Bizzabo versus Hopin:
Which Is Best for B2B Marketers?
If you want to elevate your digital events, choosing the right platform is priority #1. This is where you'll create, run, and host your events—so making the right choice is paramount!
It's no easy task, though, because there are literally hundreds of virtual event platforms out there. If you're feeling a bit overwhelmed, we got you!
Choosing the Right Digital Event Platform
If you’re going back and forth between Bizzabo and Hopin, we’ve broken both platforms down to help you choose the right tech for your event marketing strategy.
Let’s dive in and learn more about both tools!
Bizzabo versus Hopin
Here’s a simplified breakdown of the features and functionality offered by each SaaS platform and how they stack up against each other.
Bizzabo
Bizzabo is a popular event management platform for virtual, in-person, and hybrid events. The company began in 2011 with a focus on bringing meaning to in-person events but, along with the rest of the world, shifted in 2020 to include online events as well.
Today, Bizzabo continues to expand and broaden its use cases for its "Event Experience OS," from which conference organizers can manage their internal and external events.
Lots of ways to engage with your audience
Most event platforms support live chat, interactive polls, and Q&As. Bizzabo takes it a step further with features like live reactions that allow people to chime in and let you know how they're feeling in real-time.
Solid in-person functionality
Because Bizzabo began with an in-person focus, its IRL functionality is strong. The platform's native in-person software includes flexible check-in options and customizable badge design.
Able to host pre-recorded or live webinars
Live? Pre-recorded? A mix of both? Bizzabo gives you the flexibility to change things up, as well as the ability to live stream webinars to other platforms.
Matchmaking and networking galore
Bizzabo offers a unique matchmaking engine to help attendees connect in multiple ways. This is perfect for networking events and making 1:1 introductions.
An overwhelming amount of features
While having an array of features is usually a good thing, it can be hard to learn Bizzabo's platform. Users said that even basic webinar events were complicated to set up and manage, which can make it hard to grow your strategy.
Not enough customization options
A lot of marketers also said that Bizzabo didn't allow them to customize to the extent they wanted to. This was mentioned across the board, from the event registration pages, the event stage area, and even event emails.
Off-brand agenda pages
Speaking of limited customization, Bizzabo agenda pages were another common pain point. Marketers aren’t able to change the look and feel of agendas to match their own designs, which leads to inconsistent brand experiences.
Registration-based pricing
Bizzabo’s biggest downfall is its pricing model. They currently offer registration-based pricing, which means you pay for people who might not even show up for your event. This can quickly get pricey as you scale events.
The Details: Bizzabo Pros & Cons
To summarize, here’s a simplified chart that outlines the top pros and cons of Bizzabo.
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Hopin
Now we'll take a look at Hopin!
Hopin is especially suited for large events—think more than 10,000 attendees. It was created to bring the magic of in-person events to the virtual sphere. Marketers host public and private events of all sizes on the platform, including webinars, virtual conferences, trade shows, workshops, and more.
Flexible and scalable
As we mentioned before, Hopin is a great platform for organizers hosting large events with more than 10,000 attendees, and it can be used for a variety of events.
Virtual lobby and stage
Before an event begins, you have access to a virtual lobby. Then, through the Hopin stage, you can host live and pre-recorded sessions with native engagement features such as chat, Q&A, and polls.
High-end production with StreamYard for professional live streaming
Many creators use StreamYard to create professional live streaming content that can be shared through social media platforms, including Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.
1:1 networking for event attendee matchmaking
The Networking feature on Hopin is the place for automated 1:1 meetings and is Hopin’s way of facilitating connection discovery at an event. Essentially, Hopin pairs two people over a direct video call, similar to FaceTime or Zoom.
In-person check-in and badging solution
Hopin acquired Boomset, which provides check-in and badging solutions for in-person events.
Too many bells and whistles—especially for simple events like webinars
Hopin can be overwhelming to use if you’re creating a simple webinar or a smaller event. This makes sense, as it was originally created for large-scale conferences. There's also no easy way to duplicate events for future use.
Attendees have to download an app for mobile
With Hopin, there’s no responsive website or mobile-friendly web option for attendees. Instead, people have to download a separate mobile app if they want to attend an event via their phone.
Video streaming lag for attendees
Many users report that there is a lag when it comes to video streaming, with the event audio and video not in sync for attendees.
Registration-based pricing
Pricing for the platform is based on the registrants that come to the event, which makes it hard to forecast the actual price you’d pay. Compare this to platforms like Goldcast (more on this soon!), which allows for unlimited usage.
Complex backstage area for speakers while using StreamYard
Hopin uses StreamYard (a product they acquired) as the interface for speakers. As of right now, StreamYard is not completely integrated with the Hopin backend, and the experience is often clunky for speakers who are new to the platform. Simply put, the ease of use is less than ideal.
Basic integrations with CRM and marketing automation tools
Hopin was not built for B2B companies. The integrations they do offer with MarTech tools are very basic, which makes it a less-than-ideal fit for events that involve driving MQLs and creating pipeline.
The Details: Hopin Pros & Cons
To summarize, here’s a simplified chart that outlines the top pros and cons of Hopin.
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Goldcast: The Revenue-Driven Event Marketing Platform
Remember how we mentioned Goldcast's unlimited usage pricing model?
Goldcast was built specifically for B2B marketers to host and grow their digital events programs. So far, reputable names like Mailchimp, Lattice, Drift, and Salesloft trust us with their high-quality digital events.
At Goldcast, our goal is to make it easy to set up and run your events, while providing a seamless experience for attendees and enabling you to prove event ROI.
Our native CRM integrations make it easy for you to access the analytics and insights you need.
Proven results
Rate
every month
That was the best part—we made the decision to pivot on a Friday, and I didn’t have to work or stress over it on the weekend. I knew that I’d be able to move the whole event into Goldcast on Monday. It wasn’t even a concern.
Goldcast was super easy to use compared to other platforms for both our employees as well as our guest speakers
Our MQL goals saw an increase of 20% through Goldcast’s video production capabilities. The experience was super engaging and very modern!
Create Netflix-like events and drive engagement with your prospects and customers—there's a reason Netflix is so popular, after all!
Host a ton of different B2B events, including community events, webinars, product launches, demos, field events, hybrid events, user conferences, and more
Embed CTAs and resources in an event
Engage your audience with tools like chat, polls, and Q&A in a completely customizable interface
Enhance attendee experience with sophisticated video production tools that include overlays, speaker layouts, lower thirds, and tickers
Duplicate templates so you can easily scale your events
Reach a wide range of audiences through accessibility features like captioning, subtitles, and translation in 14+ languages
Access actionable insights in the form of 16+ engagement points that are synced into CRMs and MAPs after your event
Take advantage of deep, native integrations with popular MarTech tools like HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, and more
Follow up with your sales team via Slack + Salesforce integration and let them know when prospects are interacting during your event
Access on-demand recordings within 24 hours of your event
Receive timely customer support through a dedicated customer success team with live customer support for ALL your events
Accurately predict pricing with a generous pricing model that allows multiple teams to scale digital events
Frequently Asked Questions
Want to see how easily you can start scaling your webinar program?
