Zoom Events alternative for paid workshops and live classes
Zoom Events is built for conferences and large virtual events, and the plan is priced for that. If you sell workshops, one ticket at a time, you may want checkout, the live room, questions and the replay in one link. Masterclass.tv does that from 49 USD a month billed yearly, with certificates for attendees.
Try your first class in a room of 100 before choosing a plan.
LIVE CLASS
Short answer
Masterclass.tv is a Zoom Events alternative for experts who sell individual paid workshops. Zoom Events lists ticketing, branded event pages and attendance up to 100,000, at 149 USD a month billed monthly or 124.17 USD billed annually. Masterclass.tv Pro costs 49 USD a month billed yearly, runs a live room for up to 1,000 people with upvoted Q&A, sells the replay and issues certificates, and experts keep 75 percent of every ticket.
Why workshop sellers look past Zoom Events
Zoom Events earns its place when you run a multi session conference with sponsors and a lobby. A single workshop with 30 to 300 paying seats asks for less. These are the gaps people describe most.
01
The plan is sized for events
At 124.17 USD a month on annual billing, a coach who teaches one workshop a month pays that price every month, including the months with no class.
02
You assemble the event
Registration pages, ticket types, payment accounts and sessions are configured like a conference. That is useful at scale and a lot of setup for a two hour lesson.
03
Strangers do not browse it
Your Zoom event page sells to the people you send to it. Masterclass.tv adds a public class schedule, which gives someone searching for a topic a way to find you, with no promise of sales.
04
The replay is your job
After a Zoom event you still decide where the recording lives and how a late buyer pays for it. Here the replay is sold from the same class page.
05
Questions are a chat stream
An upvoted Q&A queue lets attendees vote on what you answer on air, so the paid hour goes to the questions most people share.
06
No proof of completion
Professionals who pay for training often want a certificate for an employer. Masterclass.tv issues certificates with the class.
Zoom Events vs Masterclass.tv for paid workshops
Zoom figures come from the Zoom Events pricing page, checked October 25, 2026. The page does not list transaction fees or the price per extra attendee, so confirm both with Zoom before you decide.
| Zoom Events | Masterclass.tv Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Plan price | 149 USD a month billed monthly, 124.17 USD a month billed annually | 49 USD a month billed yearly (588 USD), or 99 USD monthly |
| Paid tickets | Ticket types from early bird to VIP, paid through connected payment providers | Single class ticket, expert keeps 75 percent |
| Capacity | Up to 100,000 attendees by plan | Room for up to 1,000 on Pro, 100 on the test class |
| Platform fee on tickets | Not listed on the pricing page | 25 percent per ticket |
| Audience questions | Event tools such as Q&A and chat | Upvoted Q&A queue on air |
| Replay | You host and sell it yourself | Replay sales from the class page |
| Finding a class | Your own event page | Public class schedule |
| Best fit | Conferences, summits, multi session and sponsored events | Individually sold workshops and live classes |
Zoom wins on scale, multi session agendas and sponsor features. Masterclass.tv wins on a lower plan price and a simpler path from ticket to replay. The larger ticket share is the cost of that simplicity.
What a paid workshop costs on each
Take 40 seats at 49 USD, which is 1,960 USD gross. This is a worked example, not a forecast.
On Zoom Events you keep the ticket revenue minus payment processing and any fee Zoom confirms, and you pay 124.17 USD for the month on annual billing, or 149 USD on monthly billing.
On Masterclass.tv you keep 75 percent, which is 1,470 USD before card processing, and Pro adds 49 USD for the month on yearly billing. At this size Zoom costs less in fees. Masterclass.tv makes sense when the workshop is small, runs a few times a year and you want the replay and discovery built in.
Past about 40 seats at a higher price, run the numbers again. A big recurring event can favor a flat plan.
Answer what attendees vote for
The upvoted queue shows the questions most attendees want answered, so you spend the paid hour where it matters.
From Zoom event to ticketed class in four steps
01
Define the workshop
Pick one outcome, a date and a ticket price. Write what attendees can do afterward.
02
Run a test class
Try the room of 100 with a colleague before you pick a plan.
03
Share one link
Send buyers to the class page. Checkout, joining instructions and the room live behind the same link.
04
Teach, then sell the replay
Answer upvoted questions, issue certificates and keep selling the recording.
When Zoom Events is still the better choice
Choose Masterclass.tv for the workshop
- You sell a single class or a few a year, and want one link from ticket to replay.
- Your room is under 1,000 people.
- You want an upvoted question queue and certificates.
- You want a public schedule where new buyers can find the class.
Choose Zoom Events for the big event
- You run a summit or conference with many sessions and speakers.
- You expect thousands of attendees.
- You need multiple ticket types such as early bird and VIP.
- Your company already runs on Zoom and wants one admin console.
Some teams use both: Zoom for the yearly summit, Masterclass.tv for the workshops sold between summits.
Questions, answered
Is there an alternative to Zoom Events for paid workshops?
Yes. Masterclass.tv sells a workshop as a single ticket and teaches it in a live room for up to 1,000 people on Pro. Podia, Kajabi and Luma are other options. Pick by whether you need a conference toolset or one link from ticket to replay.
How much does Zoom Events cost?
The Zoom Events pricing page lists the Events plan at 149 USD a month billed monthly, or 124.17 USD a month billed annually. A pay-per-attendee option exists but its price is not shown. Attendees beyond your plan capacity cost extra.
Can you sell tickets on Zoom Events?
Yes. Zoom Events supports paid tickets with ticket types from early bird to VIP, paid through connected payment providers. The pricing page does not state a transaction fee, so ask Zoom what applies to your account before setting a price.
Does Zoom Events work for a small paid workshop?
It can, but the plan is designed for larger events, and a flat monthly price is hard to justify for one class a month. A ticketed class platform with a lower plan price is often cheaper for small workshops.
Can I sell the replay of a workshop?
On Masterclass.tv, yes. The recording is sold from the same class page, so late buyers pay and watch without extra tools. With a Zoom event you host the recording and arrange payment for it yourself.
Can I use Zoom and Masterclass.tv together?
Yes. Many experts keep Zoom for internal meetings and large annual events, and sell individual workshops on Masterclass.tv. The two do not conflict, and each audience buys from the page that suits it.
FOR EXPERTS
Sell your next workshop with one link
Ticket, live room, upvoted questions, replay and certificates in one place. Start with a test class for a room of 100.
Explore other teaching platforms and formats
Compare the Luma alternative, Podia alternative and Kajabi alternative pages. Coaches can read the best platform for paid workshops for coaches.
Plan your offer with our guides to selling live classes online and paid webinars. See plans and pricing and the best platforms to sell live classes.