BigMarker and Livestorm both excel at professional event hosting but target different organizational needs. BigMarker offers massive scalability and deep feature sets for huge enterprise events. Livestorm provides an intuitive, security-focused, browser-based experience starting with a free plan.
Feature-rich platform, requiring premium investment.
We found BigMarker delivers one of the most robust and highly-rated feature sets available for virtual event hosting, focusing on superb reliability and deep audience data capture. Overall, the platform is a feature powerhouse for enterprise events, though prospective users should weigh the reported high cost and documented inconsistencies in customer support responsiveness.
Comprehensive Webinar Tool, Complex Pricing.
We find Livestorm provides a robust, browser-based platform ideal for businesses needing strong data security and high automation capacity. The feature set is excellent, but we must note the recurrent serious concerns regarding subscription policies and dramatic, unannounced price hikes. Overall, Livestorm is a powerful tool with significant financial risk flags for long-term users.
BigMarker is a robust platform connecting professionals through virtual and hybrid events. 💡 It specializes in hosting interactive streams, helping organizations run impactful webinars that achieve real business outcomes. This solution supports comprehensive event planning, whether you are managing a small webinar series or planning a large annual customer conference. BigMarker gives event planners and marketers the tools needed to stand out from the crowd.
Livestorm is a powerful, unified platform offering dynamic discussions for any kind of online event. It is designed to be the webinar leader, ready for immediate use. You access Livestorm right through your browser, which means there is no software to install and no credit card required to start. This accessibility ensures you can achieve maximum participation every time. This platform serves thousands of customers, scaling easily from startups to large enterprises.
We highlight the main differences and pick a winner for each feature.
BigMarker handles massive virtual crowds; Livestorm is ideal for typical B2B webinar scale.
BigMarker is built to handle huge scale, supporting up to 500,000 live attendees. Its Enterprise+ plan provides maximum capacity for global events and training. This powerful architecture ensures reliability, even under extreme load situations. Livestorm focuses on high attendance rates for typical marketing webinars, supporting up to 3,000 attendees. While excellent for B2B scale, it doesn't match BigMarker’s extreme volume limits. BigMarker is for mission-critical, large events up to half a million users. Livestorm is better suited for high-volume lead generation webinars. Choose BigMarker for annual conferences; choose Livestorm for weekly customer demos.
Livestorm has clear entry points; BigMarker uses completely opaque custom quotes.
BigMarker uses quote-based pricing across all three tiers (Basic, Enterprise, Enterprise+). You must talk to sales for any plan, meaning costs are opaque initially. There is no free plan or public price list. Livestorm offers a permanent, $0 Free plan to test the platform easily. Paid plans start at $105/month (annually) for 1,000 yearly active contacts. Livestorm offers clear tiers and a free plan to minimize initial risk. BigMarker requires a full sales engagement before revealing the total investment. Be warned: Livestorm users have reported sudden, major price increases upon contract renewal.
Livestorm leads with explicit compliance; BigMarker offers proprietary advanced security.
Livestorm is EU-hosted and proudly ISO 27001 certified and GDPR compliant by design. This provides explicit assurance for organizations handling sensitive European data. This focus simplifies compliance concerns for many global teams. BigMarker offers advanced security features like SSO and MFA, but only in its Enterprise+ tier. It provides negotiable DPA terms for organizations needing compliance. Livestorm structures its foundation around explicit data governance and EU standards. This makes Livestorm the safer choice for highly regulated industries. BigMarker is better if internal control (SSO) is more important than EU data residency assurance.
Livestorm offers better support structures; BigMarker support is frequently criticized by users.
BigMarker users frequently report customer support responsiveness as “abysmal.” Issues often take too long to resolve, eroding trust in the platform experience. This is a critical drawback despite the robust features. Livestorm offers Standard Support on Pro and VIP Support in higher tiers. Enterprise users receive a Service Level Agreement (SLA) for guaranteed response times. Based purely on user reviews, Livestorm offers a better perceived support experience. Livestorm provides high-touch service via dedicated account managers. If you anticipate needing quick answers or white-glove service, prioritize Livestorm over BigMarker.
BigMarker features integrated ticketing and payments; Livestorm lacks native monetization.
