At the start of the pandemic, the world of virtual events hit its peak. Out of necessity, a ton of digital event and virtual conference platforms started throwing together conference-friendly features (to varying degrees of success).

Now, the world is easing back into more in-person offerings. And yet, virtual conferences aren’t going anywhere, thanks to their ability to bring together a group of far-flung people who may not be able to meet otherwise.

That’s where Hopin comes in.

Ahead, we’re exploring what Hopin offers, and what platforms to look for if you’re looking for a Hopin alternative. Let’s get started.

What’s the deal with Hopin?

Before we dive into the alternatives to Hopin, let’s dig into what Hopin even is.

Hopin is a virtual conference platform that allows its users to create engaging virtual events to connect people around the globe. With Hopin, you can create a virtual venue with a variety of interactive areas where attendees can connect and engage with one another. It’s very much a digital version of an in-person conference or event.

Where Hopin excels

Hopin’s lowest tier offering—the Starter plan—is affordable-ish, starting at $99 per month per organizer, and you can host up to 100 attendees.

The virtual event platform also offers a plethora of conference-friendly features to help you host a virtual conference, including the ability to offer paid, free, or private tickets in any currency; tools to connect attendees to each other, including private one-on-one video chatting, virtual roundtables, and group breakout sessions; and the tech to reach up to 100,000 on their highest tier plans.

Which brings us to our next point.

Where Hopin stumbles

Although Hopin does offer an affordable option, things get pricey pretty quickly. Case in point: While the Starter plan is priced at $99 per month, the next option, the Growth Plan, comes in at a whopping $799 per month.

While the Growth Plan does offer more in terms of, well, the possibility for growth, neither of those plans offer advanced analytics, the capability for integrations, or a dedicated community space where attendees can connect before and after the event. Additionally, the Starter Plan doesn’t let you customize the look and feel of your event.

Hopin also offers two enterprise plans—but since the pricing isn’t listed on their site they are likely very expensive and very much aimed at huge businesses and corporations..

And yet, we think there’s still so much that the best virtual conference platforms—whether it’s Hopin or a Hopin alternative—can offer. With that and all the above in mind, let’s take a look at the kinds of features you’ll look for in alternatives to Hopin.

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What to look for in Hopin alternatives

As you explore alternatives to Hopin, there are three main sets of features to look out for. Said features will ensure that building out your virtual conference is an easy, streamlined process, both for you and your attendees.

A community space for engaged attendees

Most virtual conference platforms focus on keeping their guests’ attention during the actual conference. But they ignore the potential in creating a space for those same guests to connect with each other before and after the event. As it turns out, that’s a huge missed opportunity: Your attendees have already been brought together by a shared goal, motivation, or interest. Why not make the most of it?

When you provide your attendees with a dedicated community space, you give them an opportunity to establish relationships with each other and the chance to connect long after your virtual conference wraps up.

Ideally, this means choosing a platform that at the very least allows you to offer both virtual events and a community. That way, you can create a community or membership space—one where your attendees can access resources, courses, and each other, piling on the value for them outside of the conference—and then host a virtual event within that community.

And the best part? You can charge for both.

Familiar features and easily customizable branding

Next, you’ll want to choose an alternative to Hopin that offers a simple, familiar structure for a conference and makes customizing said conference fairly simple.

The former means that the platform lets you create panels, mainstage keynotes, breakout sessions, Q&As, and so forth. The latter means you can easily throw in your logos and brand colors to help make the conference your own.

It also means that whatever Hopin alternative you go for will have some robust features that let you get a little creative, especially when it comes to connecting your attendees with each other. We’re talking about prompts, polls, one-on-one messaging, an activity feed, and more.

A robust mobile app experience

Lastly, the very best Hopin alternatives will let your attendees access your event from wherever they are.

What does that look like? It’s as simple as choosing a platform that offers a native mobile app, and is accessible on the web, iOS, and Android. Because let’s face it: we’re all on our phones and tablets almost all the time. And your attendees are more likely to come to and engage with your conference if they don’t have to be shackled to their computer the whole time.

Now that we know what kind of features to look out for in a virtual conference platform, let’s take a look at the best Hopin alternatives.

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What are the best alternatives to Hopin?

Alright! Now that we have a better understanding of Hopin’s hits and misses and an established knowledge base of must-have features, let’s look at the three best alternatives to Hopin.

Hopin alternative #1: Accelevents

Accelevents in a virtual conference platform with virtual and hybrid events. Best suited for your virtual events like trade shows and corporate conferences, Accelevents offers integrated live streaming, multiple stages, breakout sessions, and even a virtual expo floor with booths.

Pros of Accelevents

A robust set of features. As far as alternatives to Hopin go, Accelevents does offer some great, conference-friendly features. In addition to the features we listed above, the platform also offers some decent ways for attendees to connect to each other, including one-on-one A.I. powered networking; interactive workshops and roundtables; and chats, Q&As, and polls.

