Virtual and hybrid events have become a core part of conferences, academic meetings, and professional events today. These events allow the participants to attend from anywhere. They also help the organizers save money and venue costs, along with other miscellaneous costs. However, with this shift, there comes a bigger responsibility for the event organizers, which is to choose the right platform.
Along with an event comes the responsibility of registration, networking, engagement, analytics and back-end management. This is where platforms like Dryfta, Whova and Cvent come into play.
Dryfta As A Virtual Event Platform
Dryfta is a full-scale event management platform that focuses strongly on academic, research and professional events. The platform combines registration, abstract management, peer review, event CRM, hybrid sessions and attendee management into one system. This makes it easier for the organizers to get their work done without having to use external sites.
Unlike many tools that treat virtual events as add-ons, Dryfta integrates virtual participation into the broader event workflow. This approach works well for conferences where abstract submissions, reviews, schedules, and attendee interactions are all connected.
Whova As A Virtual Event Platform
Whova mainly focuses on attendee experience and networking. It is best known for the events app, which is a central hub for schedules, updates, discussions and connections. Organizers here can easily use the platform and keep the attendees engaged during and after the event. Whova supports virtual and hybrid event formats as well, and works well for conferences that rely on interaction and community building.
Cvent As A Virtual Event Platform
Cvent offers a wide ecosystem of tools that take care of event planning, registration, venue sourcing, virtual events and other functions. Large organizations and global enterprises often take advantage of the facilities of Cvent to manage multiple events across regions with complex workflows and reporting needs.
Live Sessions and Content Delivery of Each Event Platform
Dryfta
Dryfta supports live and recorded virtual sessions directly from within the platform. Organizers can easily schedule sessions, link them to the event agenda and allow the attendees to join the sessions. Speakers can present live, while attendees interact through built-in tools like chat, polls and Q&A. With the help of the platform connection, the virtual sessions with the rest of the event have become easy. This keeps the flow of the event ongoing and helps the organizers deliver a successful event.
Whova
Whova allows the organizers to host live virtual sessions and put streaming links into its event hub. Attendees can join the sessions through the platform and participate using live chats, polls, and question answers. The strength of the platform lies in how it keeps the sessions easily accessible. Attendees can find the sessions easily through the app and stay engaged with real-time interactions layered over the live content.
Cvent
Cvent delivers virtual sessions through its virtual event hub. Organizers can host live streams, offer recordings, and control access based on registration type. The platform tracks session attendance and integrates that data into event reports. For a large conference with multiple tracks, it provides the necessary structure to manage the content.
Attendee Engagement In A Virtual Event
Dryfta
Dryfta focuses on engagement rather than surface-level interaction. Attendees can ask questions, participate in polls, message each other and schedule meetings based on their shared interests or the sessions they attend. This approach works well for academic and professional events where discussion and collaboration matter.
Whova
Whova has a strong engagement area. Virtual attendees can interact with each other through community boards, session chats, live polls, announcements, and discussion threads. The platform helps in participation by making interaction visible and continuous. Whova also keeps engagement going beyond live sessions, which helps the virtual events feel less transactional.
Cvent
Cvent gives a structured set of engagement tools, such as polling, Q&A, and attendee hubs. These tools feed into the analytics dashboards that show how attendees interact with content and sessions. This setup helps organizations that need engagement data tied directly to performance and metrics.
Networking in A Virtual Event
Dryfta
Dryfta supports personal messaging, meeting scheduling, and interest-based networking. Attendees can connect around sessions, research topics, or shared goals. This helps them connect with people who share the same interests, even in a virtual event. Instead of open social feeds, the platform emphasizes targeted connections that align with the event’s purpose.
Whova
Whova gives special importance to networking for a virtual event. Attendees can browse the profiles of other participants in the event, send messages, join topic-based discussions they like, and participate in networking meetups. This design helps virtual attendees feel present even without face-to-face interaction.
Cvent
Cvent offers networking through attendee directories, meeting tools, and engagement hubs. These features work best for business events where the networking is related to lead generation and after-session follow-ups. The experience makes the virtual attendees feel present and gives a proper event experience from anywhere in the world.
Virtual Event Experience Management
Dryfta
Dryfta provides the organizers with strong control over virtual sessions, gives access permissions for different tasks and helps manage the attendee roles. Admins manage speakers, moderators, attendees, and session settings from one dashboard. This helps them keep track of all the information and leaves no space for mistakes. Organizers can avoid juggling multiple tools during the event to make the tasks easier for them.
Whova
Whova simplifies event control and helps the smaller teams to manage virtual events without technical glitches. Organizers can update sessions, send announcements, and moderate the discussions in real time. This simply makes the event move fast and keeps everyone on time. The platform provides an easy experience for the users, which helps them focus mostly on the event and gain as much as they can from it.
Cvent
Cvent provides deep administrative controls, which include session access rules, attendee segmentation and integration with external systems. This level of control suits large organizations that often require trained staff. The organizers can complete their tasks easily, leaving no room for mistakes, while the platform takes care of delivering a fulfilling experience.
Virtual Event Analytics and Insights
Dryfta
The platform provides clear reports on the session attendance, engagement levels, and attendee participation. These insights help the organizers to understand what worked best and where improvements are needed. Dryfta, in this way, allows them to remain prepared for their next event and create events successfully.
Whova
The analytics of Whova focus on engagement, session popularity, networking activity, and interaction rates. These metrics help the organizers measure the attendees’ involvement and plan future sessions accordingly. This also allows them to take into account the areas where they can make improvements.
Cvent
Cvent offers advanced analytics that track engagement, attendee behavior, and content performance across events. This depth supports enterprises, reporting and strategic planning. The analytics allow the organizers to understand the event better and make changes for the next one accordingly.
Dryfta vs Whova vs Cvent Virtual Event Platform Comparison
| Aspect | Dryfta | Whova | Cvent |
| Platform Focus | Full-scale event management platform | Attendee-focused platform centred on engagement and networking | Enterprise-level event platform built for large organizations |
| Virtual Event Approach | Virtual events are fully integrated in registration, abstracts, schedules, CRM, and attendee management | Virtual events are built around interaction and engagement | Virtual events are part of a broader enterprise event infrastructure with structured controls |
| In-Session Interaction | Built-in chats, polls, and Q&A | Live chats, polls, and Q&A | Polls, Q&A, and other interaction tools |
| Organizer Control Level | Strong control without the need for multiple tools | Easy control suitable for small to mid-sized teams | High-level control designed for enterprise |
| Best Suited For | Academic conferences, research events, and hybrid or virtual events | Interactive virtual conferences and community-driven events | Large-scale enterprise virtual conferences and global events |
Final Thoughts
Virtual events succeed when the technology stays consistent, and the experience feels natural. Each platform here supports virtual events on different levels. Virtual event platforms are now a significant component of the overall execution of conferences, meetings, and other professional gatherings.
A good platform is more than just a tool for conducting live events. It integrates content delivery, audience interaction, and networking along with event management. See for yourself how Dryfta can help you make your virtual event a success. Book a free demo today and have a glimpse of the tools the platform offers.