BigMarker supports integrated ticketing and payment processing starting in the Enterprise tier. This is vital for organizations monetizing large virtual summits or paid training sessions. It keeps the financial flow within their ecosystem. Livestorm focuses primarily on marketing functions and lead generation features. The platform does not explicitly list built-in ticketing or payment support for direct revenue generation. If you need to sell tickets directly within the system, BigMarker is the clear, all-in-one choice. Livestorm requires complicated third-party tools for payment processing. Generating revenue from ticket sales is easier and faster using BigMarker's included functionality.
Livestorm offers unlimited team seats; BigMarker limits usage via specific host licenses.
BigMarker plans strictly limit the number of host licenses, scaling from 1 (Basic) up to 6 (Enterprise+). This system can be restrictive for large internal teams. All paid Livestorm plans include unlimited team members and hosts. The pricing scales only based on attendee usage and 'Active Contacts,' not internal size. Teams with many internal presenters will find Livestorm’s unlimited seats far more flexible and predictable. BigMarker’s license structure favors centralized event management. Livestorm eliminates internal team friction and unexpected costs associated with adding new presenters.
BigMarker offers Simulive flexibility; both support evergreen and recurring content.
BigMarker unlocks advanced formats like Simulive, Evergreen, and 24/7 webinars in the Enterprise plan. Simulive protects production quality while allowing live Q&A interaction. This is excellent for marketing. Livestorm supports running automated recurring events using built-in schedulers. It provides instant replay generation and unlimited storage for evergreen access, enhancing content lifespan. BigMarker's specialized Simulive feature allows high-production pre-recorded content combined with crucial live chat interaction. This blends quality and high engagement seamlessly. Choose BigMarker to maximize content reuse with high-fidelity, automated options.
BigMarker boasts reliability and video quality; Livestorm users report occasional freezes and delays.
BigMarker users frequently praise its reliable video conferencing and superb sound quality. The system architecture is proven for high-demand, large-scale events, reducing stress on planners. Some Livestorm users reported reliability issues, citing "constant freezes and delays" during events. Presenter video quality is sometimes described as poor by reviewers. For mission-critical events where stability cannot be compromised, BigMarker appears to offer a more consistently reliable core experience. While Livestorm is praised for simplicity, BigMarker is praised for being the 'big beast' that performs when needed.
The choice between BigMarker and Livestorm boils down to scale versus software structure. Are you hosting a virtual city, or are you running efficient marketing webinars? For massive enterprise events, BigMarker is unmatched in volume and feature depth. Livestorm is safer for organizations prioritizing explicit design and data compliance. BigMarker’s superpower is its undeniable, reliable scale and robust event management capabilities. It handles up to 500,000 attendees, perfect for global training or massive virtual conferences. BigMarker also integrates key monetization tools like ticketing, simplifying revenue generation. Livestorm shines with its intuitive, browser-based experience and explicit compliance stance. It's EU-hosted, meeting strict GDPR and ISO 27001 standards by design. Livestorm also offers unlimited team members, making it cost-effective for large internal teams. However, transparency and support are key trade-offs. BigMarker's customer support is often harshly criticized as poor, and pricing is quote-based only. While Livestorm enables easier starting points, users warn of severe, unannounced price hikes upon renewal. Choose BigMarker if you run mission-critical, large-scale events and need advanced monetization features built-in. Select Livestorm if you value a sleek, compliant, browser-based tool for efficient lead generation and internal collaboration.
Livestorm is slightly better for lead generation due to its marketing focus. Its pricing is based on 'Active Contacts,' reinforcing lead capture goals. BigMarker is better for managing the data from massive attendee lists.
Livestorm is GDPR compliant and ISO 27001 certified by default. BigMarker reserves high-end features like Single Sign-on (SSO) until the Enterprise+ tier. For overall explicit security frameworks, Livestorm has an edge.
BigMarker requires custom quotes even for its Basic plan and has no free trial. Livestorm is more accessible, offering a lifetime Free plan perfect for testing core features before committing.
Yes, BigMarker offers built-in ticketing and payments functionality starting at the Enterprise tier. Livestorm does not publicly list native payment support and requires external integration.
Users frequently describe BigMarker's customer support as abysmal and very slow to respond. Livestorm offers VIP support and SLAs in higher tiers and is generally rated better.
BigMarker uses quote-based pricing scaling on attendee volume and host licenses. Livestorm uses predictable usage-based pricing on annual Active Contacts. Livestorm carries a renewal price volatility risk.
Both tools have their strengths. Choose based on your specific needs.