Last updated: 2026-01-15

For most people in the U.S., the easiest way to host a webinar-style event for free is to use StreamYard’s free studio to produce a professional live stream and send people to an unlisted YouTube link. If you need built‑in registration pages, automated reminder emails, and an embedded, gated watch page, you’ll move into paid webinar plans on StreamYard or other platforms.

Summary

• You can absolutely run a legit, professional webinar for free using StreamYard’s studio plus a free destination like YouTube.
• True webinar features like built‑in registration, branded watch pages, and automated reminder emails typically sit behind paid plans across major platforms.
• StreamYard is a strong default because you can start for free, then unlock full On‑Air webinar capabilities later without changing tools.
• Demio, Crowdcast, and Zoom focus on time‑limited trials or paid webinar add‑ons rather than free‑forever webinar plans.

How can I host a webinar for free today?

Think of a “webinar” as two layers:

1. Production layer – where you capture and mix audio/video, share slides, add branding, and record.
2. Delivery layer – where attendees register, get emails, and watch the live or on‑demand replay.

To host a webinar for free, you lean on free tools in each layer:

• Production: Use StreamYard’s free, browser‑based studio to bring on up to six on‑screen participants, share slides, and add branding without installing software. (StreamYard pricing)
• Delivery: Send that live feed to a free destination such as YouTube and set the video to Unlisted so only people with the link can join.

You won’t have native email registration in this setup, but you do get:

• High‑quality audio/video, because the studio is optimized for live production.
• A simple attendee experience: click one link, watch in the browser.
• An automatic recording hosted on YouTube, plus any local recording allowance from the StreamYard free plan. (StreamYard pricing)

This is usually enough for:

• Content marketing webinars
• Community updates
• Internal trainings where you don’t need full-blown registration flows

If you want email capture on top of that but still stay free, you can layer in a simple landing page from your website, email service, or form tool, then send the unlisted watch link after people sign up.

Can I host a webinar for free with StreamYard?

Yes—with a small but important distinction:

• Free plan: You get the full live production studio, including branding, screen sharing, and automatic recordings, but not the dedicated On‑Air webinar mode. (StreamYard pricing)
• On‑Air webinar mode: This adds registration pages, lead capture, automated confirmation/reminder emails, and an embeddable watch page with chat. These capabilities are available on paid webinar plans, not on the free plan. (StreamYard docs)

A practical free setup with StreamYard looks like this:

1. Create a free StreamYard account.
2. Connect YouTube (or another platform that offers free live streaming).
3. Schedule your broadcast inside StreamYard and set the YouTube event to Unlisted.
4. Design your show: add your logo, a simple overlay, and intro slide.
5. Share the unlisted link via email, social, or your newsletter.
6. Go live and record automatically.

You get the polish of a proper webinar—clean layouts, branded visuals, clear audio/video—without paying for software yet.

When you’re ready for more traditional webinar expectations like registration forms, automated emails, and on‑demand replays behind a hosted watch page, you can switch on On‑Air on a paid plan without changing how you actually produce the session. On‑Air includes registration fields, lead export, embeddable webinar + chat, and automatic post‑event recording emails to attendees. (On‑Air overview)

What webinar features are usually gated behind paid plans?

Across StreamYard, Demio, Crowdcast, and Zoom, the same “premium” expectations tend to live behind a paywall:

• Native registration pages and lead capture (so your audience signs up on a built‑in landing page and you get a list of registrants).
• Automated email flows – confirmation, calendar links, reminder emails, and post‑event follow‑ups.
• Gated or private watch pages – so only registrants can access the live session and replay.
• Advanced analytics and reporting – attendance, watch time, and engagement metrics tied to individual registrants.
• Higher attendee caps and longer sessions.

