Comparing the 25 Best Live Streaming Platforms for Businesses in 2025

When it comes to live video streaming for professional use, there is so much to know. However, since a top professional-grade live streaming platform is a powerful broadcasting tool that solution providers update regularly, it isn’t easy to find reviews and comparisons that include all the information you need.  Also, considering the sheer number of live streaming platforms out there, choosing one can get challenging.

For new broadcasters looking to get into the streaming game, objectively assessing the best provider for live streaming can be challenging. We’ve put together a review of 18 the best live streaming platforms for professional broadcasters and 7 social video streaming alternatives that are also valuable for businesses, providing an in-depth review of the top live streaming providers. This comparison aims to help you make a well-informed decision on the top streaming platform to use for your broadcasting live streaming needs.

We will discuss what an online live streaming platform is, the top features to consider when comparing online streaming platforms for business and professional organizations, and the best streaming platforms and pricing for 2025 and beyond.

Let’s get started!

Please note that live streaming platform technology and pricing change regularly, and this post now reflects the most accurate information with updated pricing as of May 2025.

Table of Contents

• Introduction to Live Streaming Platforms
• What is a Live Streaming Platform?
• How Do Live Streaming Platforms Work for Businesses?
• The Evolution of Live Streaming for Business Use
• Detailed Features to Consider When Comparing Streaming Platforms
• The 25 Best Live Streaming Platforms with Pricing for 2025
• Best Live Streaming Platforms by Business Type and Industry Use Case
• Live Streaming Technology Compatibility
• How to Choose the Best Live Streaming Platform for Your Needs
• Live Streaming Statistics
• Why Trust Dacast’s Reviews?
• FAQs
• Conclusion

Introduction to Live Streaming Platforms

In today’s digital-first economy, live streaming has become an essential communication tool for businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re launching a product, hosting a virtual event, delivering internal training, or broadcasting to a global audience, choosing the right live streaming platform can determine the success of your efforts.

Unlike consumer-focused tools such as Instagram Live or TikTok, business-grade live streaming platforms offer greater control, scalability, and monetization capabilities. They provide features like white-label players, analytics dashboards, API integrations, global content delivery networks (CDNs), and robust privacy settings. These solutions are designed to help companies engage audiences at scale—securely, professionally, and profitably.

This guide explores the top live streaming platforms for professionals in 2025 and helps you choose the best one based on your use case, technical needs, and business goals.

What is a Live Streaming Platform?

A live streaming platform is a video hosting solution that enables users to broadcast real-time video content over the internet to viewers anywhere in the world. These platforms handle the full video delivery workflow—from capturing and encoding the stream to distributing it through global content delivery networks (CDNs) and enabling smooth playback on any device.

For businesses, live streaming platforms are essential tools for sharing video content in real time to engage customers, train teams, generate leads, host events, or even deliver premium, monetized broadcasts. Many companies use live video for lead generation, brand awareness, internal communications, product launches, and advertising campaigns.

While social tools like Facebook Live and Instagram Live are popular entry-level platforms, they often lack the level of control and professionalism needed for enterprise use. These platforms may insert ads, restrict branding options, and limit access to detailed analytics.

Choosing the right live streaming platform is about more than just broadcasting—it’s about ensuring your message is delivered effectively, securely, and in line with your business goals. Comparing platforms based on your specific use case is the key to finding the best solution for your enterprise.

How Do Live Streaming Platforms Work for Businesses?

Live streaming platforms work by capturing video and audio from a source (like a camera), encoding that content into a digital format, and transmitting it to the platform’s servers via protocols like RTMP or SRT. From there, the platform distributes the content to viewers using a CDN, often via adaptive bitrate streaming protocols such as HLS.

For businesses, the process includes additional layers such as:

• White-label branding
• Advanced security and access control
• Flexible monetization (SVOD, AVOD, TVOD)
• API and integration options
• Scalable global delivery with low latency

These platforms turn complex broadcasting workflows into accessible tools for marketing, corporate communication, education, entertainment, and e-commerce.

The Evolution of Live Streaming for Business Use

Live streaming began as a niche technology used primarily in gaming and media, but over the past decade, it has become a cornerstone of business communication. What was once limited to social media influencers and entertainment channels is now a trusted tool for global enterprises, government agencies, educators, and retailers.

