15 Best Live Online Webinar Software for 2018 (Free Paid)

Webinars
can be a great way to generate interest in your product or service. They can
also be used for training, group meetings, and product launches. But finding
the right webinar software can be a challenge.

With the right webinar tools, you can engage your audience and create a meaningful connection with webinar participants. So, it's important to choose carefully.

In
this article, I provide an overview of over 15 of the best free and premium
online webinar software available. I'll also discuss some features you may wish
to look for in your choice of webinar software. You'll also learn a little about
what makes a great webinar and I'll direct you to additional resources to help
you learn even more about webinars.

How to Find the Right Webinar Tools for You

Whether
you're a business, an organization, a start-up, or an individual—you
want to find the right webinar software for your needs. However, webinar needs
vary depending on why you're planning a webinar. In this section I list some of
the common features that businesses and others look for when selecting webinar
software. Your own needs may vary.

Here are some features and capabilities that you
might want in your webinar tool:

1. 
   Security. Depending
   on the purpose of your webinar tool, you may want to limit access to your
   webinar. You may also wish to keep the list of attendees private as well as
   their contact information. If you charge for your webinar, you'll want to keep attendee
   payment information secure.


2. 
   Number of attendees. Many
   webinar platforms determine the pricing partially based on the number of
   webinar attendees. This makes sense since more attendees require more resources.
   You'll want to choose a webinar platform that can accommodate both the planned
   number of attendees and your budget.


3. 
   Audience engagement. The
   difference between a great webinar and a boring webinar is often the degree of
   audience engagement. Good webinar software includes tools to help you interact
   with your audience such as the ability to use chat, polls and questionnaires,
   and Q&A sessions during your webinar.


4. 
   Screen sharing. The
   ability to show your attendees what's on your screen can be important for
   training webinars. The feature is also helpful if you're using your webinar to
   market software or online tools. Consider carefully whether you need this
   feature in your webinar software tool.


5. 
   Record. Many
   webinar hosts want the ability to record the webinar. This can be helpful if
   you want to review the webinar. You may also wish to reshare the webinar
   recording on your website or online. Some webinar tools automatically record
   webinars.


6. 
   Analytics. The
   ability to measure and track data related to your webinar can be useful. But be
   careful when selecting a webinar platform that offers this feature. Make sure
   that the analytics offered measure what you need them to measure.


7. 
   Technical Support. When
   selecting any online or software tool it's important to consider the availability
   of technical support. Technical support can be helpful if something goes wrong
   or if you just have a question as you're setting your webinar up.

These
are just some of the features you may want to consider when you do a webinar
software comparison. Now that we've discussed what to look for in a webinar
tool, let's take a look at what makes a great webinar.

What
Makes a Great Webinar?

If
you're planning a webinar, you want to make sure that your webinar is
successful. In fact, you want your webinar to be great.

Here
are four things you need to do to create a great webinar experience:

1. 
   Focus on your audience. First
   of all, make sure you understand who you're trying to communicate with in your
   webinar. Find out what they already know and what they need to know and offer
   it to them in an engaging fashion.


2. 
   Deliver top-notch content. Make
   sure your webinar offers current information that's useful and relevant for your
   audience. Do the research necessary to provide them with information they can
   actually use.


3. 
   Plan and practice. If
   your webinar is going to be live, plan it for a time when you know that most of
   your intended audience will be available. Once you've set up a time and created
   your live webinar content, be sure to practice going through it.


4. 
   Promote. Now
   that you've got a webinar planned, you need to promote it. Send out registration
   invites through email, social media, and other tools. It's also helpful to send
   reminders slightly before the webinar to those who're registered to attend.
   
