Hopin rose to prominence during 2020 as a virtual and hybrid event platform, growing rapidly to a valuation of over $7 billion at its peak. The platform offered features like virtual stages with live streaming, networking areas with 1-on-1 video matching, expo halls for sponsors and exhibitors, and session scheduling for multi-track conferences. According to industry data, Hopin hosted tens of thousands of virtual events during the height of remote work, serving organizations from startups to Fortune 500 companies. However, Hopin has undergone significant changes since its peak, including major layoffs, acquisitions of other companies, and multiple pivots in its product strategy. The platform's feature set remains heavily geared toward virtual conferences and comes with significant complexity, requiring account creation and substantial setup time. Hopin's pricing has never been transparent, with enterprise plans that can run into thousands of dollars. For organizers who need a simple event page for an in-person gathering or a basic RSVP collection, Hopin's virtual event infrastructure is dramatically over-engineered.
If your event is in-person or just needs a simple page and RSVP list, RealEvents is a far simpler and more reliable choice than Hopin. There is no virtual stage to configure, no networking area to set up, no expo hall to manage, and no complex event builder to navigate. RealEvents does one thing and does it well - it creates a clean event page with RSVP tracking in about 10 seconds. While Hopin was built for large-scale virtual conferences with hundreds of concurrent sessions and thousands of remote attendees, RealEvents is built for the everyday events that make up the majority of gatherings worldwide. According to industry data, over 70% of events have returned to in-person or hybrid formats, and most of those do not need virtual stage infrastructure. They just need a page, a link to share, and a way to see who is coming. RealEvents delivers exactly that, completely free.
RealEvents focuses on event pages and RSVP tracking rather than virtual event hosting with video streaming. If you need a virtual stage with live video, breakout rooms, and networking matchmaking for a large online conference, Hopin was designed for that specific use case. However, for event registration pages, tracking attendance for in-person events, or creating a simple landing page for any type of gathering, RealEvents is simpler, free, and does not require you to navigate a complex virtual event platform. Many organizers use RealEvents for the registration and RSVP side while using separate tools for any video components.
Hopin was built from the ground up for virtual events and carries that complexity into everything it does, including features designed for scenarios that do not exist at in-person gatherings. Setting up an in-person event on Hopin means navigating past virtual stage settings, networking area configurations, and streaming options you will never use. RealEvents is built for simplicity - create an event page, share it, and track RSVPs. No video platform setup, no virtual infrastructure, no unnecessary features cluttering your dashboard. According to industry data, the average Hopin event setup takes over 30 minutes even for experienced users, while RealEvents takes about 10 seconds.
Hopin has undergone significant changes since its peak in 2020-2021, including multiple rounds of layoffs, the acquisition of companies like StreamYard, and several strategic pivots that have shifted its focus. The platform's long-term direction has been uncertain, which can be a concern for organizers who want stability in their event tools. RealEvents offers a stable, straightforward alternative for event pages and RSVP tracking that you can count on being free and simple. There are no corporate pivots or strategy changes to worry about - RealEvents does one thing well and remains focused on that core mission.