# How to Choose a Conference Platform: 8 Criteria Compared > Choose a conference platform by event format, audience size, data ownership and pricing model. Amphi compared with Livestorm, Airmeet, Eventee and others. - Canonical: https://www.amphi.cc/en/blog/how-to-choose-conference-platform - Language: en - All pages: https://www.amphi.cc/llms.txt --- # How to Choose a Conference Platform: 8 Criteria Compared Most events fit one of three tool types. Video-call tools like Teams cap full interaction at 300 to 1,000 people. Webinar tools like Zoom Webinars or Livestorm handle one broadcast with registration. Conference platforms add an agenda, speaker profiles and a recording archive for multi-track events. Pick the type first, then compare vendors on eight criteria. Jakub Miřejovský, Founder of Amphi · Published 1 June 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 · 8 min read ## Key points - Meeting tools such as Microsoft Teams handle 300 to 1,000 interactive participants depending on the licence [\[3\]](#source-3), [\[4\]](#source-4), but they have no public event page with an agenda and speaker profiles. - Webinar tools are priced per month or per attendee: Airmeet from $167 a month billed annually [\[6\]](#source-6), Livestorm €2.50 per unique attendee [\[5\]](#source-5). Vendor prices change often, so check the linked pricing page. - A conference platform keeps the agenda, live streams, chat and recordings on one event page. On Amphi's paid plans, recordings stay on the event pages and remain watchable a year after the event [\[1\]](#source-1). - Agencies and organisations running many events a year are better off with an annual plan: Amphi offers €4,150 a year for up to 50 conferences [\[1\]](#source-1). ## What is a conference platform? A conference platform is software that brings registration, the agenda, speaker profiles, live streams and recordings together on one event page. Unlike a video-call tool, it gives the event a public face and keeps the content available even after the event ends. A video-call tool (Teams, Zoom Meetings, Google Meet) handles one meeting at one time. A conference has several blocks, parallel tracks, dozens of speakers and an audience that returns to the recordings weeks later. It is a different job, so it calls for different selection criteria. ## What types of event platforms are there? There are three groups of tools. They differ in their basic unit: a meeting, a webinar, or a whole event. | Type | Examples | Basic unit | Best for | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Video-call tool | Microsoft Teams, Zoom Meetings, Google Meet | meeting | internal training, team meetings, small presentations, one-on-one calls | | Webinar tool | Zoom Webinars, Livestorm, Airmeet, Amphi Premium Webinar | one broadcast with registration | recurring webinars, marketing and product demos | | Conference platform | Amphi, Eventee, Swapcard | whole event with an agenda | conferences, symposia, multi-day and hybrid events | Some products cover more than one type. Amphi runs whole conferences and also recurring webinar series on its [Premium Webinar plan](https://www.amphi.cc/en/pricing) [\[1\]](#source-1). ## How do you choose a conference platform? Use eight criteria. The first two decide the type of tool, the other six decide between specific vendors. 1. **Event format.** Online, hybrid, or in-person with a stream. A hybrid conference is an event where part of the audience sits in the room and part follows it online at the same time. Check that the platform serves both audiences through one registration. 2. **Audience size and parallel tracks.** Licence limits are counted differently: per event, per month, or per unique attendee per year. In Teams, for example, full interaction ends at 1,000 attendees; above that it is view-only with Q&A [\[3\]](#source-3). 3. **Live streams.** Check whether the platform streams natively, embeds a stream from a provider such as SlidesLive, YouTube or Vimeo, or does both. An external provider suits larger productions; an integrated stream is the more convenient option. 4. **Event agenda and speaker profiles.** For any event with more than one block, the agenda is the main navigation. Every talk should have its own page with an abstract, the speaker and, later, the recording. 5. **Audience interaction.** Chat, questions and discussion next to each talk. Moderators then see questions on a specific topic. 6. **Recordings and the archive.** Where recordings live, who can access them and for how long. A [recording archive](https://www.amphi.cc/en/features/guides#archive-mode) on the event page extends the event's life by months. 7. **Branding, domain and data ownership.** A custom domain and event design, export of registrations, and EU data residency for GDPR. Attendee data belongs to the organiser, not the platform. 8. **Pricing model.** Per event, monthly subscription, or per attendee. Calculate the cost for the whole year, not for a single event. ## How much does a virtual conference platform cost? The price depends mainly on the pricing model, not the tool. The same event for 300 people can cost a few hundred euros when you pay per attendee, or over a thousand when you pay per event with an unlimited agenda. [Amphi](https://www.amphi.cc/en/pricing) **Type** conference and webinar platform **Pricing model** per event, monthly or annual **Starting price** Free tier at no cost; Premium Webinar €375 a month; Premium Conference €1,050 per event or €4,150 a year for up to 50 **Capacity** Free up to 100, Premium Conference up to 1,000 included, Enterprise unlimited **Best for** conferences, symposia, event series with an archive [Livestorm](https://livestorm.co/pricing) **Type** webinar tool **Pricing model** per unique attendee, annual packs **Starting price** €2.50 per attendee **Capacity** 3,000 per event, max. 4 hours per session (Pro) **Best for** marketing webinars [Airmeet](https://www.airmeet.com/hub/pricing/) **Type** webinars and events **Pricing model** monthly licence, events quoted **Starting price** $167/month billed annually **Capacity** 100 to 10,000 **Best for** webinars with networking [Eventee](https://eventee.com/pricing) **Type** event app **Pricing model** per event or annual **Starting price** by package **Capacity** 200 to 3,000 per event **Best for** in-person and hybrid events with a mobile app Prices are as published on each vendor's pricing page, linked in the table and under Sources [\[1\]](#source-1), [\[5\]](#source-5), [\[6\]](#source-6), [\[7\]](#source-7). They change often, so check the current figure before you decide. With per-attendee pricing, check whether an attendee is counted once per event or once per session. For a conference with ten sessions, that can multiply the price. ## When should you pay per event and when annually? An annual plan pays off from the fourth event a year. With Amphi, four conferences bought separately cost €4,200, while the annual plan for up to 50 conferences costs €4,150. Event agencies and organisations with regular events usually cross that line. Recurring webinar series have their own model. Amphi Premium Webinar costs €375 a month for 180 attendees and up to 12 episodes a year, with each extra attendee at €0.10. ## How is Amphi different from Zoom and Teams? Zoom and Teams are video-call tools; Amphi is the page for the whole event. Amphi delivers the live stream itself or embeds one from SlidesLive, YouTube, Vimeo or any provider, and builds the Event agenda, Speaker profiles, Chat in sessions and the Recording archive around it. Teams or Zoom can still feed the stream, or host a workshop through a join link in the session. In practice, attendees come to one address before, during and after the event. Innovation Week ran this way for five editions in online, hybrid and in-person formats ([case study](https://www.amphi.cc/en/use-cases#case-02)). ## What should you ask a vendor before signing? Before signing, get answers to these eight questions. They cover limits, data and support, the three areas where problems only show up during the event. 1. How is the attendee limit counted: per event, per session, or per year? 2. What happens when more people register than the plan includes? What does each extra attendee cost? 3. Where is attendee data stored, and who is the data processor under GDPR? 4. How long do recordings stay available, and can you export them? 5. Does the platform support a custom domain and event design, or just a logo? 6. Which stream providers does it support, and who handles a stream outage? 7. What support do you get during the event: email, phone, or a person on standby? 8. Is there an API or an integration with your CRM and registration system? ## What are the most common mistakes when choosing a platform? The most common mistake is choosing for one event instead of the whole year. A tool that works for a February webinar may not handle a September conference with three parallel tracks. - **Mistaking a stream for an event.** A good stream is not enough when attendees cannot find the agenda or the recording of a talk they missed. - **Underestimating life after the event.** Recordings are valuable for months. Left in private storage, they lose that value. - **Hidden per-attendee costs.** Per-attendee or per-session pricing grows with the event's success, not with its budget. - **Data outside the organiser's control.** Without a registration export, you cannot reach attendees before the next edition. ## When is a free platform enough? A free platform is enough for an event under 100 attendees that needs no custom domain and can rely on community support. Typical cases are internal training, a professional meetup or the first edition of a smaller conference. Amphi Free tier includes the agenda, registration and an event page for up to 100 attendees, with 1 GB of storage. A paid plan makes sense once you need a custom domain, public videos, a recording archive after the event, or support directly from the vendor. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is Zoom or Teams good enough for a conference? No. They are video-call tools built for meetings, not for events. A conference with an agenda, several tracks and recordings needs a public event page, which neither provides, and Teams in particular is cumbersome to run an event in, for organisers and attendees alike. You can still use them as the stream source for a conference platform. ### How much does a virtual conference platform cost for 300 people? From nothing to over a thousand euros, depending on the model. Amphi Premium Conference costs €1,050 excl. VAT per event for up to 1,000 attendees. With per-attendee tools, check whether attendees are counted per event or per session. ### How far in advance should you choose a conference platform? At least three months before the event, before registration opens. Registration, the agenda and speaker profiles all run on the chosen platform, and switching later means migrating attendee data. ### Does a conference platform need its own streaming? It helps to have both options. Amphi, for example, streams talks itself and also embeds streams from SlidesLive, YouTube or Vimeo. An external provider suits a large production with a camera crew; the platform's own stream is more convenient for everything else. ### Where do recordings live after the conference? It depends on the platform. On Amphi's paid plans, recordings stay on the same pages as the event and remain watchable a year later, and registered attendees can open them in the On-demand library. The Free tier has no archive mode. ## Your next event can run on Amphi. One place for the whole event. Build the programme, manage speakers and attendees, communicate with participants, and keep live content and recordings together, before, during and after the event. - Smaller events Try Amphi Free tier for events up to 100 attendees. [Start for free](https://www.amphi.cc/en/begin) - Agencies and Enterprise Running more than three events a year? Talk to us about the annual plan. [Talk to us](https://www.amphi.cc/en/contact) ## Sources 1. Amphi, pricing: [amphi.cc/en/pricing](https://www.amphi.cc/en/pricing) 2. Amphi, case studies ICZ, Innovation Week, ParCFD: [amphi.cc/en/use-cases](https://www.amphi.cc/en/use-cases) 3. Microsoft Learn, Plan for town halls in Teams: [learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/plan-town-halls](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/plan-town-halls) 4. Microsoft Learn, Limits and specifications for Teams: [learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/limits-specifications-teams](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/limits-specifications-teams) 5. Livestorm, Pricing: [livestorm.co/pricing](https://livestorm.co/pricing) 6. Airmeet, Pricing: [airmeet.com/hub/pricing](https://www.airmeet.com/hub/pricing/) 7. Eventee, Pricing: [eventee.com/pricing](https://eventee.com/pricing)