What is the best platform for a consultant to h… | Parse
What is the best platform for a consultant to host paid, ticketed virtual workshops and masterclasses for their audience?
Data as of Sep 29, 2026 · Based on 364 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For consultants hosting paid, ticketed virtual workshops, Zoom Events is the most cited comprehensive solution providing integrated registration, ticketing, and branded event hubs. For browser-based delivery with engagement features like polls and Q&A, Livestorm is a direct recommendation. Coaches seeking specialized control over payment funnels and client experience for high-ticket trainings often prefer AEvent, while those prioritizing networking and interactive breakout sessions frequently choose Airmeet.
1LivestormBest for browser-based delivery that simplifies the attendee experience by removing the need for software downloads. It offers strong engagement tools like Q&A and polls within a singular workflow.54%
For a consultant selling paid, ticketed virtual workshops/masterclasses, I’d put Podia at the top of the shortlist right now—especially if you want the workshop to be part of a broader consulting/content business rather than simply a video call with a ticket attached.
My shortlist
Platform
Best for
Paid tickets
Live experience
Replay / reuse
Audience ownership
Podia
Question: What is the best platform for a consultant to host paid, ticketed virtual workshops and masterclasses for their audience?
The important distinction is that Podia treats a workshop as a product, not merely an event.
You can create a paid event with its own registration page and checkout, send automated reminders, attach workbooks/materials, run the actual session through Zoom/Google Meet/YouTube Live, host the replay afterward, and eventually turn that replay into another product.
That makes a lot of sense for a consultant's business model:
You can also bundle events with courses, downloads, coaching or community, which is particularly useful if your workshops are intended to lead people into higher-value offers.
🥈 Crowdcast is arguably better if the event itself is the product
I'd seriously consider Crowdcast if you're imagining something like:
"Join me Thursday for a 90-minute masterclass with live Q&A, polls, audience interaction and a replay."
Crowdcast has native ticketing through Stripe, supports fixed-price and sliding-scale tickets, promo codes, registration limits and multiple ticket types.
It also has features specifically oriented toward teaching/training and workshops, including audience interaction, slides, questions and customized replays.
The tradeoff is cost: its current plans start at $49/month annually, with a 5% transaction fee on ticketed events on Lite/Pro; Business drops the transaction fee to 2%, plus Stripe processing.
So I'd think of it as:
Crowdcast = better "virtual event venue"
Podia = better "consultant business storefront"
Eventbrite: excellent for ticketing, less compelling for an owned audience
Eventbrite is worth considering if discoverability matters—i.e., you want people who don't already follow you to find your workshop.
It currently reports a global community of 89 million monthly users and offers event discovery, ticketing, attendee marketing, reminders and other event-management tools.
But the economics are less attractive for a consultant with an established audience. In the U.S., Eventbrite currently lists a 3.7% + $1.79 service fee per paid ticket plus 2.9% payment processing, with the option to pass fees to attendees or absorb them.
So I'd use Eventbrite when "sell tickets to an event" is the primary objective, rather than "build my own customer ecosystem."
Zoom: great delivery, but I wouldn't automatically make it your storefront
Zoom now supports paid events through Zoom Events/Webinars Plus, including paid ticket types and payment processing through Stripe or PayPal.
If your priority is simply:
registration → Zoom → great live session
it's a very credible option.
But for a consultant who wants to turn each masterclass into an evergreen revenue-generating asset, I'd rather have the commerce, landing page, customer access and replay living in something like Podia.
The decision I'd make
Choose Podia if:
You already have an audience/email list.
You want to sell workshops directly from your own site.
You want replays to become products.
You may eventually sell courses, downloads, coaching or memberships.
You want relatively little technical plumbing.
Choose Crowdcast if:
The live experience is the centerpiece.
Audience interaction is particularly important.
You want a purpose-built workshop/webinar environment.
You don't need a full creator-commerce platform.
Choose Eventbrite if:
You want event discovery beyond your existing audience.
You're running more traditional ticketed events.
Ticketing/event management is more important than owning the customer journey.
Choose Zoom if:
You already have everything else—website, Stripe, email marketing, CRM—and primarily need sophisticated live delivery.
One important caveat
I would not choose Demio specifically for this use case. Its current documentation says it doesn't have native paid-webinar functionality; paid webinars require a workaround using a payment platform plus Zapier.
