Hopin Session and Hopin Events have been acquired by RingCentral. That leaves some level of uncertainty as to how these products will fit into RingCentral’s overall B2C communication solution. Fortunately, Goldcast has an alternative that is purpose-built for B2B marketers to drive revenue with events, from small webinars to larger conferences.
Selecting the right digital event platform for your company is a big deal. The platform you choose will affect not just your actual events but your ability to grow your pipeline and hit revenue goals.
You also want a partner you can count on right now that will still grow with you over time. That adds in another layer of complexity, as some tools are well-suited for where you are now but may not be able to scale with you in the future.
Choosing the Right Digital Event Platform
If you're stuck between Goldcast and Hopin, we're going to break down the similarities and differences to help you find your perfect fit between the two!
Goldcast Versus Hopin
Here’s a quick breakdown of important features and functionality offered by both SaaS platforms and how they compare.
Hopin
Hopin's founders originally created the platform because they wanted to bring the magic of in-person events to the virtual space. Today, it's a good choice for large events with more than 10,000 people, although it can be used for public and private events of all sizes.
Can be used for a variety of events
Hopin really shines when it comes to large events with more than 10,000 attendees. However, it can also be used for a number of different events, including trade shows, film festivals, university recruiting events, and more.
Virtual stage for sessions
Through the Hopin virtual 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
Through Hopin's relationship with StreamYard, creators can create professional live streaming content and share it through social media platforms.
1:1 networking for event attendee matchmaking
Remember how Hopin began to bring the magic of in-person to the virtual world? Their networking features are a place they try to do that by facilitating connection discovery.
In-person check-in and badging solution
Hopin acquired Boomset, which provides check-in and badging solutions for in-person events.
An overload of features
Hopin has a lot of functionality, which can be a double-edged sword. It can be overwhelming to use, especially if you’re creating a simple webinar or a smaller event. This makes sense because Hopin was originally created for large-scale conferences.
Can't access events through mobile web browsers
Similar to Zoom, there is no way for Hopin attendees to access events through their phone web browser. They instead have to download a separate mobile app if they want to attend via phone, which can be annoying.
Video streaming lags
Many people reported a video streaming lag, with the event audio and video not in sync for attendees.
Hard-to-forecast pricing model
Hopin's pricing is based on the registrants that actually show up to the event, which makes it hard to forecast the actual price you’d pay compared to platforms like Goldcast, which allow for unlimited usage.
Complex backstage area for speakers while using StreamYard
We mentioned StreamYard earlier; this is Hopin's speaker interface. It's not completely integrated with the Hopin backend, and customers have noted the experience is often clunky for speakers who are new to the platform.
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 not a less-than-ideal option for events seeking to drive leads and pipeline.
The Details: Hopin Pros & Cons
To summarize, here’s a simplified chart outlining Hopin's top pros and cons.
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Goldcast: The Revenue-Driven Event Marketing Platform
Goldcast is a solid alternative to Hopin. Goldcast was built with B2B marketers in mind and allows event organizers to run and scale engaging virtual events. We work with companies like 1Password, Mailchimp, Lattice, Drift, Salesloft, and more to do just that.
At Goldcast, we aim to help you provide a seamless, jaw-dropping experience for attendees. We also give you the info you need to enable your sales team and prove event ROI after the fact.
Our native CRM integrations allow your sales team to find the analytics and real-time insights they need to close the deal.
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!
Goldcast is built for B2B marketers who want to create Netflix-like events and drive engagement with their prospects and customers. We take the guesswork out of events so you can focus on what matters most.
Flexible for a plethora of B2B use cases, which include community events, webinars, product launches, demos, field events, hybrid events, user conferences, and more
Ability to embed CTAs and resources in an event
Plenty of engagement features like chat, polls, and Q&A in a completely customizable interface—that means events are "on brand" for your brand, not ours
Sophisticated video conferencing and production tools that include overlays, speaker layouts, lower thirds, and tickers for an enhanced attendee experience
Duplicate templates so you can easily scale your events
Accessible to a wide range of audiences—captioning, subtitles, and translation in 14+ languages allow you to grow your audience across the globe
Actionable insights in the form of 16+ engagement points that are synced into CRMs and MAPs after your event
Deep, native integrations with popular MarTech tools like HubSpot, Marketo, Pardot, and more make it easy to move between platforms
Accurate follow-ups with Slack + Salesforce integration help you give your sales team valuable info on prospects
On-demand access to all recordings is ready within 24 hours
Dedicated customer success team with live customer support for ALL your events—because there's nothing worse than needing help during an event and not being able to get it
Generous pricing model allows multiple teams to scale digital events
Frequently Asked Questions
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