The right virtual event platform depends on one thing: how big and how complicated your event is. A multi-day conference with exhibitors and parallel sessions needs an enterprise tool like Zoom Events, vFairs or Webex. A paid workshop, coaching call or small ticketed event needs something much lighter, ideally a single page where people find you, pay and show up. This guide compares both kinds so you can match the tool to the event.
TL;DR
- A virtual event platform is built for multi-session, interactive events with registration, networking and analytics. Plain video calls are not.
- Large conferences and trade shows fit enterprise platforms such as Zoom Events, vFairs, Webex Events and RingCentral Events, plus networking-first tools like Remo.
- Solo creators, coaches and small teams usually need ticketing, payment and a landing page more than a virtual expo hall.
- Constants sells event tickets, 1:1 bookings, digital products and memberships from one page. It charges a 6% platform fee on one-time sales and 10% on memberships, plus separate Stripe card processing.
- Pick on event size, interaction type, ease of use for attendees and what you will pay in fees, not on feature count.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Virtual Event Platform?
- Types of Online Events These Platforms Host
- Video Calls, Webinar Tools and Event Platforms Compared
- Best Virtual Event Platforms Compared
- Where Constants Fits for Workshops and Paid Events
- What Does It Cost to Run a Virtual Event?
- How to Choose a Virtual Event Platform
- Features That Matter for Online Workshops
- Keeping Attendees Engaged During a Live Event
- Hybrid Events and Coordinating the Logistics
- Measuring Results After the Event
- Sell Your Next Event From One Page
- FAQ
- Sources
What Is a Virtual Event Platform?
A virtual event platform is software for creating and hosting interactive online events. It combines content, participation, networking and event management in one place. Vendors describe the use cases as conferences, trade shows, career fairs, workshops, product launches, internal events and hybrid events, according to Remo's guide.
The difference from a video call is the venue. A call gives you a room. An event platform gives you registration, a schedule, several sessions running at once, places to network, sponsor or exhibitor areas and reporting on what attendees did. If all you need is a room, a video tool is enough. If you need people to register, pay, choose sessions and talk to each other, you need more.
That is why the same keyword attracts two very different buyers. A corporate events team wants a branded conference environment. A coach wants a way to sell 40 seats to a Saturday workshop. Both are searching for the same words, and they need different software.
Types of Online Events These Platforms Host
The main formats look like this:
- Conferences and summits with multiple sessions and speakers.
- Trade shows and career fairs with booths and exhibitor chat.
- Webinars and webcasts where a few people talk to many.
- Workshops and trainings with breakout rooms and exercises.
- Product launches and internal company events.
- Hybrid events that combine an in-room audience with remote attendees.
Each format pushes you toward different features. Webinars need strong broadcast and Q&A. Workshops need small-group interaction. Trade shows need booths and lead capture. If you are unsure whether your event is a webinar or a workshop, our guide on picking between a webinar and a workshop walks through the decision.
Video Calls, Webinar Tools and Event Platforms Compared
It helps to separate three tool categories before you compare brands.
Video conferencing tools are built so everyone can talk. They work well for meetings, small workshops and coaching sessions. Webinar tools are built so one or a few presenters talk to a larger audience, with polls, Q&A and registration pages. Event platforms add multiple stages, ticket types, networking and on-demand libraries, and are meant for larger, multi-session programs.
You do not always need the biggest category. Many creators run a paid workshop with a video call tool and a ticket page, and that setup is cheaper and easier for attendees to use. Move up to a full event platform when you have several tracks, sponsors or exhibitors, or an audience large enough that one room stops working.
Best Virtual Event Platforms Compared
According to G2 review data from July 2026, the leading platforms for 2026 include Zoom Events and Webinars, vFairs, Webex Events and Webinars, RingCentral Events and Remo Conference. Here is how they differ in practice. Pricing for most of these is quote-based or tiered by organizer, attendee count or event format, so check each vendor's own pricing page for current numbers.
