Running a webinar without Zoom in 2026

Zoom is still the default for webinars, but it's no longer the best option for many use cases. The fees add up, the software is heavy, and most of its premium features (breakout rooms, polling, Q&A) are now available for free via browser-based tools. Here's the stack I use in 2026.

The replaced-Zoom stack

• Video call: Google Meet (free for up to 100 attendees, 500

with a Workspace account) — works in any browser, no install.

• Slides: Google Slides — same browser.
• Q&A + polls + timers: TA pilot Chrome sidebar.
• Landing page for registration: a one-pager on Carrd or Notion.
• Recording: Google Meet's built-in cloud recording or OBS for

the paranoid.

• Email list: ConvertKit's free tier (up to 1,000 subscribers).

Total monthly cost for a 100-person webinar: $0.

Where Zoom still wins

• 500+ attendee webinars. Zoom Webinars is purpose-built for this.

Meet requires a Workspace upgrade and feels clunky at this scale.

• Breakout rooms. Meet has them now but Zoom's implementation is

more polished.

• Enterprise compliance. SSO, SOC 2, healthcare-grade

encryption — if your org requires these, Zoom is the path of least resistance.

• Recording polish. Zoom's post-processing (gallery view,

speaker view export) is more mature.

Where the browser stack wins

• No install friction. Audiences don't want to install yet

another app to attend your webinar. Browser-only = highest show-up rate.

• Free. Seriously, $0 up to 100 attendees. For early-stage

creators this is not a small thing.

• Integration with the web. QR codes, real links, normal URLs.

Zoom's native Q&A works only inside Zoom. A QR-based Q&A works for hybrid (physical + remote) audiences.

• Lighter on your machine. Chrome + a sidebar is much less RAM

than Zoom + a second window for Slido.

Setup steps

1. Create a Meet link (in Google Calendar for scheduled webinars).
2. Open your Slides deck in one tab, the Meet link in another.
3. Install TA pilot. Create a session from the sidebar on the Slides tab.
4. When the webinar starts, share the Slides window to Meet (with

audio). The sidebar comes along.

1. Drop the QR on your intro slide. Attendees scan and ask questions.

What about polls?

TA pilot has voice-triggered polls that run live during the talk — no pre-loading required. For pre-loaded polls (if your Q&A is structured), Google Forms is fine and still free.

What about registration?

A Carrd one-pager with a Google Form or Notion form is fine for most webinars. Zapier or Make (both free-tier) can route new registrations to ConvertKit for email reminders.

The meta-point

Webinar tools have consolidated in Zoom's direction for a decade. 2026 is the year browser-based tools finally caught up. For most creators and presenters, the open-web stack is simpler, cheaper, and honestly better for the audience.