Bottom line
If you're a solo consultant with an existing audience, my practical architecture would be:
That gives you a clean path from a one-off $50–$300 masterclass to a library of paid intellectual property without having to rebuild your tech stack later.
If you tell me roughly (1) your ticket price, (2) expected audience size, (3) whether you already use Zoom/Stripe/email marketing, and (4) whether you want the replay to remain available for sale, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 platforms and calculate the approximate fees/economics for a typical workshop.
For a consultant hosting paid, ticketed virtual workshops and masterclasses, the "best" platform depends on whether you want an all-in-one business suite (landing pages, email marketing, payments, and video) or a streamlined, single-purpose tool that plugs into your existing tech stack.
The top platforms for consultants are organized below by how they fit your workflow:
1. The Best All-in-One Powerhouses (For the Complete Ecosystem)
Kajabi: Widely considered the gold standard for consultants and high-level coaches. It handles everything: professional landing pages, secure payment processing (Stripe/PayPal), email marketing automations, and hosting for both live and recorded masterclasses. It's on the pricier side, but it eliminates the need to stitch together five different software tools. Explore features on Kajabi.
Thinkific: Excellent if your masterclasses are stepping stones to larger asynchronous online courses or structured programs. It has robust student-engagement features, a great site builder, and flexible pricing structures without punishing transaction fees on paid plans. Check it out on Thinkific.
2. The Best for Simplicity & Quick Sales (For Lean Operations)
Podia: Incredibly user-friendly and clean. If you want to spin up a sales page for a one-off ticketed workshop in 20 minutes without dealing with bloated features, Podia handles digital products, webinars, and community spaces effortlessly. Learn more at Podia.
Gumroad: Ultra-minimalist. If you already have an audience and just need a direct checkout link where people can buy a ticket to your Zoom/Google Meet workshop, Gumroad makes checkout frictionless. See how it works on Gumroad.
3. The Best for Live-Heavy & Webinar-Driven Funnels
GetResponse / WebinarNinja: If your consulting funnel relies heavily on the live interactive experience, automated registration sequences, replay rooms, and native email follow-ups rather than a static "course library," a dedicated webinar platform with built-in ticketing is ideal. Explore options on GetResponse.
Which one should you pick?
Choose Kajabi if you want a professional, premium brand presence and want your marketing emails, landing pages, and masterclass room all in one place.
Choose Podia or Thinkific if you want clean aesthetics and a lower learning curve.
Choose Gumroad or a simple Stripe Payment Link + Zoom combo if you are testing a single workshop concept and want zero monthly software overhead.
To help narrow this down, tell me:
Do you plan to sell these as one-off live events , or do you want recordings to live on as an on-demand library?
Are you already using an email marketing or CRM tool you want to keep?
For a consultant, the "best" platform depends on how you run your business: whether you are hosting one-off interactive masterclasses , building an on-demand library of past workshops , or looking for a lightweight registration-and-payment tool without a massive monthly subscription.
The top platforms are categorized below by how they match a consultant’s workflow:
1. Best Dedicated Live Event & Workshop Platforms (For Interactivity & Clean UX)
If your primary format is live, high-engagement masterclasses where Q&A, chat, polls, and on-screen interaction matter most:
Demio: Widely considered a gold standard for live and automated sessions. It runs entirely in the browser (no software download for your corporate or high-level consulting clients) and handles registration pages, email reminders, and analytics smoothly. You can easily tie it to a payment gateway.
Crowdcast: Purpose-built for creators and educators. It offers multi-stream capabilities, beautiful single-page registrations, time-stamped Q&A, and native ticketing/stripe integration for paid single events without forcing you to build a whole "course site".
2. Best All-In-One Business Hubs (For Scaling an Education Brand)
If virtual workshops are just the top of your funnel or part of a broader ecosystem where you also sell retainer packages, signature courses, or a community:
Kajabi: The heavy-hitter for premium consultants. It is expensive, but it bundles your website, landing pages, email marketing funnels, checkout/Stripe integration, and live/recorded video hosting into one dashboard. If a masterclass feeds into an automated email sequence that pitches your high-ticket consulting, Kajabi does this seamlessly.
Thinkific: Great if you want to host live workshops (often via Zoom integration) and automatically archive them as on-demand paid recordings for future buyers. It has a more forgiving pricing structure than Kajabi and zero transaction fees on paid tiers.
