Updated October 2026
Free webinars: where they fit
A free webinar lowers the barrier to registering, so it suits cold traffic, list building and offers sold at the end of the session, such as coaching, courses or software. The tradeoff is commitment. A free registration costs the attendee nothing, so reminders, a strong title and a replay page do more of the work to bring people back.
Free webinars pair well with automated formats. An evergreen session that runs every day keeps feeding your list between launches, and a high ticket offer at the end turns attention into sales.
Paid webinars: where they fit
A paid webinar makes the event the product. It suits hands on workshops, certification style classes, VIP sessions and premium replays. Buyers have already committed, so the session can go deeper and spend less time on persuasion. The tradeoff is reach, since a ticket asks more of a cold visitor. Learn the setup in how to create paid webinars.
How to choose
- Pick free when the goal is leads and the real offer comes after the webinar.
- Pick paid when the content stands on its own and buyers expect to leave with something usable.
- Run both when a free class introduces your method and a paid workshop goes deeper for the people who want more.
For a wider view of revenue models, see how to monetize webinars and webinar platform payment processing.
How platforms handle paid access
| Platform | How paid access works | Source |
|---|---|---|
| WebinarKit (our product) | Paid webinars built in: sale, payment and access happen in the same platform, including premium replays | getwebinarkit.com |
| eWebinar | Third party processors, Zapier in two of three flows | eWebinar documentation |
| AEvent | External cart via API or webhooks | AEvent documentation |
| Demio | Zapier workaround documented | Demio documentation |
| EasyWebinar | Yes, connected Stripe, paid replays | EasyWebinar documentation |
| GoTo Webinar | Paid registration via connected Stripe | GoTo Webinar documentation |
Competitor rows summarize each vendor's own help pages as checked on October 13, 2026. Confirm current details with the vendor.
Running free and paid webinars in one platform
WebinarKit is our product. Its paid webinars are built in, so the sale, the payment and webinar access happen in the same platform, for live or automated events and for premium replays. Free lead generation webinars run from the same account, so you can keep a free class and a paid workshop side by side. Read the paid webinars launch post for details.
See WebinarKit for yourself
Explore the automated, live and all-in-one plans on the WebinarKit site.