The evolution has been driven by key innovations:

• The rise of cloud-based encoding and low-latency protocols
• The integration of AI for real-time transcription and content tagging
• Demand for hybrid event broadcasting post-2020
• The need for scalable monetization models (ads, subscriptions, ticketing)

Today’s business-ready platforms are built to handle high-traffic events, protect sensitive data, and integrate seamlessly with marketing, CRM, and analytics tools. As live streaming continues to mature, businesses that invest in the right platform stand to gain a competitive edge in audience engagement and operational efficiency.

Here is a detailed timeline: 

2007–2011: Early Adoption

• Platforms like Ustream, Livestream, and Justin.tv begin offering internet-based broadcasting.
• Businesses start experimenting with live webinars and basic product demos.
• Video quality and latency are limited due to bandwidth constraints.

2012–2015: Social Integration & Mobile Growth

• YouTube Live and Facebook Live launch, pushing live video into the mainstream.
• Widespread smartphone adoption allows mobile live streaming.
• Brands begin using live content for marketing, but with limited control or branding.

2016–2019: Professionalization

• Rise of dedicated B2B platforms like Dacast, Wowza, and Vimeo Enterprise.
• Businesses demand features like white-label players, API access, and paywall monetization.
• Live streaming becomes a critical part of corporate comms and digital marketing.

2020–2021: Pandemic-Fueled Acceleration

• COVID-19 forces rapid adoption across industries: education, events, churches, and retail.
• Surge in hybrid events, virtual conferences, and online learning.
• Viewership and platform subscriptions skyrocket.

2022–2024: AI and Customization Take Over

• Platforms introduce AI-driven features like real-time transcription, auto-tagging, and smart encoding.
• More use of interactive elements, analytics dashboards, and LMS/CRM integrations.
• Emergence of niche platforms for live commerce and internal video delivery.

2025 and Beyond: Platform Ecosystems & Monetization Models

• Live streaming becomes embedded in product ecosystems, not just a standalone tool.
• Increased use of multi-CDN, low-latency protocols (e.g., WebRTC, SRT), and advanced monetization (SVOD/AVOD/TVOD).
• Businesses look for end-to-end solutions that support custom apps, brand identity, and data ownership.

Detailed Features to Consider When Comparing Streaming Platforms

The beauty of having so many top live video streaming platforms to choose from is that there are dozens of combinations of powerful features.

Again, when deciding what the best video streaming service is for you, there’s no “one-size-fits-all” solution. That means that features that are valuable to you may not be valuable to another broadcaster, and vice versa. The right live streaming platform is the one that meets your specific business needs.

Here are a few key features to look for when selecting a streaming platform:

• Professional video hosting services
• Video content management tools
• Secure video streaming solutions
• A top-tier CDN (content delivery network) for professional  live streaming quality
• Low latency streaming for live video delivery without delays
• RTMP (real-time messaging protocol) ingest, playback, and streaming support
• Video monetization capabilities
• Live streaming APIs for enhanced content management
• Mobile streaming application support and an SDK for integration on iOS and Android
• Video editing and embedding tools
• Advanced video analytics
• Cloud video encoding and transcoding for live or  VOD content streaming
• Encoding software for live video delivery
• Pricing plans: does the live streaming service provider have a plan for your broadcasting needs?
• Digital Rights Management for video on demand for an extra layer of protection to your content.
• Browser-based streaming, an easy and convenient way to connect to your viewers.
• Chinese video hosting 

In order to determine which features are the most valuable in a live streaming video service, you should identify the top goals you’d like to reach with online video broadcasting. 

Do you intend to just reach your audiences and boost your brand awareness? Or would you perhaps want to live stream product launches and drive interest in your latest offerings? Maybe you want to interact with your prospects and customers one-on-one through the live stream? 

Whatever your goals may be, list them down.

Once you’ve got your list of goals, determine which features you need to bring those goals to fruition, and choose your live streaming service for video streaming based on those tools. This is the best strategy for sorting through the top live streaming platforms and choosing the best one for your business’s needs. 

But here’s the thing—there are so many live streaming services available online that there’s a good chance that numerous services may fit the bill. In such a situation, which one should you choose? 

That’s why we’ve put together a list of the top live streaming companies in the industry so you can choose from them.