3. Best Lightweight & Community-Driven Ticketing (Low Friction)
If you want something fast, modern, and community-forward where people can discover and pay for events with minimal setup:
Lu.ma: Exceptionally popular for modern virtual and hybrid events. It features a gorgeous, minimalist event page, handles ticketing/crypto or Stripe payments natively, integrates smoothly with Zoom/Google Meet, and lets you build an audience subscriber list effortlessly.
Comparison at a Glance
Platform
Best For
Pricing Model
Setup Complexity
Demio
Professional live/automated masterclasses
Monthly subscription ($49–$234/mo)
Low-Medium
Crowdcast
Interactive, browser-based live workshops
Monthly subscription (Starts ~$34/mo)
Low
To help narrow this down, tell me:
Are these workshops frequent/recurring (e.g., monthly cohort) or occasional one-offs?
Do you want to upsell these attendees into a course or high-ticket coaching , or just sell the workshop standalone?
I can give you a precise recommendation for your exact setup.
For a consultant selling paid, ticketed virtual workshops/masterclasses, I’d narrow it to three strong choices, depending on what you want the platform to do beyond hosting the live session.
Platform
Best for
Ticketing
Live experience
Audience/marketing
My take
Zoom Events
Professional paid workshops & masterclasses
Excellent
Excellent
Good
Best dedicated event platform
Maven
High-ticket expert workshops/cohorts
Excellent
Excellent
Strong for education
Best for selling expertise/learning
Kajabi
Building a broader consultant business
Good
Good
Excellent
Best all-in-one business platform
1. Zoom Events — best if the event itself is the product
Zoom has evolved well beyond ordinary Zoom meetings. Zoom Events gives you branded event hubs, registration/ticketing, attendee management, networking, multiple sessions, recordings, analytics, and paid tickets.
You can sell different ticket types, use promo/access codes, and run either single or multi-session events.
I'd choose this if your model is:
"I have an audience → I announce a masterclass → people buy a ticket → they attend a polished live event."
It's particularly attractive if you're expecting 50–500+ attendees and want the event to feel professional rather than like "here's a Zoom link."
One consideration: Zoom Events is a paid product with its own licensing, and paid events require Stripe or PayPal for payments.
2. Maven — best if you're selling your expertise as education
Maven is particularly interesting for a consultant because it treats the workshop as a learning product, rather than simply an event.
Maven's own current guidance puts paid workshops around $200–$1,000+, depending on the amount of live interaction and hands-on work. Its platform minimum for a paid offering is $200.
That's a very different positioning from a $29 webinar.
I'd look seriously at Maven if you're selling things like:
Executive masterclasses
Strategy workshops
Leadership programs
Expert training
Professional-development sessions
Hands-on consulting methodologies
Small-group intensives
Multi-session workshops
In other words, if the proposition is "learn this from me" rather than merely "attend my event," Maven becomes compelling.
3. Kajabi — best if workshops are one component of your business
Kajabi makes more sense if you ultimately want to build an ecosystem around your expertise: website + email list + landing pages + checkout + courses + community + digital products.
Its current plans start at $179/month monthly or $143/month when billed annually, with higher tiers at $249/$199 and $499/$399 respectively. Kajabi says it doesn't take a revenue share of sales, although payment-processing fees apply.
So I'd choose Kajabi if your funnel looks more like:
Content/newsletter → email list → masterclass → workshop → course/program → consulting
rather than simply:
Audience → ticket → event
What I'd pick for a consultant
If I had to choose one without knowing anything else about your business: Zoom Events.
It's the cleanest fit for paid, ticketed, live virtual masterclasses because ticketing, registration, the live event, attendee experience, and event management are all part of the same product.
But there's an important distinction:
$25–$150 public masterclasses: Zoom Events
$200–$1,000+ expert workshops: Maven is worth serious consideration
Recurring workshops + courses + email marketing + community + digital products: Kajabi
If you tell me (1) your typical ticket price, (2) expected attendees, (3) whether workshops are one-off or recurring, and (4) whether you already have an email list/website, I can give you a much more precise recommendation—including the fees you'd actually pay per $10k of ticket sales.
Its current plans start at $179/month monthly or $143/month when billed annually, with higher tiers at $249/$199 and $499/$399 respectively. Kajabi says it doesn't take a revenue share of sales, although payment-processing fees apply.
