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.

The Good: What Are The Top Features & Benefits of Hopin?

Here are the things people rave about the most when it comes to using Hopin.

• 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.

The Bad: What Are The Drawbacks of Hopin?

We mined popular review sites like G2, Capterra, and Trustradius to highlight the most common challenges customers experience with Hopin.

• 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 that outlines the top pros and cons of Hopin.

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.

The Revenue Driving Event Formula

Our native CRM integrations allow your sales team to find the analytics and real-time insights they need to close the deal.

The Details: Top Goldcast Features for B2B Marketers

• 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