The 25 Best Live Streaming Platforms with Pricing for 2025

In order to help make your search for the best professional live streaming platform a bit easier, we’ve collected up-to-date information on the best streaming platforms’ pricing, pros, cons, features, and more.

Please note that the data in this comparison post for the best live streaming video platform  comes from a lot of unique research, and a number of sources. For example, these sources include platform websites, company background, user reviews, and free trial accounts.

We regularly update this comparison of the top major live broadcast platforms with every detail, as streaming platforms change live broadcast services, plans, and features, in order to ensure the accuracy of this live streaming platform comparison. This way, you’ll know which live streaming company you should choose for getting your streaming services.

Let’s take a look at the provider overview, basic functionality, key and detailed features, pros, cons, and pricing for the 25 best live streaming platforms of 2025.

1. Dacast

Overview and Company History:

With offices in Beijing, London, Manila, and San Francisco, Dacast is considered a competitive offering in a crowded marketplace. Dacast is a full-featured, self-service solution for live streaming and VOD hosting. 

Dacast is a unified end-to-end live streaming platform that makes the annual list of the most important, innovative, and interesting live stream companies on the 2021 Streaming Media Magazine’s Top 50 List. This powerful video hosting platform helps companies worldwide scale and monetize their online video content.

Basic Functionality:

Dacast provides comprehensive live streaming and secure video hosting services. Users can embed videos on their websites while maintaining 100% control of their content. Among other features, Dacast offers an integrated paywall, password protection, referrer restriction, and an analytics dashboard.

Key Features:

Dacast distinguishes itself by offering high-end features with competitive pricing plans. These include ad-free broadcasting, white-label service on all plans, and top-tier CDN delivery (including the option for a  multi-CDN solution). 24/7 phone support is also available for premium and enterprise-grade plans.

Additionally, the Dacast platform stands out from other online video platforms (OVPs) with its ease of use and accessibility. Even new broadcasters can create a new live channel and start a new live stream in just a few minutes.

You also get adaptive and multi-bitrate streaming capabilities with Dacast that enable you to deliver a smooth live streaming experience to your viewers. It also enables you to reach the vast audience in China through live streaming, which can help boost your reach even further.

Detailed Features:

• Secure, global content delivery, including industry-best video hosting
• 24/7 tech support with all plans, including email and live chat
• Video security features, including  password-protected hosting and  AES encryption
• VOD platform to monetize on-demand content, and to scale your VOD business
• Expo video gallery to display your live streams in an immersive video showcase
• RTMP Encoder for ingesting  HLS streaming
• Low latency HTML5 channels for video streaming
• Player API access for 3rd party player integration
• Video API access on premium plans (event and scale)
• Multi-bitrate streaming for live video and VOD
• Cloud video transcoding with true  adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR)
• Live encoding support for the top video encoders
• Real-time video streaming analytics
• Ad-free streaming

New Features:

• M3U8 file creation capability to enable adaptive streaming delivery of OTT video content across various devices
• Fully integrated RTMP streaming platform features
• Native multistreaming features to integrate with third-party software
• Advanced API to build your own video CMS
• AES video encryption for advanced streaming security
• Multi-user access (MUA) on Scale and Custom plans
• Zoom live streaming integration for meetings and live events in real-time
• Expo 2.0 galleries video portal for immersive video experiences
• Authenticate-only paywall for no payment content gating
• Plays by Location geographical insight
  
• Chinese streaming platform support
• Digital Rights Management (DRM) for VOD
• Multi-CDN streaming for high-quality broadcasts 
• Browser-based live streaming with WebRTC

Pros:

• Live streaming and Video on Demand are included in all plans
• Unlimited viewers and live channels
• White label and branding control
• Embeddable HTML5 video player
• SVOD, AVOD, and  TVOD pay-per-view monetization options
• M3U8 media links to stream to mobile and smart TV apps such as Roku, Apple TV, etc.
• Mobile device support
• SDK for player integration on iOS and  Android platforms
• Simulcast
• Live stream recording
• China Video Hosting
• Pricing plans for every budget
• Step-by-step guidance via helpful onboarding tutorials

Cons:

