Every category of event hosting tool

HostMet sorts event tools by the job they do for a host. Webinar platforms run talks for an audience that watches and asks questions. Virtual and hybrid event platforms hold multi-session conferences with networking and sponsors. Registration and check-in tools handle tickets, RSVPs and the door.

Around those sit the supporting tools. Live caption and translation tools make sessions readable and understandable in more languages. Streaming studios produce live shows and send them to several platforms. Recap and clip tools turn recordings into highlights and on-demand pages. Polling and Q&A tools keep an audience involved, and workshop tools help a group produce something together.

Most events use more than one of these, so start with the category that matches your main format and add the others as you need them. Each category page explains what to check before you choose, and every tool page links to the official site for current plans and limits.

The categories overlap at the edges. Webinar platforms include polls, event platforms include registration, and streaming studios record sessions for later editing. We place each tool in the category where it does its main job, so a full event suite sits with event platforms even though it also sells tickets, and a polling tool sits with polls even though it can run a whole presentation.

Every listing is written in plain language and checked against the tool's official site. We note details such as free plans, live captions and recording when we can confirm them, and leave them as "not enough info" when we can't. Tools we haven't been able to confirm stay off the site until we can.

Use the category pages as a starting point rather than a shopping list. Shortlist two or three tools, run the same small test event on each, and choose the one your attendees found easiest to join.