   

Do you want to learn more about creating a great webinar
experience? Here are some tutorials that'll help:

• Sales
  
  
  How to Plan & Create Sales Webinars That Convert
  
  
  Brenda Barron


• Live Streaming
  
  
  Thinking of Getting Into Live Video Streaming? Here's Where to Start
  
  
  Harry Guinness


• Screencasts
  
  
  How to Go Live! Why Artists Should Create Live Streams and Screencasts
  
  
  Melody Nieves


• Webinars
  
  
  How to Create Webinar Landing Pages (That Get Registrations)
  
  
  Brenda Barron

Start With a Great Slideshow

In
many cases, you'll want to incorporate a slideshow into your webinar. Just as with
a live presentation, a good slideshow can convey information effectively during
a webinar.

In
order to create an attention-getting slideshow, you'll want to use a
professionally designed slideshow template. The best way to do that is to
choose a top-notch provider that offers proven presentation
templates such
as Envato Elements.

For a low monthly cost, you can choose between hundreds of different
attention-getting slideshow templates. With Envato Elements, you download as many
templates as you need as many times as you need to. You'll have access to other
digital assets as well such as professionally-designed WordPress themes, video
tutorials, and more.

If all
you want is single professionally-designed
slideshow template, GraphicRiver
is a great option. Browse through the myriad of eye-catching slideshow
templates and download the one you want for a reasonable one-time fee.

Live
Online Webinar Software Tools

Here's
an overview of some of best webinar software tools we could find for you to
examine. I've outlined some of the top features for each webinar tool here, but
most of these tools contain additional features as well.

1. Google+ Hangouts

When
it comes to free webinar software, Google Hangouts is one of your best options
if you're on a limited budget. Classic Google Hangouts is still available and
may be able to meet a lot your webinar needs. All you need is a Google Account,
which you've already got if
you've got a Gmail account. Classic
Google Hangouts can accommodate up to 25 people. It works on multiple platforms.
You can manage who accesses your hangout through your calendar or by
controlling who you invite.

(For
G Suite customers, however, Google Hangouts has recently been split into Google
Hangouts Chat and Hangouts Meet.)

To learn more about Google Hangouts, refer to our tutorial: 

• Video Conferencing
  
  
  Create and Host a Webinar for Free Using Google+ Hangouts
  
  
  Stef Gonzaga

2. Facebook
Live

Another
free webinar software option is Facebook live. Nearly everyone has a Facebook
account these days, so using Facebook Live makes sense. As you broadcast, your
Facebook followers and friends will be able to see your live video. When you're done broadcasting, the video will be published to your Facebook page or
profile—which
means it could continue to get your message out there long after your webinar
is over. If you need to, you can determine who sees your webinar video by
publishing it as a secret video (which means that only people who've got the
webinar URL will be able access them).

3. YouTube Live

You
may not think of it as a free webinar service, but YouTube live can be used to
host webinars. First of all, Google Hangouts can integrate with YouTube, so you
could expand your Google Hangouts audience by streaming it through YouTube. In fact, some premium webinar tools actually
use YouTube in the background. When you're finished streaming your video, you
can choose to publish it. For some tools to help you produce a better YouTube
webinar, review the following tutorial:

• Video
  
  
  10 Top Products for YouTube Live Video Creators
  
  
  Andrew Childress

4. Skype Group
Calls

Your
company or organization may already by using Skype for IMs or phone calls, so
making use of it for webinars could make sense. In a Skype group call, you can
include up to 25 people in your webinar. Up to nine people can participate in a
group video call. With the Skype Meeting
Broadcast feature (part of Skype for business) you can broadcast your webinar
to as many as 10,000 people at once. Another cool Skype feature that could be
useful is screen sharing. You can let your webinar participants see exactly
what you're doing.

5. Cisco Webex

Cisco
Webex is one of the more popular online meeting and event hosting tools. With
Webex you get specific tools for exactly what you want to do. Choose between
hosting events for as many as 3,000 people, meetings for up to 40,000 people,
or training (including testing and grading) for up to 1,000. You can share your screen with participants. Control who accesses the webinar by setting up a personal meeting room. The Webex webinar
tool also includes technical support.

