Disclosure: we make one of the options on this page, so this is not an independent review. Competitor facts come from their own websites and were checked on October 21, 2026. We say where others are the better fit. Spotted something wrong? Email us and we will fix it.
Side by side
| Hop On Stages | SpeakerMatch | |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Done-for-you outbound cold email | Paid membership to browse and apply to open calls |
| Price | Quoted separately, based on your goals (not published) | Silver $30 per 4 weeks ($325/yr); Gold $50 ($520/yr); Platinum $80 ($845/yr). A 25% discount was showing when checked |
| Who does the pitching | We do | You write and send every application |
| Which events | Any event that fits your topic and fee, advertised or not | Events that post an open call |
| Competition per opportunity | Direct pitch to one decision-maker | You apply alongside other members |
| Commission | None | None |
| Guarantee | No booking guarantee | 8-week money-back guarantee on the membership |
| Reel production | Yes, in-house (separate service, $3,000 flat) | No reel production |
| Named results | Keith Ferrazzi ("somewhere close to 81 qualified leads"), Steve Taubman (paid NYC invitation), Doug Noll (workshop selected) | Not compared here |
What actually matters
Open calls vs closed doors
An open call is an event saying, publicly, "we need speakers". That is useful, and SpeakerMatch says members can screen hundreds of open calls each month. But it also means every member sees the same call. Many of the best-paid rooms (corporate kickoffs, association annual meetings, leadership offsites) never post one. Someone on the planning team picks a speaker they already know about, or one who reached them at the right moment.
Outbound outreach is how you become that speaker. We research the events and organizations that fit you, find the person who selects speakers, and pitch them directly.
Fee level
Open-call listings lean toward smaller budgets. An older industry report from Mequoda estimated that about 70% of SpeakerMatch listings were low or no fee. That is dated and may have changed, so treat it as a question to test, not a fact about today. If you are building experience, low-fee rooms are valuable. If you are trying to fill your calendar with paid keynotes, you will want a channel that reaches corporate and association buyers directly.
Your time
SpeakerMatch is inexpensive in money and expensive in time: you read listings, judge fit, and write each application. Our outreach moves that work off your desk.
What they click
Whether it is an application or a cold pitch, the reader opens your video. A sharp 2 to 5 minute speaker reel raises the hit rate of both. We make reels as our core service, so that part is covered whichever channel you choose.
What SpeakerMatch is
SpeakerMatch is a long-running membership site for speakers. Members browse calls for speakers and apply. Tiers are Silver, Gold and Platinum, billed every 4 weeks or yearly, with an 8-week money-back guarantee and no commission on bookings. Its membership has included an eSpeakers Basic account. It is cheap, simple and honest about what it is.
Using both
A SpeakerMatch membership and a done-for-you outreach campaign do not overlap much: one covers advertised opportunities, the other covers everything else. If budget allows, running both gives you the widest net. See also SpeakerMatch alternatives.
Which one should you choose?
SpeakerMatch is the better choice if
- Your budget is small and you want to start this week
- You are building experience and low-fee rooms are fine
- You are happy to write and send applications yourself
- You want a money-back guarantee on the spend
Hop On Stages is the better choice if
- You want paid rooms that do not post open calls
- You want someone else to do the prospecting and pitching
- You want to reach a specific type of buyer (CIOs, association leaders, HR)
- You want the reel and the outreach built by one team
Questions people ask
Is SpeakerMatch worth it?
At $30 per 4 weeks for Silver, with an 8-week money-back guarantee, it is a low-risk test. It works best if you will apply consistently and are comfortable with competition on each listing. It does not reach events that never post a call.
What is the difference between SpeakerMatch and done-for-you outreach?
SpeakerMatch shows you open calls and you apply. Done-for-you outreach means a team researches events, finds the decision-maker and pitches you directly, whether or not the event is advertising.
Does SpeakerMatch take a commission?
No. It charges a membership fee. Hop On Stages does not take a commission either.
Can I use SpeakerMatch and Hop On Stages together?
Yes, and they complement each other: SpeakerMatch covers advertised opportunities and our outreach covers the rest.
Sources
Keep comparing
Alternatives
SpeakerMatch alternatives
Alternatives to applying to open calls: databases, marketplaces and done-for-you outreach.
Head to head
SpeakerMatch vs SpeakerHUB
Two low-cost ways to find speaking opportunities yourself, compared on price, guarantees and how they work.
Comparison
Hop On Stages vs eSpeakers
Waiting to be found in a marketplace vs pitching the people who book speakers.
Guide
Find paid speaking engagements
Where paid stages actually come from, which sources are mostly unpaid, and how to research events yourself.
Roundup
Best speaker booking services
Done-for-you outreach, self-serve platforms and bureaus, ranked with real prices.
Service
Speaker booking outreach
Cold email outreach to event organizers, run for you. How it works and what it has produced.
Your next stage
Get a speaker reel that books the room.
One flat $3,000 per reel (50% to begin, 50% on completion). Edited from footage you already have, delivered in 2 to 3 weeks, with two rounds of revisions. Two minutes to see if you're a fit.