Choosing a BigMarker replacement starts with naming the job: a single-speaker webinar, a multi-room virtual event with networking, or a browser studio that streams to social channels. Those are three different tools, and several options cover only one. Pick the job you run most often, then rehearse with a real guest and a recording before committing.
BigMarker's homepage now presents it as an AI-powered digital experience platform split into webinars and events, which is a useful prompt for anyone thinking of leaving. Below are nine alternatives, in no particular order, for marketers, trainers and community leads, grouped by the job each one does.
Webinars or events: decide which you're replacing
Three different jobs hide under the word webinar. A single-speaker webinar is a presentation with an audience: slides, chat, questions, a recording and a follow-up email. A multi-room virtual event is closer to a conference: an agenda, several sessions running at once, networking and often exhibitor stands.
A browser live-stream studio is something else again. It sends your show out to social channels rather than gathering people in one room, so there's no registration page and no attendee list in the usual sense.
Several tools below cover only one of those jobs, and that's fine if it's the one you need. The mistake is choosing a networking platform for a weekly sales webinar, or a streaming studio when you need registration and lead capture. Write down the event you run most often, not the one you'd like to run once a year, and judge every option against that.
The nine platforms in brief, A to Z
BigBlueButton
Best for: Teachers, trainers and schools wanting open-source virtual classroom software built for online teaching and learning rather than conferencing.
Crowdcast
Best for: Creators and marketers running online events and webinars with custom branding and layouts, which the vendor says means no switching between tools.
LiveWebinar
Best for: Hosts who want attendees to join a webinar room in the browser without installing anything, and who like to add or remove features as needed.
Remo
Best for: Conference, career fair and networking organisers who want virtual spaces where, as the vendor puts it, conversations happen naturally.
StreamYard
Best for: Presenters recording or live streaming to Facebook, YouTube and other platforms from a studio in the browser, which is a different job from a hosted webinar.
Swapcard
Best for: Associations and trade show organisers wanting registration, an event app, exhibitor tools and AI matchmaking on one platform.
WebinarGeek
Best for: Marketers and trainers who want live chat, Q&A, polls and stage participation, with the vendor promising webinars without technical barriers.
Whova
Best for: In-person, hybrid and virtual events that need an event app plus registration, agenda and speaker management together.
Zoom Webinars and Events
Best for: Organisations already using Zoom that want webinars and events with branding, production tools and analytics, from simple sessions to full broadcasts.
Webinar rooms, event venues and streaming studios
Webinar rooms. Crowdcast runs online events and webinars with branded layouts. WebinarGeek focuses on interaction, with chat, Q&A, polls and the option to bring attendees on stage. LiveWebinar lets people join in the browser without installing anything. Zoom Webinars and Events is the large incumbent and the natural one to try if your company already lives in Zoom.
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Virtual event and networking venues. Swapcard is aimed at associations and trade show organisers, with registration, an event app, exhibitor tools and AI matchmaking. Remo is built around networking, with virtual spaces for conferences and career fairs. Whova pairs an event app with registration and agenda tools across in-person, hybrid and virtual formats.
Adjacent tools. StreamYard is a live-stream studio, not a webinar platform: it records or streams your show to Facebook, YouTube and elsewhere. BigBlueButton is an open-source virtual classroom made for teaching, and as open-source software it needs hosting by you or a provider. Both are honest options for the right job and the wrong ones for a lead-generation webinar.
Nine platforms by job
| Tool | Job it does | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| BigBlueButton | Open-source virtual classroom | Online teaching and training sessions |
| Crowdcast | Online events platform | Branded webinars and online events |
| LiveWebinar | Browser webinar platform | No-download webinars with adjustable features |
| Remo | Virtual event platform | Networking, career fairs and conferences |
| StreamYard | Live-stream studio | Streaming to social channels from a browser |
| Swapcard | Event management platform | Trade shows with exhibitors and matchmaking |
| WebinarGeek | Webinar platform | Interactive webinars with polls and Q&A |
| Whova | Event app and management | Event app, agenda and speakers in one place |
| Zoom Webinars and Events | Webinar and event software | Simple webinars through to full broadcasts |
My advice on replacing a webinar platform
Choose for your audience, not for the host. If your attendees are busy buyers, the platform that lets them click a link and be in the room without a download will keep more of them. If they're members of a community, networking features matter more than slick slides. Then think about what happens afterwards: recordings, replays and getting attendee details into your email or CRM tool.
Don't sign a long contract on the strength of a demo. Webinar tools look alike until a guest speaker's audio fails or a hundred people try to join in the same minute. For broader shortlists, see my webinar software guide and my virtual event platforms list.
Your rehearsal checklist
- Invite a real guest speaker who's never used the tool and see how long they take to join with sound and camera working.
- Share slides and a short video clip, then check how both look from an attendee's screen.
- Run a poll and take a question from the audience.
- Record the session and check how soon the replay is ready and where it lives.
- Export the attendee list and see what details come with it.
If a tool stumbles in rehearsal, it'll stumble in front of your audience.
Do you make webinar or virtual event software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
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Frequently asked questions
Is a live-stream studio the same as a webinar platform?
No. A studio sends your show to social channels such as YouTube or Facebook. A webinar platform gathers registered attendees in one room, with chat, questions and an attendee list you can follow up.
Do I need a virtual event platform or a webinar tool?
If you run talks with one or two speakers, a webinar tool is enough. If you run conferences with several sessions, exhibitors and networking, look at a virtual event platform.
Can open-source software run webinars?
Open-source classroom software can host live sessions, but it's built for teaching and someone has to run it. For marketing webinars with registration pages and follow-up emails, a hosted webinar platform is usually simpler.
What should I check before moving recordings?
Download every recording you want to keep and note where each one is embedded, such as landing pages or courses. Re-upload them before you close the old account.
Do attendees need to download anything?
It depends on the tool. Browser-based rooms let people join from a link, which usually means fewer drop-outs. Check what happens on phones and on locked-down work laptops.
Can one tool cover webinars and a big annual event?
Some teams manage with one. If you run weekly webinars and one large annual event, a webinar tool plus an event platform for the big day may work better than one tool stretched over both.