So I'd choose Kajabi if your funnel looks more like:
Content/newsletter → email list → masterclass → workshop → course/program → consulting
rather than simply:
Audience → ticket → event
What I'd pick for a consultant
If I had to choose one without knowing anything else about your business: Zoom Events.
That's a very different positioning from a $29 webinar.
For a consultant hosting paid, ticketed virtual workshops and masterclasses, the "best" platform depends on whether you want an all-in-one business suite (landing pages, ticketing, email, and video hosting unified) or a lean/specialized stack (where you use a dedicated event page paired with your preferred video software).
The top options on the market are categorized below by how they fit a consultant’s workflow:
Kajabi – Best All-in-One Platform for Premium Brands
Why it fits: Kajabi handles everything from custom landing pages and checkout/payment processing to email marketing automation and hosting the actual live event or replays. It looks high-end, requires minimal tech-stack juggling, and is built explicitly for knowledge-commerce professionals and consultants.
The catch: It is one of the priciest monthly subscriptions available, making it best if you plan to run workshops consistently or bundle them into higher-ticket offers.
Thinkific or Teachable – Best for Course & Workshop Hybrids
Why it fits: These platforms excel at letting you sell a live workshop ticket while automatically granting buyers access to a post-event portal where you can host the recording, slide decks, and downloadable workbooks. They have robust free-to-low-tier entry points and straightforward checkout flows.
The catch: They don't have native live-streaming video rooms built-in, meaning you embed a Zoom, Vimeo, or YouTube Live link right into the classroom lesson page.
Luma (lu.ma) – Best Lean, Modern Event & Ticketing Page
Why it fits: Luma has exploded in popularity for independent creators and consultants because it offers gorgeous, frictionless event landing pages, handles Stripe-backed ticket sales smoothly, and integrates nicely with Zoom or Google Meet. It feels modern and community-focused.
The catch: It is purely an event registration and management tool—it doesn't store your email list drips or evergreen courses long-term the way Kajabi or Thinkific do.
Talkspresso or Crowdcast – Best Dedicated Live Engagement & Workshop Tools
Why it fits: If the experience of the workshop matters most (interactive Q&As, polls, clean chat rooms, and automated AI session summaries), platforms built explicitly for live interactive video beat out standard video conferencing. Talkspresso, for example, combines registration, payments, and video under a lower fixed overhead with a percentage-per-sale model.
The catch: You trade off the massive course-library features of larger platforms for deep-dive live tools.
The "Classic Stack" (Zoom + Eventbrite + Stripe) – Best Budget/Ad-Hoc Approach
Why it fits: If you are just testing the waters with your first few masterclasses, using Eventbrite or Luma to collect money via Stripe and sending out a secured Zoom link is cheap and requires no new software subscriptions.
The catch: It creates manual administrative overhead (reconciliation, reminder emails, tracking who paid) that starts eating up 3 to 5 hours of your week as you scale.
To help narrow down the ideal choice, tell me:
Do you plan to sell these workshops as one-off events or recurring/evergreen masterclasses?
Do you already use an email marketing provider (like ConvertKit/Kit, Mailchimp, etc.) that you want the platform to integrate with?
For a consultant selling paid, ticketed virtual workshops/masterclasses directly to an existing audience, I’d shortlist these:
Platform
Best for
Ticketing
Live delivery
Audience/CRM
My take
Luma
Beautiful, simple paid events
✅ Excellent
⚠️ Usually pair with Zoom
✅ Good
Best lightweight choice
Zoom Events
Professional workshops + larger events
✅ Native
✅ Excellent
⚠️ Moderate
Best all-in-one event platform
Maven
Premium educational workshops/cohorts
✅
✅
✅ Strong
Best for turning workshops into a learning business
Eventbrite + Zoom
Discoverability + conventional ticketing
✅ Excellent
✅ Excellent via Zoom
⚠️ Limited
Good if you want marketplace exposure
Kajabi
Workshops as part of a broader consulting business
✅
⚠️ Usually external
✅ Excellent
Best if you're building a larger digital-product ecosystem
My recommendation: Luma + Zoom
If you're an independent consultant with an established audience—LinkedIn, newsletter, podcast, community, etc.—I'd start with Luma for the ticketing/event experience and Zoom for the actual masterclass.