6. Blackboard Collaborate 

If
you've recently taken classes, you may already be familiar with Blackboard as a
training tool. But what many people don't know is that Blackboard has solutions
for businesses including web conferencing software. If the purpose of your
webinar is training, this is an excellent option. It lets you manage webinar
registration, create a training plan, integrate video, and more.

7. GoToWebinar

GoToWebinar
is well-known for their online meeting software. Their online software tool is
just as reliable and just as popular. There are three levels of this tool
available, based on the number of webinar participants. If you need to keep a
lot of information about your webinar, this is a good tool since all levels
include reports and analytics. The webinar tool also includes some nice features
such as the ability to create polls, include handouts, and have a Q&A
session. Plus, record your webinar locally or online.

8. Livestream

Livestream
is exactly what it sounds like: a livestreaming tool. But, it's also useful as
webinar software because it includes the ability to conduct a real-time
moderated chat. It's also useful if you want to stream to Facebook Live or
YouTube. And it includes analytics. One of the nice things about this webinar
software is that training and support are available. 

9. WebinarJam 

Another
one of the popular webinar platforms is WebinarJam. This easy-to-use webinar
tool lets you control who participates in your webinar with password-protected
webinar rooms. Boost your audience engagement using interactive tools like
polls and chat. Also, WebinarJam automatically records your webinar. And you
can get webinar analytics such as sales tracking, making it a great tool for
marketing webinars. As a premium webinar tool, support is available.

10. EverWebinar 

If
you're looking for automated webinar software, EverWebinar (from the makers of WebinarJam) may be what you
need. The automated webinars you set up
with EverWebinar will seem like live webinars. Autoresponders are built in to this
webinar too. Or, you can choose to do an automated webinar with a live chat moderator.
The tool includes analytics and tracking. Plus, support is available to help
setting up your automated webinar go smoothly.

11. Zoom 

Zoom
is a good webinar tool if you're on a budget, especially if the webinars you
need to host are relatively short. At its most basic level Zoom webinar
software is free. At the basic level you can host up to 100 participants and
hold up to a 40-minute group meeting. For longer meetings or more participants,
several premium plans are available. Zoom video conferencing features include
simultaneous screen share and you can set up breakout rooms. Online support is
available, even at the free level.

12. ClickMeeting

The
ClickMeeting webinar tool has a variety of plans available based on the number
attenders you expect, up to 5000 attendees. This tool lets you create polls and surveys, has chat features, allows
for screen sharing. It lets you track webinar statistics. Another nice feature
is desktop sharing. And you can record your webinar as well.

13. Demio 

When
reviewing webinar platforms, you'll want to look at Demio. This software offers a
variety of plans based on webinar attendees. Choose a plan ranging from 100
attendees to 1000 attendees (and possibly more). You can share your screen,
conduct polls and surveys, and more. This tool also records your webinars automatically.
Analytics are also included. 24/7 technical support is available, even at the
most basic level.  

14. Livestorm

Another
one of the best webinar software tools out there is Livestorm. This webinar
software can accommodate anywhere from 89 to 500 attendees, based on the plan
you choose. It includes many opportunities for audience engagement including chat,
pools, and Q&A. It also supports screensharing. Limit who can access your
webinar by setting it up as private. Webinar analytics are included. 

15. MegaMeeting 

MegaMeeting
v.4 webinar software is currently in beta, but it's got some promising features
so it deserves a place on our list. It includes screen sharing, chat, and
recording. It also features secure connections with end-to-end encryption and
other security features as well.

16. WebinarNinja

WebinarNinja
has a plan for anywhere from 100 to 1000 attendees. You can also create automated webinars with any plan for an unlimited number of attendees. Auto
recording is also included with all webinar software packages as is the ability to
share screens and incorporate other interactive features such as polls and
Q&A. All plans also include technical support.

Conclusion

You've just explored
webinar software tools. We've explored what features you may want in a webinar
tool as well as how to create a great webinar. You've also learned about over
15 different webinar tools, including some free webinar software. You're ready
to do a webinar software comparison and then it's time to go ahead and start
planning your webinar. Good luck!