BuzzIn.Live is a web application that functions as a buzzer system. Imagine any popular game show you’ve seen on TV, like Jeopardy! or Family Feud. Each contestant or team gets a buzzer that they press when they’re ready to answer. BuzzIn.Live is the online, digital version of that. The way it works is that one person gets to create the game, and other players can join. The creator is not one of the players; they get to control the game and judge who gets to answer, as a quiz master of sorts. Both the free and premium versions of the app have multiple features that we will discuss in this article.
Now, for the question we’ve all been waiting for: Is BuzzIn.Live Premium worth it? The answer is—yes, it is worth it! That is entirely conditional, of course. Provided you play trivia games quite often and are usually the host who is also in charge of the equipment, BuzzIn.Live Premium will make your life a lot easier. It’s incredibly convenient to have your buzzer system all in one place.
The system is easy to use, with a wide array of features that will make each game a pleasant experience.
Though the free version of the application is great, the premium tier gives you access to additional features that you may find useful. Plus, you can only entertain up to eight players using the free tier, while the premium tier allows for up to 200 players and the formation of teams. Let’s dive into the basics of the application!
What is BuzzIn.Live Premium?
To understand the premium features of the application, you first need to learn about the free version. The way the application works is that the quiz master creates a game and all the players join the game using a unique code. Each player has a nickname that allows the quiz master to distinguish among players. The players use the web-based app to buzz in their answers when they’re ready.
The free tier has limited capabilities. At its base is the buzzer system. You can create a game for a maximum of eight players. There is a timer for each question, so the players only have limited time to buzz in their answers. The host can choose to lock individual players out of buzzing. The game ends as soon as the host leaves.
For a relatively small price, you can access all the features and capabilities of BuzzIn.Live Premium. You can purchase a one-day key for only $0.99. A one-week key will cost you $1.99. If you’d like to use BuzzIn.Live Premium for a whole month, you can purchase access for $3.99. Access for a whole year will cost $19.99.
The premium tier has all of the features of the free tier and more. Instead of creating small games for up to eight players you can enjoy games with up to 200 players! Not only that, but players can also divide into teams. You can give players and teams points, and take them away. It’s very easy to keep track of the score through the system.
You, as the host, can penalize players for buzzing in too early before the timer has gone off. Speaking of buzzing, you are no longer limited to one boring buzzer sound! You can select from the app’s library of sounds. Players no longer have to type in a code to enter your game. You can send everyone a link to the game. The game automatically ends after 30 minutes of the host’s absence.
How to Use BuzzIn.Live Premium?
The application is quite intuitive. As the host, you get to start a game and generate a code that other players will use to join the game. Once the players access the game, they will see a buzzer on their screens. When pressed, the buzzer goes off, signifying that the player is ready to answer the question.
The host has complete control of the game. You can decide to block a buzzer if they were buzzing in too soon. You can also reset all buzzers to restart the game. Throughout the duration of the game, you can remove players or teams. The host can rename players and teams if needed.
You may face connection issues throughout the game. That may cause delays in buzzes. The system will always correct the buzzes to put them in the right order; that may take a few seconds. You will see “disconnected” next to their name if a player disconnects. Their browser will try to bring them back into the game as soon as possible.
BuzzIn.Live Premium has some additional features. For instance, you can punish players that buzz in too early. Once you enable this feature, players that buzz in before the timer goes off will have their buzzers locked for a certain amount of time. You can let the system be the scorekeeper for your game. Manually add and subtract points from players and teams by clicking the plus or minus button.
As you already know, premium-tier users can create teams. You can reallocate a player to another team at any point. When playing with teams, the winning team will have the most points in addition to the points given to the individual players from the team.
BuzzIn.Live Premium vs. Free Tier
To make this BuzzIn.Live review fair, we need to compare and contrast the features of the premium tier with the features of the free tier. In this section, we will discuss how the two different tier options measure up to each other in regard to usability, features, and more.
Features
This is an easy one to knock out right away. It is quite obvious from the first few minutes on the BuzzIn.Live website that the premium tier has a lot more features. It not only expands on the free features (like allowing up to 200 people to use the system simultaneously and letting players access the game through a link), but it also adds new features. You can customize the game to your liking and lock buzzers out when needed if you’re using the premium tier.
Usability
In terms of ease of use, both tiers are incredible. The application is very intuitive and easy to use. That doesn’t really change when you upgrade to the premier tier, so, paying extra doesn’t make it any easier to use. That shouldn’t matter, as the application is very user-friendly, to begin with.
Because the premier tier boasts more features, it may be more usable for frequent trivia game organizers. If you want to be able to host a game with more than eight players and break them into teams, you will find the premium version a lot more usable. The same goes for hosts who want to have more control over their games.
Customer Support
Surprisingly, the website flopped in this area. When you’re in the middle of a game, you can click on “How To Info” and learn about the features of BuzzIn.Live. The page invites you to click the feedback button on the home page and send any additional queries to the developer this way. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the button and was unable to contact customer support.
After doing some searching online, I found this guide that explains how to play from the side of the host and the players. While it is very helpful for beginners, I could not find any customer support information. Overall, that’s a disappointment from both tiers.
Price
Of course, the free tier wins this one because it is, well, free! As you already know, the free tier comes with its limitations, which is to be expected. Unfortunately, a BuzzIn.Live Premium key free does not exist, but the price is quite low. Considering the use you’re getting out of it, it’s totally worth the price. You can spring for a month- or year-long subscription and use the app as many times as you’d like. Alternatively, you can take advantage of the one-day key that is only valid for 24 hours and costs just under a dollar.
The Bottom Line
BuzzIn.Live Premium is a product that I didn’t want to like as much as I did! It sucks to pay money to use a service that has free alternatives, but this one is worth it. If the features of the free tier do not satisfy your needs, don’t hesitate to pay a little extra to have access to all the premium features. A great thing about this service is that you don’t have to commit to it for the long term. If you’re planning a trivia game, buy access for the day; that’s what I did.
For avid trivia hosts, there are subscription plans for one month and even one year. The price is quite low compared to other paid buzzer apps (considering only the host has to pay). The additional features the premium tier provides are well worth the price.
Have you tried BuzzIn.Live Premium? What are your thoughts? Or, have you found a better alternative? If so, please share your honest review with us in the comments!
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