Updated: January 2026

Have you been seduced by the idea of running pre-recorded webinars to reduce your workload?

Do pre-recorded webinars work?

Yes, pre-recorded webinars work. Here’s my experience with them.

At StreamAlive we’ve been using eWebinar to run on-demand webinars that are advertised to our website visitors. Although the numbers are not out of this world in terms of registrations and revenue, it has been effective to help visitors understand our product better.

When I was eG Innovations we used BigMarker to run simu-live webinars and it allowed us to go from one live webinar a month to 8 webinars a month. It allowed us to repurpose old webinars and generate lots of new leads for the sales team.

Don’t people get upset by pre-recorded webinars?

You’d think that, but my experience at StreamAlive is that people were happy to watch what is essentially an unskippable YouTube video.

Many webinar platforms allow you to customize the experience of the pre-recorded webinar to make it feel like it’s live. For example, eWebinar makes it easy to keep people engaged because you can set it up to send messages, call to actions, and polls at set times.

At eG, where I used BigMarker for our simu-live webinars, I entered the webinar and lurked in the chat. I engaged the audience in the chat and responded to questions. No one noticed that they were watching a recording or wondered why their questions were being answered in the chat instead of by the host. Or at least they didn’t say anything in the chat.

Why don’t you just promote the webinar recording on YouTube?

It might be a psychological thing that when you can pause or skip an on demand video you pay less attention. When you think something is live and cannot be paused you pay more attention. Also, you can’t collect leads on YouTube videos.

The best pre-recorded webinar tools

Here are five standout platforms I’ve tested or evaluated, with deep takes on features, pricing, user feedback, and what kind of organisation each suits best.

1. eWebinar
2. EverWebinar
3. WebinarNinja
4. WebinarGeek
5. BigMarker

How I Selected the Platforms

I compared each tool on:

• Evergreen & On-Demand Support — ability to run prerecorded webinars as live events, on schedule or on-demand
• Interactive Features — polls, Q&A, chat, simulated live elements
• Analytics & Lead Capture — dropout rates, registration flow, follow-up workflows
• Integration & Funnel Fit — CRM, email automation, marketing stack compatibility
• Ease of Setup vs Maintenance — how much effort remains post-record
• Pricing vs Value — what you pay vs what you get
• User Sentiment — what reviewers praise and hate in real use

Pricing Snapshot

Platform	Free / Trial Tier	Entry Paid Plan	What You Get in Entry Tier
eWebinar	14-day trial	From ~$99/month (est)	Automated webinars, chat, polls, registration, analytics, Slack integration.
EverWebinar	None	~$199/month (billed monthly)	Schedule multiple automated webinars, enter the live chat, polls, CTAs
WebinarNinja	14-day trial	From $30/mo	Live + automated webinars, polls, Q&A, Reactions, branding, analytics
WebinarGeek	14-day trial	From ~$115/month	Pre-recorded + live options, full event stack
BigMarker	No	~$500/mo +++	Webinars + on-demand, integrations, analytics

Note: Pricing is approximate and subject to change. Always check vendor site for latest details.

1) eWebinar — #1 for Recorded / Automated Webinar Funnels

My number one choice because we use it at StreamAlive and I’m really happy with it.

Best for: B2B SaaS firms, customer education teams, or marketers who want to build a funnel that runs itself.

From experience at StreamAlive (we use eWebinar) it’s clear why it leads. eWebinar is built specifically for pre-recorded and “simulated live” webinars: you upload your video, set schedule options (recurring, on-demand, timezone based), and let the system deliver a live-feel experience. It supports chat, polls, live Q&A integration, registration flows, and analytics.

Why eWebinar is my #1 choice

Most pre-recorded webinar tools have the same feature-set, but what sets eWebinar out from the crowd is the integration with Slack. If a person joins a recorded webinar and uses the chat box, it sends the message to a channel in your Slack and you can reply to the person from Slack. This means you don’t have to constantly have the eWebinar dashboard open waiting for replies and anyone in the team can reply.

