Webinar recording software captures your live sessions (video, audio, screen shares, chat and polls) so you can replay, repurpose or automate them later. The right choice depends on your use case: Digital Samba for GDPR-compliant recording you can embed in your own product, WebinarJam for marketing webinars, EverWebinar for evergreen funnels, Riverside for studio-grade quality. Below, we compare 11 platforms on pricing (checked against official pricing pages in August 2026), recording features and EU data residency.Table of contents
Here is the short answer, based on our comparison of 11 platforms:
Webinar recording software captures your live webinar sessions so you can replay them later. Some platforms are all-in-one webinar tools with built-in recording, while others are standalone recorders you run alongside your webinar.
For most teams, an all-in-one platform with integrated recording is the simpler option. You don't need to juggle separate apps, and the recording picks up everything automatically: the video feeds, any slides or screen shares, chat logs and poll results. That means less setup before the session and less editing afterwards.
Standalone recorders can work if your priority is the media file itself. OBS captures whatever is on your screen for free, and Riverside records each participant's audio and video locally in studio quality (more on Riverside below, since it now offers webinar hosting too). But screen recorders won't capture interactive elements like polls, Q&A threads or attendee chat, and you'll need to manage the files yourself. For anything beyond a quick screen capture, a platform with recording built in will save you a lot of time.
One scoping note: general-purpose meeting tools such as Microsoft Teams also record webinars, and recording is included in most Microsoft 365 business licences. If you already live in Teams, it covers the basics. This comparison focuses on dedicated webinar and video platforms with stronger replay, automation and embedding options.
The main things to compare are recording quality, automation, and where your data lives. Here is what to look at before you commit:
A recording of identifiable people is personal data under the GDPR, and no platform can make that compliant for you. As the organiser, you still need a lawful basis for recording, a clear notice to attendees before the recording starts, a data processing agreement with your vendor, and a retention policy for the files. An EU-hosted platform simplifies the data-residency part; the rest stays your responsibility.
For training, the strongest options are platforms with role-based access, automatic recording and easy sharing: Digital Samba Embedded, Livestorm and Demio all perform well here. Training is one of the most common reasons organisations record webinars – coaches, HR teams and educators all need reliable recordings they can share with people who missed the live session, or use as self-paced learning modules.
If training is your main use case, look for role-based access (so trainees see a clean interface), automatic recording (so no session gets missed), cloud storage with easy sharing links, and ideally LMS integration so recordings slot into your existing learning environment.
Running a separate recorder next to your training sessions adds complexity. If you pick video conferencing with built-in recording for events, the session, the recording and the access controls all stay in one place.
Digital Samba Embedded stands out for organisations that need to embed recording-enabled webinars directly into their own training platforms via API, while Livestorm and Demio offer strong standalone options with built-in analytics to track who watched what.
The prices below are the vendors' published rates as of August 2026 – always confirm current figures on the official pricing pages.
Digital Samba is a European video conferencing platform founded in 2003 in Barcelona. It offers two products: Digital Samba Free (free video calls with recording) and Digital Samba Embedded (a video API and SDK for developers who want to build webinar and recording features into their own applications).
Recording features:
Other key features:
Best for: Organisations that need to embed webinar recording into their own platform (LMS, telehealth app, event platform) and developers building custom video workflows. Also a strong pick for any team that needs GDPR-compliant recording with EU data residency.
Pricing:
Worth knowing: Digital Samba Embedded is a developer product. You integrate it into your own application through the API and SDK, so you'll need some developer time, and there are no ready-made registration pages or email funnels out of the box. Digital Samba Free is the opposite: it works with no setup, but it's a video call with recording rather than an event funnel, so it has no registration pages or automated reminders either.
One detail relevant to this article: cloud recording runs in standard encrypted sessions. If you switch on optional end-to-end encryption, the server never sees the media, so server-side recording is unavailable by design in those sessions.
WebinarJam is a popular webinar platform designed primarily for marketing and sales teams. It's built for live selling, with features like pop-up offers, countdown timers, and a 'Replica Replay' system that records your webinar and plays it back exactly as it happened, including chat messages appearing at the same time they were typed live.
Recording features:
Other key features:
Best for: Marketing teams running sales webinars, product launches and lead generation events where the replay experience matters as much as the live one.
Pricing:
Livestorm is a French, browser-based webinar platform that records all sessions automatically in 1080p full HD. It's popular with marketing teams that want to run both live and automated webinars from one platform, with strong analytics and CRM integrations.
Recording features:
Other key features:
Best for: Marketing and demand generation teams that want to record webinars and immediately turn them into on-demand lead magnets, with strong CRM integration.