Luma lets you create multiple ticket types, including different prices and approval-based tickets, and it integrates with Stripe for payment. Luma Help Center It also provides event pages, a calendar, CRM/audience management and email capabilities.
It's particularly attractive if you're running things like:
$49–$199 one-off masterclasses
$200–$500 intensive workshops
Monthly/quarterly workshops
Small-group expert sessions
Premium "office hours" or Q&A sessions
When I'd choose Zoom Events instead
If the event itself is the product, rather than simply using an event page to sell access, I'd look seriously at Zoom Zoom Events.
Zoom now supports paid ticket types, recurring sessions, multi-session events, different ticket levels, registration questions, networking and event hubs.
For example, you could sell:
General Admission — $99
VIP — $249
VIP + 30-minute consultation — $499
without stitching together several systems. Zoom's paid-event functionality requires a Stripe or PayPal Business account.
I'd choose Zoom Events over Luma if you're expecting hundreds of attendees, running multiple sessions, or want a more sophisticated event environment.
When Maven makes more sense
If your "masterclass" is really the beginning of a premium educational product, Maven is interesting. Its positioning is around live learning and cohort-based experiences rather than simply selling tickets to an event. Maven's own current guidance treats workshops as paid educational products, with typical workshop pricing of $200–$1,000+ depending on depth and hands-on interaction.
So:
One excellent 90-minute masterclass → Luma + Zoom
A 4-week transformation/program built around your expertise → Maven
A sophisticated virtual conference/masterclass series → Zoom Events
The bigger strategic question
For a consultant, I'd actually optimize less for "which webinar platform?" and more for who owns the customer relationship.
If you're bringing your own audience, I would favor a platform that gives you:
A high-converting event sales page
Native payments/ticketing
Multiple ticket tiers
Automated reminders
Reliable live video
Recording/replay delivery
Attendee/customer data you can export
Easy email/CRM integrations
A frictionless checkout
The ability to run the same format repeatedly
On that basis, Luma + Zoom is probably the strongest starting stack for an independent consultant, while Zoom Events becomes more compelling as the events become larger and more sophisticated.
If you tell me your typical ticket price, expected audience size, whether you already use Zoom, and whether you want to sell recordings/replays afterward, I can narrow this down to the best 2–3 options and compare their actual 2026 fees and economics.
For a consultant, the "best" platform depends on whether you want an all-in-one hub (which also houses your courses, email marketing, and client packages) or a dedicated live-event tool focused purely on a seamless registration-to-broadcast experience.
The top platforms for hosting paid, ticketed virtual workshops and masterclasses are categorized below by how they fit a consultant's workflow:
1. The Best All-in-One Business Hubs (Best for Scaling a Consulting Brand)
If you plan to turn your workshops into a recurring revenue stream, sell on-demand replays, or upsell attendees into high-ticket consulting packages, an all-in-one platform is your best bet.
Kajabi: Widely considered the gold standard for high-earning consultants and educators. It handles beautiful landing pages, checkout/stripe integration, email marketing sequences, and live video hosting (via integrations or native tools). It eliminates tech headaches, though it comes with a higher monthly price tag. Explore options on Kajabi.
Teachable / Thinkific: Excellent alternatives if you primarily want to sell recorded masterclasses alongside live workshops. They allow you to easily spin up a sales page, accept payments, and embed your preferred live-streaming tool (like Zoom) right into the classroom dashboard. Check out features on Teachable.
2. The Best Dedicated Live & Interactive Webinar Platforms (Best for Engagement)
If your focus is heavily on the live experience —smooth chat, interactive Q&A, polls, and polished video delivery—without needing a massive course library, look here:
Crowdcast: Built specifically for interactive online events, workshops, and multi-session masterclasses. It runs straight in the browser (no downloads required for attendees), has incredible built-in registration and ticketing, and makes managing multi-person Q&A effortless.
- **Livestorm:** A robust, browser-based video conferencing platform tailored for professional webinars and workshops. It features heavy-duty analytics, automated email reminders, and clean branding capabilities, making it great for a corporate or B2B consulting audience.