• Requires a bit of a learning curve

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: None (but 240p is the recommended minimum)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p or 4K (depends on the user’s hardware and internet)
• Aspect ratio: No restrictions (but 16:9 is the default)
• Max file size: None
• Max video length: None
• Total file storage: 500GB – 2TB (depends on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (preferred), MOV, M4V, M2V, AVI, MPG, FLV, WMV, MKV, WEBM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MTS

Pricing:

Streaming platform pricing plans with Dacast start at $39 per month and includes four levels:

• Starter plan: $39/month (billed annually); ideal for newcomers with 2.4 TB of bandwidth and 500 GB of storage per year
• Event plan: $63/month; for organizations that would rather not sign a contract, and want to purchase bandwidth separately to live stream an event, offers 6 TB of bandwidth upfront, 250 GB of storage; monetization paywall; additional data and storage can be added as needed
• Scale plan: $250/month or $165/month (billed annually); includes 24 TB of bandwidth per year, with 2 TB of storage; add phone support, an M3U8 online player for live channels, ad insertion, white-label video player, and video API access; additional bandwidth is available upon request for monthly plans
• Custom plan: if your enterprise business has high-volume streaming needs, you can contact Dacast for a custom plan tailored to your needs.

Read more here about Dacast’s live streaming pricing plans.

2. Brightcove

Overview and Company History:

Founded in 2004, Boston-based Brightcove is one of the oldest online video platforms in-game. Its product offerings focus on cloud encoding, live streaming, and VOD (video on demand) hosting.

Brightcove entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Bending Spoons, an Italian software company, for $4.45 per share in a deal valued at $233 million. This acquisition, announced in November 2024, aims to strengthen Brightcove’s platform and expand its technological offerings.

Basic Functionality:

Brightcove offers a number of modular products. These include: Video Cloud hosting, the Lift video player, Once for server-side ad insertion, Live for streaming video, OTT flow for internet TV, Zencoder for cloud video transcoding, and tools for monetization.

Key Features:

Brightcove’s features shine in the arena of analytics. Its detailed analytics and video marketing tools are quite valuable for businesses that aim to capture leads and understand their audience.

The online live streaming company also gives you multiple monetization options if you intend to launch an OTT service and earn from it. You also get detailed analytics into the performance of your live streams, which can help you determine if you need to change your distribution channels and strategies.

Detailed Features:

• Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming
• Global content delivery
• Tech support, but only at a basic level with slow ticket-based responses (unless you upgrade to a paid support plan)
• Video API access, but only on custom-priced plans
• Security features, but with high-end features only available on custom plans
• Monetization options, but only on custom-priced plans

Pros:

• Good analytics
• Includes custom video portals
• CRM integration

Cons:

• High price point
• No live streaming with packages under  $499/month
• Monetization is limited to custom-priced plans
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: Determined by user
• Maximum dimension: Determined by user
• Aspect ratio: No restrictions (since Brightcove uses a responsive player)
• Max file size: No limits on files size
• Max video length: No published limits
• Total file storage: Varies by plan
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

Brightcove builds custom pricing plans to suit enterprise streaming needs. Please contact their sales department to find out the pricing structure for their live streaming features. 

Here is what we currently know about their pricing structure:

• Basic Plan: Starts at $99 per user per month, which includes core video hosting and management functionalities. This plan is well-suited for businesses with basic video needs, such as small content libraries or internal communications​.
• Enterprise-Level Plans: These plans are highly customizable and include advanced features such as live streaming, in-depth analytics, security options, and robust integrations. Pricing is tailored depending on the specific needs of the business, including audience size, storage requirements, and additional services like video monetization and support​.
• Customization Costs: Enterprises may face additional expenses for features like platform customization, data migration, employee training, and ongoing maintenance. These costs can range from a few thousand dollars to significantly more, depending on the complexity of the requirements​.
• Free Trial: Brightcove offers a free trial for prospective users to test its features before committing to a subscription, which is a helpful option for evaluating its capabilities in real-world scenarios.

3. IBM Cloud Video

Overview and Company History:

Next up in our online video platform comparison is IBM Video Streaming (formally UStream). Founded in 2007 to connect military service members with family, IBM purchased UStream in 2016.

Around the same time, IBM acquired ClearLeap, a video management system, Cleversafe, a video storage service, and Aspera, a large-file transfer tool. All of these different companies were used to create IBM Cloud Video (now IBM Video Streaming), allowing IBM to become a platform for live streaming and VOD.