| Platform | Best known for | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|
| Zoom Events and Webinars | Large webinars, multi-session stages, ticket types | Teams already on Zoom who want to scale up |
| vFairs | Immersive 3D virtual environments, in-person, hybrid and virtual events | Trade shows, career fairs and large corporate events |
| Webex Events and Webinars | Enterprise-grade security and hybrid event support | Large organizations with security requirements |
| RingCentral Events | Webinars, virtual conferences and hybrid events for marketing teams | Marketing teams running recurring programs |
| Remo Conference | Networking-focused events and community building | Events where attendee-to-attendee conversation is the point |
| Constants | One page for tickets, bookings, products and memberships | Creators, coaches and small teams selling their own events |
Zoom Events and Webinars
Zoom is the familiar name, which matters because attendees already know how to join. The product line runs from webinars up to Zoom Events, which adds multi-session stages, ticket types and networking. It is a natural step if your team already meets on Zoom and your event is a webinar series or a conference with several tracks.
vFairs
vFairs focuses on event management across in-person, hybrid and virtual formats, with event websites, registration, speaker and exhibitor portals and reporting. Pricing is customized by event format and expected volume. It fits organizers running trade shows, career fairs or conferences with exhibitors. It is more than a solo coach needs.
Webex Events and Webinars
Webex is a common pick when security and compliance lead the buying decision, particularly for companies that already use Cisco collaboration tools. It supports very large audiences and hybrid setups.
RingCentral Events
RingCentral Events targets marketing teams that run webinars, virtual conferences and hybrid events on a recurring basis. Plans are priced per organizer, so cost scales with the number of people running events rather than per event.
Remo Conference
Remo is built around networking and community. If your goal is for attendees to move between tables and meet each other, it is worth a look. It is a stronger fit than a webinar tool for that specific goal.
Constants
Constants is different in kind. It is not a conference venue with virtual expo floors. It is a one-page business hub at constants.com/yourname that combines a link-in-bio landing page with a shop for digital products, calendar-based 1:1 bookings, event tickets and recurring memberships, plus a community, analytics and a notes workspace. For a creator, coach or small team selling workshops and live sessions, that covers the selling side in one place. We cover this in more detail below.
Where Constants Fits for Workshops and Paid Events
Most creators who search for virtual event platforms are not planning a 5,000-person summit. They are planning a workshop, a live Q&A, a cohort kickoff or a ticketed masterclass. The hard parts of that are not the virtual expo hall. They are getting a page up, taking payment, keeping a list of who bought and following up afterward.
With Constants, you sell event tickets from your own page, and the same page can also hold a recording as a digital product, 1:1 bookings for people who want follow-up time with you and a membership for ongoing access. The free Starter plan can sell from day one. Premium is $29.99 a month. You can see both on the pricing page.
Here is a hypothetical example. A fitness coach runs a monthly mobility workshop. She sells tickets to the live session, offers the recording as a digital product afterward, lets clients book a 1:1 form check from her calendar and runs a membership for people who want the workshop every month. All of that sits on one page rather than four tools. You run the session itself with the video tool you already prefer.
If you want to go deeper on the mechanics, see our guides to selling live webinars, building a webinar landing page and pricing a webinar after fees.
When an enterprise platform is the better fit
If you are running a conference with exhibitors, sponsor booths, parallel tracks or thousands of attendees, a dedicated platform like vFairs, Zoom Events or Webex is the better fit. Those tools are designed for that scale. Constants is designed for individuals and small teams selling their own offers.
What Does It Cost to Run a Virtual Event?
Cost has two layers: the software and the fees on what you sell.
Enterprise platforms usually price by organizer, attendee volume or event format, and many ask you to request a quote. That suits organizations with a budget line for events. It is harder to justify for a workshop that earns a few hundred dollars.
For creators, the fee structure matters more than the sticker price. On Constants, every plan carries a 6% platform fee on one-time sales, which covers digital products, bookings and event tickets, and 10% on memberships. Stripe card processing is separate and charged by Stripe. Here is a hypothetical: you sell 30 tickets at $50. That is $1,500 in sales. The 6% platform fee is $90, and Stripe's processing charge comes on top. Work through your own numbers before you set a ticket price, and our webinar pricing guide shows how to price after fees.
How to Choose a Virtual Event Platform
Work through these criteria in order.
- Event size. Count the realistic attendee number, not the best case. A platform should handle your event without forcing a switch later, but you should not pay for 10,000 seats when you expect 50.
- Number of sessions. One session points to a webinar or video tool. Several tracks at once point to an event platform.
- Interaction type. Workshops need breakout rooms and exercises. Webinars need polls and Q&A. Networking events need attendee matching or open tables.