Pricing:
Demio is built for marketers who want a clean, simple webinar experience with recording and replay built in. It focuses on making it easy to create on-demand webinars from your recordings, with engagement elements like polls and CTAs preserved in the replay.
Recording features:
Other key features:
Best for: Small to mid-sized marketing teams that want a straightforward platform for live webinars and on-demand replays, without a steep learning curve.
Pricing:
Zoom is the most widely recognised video platform, and its Webinars add-on turns Zoom Meetings into a broadcast-style webinar with built-in recording. It's the default choice for many organisations already using Zoom for meetings.
Recording features:
Other key features:
Best for: Organisations already on Zoom that need webinar capability at scale and don't want to adopt another platform.
Pricing:
Worth knowing: Zoom's cloud recordings are optimised for reliable streaming rather than production-grade output, so if you plan to repurpose recordings into polished content, test the exported quality first. Attendees also typically get the best experience in the Zoom desktop client rather than the browser.
Webex by Cisco is an enterprise-grade platform with a strong webinar and events product. It's well suited for large organisations that need reliability at scale, with recording, real-time translation and tight integration with Cisco's security infrastructure.
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Best for: Large enterprises and regulated industries (healthcare, finance, government) that need a reliable, scalable platform backed by Cisco's infrastructure.
Pricing:
WebinarGeek is a European (Netherlands-based) webinar platform known for its simplicity, strong customer support and focus on GDPR compliance. It supports live, automated and on-demand webinars with built-in recording.
Recording features:
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Best for: European SMBs and organisations that value GDPR compliance, ease of use and responsive support.
Pricing:
WebinarNinja positions itself as an all-in-one platform for coaches, trainers and small businesses. It covers live, automated, on-demand, hybrid and series webinars, with built-in marketing tools like landing pages and email sequences.
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Best for: Solo entrepreneurs, coaches and small teams that want an affordable all-in-one tool for running and recording webinars without technical complexity.
Pricing:
ClickMeeting is a Polish webinar platform with servers in the European Economic Area, which makes it another solid option for GDPR-conscious teams. It runs live, automated and on-demand webinars from one account, and recordings can be reused across all three formats.
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Best for: European SMBs and educators who want live and automated webinars with EU data hosting at a lower price point.
Pricing:
EverWebinar, from the same company as WebinarJam, is a specialist in automated (evergreen) webinars. Rather than hosting live sessions itself, it takes a recorded webinar (from WebinarJam or an uploaded video) and replays it on a schedule that feels live to attendees, with registration, reminders and offers running automatically.
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Best for: Marketers running evergreen webinar funnels, where one strong recording generates registrations and leads around the clock.
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Riverside (formerly Riverside.fm) is a recording studio first and a webinar platform second. It records each participant's audio and video locally on their own device, in up to 4K with lossless audio, then syncs the separate tracks in the cloud for editing. In 2026 it also offers webinar hosting with registration pages and audiences up to 10,000.
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Other key features:
Best for: Content and media teams that treat the recording as the main product – podcasts, video series and webinars they plan to edit and repurpose at broadcast quality.
Pricing:
| Platform | Starting price | Free plan | Max attendees | Auto recording | Automated/on-demand replays | EU-only data residency | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Samba | €0 (Free) / from €0.0040/min (Embedded) | Yes | 2,000 | Yes | Yes (via API) | Yes | Embedding into your own platform; EU compliance |
| WebinarJam | $49/month | No ($1 trial) | 5,000 | Yes | Yes (Replica Replay) | Not advertised | Marketing webinars and live selling |
| Livestorm | ~€2.50/attendee credit | No (trial) | 3,000 | Yes | Yes | Yes (EU-hosted) | Marketing teams with CRM integration needs |
| Demio | $45/month (annual) | No (trial) | 3,000 | Yes | Yes | Not advertised | Simple on-demand webinar creation |
| Zoom Webinars | $79/month + licence | Meetings only | 10,000 (50,000+ large events) | Yes | Limited | Optional add-on | Organisations already using Zoom |
| Webex Webinars | $68.75/licence/month | Yes (limited) | 100,000 | Yes | Yes | Optional | Large enterprises and regulated industries |
| WebinarGeek | €49/month (annual) | No (trial) | 5,000 | Yes | Yes | Yes (EU) | European SMBs wanting easy GDPR compliance |
| WebinarNinja | Free / $99/month | Yes (no recording) | 1,000 | On paid plans | Yes | Not advertised | Coaches and solo entrepreneurs |
| ClickMeeting | $26/month (annual) | No (30-day trial) | 1,000 (10,000 webcast) | Yes | Yes | Yes (EEA) | EU teams wanting affordable automation |
| EverWebinar | $99/month (annual) | No ($1 trial) | n/a (replays a recording) | Uses recordings | Yes (core product) | Not advertised | Evergreen webinar funnels |
| Riverside | Free / $24/month | Yes | 10,000 | Yes (local tracks) | Limited | Not advertised | Studio-grade recording for repurposing |
Recording a webinar takes six steps: pick a platform with built-in recording, switch on automatic recording, test, run the session, trim, then share or repurpose. Here is the walkthrough:
For more on running effective webinars, check out our guide on how to run a successful webinar.