Basic Functionality:

IBM Video Streaming is a live streaming company first and foremost. However, it also hosts VOD (Video On Demand) files recorded from previous live streams.

Basic streaming accounts are free, with advertising supporting IBM Video Streaming. Paid accounts remove advertising and grant access to advanced features. Enterprise accounts allow for full custom branding and offer analytics, multiple live channels, content syndication, and more. The more you pay, the more custom live stream services you have access to on IBM  Video Streaming.

IBM offers phone and chat support for Silver, Gold, and Platinum users, as well as for those interested in its 30-day free trial.

Key Features:

IBM Video Streaming provides both a customer-grade and an Enterprise streaming solution. This platform also offers a unique Enterprise Content Delivery Network. Their professional-grade OVP has solutions for live event coverage, video marketing, monetization, marketing, and more. Its inclusivity justifies its elevated price point.

Like Dacast, you also get China access through Hong Kong video hosting, which can help you drive better brand awareness. You also get OTT video management features that can come in handy if you want to launch an OTT service and monetize it. 

Detailed Features:

• Enterprise video streaming
• Enterprise content delivery network
• Video distribution and workflow
• OTT video management
• Video monetization options
• Live streaming 

Pros:

• Reliable platform
• Suitable for larger clients
• Good customer support
• Wide range of features for broadcasters
• Hong Kong (China) video hosting

Cons:

• Additional fees are required in order to stream above 720p resolution
• Poor closed captioning support

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 480p (480 x 270)
• Maximum dimension:  4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: No published aspect ratio
• Max file size: 4 GB
• Max video length: No published limits
• Total file storage: 1TB – 5TB (depends on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MKV, MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MPEG2, H264, H263, MPEG4, VP6, VP8, THEORA, WMV, MP3, AAC-LC, NELLYMOSER, PCM, SPEEX, VORBIS, WMA

Pricing:

The pricing plans for the IBM Cloud Video include:

• Start Trial – Video Streaming: Give it a free test drive for 30 days
• Silver: Affordable Essentials, 100 viewer hours, 5 channels, 1 TB video storage, starting at $145/month
• Gold: Standard business features, 2,000 viewer hours, 10 channels, 2 TB video storage, starting at $729/month
• Platinum: Premium Volume scale, 5,000 viewer hours, 20 channels, 5 TB video storage, starting at $1,460/month
• Custom: Please contact IBM Cloud video for custom plan pricing as well as payment plans

IBM Video Streaming is a great platform for live streaming content for your business, and turning live streams into VOD. That makes it perfect for OTT service providers who want to host live streams and on-demand videos. 

You can check out this third-party review for more details.

4. JW Player

Overview and Company History:

First conceptualized in 2005 as part of a student project, JW Player began as a small piece of open-source code to play audio and video files. This code then became the basic video player for the fledgling YouTube, which continued to use the JW Player until Google acquired the platform in 2006.

Originally, JW Player was best known for its HTML5 video player for VOD content. In recent years, JW has expanded its video offerings beyond on-demand content to include live streaming.

Basic Functionality:

JW Player is perhaps best known for its HTML5 JW video player for VOD content.  This player supports MPEG-DASH playback, CSS skinning, DRM, and other advanced features. The company also now offers JW Live, a full-service live streaming provider.

Key Features:

In terms of JW Live, the platform supports HLS adaptive live streaming, multi-bitrate transcoding, simultaneous streaming to Instagram Live, and real-time analytics. The video live streaming service advertises itself as simple to use with a four-step process for beginning a live stream. Overall, JW Live is designed for users with a large budget and/or a large business enterprise.

JW Player also gives you the ability to monetize your content through ads. This makes it great for OTT platforms that want to go ahead with AVOD (advertising video on demand). The platform’s also fairly easy to use, making it a great bet for those who aren’t technically strong. Finally, China content delivery ensures that you can reach a much larger audience.