- Registration and payment. If you charge for entry, check how tickets are sold, how payment works and what fees apply.
- Attendee ease of use. Every extra login or download costs you attendance. A simple interface beats a long feature list.
- Analytics. You want to know who registered, who showed up and what they did, so the next event is better.
- Support. Large events benefit from vendor help. Small ones need clear setup and quick answers.
The core features most buyer guides list are live streaming, registration and ticketing, audience engagement tools, networking, analytics and security. Rank them for your event rather than trying to get all of them.
Features That Matter for Online Workshops
For workshops, simplicity wins. Pick a tool that lets people join in one click and supports the interaction your exercises need, such as breakout rooms. Test it before the day on a realistic connection, not just office fiber, and check that it works on phones, since a meaningful share of attendees often join from mobile.
The selling side matters just as much. A workshop with a clear landing page sells better than one announced in a single social post. Include the date and time with time zone, what people will leave with, who it is for and the price. Our webinar landing page guide covers what to put on that page.
Keeping Attendees Engaged During a Live Event
Engagement is a planning problem, not a software feature. Whatever platform you use, a few habits work:
- Change the format every 10 to 15 minutes: talk, poll, question, exercise.
- Use polls and Q&A so quiet attendees can take part without speaking.
- Assign a moderator to watch chat and pull out the best questions, so you can keep teaching.
- Open the room a few minutes early and greet people by name.
Engagement also continues after the event. A community or membership gives attendees a place to keep talking, which is where repeat buyers come from. Our guide on community engagement strategies creators can run without a big team goes through what to post and how often.
Hybrid Events and Coordinating the Logistics
Hybrid events let in-person and remote attendees share the same agenda. The extra work is logistics: venue, travel, schedules and documents for the people who are in the room. If your organizers and speakers are traveling to a physical location, collaborative trip planning keeps flights, hotels and bookings in one shared timeline so nobody is chasing confirmation emails the week before.
Measuring Results After the Event
Track three numbers every time: registrations, attendance rate and what attendees bought or did afterward. Enterprise platforms report on logins, session views, chat and booth visits. For a creator, the simpler version is enough: tickets sold, replay sales, bookings made and new members. Compare events against each other, and change one thing at a time. Our guide to landing page analytics for creators shows a quick check that tells you whether your event page is converting.
The category is growing, too. Fortune Business Insights valued the global virtual event platform market at USD 17.44 billion in 2025 and projects USD 56.93 billion by 2034, so expect more tools and more change in features over time.
Sell Your Next Event From One Page
If you run workshops, live sessions or small events, you do not need a conference venue. You need a page that sells tickets, takes bookings and keeps buyers in one place. On Constants you can set that up on the free Starter plan, then add Premium at $29.99 a month if you want more.
Build the page at constants.com/yourname, add your event tickets, add a recording as a digital product and offer a membership for the people who want more. Platform fees are 6% on one-time sales and 10% on memberships, with Stripe processing separate.
FAQ
What are the best virtual event platforms?
For large conferences and trade shows, G2 review data points to Zoom Events and Webinars, vFairs, Webex Events and Webinars, RingCentral Events and Remo Conference. For creators and coaches selling their own workshops and tickets, Constants gives you tickets, bookings, products and memberships on one page. The best choice depends on your event size and goal.
Are there any free virtual event platforms?
Some video tools have free tiers, and many event platforms offer demos rather than free plans. On Constants, the Starter plan is free and can sell from day one. A 6% platform fee applies to one-time sales and 10% to memberships, and Stripe processing is separate.
What is the difference between a webinar tool and a virtual event platform?
A webinar tool is designed for one or a few presenters speaking to an audience, with polls and Q&A. A virtual event platform adds multiple sessions, ticket types, networking, exhibitor areas and analytics across a whole program. Pick a webinar tool for a single session and an event platform for a multi-track event.
How do I choose a platform for an online workshop?
Start with a simple interface and the interaction your exercises need, such as breakout rooms. Test on a realistic connection and on a phone. Then set up a clear page that sells tickets and tells people what they will get.
Sources
- 5 Best Virtual Event Platform Tools I'd Use Again in 2026, G2
- Virtual Event Platform Market Size, Share and Forecast, Fortune Business Insights
- Collaborative Trip Planning with Tineo
- What Is a Virtual Event Platform? Remo