What it does well

• On-demand or just in time: We started out with scheduled webinars at fixed times but switched to on-demand and saw attendance jump up. People want to do things now, not wait around.
• Solid attendance performance: We see most registrants stick to the end, but the type of content being delivered in the webinar is a factor.
• Strong analytics and viewer-drop off data.
• Good registration + timezone display (shows times in viewer’s timezone) which reduces confusion and drop-outs.

Where it can bite you

• Price: Many reviewers say the monthly cost is high for smaller teams.
• Add-ons: There are plenty of add-ons that you thought might be included in the price such as removing the eWebinar branding. This jacks up the price.
• Setup: Because it’s rich in features, initial setup takes time to get all flows, chat, registration, triggers, reminders correct.
• Customization limits: Some users said the registration page or branding options could be more flexible.

Pricing Overview

eWebinar offers a 14-day trial so you can test the full workflow. Paid plans start at $99/month for basic recurring / on-demand schedule automation. For companies with significant webinar volume, the ROI from automation and funnel performance often justifies the spend.

Even with the higher pricing, many features you might expect as standard are paid add-ons. For example, removing the eWebinar branding on registration forms and pages costs an extra $50 a month.

Paying for the add-ons can quickly double your monthly bill.

Verdict

If you are serious about building automated webinar funnels — record once, run many — eWebinar is the strongest pick. Yes, it costs more and takes setup time, but the ongoing levered value for lead generation makes it worth it. For smaller teams with only occasional webinars it may be overkill.

2) EverWebinar – a close second but lacks some key features

We closely evaluated EverWebinar when deciding whether to go with this or eWebinar. While we loved the UI of EverWebinar, it lost out because it didn’t have the Slack integration. This means that we’d have to be logged in to EverWebinar all the time to catch any live chats that came in.

Just like with eWebinar, EverWebinar lets you set up your automated webinars on a fixed schedule or time table. It does lack the on-demand or just in time option though, and that was also a deal breaker. We found that people want to join a webinar immediately and when we had fixed, scheduled times, attendance dropped.

What it does well

• It lets you run automated or “evergreen” webinars — using pre-recorded video — without needing to be live. Many reviewers say it’s easy to get started and manage once set up.
• The platform does a good job of simulating a live webinar: chat/Q&A, pop-ups, polls, scheduled offers etc. This helps make the webinar feel live and drives conversions even when no one is “on stage.”
• Registration pages and funnel flows come with built-in A/B-testing and decent templates; you don’t necessarily need external tools to build landing pages or sign-up funnels.
• For businesses that have evergreen content or repeatable webinar material, EverWebinar saves time. It lets you “set and forget”: upload once, then let it run repeatedly, freeing resources for other tasks.

Where it can bite you

• Customization is limited. Several users mention that you cannot tweak the look-and-feel of the webinar room, landing pages or registration beyond a basic level; branding and design flexibility is quite constrained.
• It can feel expensive relative to what you get, especially if you also need live-webinar capabilities via a complementary product (e.g. when pre-recorded isn’t good enough).
• Support and feature updates appear inconsistent or weak for some users. Complaints range from “support is no longer great” to “product feels stagnant compared with other, newer platforms.”
• The automation + “fake live” approach can backfire if attendees detect that a webinar is not truly live, risking trust and authenticity. For some reviewers this raises ethical or reputational concerns.

Pricing Overview

EverWebinar is one of the pricer options available at $199/mo. If you’re prepared to commit to one or two years upfront, the cost does drop to $99 and $79 a month respectively.

Verdict

EverWebinar is a robust tool if your core need is scalable, automated webinars, especially when you have pre-recorded content and want to avoid the overhead of running live sessions repeatedly.

If you sign up to EverWebinar on the monthly plan and find that it’s the right solution for you then it probably makes sense to commit to the two year plan at $79 a month and save yourself a bunch of money in the process.

If you are just testing out automated, pre-recorded webinars then the $199/mo pay as you go plan might just be too expensive for a trial. You’d need to get a lot of attendees through the door to make it viable.

3) WebinarNinja – The cheapest option for Automated Webinars

I found WebinarNinja to deliver a solid, no-frills webinar platform that covers live, hybrid, and automated (on-demand) webinars, which makes it appealing if you want flexibility. The interface is clean and intuitive, and launching a webinar feels frictionless.

