Last updated: 2026-02-01

For most people searching for a free virtual event platform in the U.S., the smartest starting point is a simple, browser‑based studio like StreamYard’s free plan plus its On‑Air webinar starter. When you truly need multi‑day ticketing, complex agendas, or enterprise attendee caps, options like Zoom Events or Webex Events come into play with their own paid licensing.

Summary

• StreamYard’s free plan gives you an easy studio for live webinars, interviews, and simple virtual events without downloads, with clear limits on guests and local recording. (StreamYard pricing)
• StreamYard On‑Air layers on registration, reminder emails, and website embedding so you can run basic webinars and lead‑gen events without a full event suite. (StreamYard On‑Air)
• Zoom Events and Webex Events focus on multi‑day, multi‑track, or hybrid programs with built‑in ticketing, but the full experience requires paid licenses and extra setup. (Zoom Events, Webex Events)
• A practical approach: start free with StreamYard as your production layer, then add heavier event platforms only when the agenda complexity or audience size truly demands it.

What do you actually get from a “free” virtual event platform?

When people say “free virtual event platform,” they usually want three things: a way for people to watch, a way for people to join as guests or speakers, and a way to capture value (leads, content, or revenue) without blowing the budget.

On StreamYard’s free plan, you get a browser‑based studio that supports multiple on‑screen participants, basic branding, and local recordings with a defined monthly allowance, so you can run interview‑style events, community sessions, or simple webinars without paying. (StreamYard pricing)

Zoom Events and Webex Events both advertise support for free and paid virtual events, but their end‑to‑end “event hub” features sit behind paid licenses; you’re not getting all that infrastructure at no cost. (Zoom Events, Webex Events)

So in practice, “free” usually covers your studio and a starter workflow—not the full conference stack.

How far can you go with StreamYard’s free studio?

If you’re hosting your first virtual summit, webinar, or community town hall, the real question is: “Can I pull this off without fighting the tech?”

On the free plan, StreamYard gives you:

• A simple, browser‑based studio that guests can join without downloading software, which many organizers find more intuitive than options that require installing a client.
• Support for multiple on‑screen guests, plus additional backstage participants, so panel discussions and fireside chats feel natural.
• Local recordings with a clear monthly cap, so you can repurpose your sessions as podcasts, clips, or on‑demand replays. (StreamYard pricing)
• Core production tools like independent mic/screen audio control, branded overlays and logos, and multi‑participant screen sharing, all of which help your event look intentional instead of improvised.

For a lot of U.S. creators, nonprofits, and small teams, that combination checks the box: professional‑looking sessions, minimal friction for guests, and no upfront spend.

Which free platforms let you collect registrations and emails?

Collecting emails is where many “free” options hit a wall.

StreamYard On‑Air adds a light webinar layer on top of the studio: you can collect registrations, send reminder emails, and embed the event on your website from the same workflow. (StreamYard On‑Air) This lets you run lead‑gen webinars or member trainings without needing a heavy event suite.

Zoom Events supports both free and paid events with customizable registration and built‑in ticketing, but that capability is part of the Zoom Events product, which requires a separate license. (Zoom Events)

Webex Events also includes branded registration and flexible ticket types, though the full product is offered as part of select Webex Suite Enterprise Agreements rather than a typical “freemium” model. (Webex Events)

If all you need is “collect emails, send reminders, go live,” a StreamYard studio plus On‑Air is usually the fastest route. If you want tiered tickets, discount codes, and in‑app networking, that’s when those heavier suites start to matter—and they’re rarely free in practice.

Can you run a multi‑day, multi‑track conference on a free plan?

This is where expectations and reality diverge.