Detailed Features:

• Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming
• Global content delivery, but the Great Firewall 
• Tech support blocks China’s delivery, but only in the form of email support through the $100/month plan level
• Video API access on all plans
• Security features are basic but functional. Only custom-priced Enterprise plans offer DRM
• Monetization (only via advertising)
• Continuous archive of live events for instant live-to-VOD content
• DVR pause and rewind of live streams
• Stream live events to web players, mobile apps, OTT apps, and social media platforms

Pros:

• Great video player
• Simple, easy-to-use platform
• Good advertising tools

Cons:

• Live streaming is limited to custom-priced plans with a 12-hour duration
• Only ad-based monetization
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 360p (640 x 360)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3, 2.39:1
• Max file size: 25GB
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 25GB to 500GB (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, 3GP, FLV

Pricing:

The JW Player pricing structure is based on custom needs. Contact their sales team to discuss your requirements and get a bespoke price. You can choose between the following plans:

• Stream: This plan offers video delivery, asset management, instant and broadcast live
• Play: This plan offers cloud hosting, HTML5 Player, OTT apps, and mobile SDKs
• Engage: Take advantage of real-time analytics, recommendations, article matching, and custom reports
• Monetize: Use tools like ad insertion, player bidding, outstream ads, and studio DRM

With JW Player, you will need to contact sales to discuss your needs and get custom pricing or start with a free trial.

Publishers and broadcasters should contact JW Player directly for pricing and features.

5. Vimeo

Overview and Company History:

Since its founding in 2004, Vimeo has grown to be one of the most well-known video platforms on the internet.

Originally, Vimeo made its mark by offering an ad-free experience for video sharing, which made it an instant hit with creators and audiences. Now, it offers live streaming and enterprise video hosting space, with a range of services targeting businesses of all sizes.

The platform emphasises quality over quantity, which is appealing to many professional creators and businesses. Vimeo offers a cleaner user experience and a vast array of customization options.

Basic Functionality:

Vimeo offers live streaming, video hosting and OTT video delivery services. Vimeo is a cloud-based video streaming platform with comprehensive video hosting and livestreaming functionality. Vimeo has a simplified live streaming interface with features like text and graphic overlays and social share options. It also has plenty of tools that help with greater audience interaction.

Key Features:

What sets Vimeo apart is its offering of a range of proprietary hardware and software for live streaming. These offerings integrate smoothly with their platform, minimizing the fuss of implementing a live streaming program from the hardware on up. 

Vimeo Livestream is quite straightforward to use and has pay-per-view and subscription monetization options. You also get added security in the form of password protection. Additionally, viewer engagement features like Q&A and polls work well to drive a connection with your audience. To make things easier for viewers, you also get automated closed captions and registrant email notifications. 

Detailed Features:

• AI-powered video streaming features
• Custom video player
• Engagement and social analytics
• Privacy controls
• Host live broadcasts and webinars
• Video management
• Custom permissions
• Auto-recording of screens for video creation

Pros:

• Unlimited events and viewers
• No in-stream ads
• Sleek and professional appearance 
• Thoroughly detailed analytics
• Easy to use
• Pay-per-view options

Cons:

• Some issues with connection to an internal server
• No China video delivery
• Limited live streaming and video hosting capabilities
• Requires you to be tech-savvy to take full advantage of its features and have everything running smoothly
• The live event management system is pricier than other services and lacks robust features you’ll find on other platforms
• Buffering times are longer than other cloud video services
• You can’t convert the text in English to other languages.

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Recommended dimension: 720p (1280 x 720)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 3GB
• Max video length: Information not available
• Total file storage: Information not available
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (recommended)

Pricing:

Vimeo offers basic video hosting plans that are suitable for content creators and startups. Pricing if billed monthly, is as follows:

• Free: $0/month; 1 GB storage, creation and editing, screen recording
• Starter: $20/month; 100 GB storage, auto closed captioning, custom URLs and video player, privacy tools
• Standard: $41/month; 1 TB storage, engagement and social analytics, AI script generator, teleprompter, brand kit
• Advanced: $108/month; 5 TB storage, stream to multiple destinations, host live broadcasts and webinars, AI-generated chapters and text summaries
• Enterprise: Custom pricing; more storage and bandwidth, advanced AI capabilities, quality events, dedicated support

Vimeo is great if you want to maximize the usage of your content by turning your live streams into VOD content. 

Vimeo OTT Pricing:

• Vimeo’s OTT solution is priced separately from the regular Vimeo packages. There are two plans: Starter and Enterprise.
  • Starter Pricing: $1/subscriber per month (or 10% of one-time purchases)
  • Enterprise Pricing: Contact sales

This OTT-specific pricing package comes with the Vimeo.com relationship. These plans include all the basics for starting your web-based OTT channel, as well as growing your OTT business online.

