Airmeet
Check out
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Hopin
Check out
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| Pricing | $99 | $99 |
| Best for | Airmeet started out with the dream to put an Indian company at the forefront of the competitive landscape of brands. It was designed to provide a wholesome experience for the users and let them believe they can physically feel the people around them. |
Hopin is a wordplay on “hopping-in” for your online networking needs. The U.K based company focuses on its core value of scaling up, from a small event to extensive large-scale conferences for conglomerates across the globe. |
| Features |
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| Ease of Use |
With little to no knowledge about managing events, you can become an expert in less than a day with the easy-to-use interface of this platform |
Hopin is good for live streaming, virtual events, and webinars |
| Value For Money |
The basic plan starts from $99, upgradable based on requirements. |
The basic plan is free, with upgradable options available. |
| Customer Support |
Airmeet has a good quality of support |
Hopin needs improvement in customer support |
| Check out | Check out |
In this post, we have shared Airmeet vs Hopin that includes all detailed insights into Airmeet and Hopin.
When it comes to choosing between two competitive products, the gaps are minimal and it would usually come down to a personal preference. The said practise would be easier if you had a hands-down experience with each of them, and for tangible products that is something practically possible, to an extent.
In the case of software, or in particular SaaS (software as a service) products though, this adds a whole level of complexity because you might feel you are stuck with your choice, once made. The trial versions might not be enough or you might be second-guessing your choices.
Due to coronavirus, networking events came to a standstill and the last year had drawn in more and more companies to scale up online. While it would be easy for some of the tech companies with their knowledge and experience to do so, some traditional businesses found it difficult to manage their online presence.
To learn and understand better, they would usually participate in local gatherings or attend global conferences. Shifting it online became a necessity, as the events represent the people and they are the most valuable resource to an organization.
Last year saw lots of event cancellations due to travel restrictions, but they could have considered doing it online instead. It might not have been the same, but if they had the awareness of exploring the benefits of hosting your events online their opinion might have changed.
All the more reason why it becomes important to explore and understand the best products that can benefit the needs of these organizations. To make your online events interactive, here are some ideas to have icebreaker activities in your virtual meetings.
Bottom Line Upfront: Airmeet is an all-in-one solution for networking, workshops, events, meetups, webinars, and conferences. It lets you host special events as well. Even it is quite new in the market but still, it has made a name for itself. It already hosted over 10k events in a year. It is a much better platform than Hopin. Get started with Airmeet today.
That is where we step in and do an extensive review for you in the space of virtual/online networking platforms. For this piece, we explore two of the most exciting products – Airmeet and Hopin. We start with exploring all the features and benefits and make a comparison of which ones would be better for you.
For your virtual networking and online meetings, the new entrants have put all viable companies in a spin, and every small detail or feature matters now. Do explore this guide on how to attract the best speakers for your sessions.
Let us explore what each of the products has to offer, and it would help you make an informed decision. It’s a tough competition between these two, but there can only be one winner.
Airmeet vs Hopin: Overview
Airmeet Overview
Airmeet started out with the dream to put an Indian company at the forefront of the competitive landscape of brands. It was designed to provide a wholesome experience for the users and let them believe they can physically feel the people around them.
From small-time company meetings to large-scale webinars and live broadcasting events, Airmeet is a one-stop solution to all the networking needs of anyone. With little to no knowledge about managing events, you can become an expert in less than a day with the easy-to-use interface of this platform.
With things going digital, even exhibitions can be done virtually through this platform by having virtual booths and the ability to manage new registrations, create and modify new events, and have a live session all side by side.
What makes Airmeet better than other platforms?
- No software installation – Unlike many other virtual platforms, Airmeet is built over the browser and you do not need to install any software. This makes it easier for people to join without worrying about the hardware requirements. All you need is a good internet connection, and you are all set to join any live event or a private meeting.
- Quality control – Most platforms allow you to stream and attend events in High Definition (HD) quality without any delay, same as Airmeet. What Airmeet offers you additionally is the ability to control that quality to a lower setting, in case your internet is acting up or you just have a slow connection.
- Safe and Secure – Built in accordance with the latest data protection protocols, Airmeet is designed to keep the “trolls” away. Users have the comfort of an encrypted session, as well as the assurance that no random person can join in without registration. Even guests at the session cannot remain truly anonymous, as they have to submit their email addresses to verify the authenticity.