3. The Best Lightweight & Community-Driven Tools (Best for Modern Discovery)
Luma (Lu.ma): Hugely popular for modern creators, tech consultants, and community builders. Luma makes creating a gorgeous, high-converting event landing page take less than five minutes. It handles paid ticketing via Stripe seamlessly, sends calendar invites/reminders, and can easily embed Zoom or Google Meet. It's clean, minimalist, and frictionless for the user. Check it out on Luma.
4. The Reliable "Classic Stack" (Best for Low Fixed Overhead)
Zoom + Eventbrite + Stripe:
How it works: You list the ticket on Eventbrite (which handles payment processing and automated reminder emails), and manually or automatically link it to a Zoom meeting/webinar registration.
The Verdict: It has zero monthly subscription fees for software features (you just pay per-ticket processing fees), but it requires 3 to 5 hours of manual administrative overhead per workshop to manage links, tech issues, and customer data.
Summary Recommendation: Which should you pick?
Choose Luma if you want something fast, modern, gorgeous, and low-friction that lets you launch a paid workshop this afternoon.
Choose Kajabi if you want a permanent business ecosystem where your workshops feed directly into a larger portfolio of high-ticket consulting offers and digital courses.
Choose Crowdcast if your workshop relies heavily on deep, interactive audience participation and a high-end live production feel.
To help narrow this down, tell me:
Are you looking for a one-off workshop or a recurring series?
Do you already have a website or email list you want to integrate with?
For a consultant with an existing audience, I’d choose Zoom Events if the priority is a polished, paid workshop experience. It supports paid tickets, recurring/series events, registration, multiple sessions, and attendee engagement.
Zoom Events — best all-in-one live experience.
Eventbrite + Zoom — best if you want ticketing and discovery through Eventbrite’s marketplace; it supports paid online events and Zoom integration.
Maven — best if the “masterclass” is becoming a premium educational product/cohort rather than a standalone event. Maven explicitly supports 1-day workshops and cohort courses.
My default recommendation: Zoom Events for standalone paid masterclasses; Maven if you intend to build a higher-ticket education business around them.
For a consultant, the "best" platform depends on whether you want an all-in-one business suite (hosting your courses, email list, and community alongside workshops) or a lean, single-purpose event tool that gets a masterclass live in 10 minutes without a heavy monthly subscription.
The top platforms for hosting paid, ticketed virtual workshops and masterclasses are categorized below by how they fit a consultant's workflow.
1. The Best All-in-One Ecosystems (Best for Scaled Consulting Businesses)
If your goal is to turn one-off masterclasses into a broader funnel of courses, recurring memberships, and high-ticket consulting offers, an all-in-one platform is ideal.
Kajabi
Best for: Established consultants who want a professional, unified brand.
Why it shines: It handles landing pages, seamless Stripe/PayPal ticket checkout, automated email sequences, and high-quality video hosting in one place. You can host live masterclasses (via integrated Zoom or custom embedding) and easily upsell attendees into self-paced mini-courses or retainer packages.
The tradeoff: Premium pricing ($179+/month), making it overkill if you only run a workshop once a quarter.
Teachable
Best for: Consultants focused on a mix of live cohort workshops and pre-recorded modules.
Why it shines: It offers a streamlined, high-converting checkout experience and simpler navigation than Kajabi if you just want to gate a live event page and handle student management. Lower entry tiers make it budget-friendly.
The tradeoff: Less robust built-in marketing funnels and email automation compared to Kajabi.
2. The Best Dedicated Live Event & Webinar Tools (Best for Engagement)
If your masterclasses rely heavily on live interaction, Q&A sessions, chat moderation, and polished presentation rooms rather than website-building.
Crowdcast
Best for: Interactive, community-driven masterclasses and multi-speaker workshops.
Why it shines: Unlike standard video meeting software, Crowdcast is built explicitly for webinars and workshops. It features a persistent Q&A box, time-stamped questions, polite "call to action" overlays to buy or book a follow-up, and a single registration page that handles ticketing and streaming natively.
The tradeoff: Monthly subscription tiers starting around $34+/month, plus minor overage fees if you cross live-attendee thresholds.
Livestorm
Best for: B2B and corporate consultants who need reliable browser-based delivery (no downloads for clients) and tight CRM integrations (like HubSpot or Salesforce).
Why it shines: Incredible browser compatibility, powerful analytics on who attended and for how long, and easy automated email reminders.
3. The Best Modern Event & Community Upstarts (Best for Low Overhead)
If you want a sleek, modern landing page with a built-in ticketing system and minimal administrative friction.
