Overview
AEvent offers two ways to deliver pre-recorded webinars to your audience: Zoom Like-Live (automated Zoom meetings) and AStream Evergreen (AEvent's built-in streaming platform). The key difference? Zoom automation consumes your plan's server hours. AStream does not.
This guide explains how webinar hours work, how they're calculated, and how to choose the right delivery platform for your events.
What Are Webinar Hours?
Webinar hours — also called Server Automation Hours — measure the time AEvent's dedicated computers spend running your Zoom or GoToWebinar webinars. AEvent maintains a fleet of physical computers at a data center that literally log into your Zoom or GoToWebinar account, open OBS, and play your pre-recorded video as if you were presenting live.
While one of these computers is running your webinar, it can't do anything else. That's why server time is metered — there's a real hardware cost behind every automated event.
Where to check your usage: Click the Usage link in the top navigation bar of your AEvent dashboard. You'll see your current Webinar Hours alongside Actions, Storage, and Campaigns.
What Counts Against Your Webinar Hours
Zoom and GoToWebinar automation — any event where AEvent runs the webinar for you on a dedicated server. Both platforms work the same way and consume hours identically. This includes:
Like-Live events — pre-recorded video automated by AEvent on Zoom or GoToWebinar
Hybrid events — pre-recorded presentation with a live close, automated by AEvent on Zoom or GoToWebinar
Evergreen Zoom/GoToWebinar events — recurring scheduled automation (still consumes hours for each run)
You can see which delivery platform a campaign uses by checking the Delivery Platform indicator at the top of any campaign view:
How Hours Are Calculated
The formula is straightforward:
Server Hours Used = Webinar Duration × Number of Times It Runs
For example:
A 2-hour webinar running once per day = ~60 hours/month
A 1-hour webinar running twice per day = ~60 hours/month
A 2-hour webinar running twice per day = ~120 hours/month
A 90-minute webinar running once on weekdays = ~30 hours/month
Running multiple webinars at the same time? Each concurrent Zoom or GoToWebinar event requires its own dedicated server. If you run 3 webinars simultaneously for 2 hours, that's 6 server hours consumed, not 2.
What Does NOT Count Against Your Hours
AStream Events — Always Unlimited
AStream is unlimited at every plan level, including the $95/month Basic plan. AStream events do not consume any server hours because they use web-based CDN streaming — no dedicated computer needs to "sit in Zoom" to play your video.
This means you can run AStream events as frequently as you want — every 5 minutes, every 15 minutes, timezone-adaptive, on-demand — with zero impact on your server hours.
Zoom or GoToWebinar Live (You Present Yourself) — No Hours
If your campaign is set to Live (not Like-Live or Hybrid), you join the call and present yourself. AEvent wraps its automation around it (registration, reminders, follow-up sequences) but does not use a dedicated server — you're running the meeting yourself. No server hours are consumed.
Key distinction: Only the Live event type is free of server hours. Like-Live (fully automated) and Hybrid (automated presentation + live close) both require a dedicated server and consume hours — because AEvent is running the Zoom or GoToWebinar session for you in both cases.
Quick Summary: What Uses Hours?
Event Type | Platform | Consumes Hours? |
Like-Live | Zoom or GoToWebinar | Yes — AEvent runs it for you |
Hybrid | Zoom or GoToWebinar | Yes — AEvent runs the pre-recorded portion |
Live | Zoom or GoToWebinar | No — you present yourself |
Any type | AStream | No — always unlimited |
Plan Tiers and Server Hours
Plan | Monthly Price | Server Hours | AStream |
Basic | $95/mo | 0 (no Zoom/GTW automation) | Unlimited |
Pro | $295/mo | 60 hours | Unlimited |
Advanced | $495/mo | 120 hours | Unlimited |
Enterprise | $995/mo | 240 hours | Unlimited |
Unlimited | $1,995/mo | Dedicated server (unlimited) | Unlimited |
The jump from $95 to $295 is the main price separator — it adds Zoom and GoToWebinar automation with 60 server hours. That's roughly enough for a 2-hour webinar running once per day.
Need more hours without upgrading? AEvent offers server hour add-on packages so you can increase your hours without changing your plan level. Contact support or visit your account settings for details.
