We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
It's a split decision.
Choose StreamYard for lower-cost social multistreaming, browser-based guest recording, and a free plan. Its annual-billed Essential plan is $14.99/month; monthly billing is $18.99. Choose Zoom Events for branded webinars, lead capture, or multi-session and hybrid events. Its listed annual-equivalent starting price is $66.67/month, and every listed plan requires Zoom Workplace Pro, so the full cost is not clear from these prices. The products serve different jobs; pick by event format, not feature count.
01Side by side
| StreamYard | Zoom Events | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $14.99/month, billed annually; $18.99 monthly | $66.67/month annual equivalent; $89 monthly |
| Free plan | Yes; includes StreamYard branding and 2 recording hours monthly | No free plan listed |
| Best for | Social multistreaming, remote guests, and recordings | Branded webinars and multi-session or hybrid events |
| Core strength | Multistreaming to social platforms and local recordings | Events for up to 100,000 attendees |
| Learning curve | Browser-based; review ease-of-use score 8.8 | Review ease-of-use score 5 |
| Integrations and data | Named social destinations; separate local audio/video files | Lead capture and AI event-performance analysis |
| Team and seat costs | Free plan has 1 seat; paid seat limits not published | Workplace Pro required; seat pricing not published |
| Support | Review support score: 4.5 | Review support score: 5 |
StreamYard Choose StreamYard if
- Choose StreamYard if you need a free plan to start.
- Choose StreamYard if social multistreaming is the main job.
- Choose StreamYard if you want a lower listed entry price.
Zoom Events Choose Zoom Events if
- Choose Zoom Events if you run branded webinars.
- Choose Zoom Events if you need multi-session or hybrid events.
- Choose Zoom Events if lead capture and event analysis matter.
02Pricing compared
StreamYard has a free plan, but it includes the StreamYard logo, one seat, six on-screen participants and just two hours of local recordings per month. Essential costs $18.99/month on monthly billing or $14.99/month billed annually; it includes multistreaming to two destinations. Core is $44.99 monthly or $35.99 annually, while Advanced is $88.99 or $68.99 and adds On-Air webinars for 100 viewers.
Zoom Events has no free plan listed. Its Webinars plan starts at $66.67/month billed annually, or $89 monthly. Webinars Plus and Events cost more. Every listed Zoom plan requires Zoom Workplace Pro, so the prices shown do not establish the full cost. StreamYard lists a seven-day free trial; Zoom’s listed plans have no trial.
03Features and depth
These products target different event formats. StreamYard is a browser-based studio for live streaming and recording. It supports multistreaming to social platforms, browser or phone guests without downloads, custom branding, and on-screen viewer comments. Local recording saves separate audio and video files per device. Its On-Air product is an embeddable webinar option; the Advanced plan lists webinars for up to 100 viewers.
Zoom’s offering is more focused on branded webinars and virtual or hybrid events, with lead capture and interactive experiences. Its plan limits are substantially higher for large events: the listed Webinars plans allow up to 100,000 attendees and 1,000 video panelists, with events lasting up to 30 hours. The Events plan adds multi-session and multi-day events. Webinars Plus adds pre-recorded sessions, while Zoom also promotes AI for content automation and performance analysis. Choose StreamYard for social distribution and creator-style production; choose Zoom for structured, larger-scale event formats.
04Ease of use and learning curve
StreamYard’s browser-based setup and guest access are the clearest fit for teams that want to bring in remote speakers without asking them to install software. Its branding tools are described as usable without design skills. The free plan’s one-seat limit and two-hour monthly recording cap may force an upgrade as production needs grow.
Zoom’s listed options cover single, recurring, pre-recorded, multi-session and hybrid events, but the plan choice and required Zoom Workplace Pro license need checking before purchase. We’d decide based on format and audience first, then confirm the licensing and session rules for the intended setup.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, StreamYard or Zoom Events?
StreamYard is cheaper to start: it has a free plan, and Essential is $14.99 per month billed annually or $18.99 monthly. Zoom’s listed annual-equivalent starting price is $66.67 per month, and that plan requires Zoom Workplace Pro, so the total cost is not clear from the listed price alone.
Does StreamYard have a free plan?
Yes. StreamYard’s free plan includes one seat, up to six on-screen participants and two hours of local recordings per month. Streams include the StreamYard logo. The pricing details also list a seven-day trial, but do not specify which paid plan the trial applies to.
Can StreamYard host large webinars like Zoom Events?
The listed StreamYard Advanced plan supports On-Air webinars for up to 100 viewers. Zoom’s Webinars, Webinars Plus and Events plans list up to 100,000 attendees and 1,000 video panelists. If audience size is the deciding factor, the published limits favor Zoom.
Which should I choose for multistreaming to social platforms?
StreamYard is the more direct fit. Its Essential plan lists multistreaming to two destinations, Core to three and Advanced to eight, alongside streaming to social platforms. Zoom’s event plans focus on webinars and virtual or hybrid events; the published plan details do not list social multistreaming.