Best for: Slick, design-forward event landing pages and quick ticket sales.
Why it shines: Luma has exploded in popularity for virtual and hybrid events. Setting up a paid masterclass takes minutes, the registration pages look immaculate, and it manages calendar invites and reminder emails effortlessly. It operates on a simple ticket-fee percentage model on free tiers.
The tradeoff: It is purely an event registration and management layer—you will still need to plug in a video provider link (like Zoom or Google Meet) for the actual stream.
Skool
Best for: Consultants who want to run a paid community alongside recurring monthly masterclass workshops.
Why it shines: Incredibly simple, distraction-free interface. You can host your calendar, schedule live video rooms, and keep your workshop attendees engaged in a private forum between sessions.
Quick Recommendation Guide
Choose Kajabi if you want an enterprise-grade ecosystem and plan to sell high-end programs off your masterclass.
Choose Crowdcast if your primary requirement is a stellar, high-engagement live classroom experience with built-in Q&A.
Choose Luma if you want a fast, beautiful registration page with zero upfront monthly software costs and are comfortable using Zoom for the video portion.
To help narrow this down, tell me:
Do you plan to host these workshops weekly/monthly or just occasionally?
Do you need an all-in-one site to house other digital products (like e-books or courses), or just a pure ticketing and streaming tool?
If your primary goal is selling paid, ticketed virtual workshops/masterclasses to an existing audience, my top pick is Zoom Events.
My ranking
Platform
Best for
My take
Zoom Events
Ticketed live workshops/masterclasses
Best overall for this use case
Maven
Premium educational programs
Best if workshops may evolve into cohorts/courses
Kajabi
Building an entire expert business
Best all-in-one, but overkill for occasional events
Luma
Beautiful event registration/community
Great event layer, but I'd pair it with Zoom for the actual workshop
1. Zoom Events — my recommendation
For a consultant who already has an audience—newsletter, LinkedIn following, clients, community, etc.—Zoom Events is the cleanest fit.
It supports paid tickets, multiple ticket types, promo/access codes, registration, virtual events, and event series. You can even offer drop-in versus entire-series tickets.
That makes a model like this straightforward:
$49 → 90-minute masterclass
$99 → masterclass + recording
$199 → masterclass + workbook + Q&A
$399 → 4-part workshop series
Zoom also supports PayPal and card payments for attendees.
The downside: Zoom Events is more "event infrastructure" than "premium learning business." You'll need to do more of your marketing and audience-building yourself.
2. Maven — best if you're selling expertise, not just an event
I'd seriously consider Maven if your workshops are high-ticket and intellectually substantial.
Maven is designed around experts selling workshops and cohort-based learning. Its own guidance puts workshops around $200–$1,000+, depending on live interaction and how hands-on they are.
That's compelling if you're a consultant selling something like:
"Strategic Positioning Masterclass — $750 — 3 live sessions + templates + personalized feedback."
Rather than:
"Join my $49 Zoom webinar."
The tradeoff is that Maven has a more education/cohort-oriented model and a $200 minimum for paid offerings, so it isn't ideal for inexpensive, high-volume masterclasses.
3. Kajabi — best if this is becoming a business
I'd choose Kajabi if the workshop is one piece of a larger consulting/education ecosystem:
content → email list → masterclass → course → group program → consulting
Kajabi combines websites, products, communities, marketing and payments. Its current plans start at $179/month monthly ($143/month when billed annually), with higher tiers for larger businesses.
That's considerably more infrastructure than you need just to sell a monthly masterclass, but it becomes attractive when you're building a personal-brand education business.
What I'd do in your shoes
If you're starting with paid, standalone virtual masterclasses, I'd use:
Zoom Events + your existing email/social audience
and keep the offer extremely simple.
If you expect the business to develop into premium cohorts, courses and recurring programs, I'd lean toward Maven.
If you're building a full consultant/creator business with email marketing, courses, community and multiple offers, I'd choose Kajabi.
The key distinction is: don't choose a course platform merely because you're teaching. If the product you're selling is fundamentally a ticketed live experience, an event platform is usually the better starting point.
If you tell me your expected ticket price, audience size, whether you want recordings, and whether these are one-off or recurring, I can narrow this down to the best platform and setup for your specific business.