Some of the Airmeet exclusive features explored in detail:
Speed networking – As part of the social lounge – a place where all participants in the virtual event can interact with each other – this is a unique feature of this platform. Speed networking in realistic situations is a common practice to make participants comfortable with each other, as they are provided limited time on a rotation basis to pitch their best selves.
The same concept is applied here at Airmeet. Being socially comfortable, even more so on an online platform, takes some confidence. To make this easier, you can interact with people on a one-to-one basis and let go of this fear of being socially awkward.
This is the pre-staging event that is making you ready for the bigger platform. You enter this speed networking lounge and are randomly matched with another participant. Smile away and crack that joke you have been saving for days. It might sound scary, but after a session or two, you will start enjoying it and wait for the next participant to appear.
If anything, you would never want this to end to the extent that you might forget you are here for the main event. You might just start enjoying it too much!
Virtual tables – Bored or tired of interacting with people alone, or just aren’t ready or confident enough to do it? How about you join the virtual tables that Airmeet has set up for you? As part of the social lounge, a place to interact with your fellow peers, both before and after the official live event, you can sit down at these tables virtually.
This is where most of the exciting stuff happens, you can exchange ideas with like-minded people and maybe learn something that helps you.
These virtual tables are customizable by the host, anywhere from 2 to 8 people. The purpose of having these tables is to remove the barrier of physically interacting with each other, as this experience feels the same, if not better. Each table has an exclusive (and private) voice and video for the members currently sitting, screen sharing, and of course, chatting and using your favorite emojis.
Arena – An exhibition is incomplete without the companies showcasing their strengths and what products they have to offer, and the arena is just the place to do so. Exhibitors can not only put their best products on the display, but they can also virtually meet and interact with interested prospects, as well as capture leads for connecting in the future.
Once a participant has confirmed their interest, they can access the virtual booths by voice/video chatting with the exhibitor, access product demos, and understand if the company fits their needs.
To make it easier for both parties, Airmeet has set up a call-to-action “I’m interested” – the interested candidates in the session can press this button to show their interest in a said exhibitor, and their contact information will be shared with them to arrange a personalized discussion at a later date.
Hopin Overview
Hopin is a wordplay on “hopping-in” for your online networking needs. The U.K based company focuses on its core value of scaling up, from a small event to extensive large-scale conferences for conglomerates across the globe.
The core features include – reception, stage, sessions, networking, and expo areas. Each of them has a unique and personalized interaction through live interactive sessions for vendors, sponsors, speakers, and attendees.
What sets Hopin apart from the competition is that it started out before most of the players, and because of its first-mover advantage, having less than 5 competitors when it started its operations, they have been able to capitalize on it by associating with big-name brands and using that goodwill to expand rapidly.
Hoping works with live broadcasting, pre-recorded content, and real-time messaging protocol to make streaming simple, but also scale up to highly video-intensive setups.
Features of Hopin:
- HD sessions – Hopin has the ability to host high-quality sessions without any interruptions. What is missing here is the ability to change the quality of the stream manually, which becomes a challenge for users with a poor internet connection.
- Highly scalable – As mentioned earlier, Hopin capitalized on its ability to scale up to large gatherings. From big conferences to gala events and company retreats, Hopin has amassed lots of clients under its purview. The scale of events is easily managed in their one-stop platform, but it doesn’t come free.
- Customizable pricing plans – With the basic packages offering the bare minimum for entry-level companies, Hopin has multiple pricing plans to make the large-scale events interactive and also organized for participating sponsors and speakers.
- Integrations – Because of its compatibility with other platforms, Hopin boasts of the ability to manage both front and back-end software right from the platform itself. While this would be considered an excellent feature, it becomes cumbersome for a new user or someone who isn’t tech-friendly.
- Registration system – Hopin has the ability to synchronize the registration desk externally and make the events hybrid, by managing registration desks both on and off the platform. This is indeed a good feature, but it splits the focus on managing multiple tabs for registration, and would become difficult to manage other core tasks.
What Are The deciding criteria between the two?
- Pricing plans: Costs are the most important factor to consider when choosing a platform, especially for companies just starting out. Both companies have multiple pricing plans based on the requirements. While Hopin has a minimum plan of $99/organizer/month which becomes difficult for cost-effective needs, Airmeet’s basic plan is free and has all the features you could ask for. This becomes a major factor in deciding in the initial days because when you need to scale up in the future you would want only the best prices.