No Surprise Overages
AEvent does not charge surprise overage fees. If you exceed your plan's server hours in a given month:
AEvent covers the first overage month — your events continue running without interruption
The team reaches out proactively to discuss whether you need more hours going forward
Only habitual, repeated overages (after being contacted) would result in a charge
Your webinar will never stop mid-presentation because you hit a limit.
When to Use Zoom/GoToWebinar vs AStream
Zoom / GoToWebinar (Like-Live) | AStream Evergreen | |
Best for | Sales webinars, high-conversion funnels | Training, education, high-frequency scheduling |
Why it converts | Runs in the Zoom/GTW app — perceived as live, higher trust | Browser-based player — convenient, always available |
Server hours | Consumes hours per event runtime | Unlimited — zero hours consumed |
Scheduling | Fixed times (e.g., daily at 10 AM and 2 PM) | Just-in-time, every 5-15 minutes, timezone-adaptive |
Viewer experience | Meeting app — app-based, feels live | Web player — browser-based, customizable branding |
Unique features | Zoom chat, breakout rooms, polls | Slack Q&A integration, custom player skins, on-demand |
A common misconception: "Evergreen" is a scheduling concept, not a platform. You can have evergreen Zoom events (scheduled to repeat via Zoom automation — these consume hours) and evergreen AStream events (scheduled via AStream — unlimited). It's the delivery platform that determines whether hours are consumed, not whether the event is "evergreen."
Calculating Your Needs
Use this quick reference to estimate your monthly server hour usage:
Webinar Length | Frequency | Monthly Hours | Suggested Plan |
1 hour | Once/day | ~30 hours | Pro ($295) |
2 hours | Once/day | ~60 hours | Pro ($295) |
1 hour | Twice/day | ~60 hours | Pro ($295) |
2 hours | Twice/day | ~120 hours | Advanced ($495) |
2 hours | 3x/day | ~180 hours | Enterprise ($995) |
Any length | Hourly or more | Unlimited needed | Unlimited ($1,995) or switch to AStream |
Tip: If you're running events more than twice per day, consider using AStream instead of Zoom. AStream is unlimited and works well for high-frequency scheduling. Many AEvent users run successful 7- and 8-figure businesses using AStream alone.
How to Switch Between Zoom/GoToWebinar and AStream
The delivery platform for a campaign is determined by which integration is active in the campaign's integration settings. To switch:
Open your campaign
Go to Integrations in the campaign sidebar
Toggle the active integration — if Zoom (or GoToWebinar) is enabled, the campaign runs on that platform and consumes server hours. If AStream is enabled, the campaign runs on AStream (unlimited).
Only one delivery platform can be active per campaign — you cannot have both Zoom and AStream enabled at the same time. To use a different platform, deactivate one and activate the other. This works the same way for GoToWebinar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does AStream count against my server hours?
No. AStream usage is unlimited at every plan level, including the $95/month Basic plan.
Does presenting live on Zoom count against my hours?
No — as long as your campaign is set to Live (not Like-Live or Hybrid). Live events mean you present yourself, so no dedicated server is used. Like-Live and Hybrid events are automated by AEvent and do consume hours.
Does GoToWebinar work the same as Zoom for hours?
Yes. GoToWebinar automation uses dedicated servers the same way Zoom does. The same hour calculations, plan tiers, and overage policies apply to both platforms.
What happens if I exceed my plan's hours?
Your events keep running — AEvent covers the first overage month and reaches out to discuss options. No events are interrupted and no surprise charges appear on your bill.
Can I run Zoom and AStream in the same campaign?
No. Only one delivery platform integration can be active per campaign. You can have separate campaigns using different platforms.
I'm running "evergreen" events — does that mean I'm using AStream?
Not necessarily. "Evergreen" describes a scheduling pattern (events that repeat automatically), not a delivery platform. Check your campaign's Integrations settings — if Zoom or GoToWebinar is the active integration, your events are consuming server hours even though they're evergreen. Switch the active integration to AStream if you want unlimited scheduling.
Can I add more server hours without upgrading my plan?
Yes. AEvent offers add-on server hour packages so you can increase hours independently of your plan level.