The Webinar Tool that Beats WebEx and GoToMeeting

Published on August 5, 2013

We at Geek are no stranger to the glorious "Webinar" - a web seminar, an online meeting, an online training... almost always involving screen and audio sharing from one computer to many (or just a few.)  But which web-based meeting tool works best?

I've [Jason] used GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar for years to host online meetings and training sessions.  I've been a participant on WebEx meetings (by Cisco) as well.  Both are suitable.  Neither is fun.  Neither is exciting.  Both are inferior to the tool I'm singing about today.

Both of these tools require attendees to download a piece of software to their computer - a task that is simple for some, but a technical challenge for others.  If a few weeks pass between online sessions, the download process must be repeated, as the client software has undoubtedly undergone some updates.  WebEx has a really limited free plan, and then you start paying.  GoTo... has a free trial, but after that plans start at $49/month - and GoToMeetings and GoToWebinars are two different products, and two different monthly bills.

So, what's our answer? 

Hands down, MeetingBurner is our tool of choice. 

Why, you ask?

  • For starters, MeetingBurner is Free. Duh. Free.  Ad free. Free.

     I should be more specific, they have a free plan, with lots of good features, and for many small business owners, that's all you'll ever need.  And then they add on some premium features on their $40/month plan, which allows 50 attendees, meeting recording, etc
  • It comes with a POTS (plain old telephone service) conference line.  Free.  (There's that word again.) A free conference line.  Seriously, that's a reason, all on it's own, to sign up. Have two or three clients and staff that need to get on the phone together, just shoot them the number.  This isn't quite as versatile as a previously reviewed Speek.com, but it absolutely works, and comes with your free plan.  This is a boon to your meeting attendees who struggle to use their computer as their mic and speakers. Client says, "let's all get on the phone for 15 minutes!" We say, "okay, here's our dial-in."
  • MeetingBurner is "download-free" for attendees - simply sign up, sign in, and you're good to go.  In this way, it is an extremely user-friendly service (no, you don't have to be a geek to use it)
  • It built in the cloud and is repeated there a few times over - helping it load 3x faster than the alternative brands
  • Within the service itself, you can sync screen sharing with as many as 10 people on the free service (plus 50 for pro and 1,000 for premier), alongside a conference call style audio connection (you can use your computer speaker or call in with a phone)
  • You can also record the meeting and share it later - audio, screen and all - with any premium plan
  • It also works with iPhones, iPads, and Android Phones

We've found it invaluable here at Geek, and it could be a great no-cost addition to your company.  Click here to sign up (it truly takes only 10 seconds to get going).  If you have any questions, send us a message and we'll be glad to help.