- Event size: While Hopin can host up to 100,000 participants to interact in the chat and 5 people can be on the stage for live sessions, Airmeet has the capacity to incorporate up to 1 million people, and 16 speakers can be a part of the virtual stage. This reduces the need for having separate sessions for different speakers, and it draws in more participants without the need to split their focus into different sessions, similar to how a physical live event works.
- Training: Guides on how to make your virtual events better are crucial to making those events successful in both the short and long run. While Hopin has all the relevant documentation available online, and basic demo guides available, Airmeet also provides training webinars, online live training, and sometimes in-person sessions, where it’s practically possible to keep in travel safety regulations.
- User-friendliness: For the different types of events, some platforms might stand out in one category, but lack in others. Hopin is good for live streaming, virtual events, and webinars. Airmeet offers all of those, but also has integrated features to make conferences, team communication meetings, and recruitment events better with its live polls, emoticons, and the ability to share contact cards directly within the platform. Hoping also doesn’t have an integrated Q&A feature like Airmeet does, which makes the session quite engaging.
- Ticketing options: For large-scale online gatherings such as gala events, ticketing becomes a hassle. Hopin has integrated this feature within the platform, but because of this organizers have to pay a fee of 7% platform charges. On Airmeet though, the payment platform is external, which saves this additional cost and hence no additional ticketing charges.
Let us do a side by side comparison of some of the features both have to offer:
| Features | Hopin | Airmeet |
| Online, live sessions | Yes | Yes |
| Attendees | Up to 100,000 | Up to 1 million |
| Speakers | Up to 5 speakers | Up to 16 speakers |
| Recording and Storage | Up to 40 GB in the basic plan | Unlimited storage |
| Raise Hand | No, limited to hosts and speakers only. | Yes, participants can become “temporary” speakers to go on the stage, and express their views with the hosts and speakers. |
| Q&A | No, can only be done using external tools. | Yes, both hosts and attendees can set up questions and answers. The answers are moderated and they can also be upvoted. |
| Contact card sharing | No, only direct interactions or leaving manual contact details. | Yes, at the click of a button your contact details can be shared with another participant. |
| Polls | No, only externally. | Yes, hosts can ask for session-specific feedback on a topic. |
| Live to stream | Yes, Youtube only. | Yes, for both Youtube and Facebook. |
| Pricing | The basic plan starts from $99, upgradable based on requirements. | The basic plan is free, with upgradable options available. |
| Ticketing | Yes, 7% of sale charges by Hopin for the organizers. | No, organizers can charge directly from participants. |
| Branding and Sponsorships | Only in specific sessions or exhibitor sections. | Available throughout the sessions and social lounge, categorized for the level of sponsorship such as title sponsor, secondary sponsor, etc. |
| Moderation | No, just registration and basic hygiene checks. | Yes, regulated sessions and moderators can clean sweep where required, leaving behind trails to ensure no misuse is being done. |
| Break-out rooms | Yes, up to 10 participants in each room. | Yes, customizable virtual tables from 2 to 8 chairs with complete branding and labeling. |
| Data Analytics | Yes | Yes |
| Networking options | Yes, for one to one sessions | Yes, both one-to-one and multiple people interactions. |
Staying online today is as essential as breathing and feeding yourself. Your digital presence demonstrates your strong credentials and the ability to pull in new customers towards you. When we first came into the age of online networking, the first movers like Skype did their best to keep it engaging, but new entrants always bring something exciting to the table.
Pricing| How Much Does Airmeet vs Hopin Cost?
Airmeet Pricing
Hopin Pricing
Testimonials Of Airmeet vs Hopin
Here are the testimonials:
Airmeet Customer Review
Hopin Customer Review
Quick Links:
Conclusion: Airmeet vs Hopin 2023
Hopin and Airmeet are two of these companies and they have done a phenomenal job for themselves. As mentioned before, it might come down to a personal preference, but we hope your decision-making will get easier after this comparison.
Always remember that the best product is based on human judgments. What might be best for someone, might not be for you. In fact, the best is rarely a factor in the final decision, it is often the flexibility and the ability to perceive what the customer wants.
This is where some of the exclusive features are set apart from the competitors. The added challenge of pricing and pleasing not just your speakers but your participants has to be kept in mind.
You have only a few seconds to grab your audiences’ attention, and their onboarding process for the events has to be minimal. For that you need a competent team, so here is a quick guide on how to set up effective remote teams.
Go out there today and set up your first virtual event easily.