Zoom Events is explicitly designed for multi‑session, multi‑day experiences, with support for concurrent tracks and events that can span up to five days, but this sits inside a paid Zoom Events license. (Zoom Events multi‑day)

Webex Events targets similar territory with multi‑track agendas, in‑person check‑in, and a mobile app, again as part of enterprise agreements, not as an open free tier. (Webex Events)

StreamYard takes a different approach: instead of trying to be the entire conference venue, the studio focuses on making each live session or keynote rock‑solid and easy to produce. You can:

• Spin up multiple studios for different sessions.
• Embed those sessions into your own agenda page or community platform.
• Use StreamYard’s stable local multi‑track recording (including 4K‑ready workflows and 48 kHz WAV audio) to create on‑demand replays and highlight clips afterward.

For most small to mid‑size online events, that “studio plus simple agenda page” approach is enough—and far faster to set up—than a fully fledged event hub.

How does Zoom Events pricing work and does it support free ticketed events?

Zoom Events positions itself as an “all‑in‑one” virtual event environment built on Zoom Meetings and Webinars, with hubs, ticketing, and analytics. (Zoom Events) Organizers can create both free and paid tickets with customizable registration forms and built‑in ticketing options, so it’s possible to run free, ticketed events for lead generation.

However, to access those features you need a Zoom Events license on top of Zoom Workplace, and the detailed, up‑to‑date pricing matrix is not fully exposed on the feature pages; many specifics are routed through sales or partner sites. (Zoom Events)

Compared with starting on a free StreamYard studio, this means a longer path to your first event—but more built‑in structure if you’re running a complex program with multiple stakeholders.

Is Webex Events included only with Webex Suite Enterprise Agreements?

Webex separates “Webex Webinars” (the webinar engine) from “Webex Events” (the broader event environment).

Webex Events is described as being offered as part of select Webex Suite Enterprise Agreements, which makes it more of an enterprise stack decision than a simple sign‑up‑and‑go tool. (Webex Events) Webex Webinars can handle up to 100,000 attendees and offer real‑time translation in over 100 languages, but those capabilities are also tied to specific paid licenses and, in some cases, separate add‑ons. (Webex Webinars)

For a U.S. enterprise that already runs on Webex Suite, using Webex Events alongside StreamYard as the production studio can be a sensible pairing. For a smaller team that just wants to launch a free event next month, it’s usually more overhead than necessary.

How does StreamYard compare when you’re ready to pay for more?

Once your events grow, you’ll look beyond “free.” This is where economics and workflow matter more than the word “platform.”

At StreamYard, pricing is per workspace rather than per user, which often keeps things cheaper for teams than tools that charge for every seat. For new users, there is a 7‑day free trial and discounted first‑year pricing on paid plans, plus frequent special offers, so it’s easy to test advanced features without a big commitment.

On paid tiers, you can:

• Remove StreamYard branding and fully customize your overlays, backgrounds, and layouts.
• Multistream to multiple destinations at once (social platforms and custom RTMP), turning a single studio session into a full promo engine.
• Record long sessions (up to 10 hours per stream) and schedule pre‑recorded broadcasts of up to 8 hours, depending on the plan. (Paid plan features)
• Use On‑Air’s webinar modes with higher viewer caps so your registration‑based events can scale.

When you compare that to licensing a full event suite solely to run simple webinars, many teams find they’d rather keep a lightweight tech stack and pair StreamYard with tools they already use for email, CRM, or landing pages.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard’s free plan to produce your virtual event: it covers core studio needs, multiple guests, and local recordings without upfront cost. (StreamYard pricing)
• Use StreamYard On‑Air if you want integrated registration, reminder emails, and easy embedding for webinars and lead‑gen events. (StreamYard On‑Air)
• Consider Zoom Events or Webex Events only when you genuinely need multi‑day, multi‑track agendas, built‑in ticketing, or enterprise‑grade attendee management—and you’re ready for their paid licensing.
• As your events grow, layer in StreamYard’s paid features (multistreaming, deeper branding, longer recordings) before jumping to a heavy event suite; for most U.S. organizers, that path offers the best mix of flexibility, cost control, and simplicity.