Because of the attendee-based pricing (rather than a flat-licence fee), it can be particularly cost-effective for smaller or early-stage webinar programs. Even though I prefer eWebinar, I seriously evaluated WebinarNinja because of the cost advantages.

Where WebinarNinja sits relative to eWebinar depends on what you value. Compared with eWebinar, WebinarNinja tends to give you more flexibility on branding and attendee interaction (live chat, Q&A, polls), and can be cheaper on a small scale because of its attendee-based billing model.

On the other hand, eWebinar’s built in Slack integration was a deal breaker for us. We all live in Slack, we don’t live inside a webinar dashboard waiting for attendees to chat in an on-demand webinar. The post-event analytics and polished evergreen-webinar automation are better in eWebinar, which matter if you rely heavily on funnel optimisation and conversions.

What WebinarNinja Does Well

• Flexible pricing for small audiences: The pay-per-attendee model means if you only have 50 attendees per webinar (live or automated), costs stay low. That makes it a good fit when you’re starting out or running occasional webinars.
• Supports live, hybrid and automated webinars: You’re not forced into just one mode. You can run real-time webinars, schedule automated/on-demand ones, or mix the two.
• Easy to set up and use: The onboarding and webinar-creation flow is intuitive. Templates, landing pages, registration setup and email reminders are built in, which reduces dependency on external tools.
• Good engagement features and branding flexibility: Live chat, Q&A, polls, handouts, and customizable registration/landing pages allow for more interactive and branded webinars compared with some alternatives.

Where WebinarNinja Can Bite You

• Replay limitations with interactivity dropping off on replays: Once a webinar is over and you view the replay, interactive elements (chat, Q&A, timed offers) lose their functionality. That reduces the value of on-demand webinars if you rely on live-feel interaction.
• Mixed feedback on reliability or advanced needs: Some users report that it feels “basic” compared with more polished or enterprise-grade platforms. If you need advanced analytics, robust integrations or high-touch customisation, it may feel limiting.
• Support and scaling may become weak spots: As you ramp up with more attendees and more complex funnels you may hit constraints in terms of analytics depth, webinar-room polish or feature breadth compared with specialised automation platforms.
• Pricing model becomes less advantageous at scale: The attendee-based model is great for small numbers, but as webinar audience grows (hundreds to many hundreds), costs may rise to levels where the model of flat-fee or unlimited plans (like those from some competitors) becomes more cost-effective.

Verdict

WebinarNinja is a pragmatic, budget-friendly webinar tool that works especially well if you are just starting out, running modest-size webinars, or want flexibility in format (live, hybrid, automated). For small to medium sized audiences, its pricing model and ease of use make it a compelling alternative to heavier, more expensive platforms.

However, if your business depends on high-converting evergreen webinars, sophisticated funnel-level analytics, seamless attendee experience, and advanced automation, then sticking with EverWebinar may still give you more long-term value.

In short: treat WebinarNinja as a smart “starter / mid-tier” webinar platform. If you scale up, re-evaluate, but it’s more than capable for initial growth stages.

4) WebinarGeek – Good All Rounder

I looked at WebinarGeek expecting another “automated or hybrid webinar” tool. What I found is a capable all-rounder: it supports live, on-demand (recorded) and automated webinars, and offers a mix of usability, customisation and flexibility. It does not target only the “set-and-forget” evergreen use case, it also works for live, interactive webinars. Compared with eWebinar (my go-to webinar automation tool), WebinarGeek feels more like a general-purpose webinar platform. Depending on your needs, that can be strength or trade-off.

In my view WebinarGeek tends to perform best when you want a balance between flexibility and ease of use. If you occasionally want live interaction, screen sharing, audience Q&A or hybrid sessions — not just pre-recorded evergreen content — WebinarGeek gives you that flexibility. At the same time, if your goal is to run mostly automated webinars on evergreen funnels, eWebinar still feels more polished for that use case.

The lack of Slack integration was the deal breaker for me.