Live webinars win on interaction; pre-recorded webinars win on reach and repeatability, and most teams get the best results by recording a live session and then automating the replay.
Live webinars give you real-time interaction with your audience. Attendees can ask questions, participate in polls and get instant answers. They're best for product demos, Q&A sessions and anything where back-and-forth matters. The downside is scheduling: you need everyone online at the same time, and if something goes wrong technically, everyone sees it.
Pre-recorded (automated) webinars let you record once and replay on a schedule, or make the recording available on demand. They're ideal for training content, onboarding and evergreen educational material. Specialist tools have grown around this format: EverWebinar builds entire evergreen funnels from one recording, ClickMeeting runs automated webinar timelines with scheduled CTAs, and Demio turns any recording into an on-demand session. Some platforms even add live chat to a pre-recorded session, so attendees still get some level of interaction.
The best strategy for most teams is to run your webinar live first, record it, then turn the recording into an automated replay. That way you get the energy of a live session in the recording, and you can keep generating value from it without presenting again.
Most recordings deliver value long after the live event, but only if you actively reuse them. Five ways to make recordings work harder:
For more ideas on webinar content formats, including how to plan sessions that record well, take a look at our webinar examples guide.
Yes. Digital Samba Free records video calls in HD at no cost, with no sign-up required, and OBS is a free screen recorder if you only need to capture your screen. Note that some free plans exclude recording – WebinarNinja's free tier, for example, doesn't include it – so check before you rely on one.
Digital Samba Embedded, Livestorm and Demio are the strongest picks for training. Look for automatic recording, role-based access and easy sharing links, and choose a platform with LMS integration if recordings need to slot into an existing learning environment. Digital Samba suits organisations that want recording built into their own training platform via API.
Ask the host for the replay first – most platforms in this comparison share recordings automatically. If no replay is available, a screen recorder such as OBS can capture the session on your device, but get the organiser's permission first: recording other participants without notice can breach the GDPR and the event's terms.
Yes. If you're the host, switch on your platform's cloud or local recording before the session starts. A screen recorder such as OBS also captures whatever plays on your PC, though it won't preserve polls, chat or Q&A. Digital Samba Free records directly in the browser, with no download or sign-up required.
Webinar recording software captures the whole event – video feeds, slides, chat, polls and Q&A – and stores it in the cloud, ready to replay or automate. A screen recorder only captures what's visible on one screen and leaves you to manage the file yourself. Screen recorders are fine for quick captures; webinar platforms are better for events you plan to reuse.
Digital Samba stores recordings exclusively on EU data centres, and WebinarGeek (Netherlands), ClickMeeting (Poland) and Livestorm (France) also host in Europe. Remember that the platform only covers the data-residency side: as the organiser you still need a lawful basis for recording, a notice to attendees before the recording starts, and a retention policy.
EverWebinar is the specialist – it replays one recording on a schedule with registration and reminders running automatically. ClickMeeting offers automated webinar timelines with EU data hosting, and Demio turns any recording into an on-demand session. The usual approach is to record a strong live session first, then automate the replay.
For training, onboarding and evergreen content, yes – attendees get the same material on their own schedule. Live sessions still win for product demos and Q&A, where interaction drives the value. Most teams get the best of both by running the session live, recording it, and automating the replay.
The best webinar recording software depends on what you need it for. If you're a developer looking to embed webinar recording into your own platform with full EU data residency, Digital Samba Embedded gives you the API, the SDK and the compliance you need. If you want a SaaS tool for marketing webinars with sales features, WebinarJam and Demio are solid choices, and EverWebinar automates the replay side. For enterprise scale, Webex has the infrastructure, and for studio-quality output, Riverside records every participant locally. If budget is tight, Digital Samba Free records webinars at no cost with no sign-up required.
Whatever you choose, make sure recording is automatic, storage is sufficient for your needs, and the platform fits into your existing workflow. A good recording is only valuable if you actually use it afterwards.