audience engaged.
G2 Score: 4.6 (100 reviews)
Alternative #3) Livestorm
Livestorm is a simple but useful live streaming platform for webinars. As a GoToWebinar alternative, this one can’t be missed.
Livestorm fits perfectly for the basic webinar needs. It is easy to use and the quality is high. It integrates with live streaming platforms such as YouTube and Facebook Live. In addition, it is easy to connect to marketing platforms. Think of Slack, HubSpot, and others that are so common these days.
Livestorm features can turn a webinar into an event. It has polling and Q&A. But, it is not a virtual event solution. It truly aims at the webinar experience. The pricing of Livestorm is quite competitive. It offers a basic package for free. This pack is only for webinars up to 20 minutes. The Premium pack goes for $89 per month.
Livestorm is a good GoToWebinar alternative. Look further if you want to take advantage of virtual event features.
G2 score: 4.6 (121 reviews)
Alternative #4) Zoho
Zoho is a like for like GoToWebinar alternative. If you’ve been looking around for a webinar tool, Zoho probably popped up. It has attractive prices and the interface is clean and easy to use.
However, for virtual events, Zoho might not be your choice. It supports basic features such as screen sharing, registration, and reminders. The tool supports webinars up to 250 attendees. Thus, if you’re organizing a smaller webinar, this could be a good choice.
The Zoho platform is chosen for simple use and low price. You won’t have to download anything. You just access Zoho through your browser. Strong as GoToWebinar alternative for small events.
G2 Score: 4.5 (546 reviews)
Alternative #5) Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect is a collaboration platform. It tailors the experience for each session. As such, it’s quite popular for lectures and training. Sessions can be made interactive through chat and whiteboards.
The platform supports up to 1,000 participants. Breakout sessions only have a capacity of up to 100 people. This isn’t great for the bigger conferences and events. This tool is for small events where collaboration is key.
Adobe Connect is a good GoToWebinar alternative. However, you will need to add features to make it a virtual event. These are mainly coming from other vendors. Keep in mind that this might add to your total cost.
Want to know more about Adobe Connect? We did a full Adobe Connect review!
We also look at 5 alternatives to Adobe Connect.
G2 Score: 4.1 (553 reviews)
Want to know more about Virtual Event Platforms?
- Read our essential virtual event RFP guide – complete with free template
- Compare the best virtual event platforms on the market
- Discover the best virtual conference platforms
Disclaimer: This review is provided by SpotMe. While we are a marketing event management software vendor, our reviews aim to help buyers make better informed decisions by providing honest feedback about the product being reviewed. SpotMe’s reviews are not used to deliberately promote or disparage any software vendor’ products and to the best of our knowledge the information contained herein is recent, relevant and objective.