What WebinarGeek Does Well

• Multiple webinar formats (live, on-demand, automated). You are not locked into a single mode. WebinarGeek supports live webinars, scheduled/on-demand replays, and fully automated pre-recorded broadcasts which makes it versatile depending on the content or audience.
• Ease of use and intuitive setup. The interface and dashboard seem clean and straightforward. Users say getting started is easy. Creating a webinar, inviting attendees, and customising the look and feel appears simpler than many alternatives.
• Branding and customisation flexibility. Registration pages, webinar pages, emails and public-facing materials can be branded to match corporate identity. This gives a more professional, on-brand feel compared to more locked-down platforms.
• Good for smaller to mid-sized audiences and flexible needs. Because you can run different types of webinars and adjust format, WebinarGeek works well for businesses that run a mix of training, sales demos, educational webinars, not just automated marketing funnels.

Where WebinarGeek Can Bite You

• Pricing may be less predictable or optimal compared to a pure evergreen tool. WebinarGeek uses usage-based subscription plans (e.g. starting at $115/month for automated, pre-recorded webinars, with up to 125 attendees) and you pay more for more attendees and features. That means if your webinars are infrequent or have low attendance, you may over-pay relative to actual usage, unlike a strict per-attendee model.
• Some limits in advanced analytics or automation depth compared with tools built for evergreen funnels. Reviews suggest that while WebinarGeek offers automation and recording, the level of CRM integration, follow-up flow automation, and analytics (engagement, watch time, advanced conversions) may feel basic for heavy funnel optimisation needs.
• User/role or feature-tier complexity may cause confusion. There are reports that the distinction between presenter roles, user access levels, and pricing tiers (especially when multi-user or multi-presenter functionality is needed) can be confusing. That can lead to unexpected upgrades or insufficient access control. G2+1
• Less “automation-first evergreen funnel” polish compared with eWebinar. Since WebinarGeek targets multiple webinar formats, it does not feel as specialised for evergreen marketing funnels as eWebinar. If your business relies heavily on automated webinars as a core growth engine, you might find eWebinar’s funnel-optimised features, registrant-management, registrant limits and subscription model more predictable and better suited.

Verdict

WebinarGeek is a solid, flexible webinar platform. It works well when you need a balance: sometimes live interaction, sometimes on-demand content, sometimes automated sessions. Its ease of use, browser-based setup, and customisation make it a practical choice for organizations that want versatility without too much complexity.

That said, if your primary goal is evergreen, automated webinars for marketing funnels or consistently repeatable content distribution, eWebinar’s more specialised approach still gives it an edge. WebinarGeek feels like a good “all-rounder” — especially for mixed needs or organisations still experimenting with webinar formats.

For a small to medium business or a marketing team that wants flexibility without overcommitment, WebinarGeek deserves serious consideration. If you scale up and need heavy automation, lead funnel optimisation, or tight registrant control, then a tool built more narrowly for evergreen automation may provide better long-term value.

5) BigMarker – best for large enterprises looking to do lots of monthly webinars

I have used BigMarker while at eG Innovations a few years ago and I still think of it as a strong, capable platform. Way too over-engineered for solo entrepreneurs and small businesses, but very effective for larger teams or enterprises running many webinars across functions and regions.

At the time, the price (~US $79/month) felt like a very good deal given the robustness of the platform and the automation options. BigMarker offers live, simulive, on-demand and automated webinar formats, built-in marketing features (landing pages, registration, follow-up, CRM integrations) and a polished interface.

Compared to eWebinar, which I prefer for evergreen / automated webinars aimed at lead generation or passive funneling, BigMarker is a full-blown “webinar & event” platform. eWebinar delivers a streamlined, automation-first experience optimized for repeatable evergreen sessions. BigMarker trades some of that simplicity for flexibility, power and enterprise-grade scalability. For organizations with complex webinar needs, many presenters, global audiences or hybrid events (live + on-demand + marketing + multi-region), BigMarker can easily outmatch eWebinar — but that comes at a cost, both in money and some complexity.