On‑Air is StreamYard’s way of bringing those webinar‑style features into the same place you already run shows and live streams. You get a hosted, browser‑based watch page, registration + CSV export, an on‑demand replay toggle, and automated reminder and recording emails, all connected directly to the production studio. (On‑Air overview)

Most people don’t need all of that on day one. But when you do, it’s helpful if you don’t have to migrate to a completely different platform.

Free webinar limits: Demio vs Crowdcast vs Zoom

If you’re exploring other options, it helps to understand what “free” really means elsewhere:

• Demio

  • Offers a 14‑day free trial, not a free‑forever plan. (Demio trial)
  • During the trial you can run webinars with a single host, up to 1‑hour sessions and 20 simultaneous attendees.
  • After the trial, you need a paid plan for ongoing webinars.

• Crowdcast

  • Uses a time‑limited trial as well: up to 10 people registered per event and sessions capped at 60 minutes during trial. (Crowdcast pricing)
  • Longer events or more attendees require paying for a plan.

• Zoom

  • Zoom Webinars itself is a paid product whose pricing depends on attendee capacity and features. (Zoom Webinars)
  • The free “Basic” Zoom Meetings plan lets you run group meetings up to 40 minutes with up to 100 participants—useful for very short, meeting‑style webinars but without webinar‑specific registration and branding. (Zoom free limits)

Compared to these, StreamYard is one of the few tools where you can keep using the production studio on a free‑forever basis and pair it with free destinations like YouTube to run webinars that look and feel polished.

How does StreamYard compare for ease of use and quality?

When people say they want to “host a webinar for free,” they’re usually imagining something more polished than a basic screen share:

• Clean layouts with camera + slides
• Good audio and stable video
• Simple access for attendees
• Automatic recording
• Custom branding

That’s where starting in a dedicated live production studio helps. With StreamYard’s free plan you run everything in the browser, invite guests with a simple link, and control layouts, branding overlays, and screen shares with minimal setup. (StreamYard pricing)

Many meeting tools offer webinars as an add‑on or focus on internal calls first. They can work, but you often hit limitations around branding, layout control, or the friction of asking attendees to install apps or create accounts.

For interaction—chat, questions, even polls—you can combine StreamYard with external audience tools like Slido or Mentimeter, many of which have generous free tiers. Those tools often go deeper on Q&A and polling than built‑in webinar add‑ons, while StreamYard focuses on reliable, high‑quality production and delivery.

Can I run a free webinar using Zoom or Google Meet instead?

Yes, with trade‑offs.

Zoom Meetings (free):

• Good for very short sessions (up to 40 minutes on the free plan) with up to 100 participants. (Zoom free limits)
• Everyone is effectively “in the room,” which can feel less polished than a broadcast‑style webinar.
• Layouts and branding are more limited, and you may need attendees to install the Zoom client.

Google Meet (free tiers):

• Convenient if your team already lives in Google Workspace.
• Similar to Zoom Meetings: primarily a meeting tool, not a production studio.

A simple hybrid approach looks like this:

• Use Zoom or Meet for a small, internal, free session where production value is not critical.
• Use StreamYard’s free studio when you care about looking like a proper webinar—think registration form on your website, branded overlays, crisp layouts, and automatic recording to a destination like YouTube.

Over time, many teams settle into: meetings in Zoom/Meet, public‑facing webinars and live events in StreamYard.

What we recommend

• Start free with StreamYard + YouTube: Use StreamYard’s free studio to produce a professional webinar and stream to an unlisted YouTube event for zero software cost.
• Layer in simple signup: Collect emails with your own form or email tool, then send the unlisted watch link so you keep control of your list from day one.
• Upgrade when workflows mature: When you want built‑in registration pages, reminder emails, and embedded watch pages, turn on StreamYard’s On‑Air webinar features instead of switching platforms.
• Use other tools only where they fit best: Reach for Demio or Crowdcast trials when you specifically want to test their marketing or multi‑session flows, and Zoom Webinars when you truly need large, formal events well beyond typical marketing webinar needs.