Affordable, depending on your scope. Accelevents offers two different types of pricing: one per event and another for multiple events. Pricing starts at $500 per event, which includes 20 sessions and unlimited attendees. For multiple events, plans start at $125 per month (billed at $1,500 annually) and also include 20 sessions and unlimited attendees. Depending on the size of your business—and how often you offer virtual events—this could be doable.

Cons of Accelevents

Limited mobile app. Accelevents is a pretty good alternative to Hopin in that it has a mobile app and Hopin doesn’t. But the mobile app that Accelevents has is both limited and unreliable. The features themselves are pared down to essential functionalities, and many users report consistent crashes. That’s certainly not an ideal experience for your attendees or you.

Lack of dedicated community space. While Accelevents offers plenty of ways for members to connect with each other during the event, there’s no easy way for them to collaborate or build relationships with each other once the conference is over. If you’re running a more impersonal event like an auction or a trade fair, that’s no big deal. But if you’re doing anything else, it’s a hugely missed opportunity.

The bottom line: Accelevents has some great hits, making it a solid Hopin alternative. But its misses make it so that it’s not the best virtual conference platform, especially for people looking to connect their attendees beyond the event.

Hopin alternative #2: Mighty Networks

With Mighty Networks, community platform meets virtual conference platform. That means with a Mighty Network, you can deliver awesome virtual events and communities (and build online courses and paid memberships, too), all under one brand and instantly available on the web, iOS, and Android. It’s affordable too, with plans starting at $23 per month.

When it comes to alternatives to Hopin, Mighty Networks is the only platform that offers engaging tools to help foster interactions between your attendees before and after your event. And thanks to Mighty’s native app, your members can get to your conference from wherever they are.

Pros of Mighty Networks

A plethora of ways to connect. As we mentioned above, a Mighty Network offers plenty of ways for you to engage with your audience, and for them to engage with each other. Think features like member profiles, direct messaging, groups, polls, discussion boards, and more. This is huge: It makes room for networking opportunities and also gives you ways to pull back the curtain and easily offer information about your guest speakers and what’s next.

A mobile app. Your Mighty Network is instantly available via the web, iOS, and Android apps—meaning your members and attendees can check-in from their laptop, phone, or tablet.

A customizable experience with tons of community-forward features. Because you can use your own brand and branding with a Mighty Network, you can make your virtual conference your own. You’ll also have the chance to test out a variety of features: publishing an article with speaker bios ahead of your event; Polls and Q&As to test the waters; or even mastermind groups for breakout sessions. You’ll also get access to advanced analytics.

More ways to engage your members. Any creator or entrepreneur who is trying to cultivate a thriving community needs a plethora of ways to enage their members. In a Mighty Network you can go "live" and livestream straight into your community with a live chat. You can send direct messages or create a private group chat with members.

Cons of Mighty Networks

Transitioning over your community takes time. The reality of transitioning a community over from one platform to another is that it takes time and effort. Not all of your members will want to move from your old platform to a new one. But your Mighty Network has a plethora of tools to make that transition as smooth and enticing as possible.

The bottom line: Mighty Networks is an awesome Hopin alternative, especially with its mobile app access and features that help you bring together conferences and community.

Hopin alternative #3: Run the World

Run the World is a fairly new contender in the virtual events space. The platform focuses mainly on virtual social gatherings, webinars, and conferences that deliver engagement.

Pros of Run the World

Lots of great conference-y features. With Run the World you’ll be able to take advantage of features like round tables, panels, live Q&As, one-on-one speed networking, breakout groups, and more. Plus, Run the World has an app with great reviews, so attendees can join your event on the go.

Affordable, kind of. Run the World has affordable offerings, including a free plan and a Pro plan at $79 per month. But while it starts out pretty affordable it’s worth knowing that Run the World’s take is pretty steep: There’s a 15% service fee on all ticketing revenue.

Cons of Run the World

Custom branding only available at the enterprise level. Run the World only offers custom branding at its enterprise level, which is kind of a bummer. Ideally, you’d want to find a Hopin alternative that will let you put your own mark (and logo… and branding!) on your virtual event.

No community features for before or after the event. Run the World piles on the fun during your virtual event, whether it’s for a social gathering or a workshop. But there’s no way to keep that momentum going after your event is through, which makes for a lost opportunity.

The bottom line: It’s fair to say that Run the World is a strong Hopin alternative. Still, that lack of customizable branding and community features means the platform just misses the mark.

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The best alternative to Hopin? Mighty Networks

Our winner for best Hopin alternative? Mighty Networks. It’s the only platform that gives you the room to connect your attendees before, during, and after your event. It’s also the only virtual event platform that grows with you, enabling you to create a thriving community, course, or membership down the line.

And the fact that you’ll easily be able to offer access to your virtual conference via the web, iOS, and Android? It’s just icing on the cake.

Ready to sweeten your virtual conference experience?