What BigMarker Does Well

• Wide format flexibility and powerful marketing/event toolset. BigMarker supports live, simulive, on-demand and automated webinars. It lets you run full virtual events or hybrid sessions, not just simple evergreen webinars. That versatility is ideal if you host a variety of webinars, training sessions, global events or multi-speaker broadcasts.
• Polished user interface and professional attendee experience. Since the platform is browser-based (“no-download” for attendees) it lowers friction for participants. The interface, video quality, streaming and webinar “room” experience tend to feel smooth and professional.
• Strong marketing, branding, and integrations. Registration pages, follow-up emails, landing pages, CRM/marketing automation integrations (e.g. for lead nurture) are built-in. That makes BigMarker more of a full-funnel tool rather than just a delivery mechanism.
• Scalability and enterprise-grade capacity. BigMarker claims support for very large live events (up to tens or hundreds of thousands of attendees, depending on plan) and is built to handle complex, large-scale webinar and event workflows.

Where BigMarker Can Bite You

• Cost is significant and likely prohibitive for smaller teams or occasional webinars. The platform has shifted toward enterprise-oriented pricing, and for smaller usage levels the cost per month may not make sense compared with simpler, more automation-oriented tools like eWebinar.
• Complexity with too many features if you only need evergreen webinars. Because BigMarker tries to cover every webinar/event scenario (live, hybrid, virtual events, marketing, streaming, etc.), setup and configuration can feel heavy. If you only want automated, “set-and-forget” webinars, this complexity may be overkill.
• Interface and event-room configuration can be overwhelming for co-hosts or less technical users. Some users report difficulties when co-hosting live events or managing complex settings.
• Potential overkill for simple evergreen funnel needs. If your goal is just to run pre-recorded webinars on autopilot, using a heavily featured enterprise platform with large-scale capacity may yield diminishing returns compared to a leaner tool optimized exactly for that.

Verdict

BigMarker remains an excellent enterprise-grade webinar and virtual events platform. If your organization runs multiple webinars, events, or training programs at scale, possibly globally, with many presenters and varying formats, then BigMarker offers flexibility, reliability and professional polish that justify its higher price.

For small teams or businesses focused primarily on evergreen webinars for lead generation, eWebinar still likely offers better value due to its leaner, automation-first design and more predictable cost structure. BigMarker is best viewed as a highly capable “webinar infrastructure for scale and breadth,” not as a lightweight evergreen-webinar tool.

Final Picks & What You Should Use

The best automated webinar tool in 2025 is eWebinar for most marketing and SaaS teams due to its automation depth, Slack integration, and analytics. WebinarNinja is the best budget option, while BigMarker suits large enterprises needing scale.

Need / Use Case	Best Platform	Why This Platform Wins Over Others
Full automation and funnel building	eWebinar	Purpose-built for automated and “simulated live” webinars. Integrates with Slack so you can reply to chat messages without monitoring the dashboard. Excellent analytics, lead tracking, and viewer engagement tools make it ideal for scalable marketing funnels.
Low-cost entry into automated webinars	WebinarNinja	Charges only about $0.60 per attendee, billed in 50-attendee increments, making it ideal for startups or small teams. Delivers both live and automated options with minimal setup complexity. Not as feature-rich as eWebinar, but unbeatable on price for small volumes.
Flexible mix of live and automated sessions	WebinarGeek	Balances live, on-demand, and automated formats in one tool. Offers better branding and customization than most, and a clean, intuitive interface. A good mid-tier option if you want to experiment with different formats before committing to full automation.
Advanced evergreen automation with mature UI	EverWebinar	Designed for long-term, repeatable “evergreen” webinars. Offers scheduling, pop-ups, and live-like engagement features. Slightly dated interface and limited customization, but excellent if you want “record once, run forever” simplicity.
Enterprise-grade webinar infrastructure	BigMarker	A powerhouse platform for large organizations running dozens of webinars across teams and regions. Supports live, simulive, and automated formats with enterprise reliability, deep integrations, and brand control. However, it’s priced for companies like ServiceNow or Datadog, not startups.

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Missing a tool?

Am I missing an automated webinar tool from this list? Let me know!

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Disclosure: Editorial rankings are based on hands-on testing, evaluation of public user feedback, and real-world usage.