For more details, check out our comprehensive guide to Vimeo pricing.

If you are new to live video streaming, Vimeo’s integration of proprietary hardware and software helps simplify the complexity of the live streaming process. If you have an advanced video production team, having to use Vimeo’s integrated proprietary hardware and software may feel limiting to your team.

6. Kick Live Streaming Platform

Overview and Company History:

Kick is a live video streaming platform that emerged in late 2022, aiming to provide a creator-friendly environment with a focus on higher revenue shares and looser content moderation compared to competitors like Twitch.

Kick was co-founded by Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven, who are also the founders of the online casino Stake.com. The platform was established to offer streamers a more favorable revenue model and greater creative freedom. Notably, streaming personality Trainwreckstv was among the earliest major streaming personalities on the platform.

Basic Functionality:

Kick allows users to broadcast live video content across various categories, including gaming, music, and real-life streams. Viewers can interact with streamers through live chat, fostering an engaging community experience.

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Key Features:

What sets Kick.com apart from its competitors lies in its combination of innovative monetization, user-friendly policies, and focus on creator-first experiences. These features include:

• Generous Revenue Sharing: Streamers retain 95% of their subscription revenue, significantly higher than the industry standard.
• Looser Content Moderation: Kick adopts a more relaxed approach to content moderation, allowing a broader range of content while still enforcing community guidelines.
• High-Quality Streaming Standards: Kick supports 1080p at 60fps with a high 8,000kbps bitrate, ensuring smooth and visually appealing streams for viewers.
• Creator-Friendly Approach: Kick provides features designed to make life easier for creators.
• Viewer Engagement Tools: Kick’s robust live chat functionality fosters real-time interaction between creators and their audience. Additional features like emojis, gifting options, and community polls enhance engagement.
• Cross-Platform Accessibility: Kick is available on iOS, Android, and web browsers, making it accessible to a wide audience.
• Support for Diverse Content Categories: While gaming is a major focus, Kick encourages streams in diverse categories like music, podcasts, real-life vlogging, and more.
• Strong Influencer Adoption:Kick has actively recruited high-profile streamers, including those dissatisfied with Twitch’s policies, to bolster its credibility and user base.

Detailed Features:

• Video management service
• High-quality videos and streams
• Large storage capacity
• Privacy options
• Upload from anywhere

Pros:

• An attractive Revenue Model which gives a 95% revenue share is highly beneficial for content creators.
• Flexible Content Policies that allow a wider range of content, appealing to diverse creators.
• Rapid Growth which has attracted high-profile streamers, contributing to its expanding user base.

Cons:

• Content Moderation allows for looser policies which have led to instances of inappropriate content, raising safety and ethical issues.
• Gambling Content Association with companies such as Stake.com have sparked debates about the promotion of gambling, especially to younger audiences.

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum Dimension: Not specified
• Maximum Dimension: 1920×1080 pixels
• Aspect Ratio: Standard 16:9 for optimal viewing
• Max File Size: Not specified
• Max Video Length: Not specified
• Total File Storage: Not specified
• Compatible Video Formats: Supports standard streaming formats; specific formats not detailed

Pricing:

Kick is free to use for both streamers and viewers. Revenue is generated through subscriptions and donations, with streamers receiving 95% of subscription revenues.

7. Muvi

Overview and Company History:

Next up in this review, Muvi is another of the best live stream platforms focused on over-the-top OTT media. This  online video platform is unique in that it functions as a turnkey appliance for OTT broadcasters.

In fact, this model empowers users to launch their own video or  audio streaming platform quickly and easily. Additionally, the platform includes an all-inclusive and fully-featured website, mobile, and TV apps.

Basic Functionality:

Muvi is a PaaS-based video stream platform with an all-in-one OTT solution. Their OTT service allows businesses to launch white-label multi-device streaming, video on demand (VOD), and audio streaming. The platform includes fully managed, end-to-end solutions, all controlled from single streaming video CMS, with no coding or IT team required.

Key Features:

With Muvi, you can have your own multi-screen OTT Video On Demand (VOD) platform in an instant. Their streaming solution comes with a plethora of functionalities and capabilities. The best part is that it is a very simple and straightforward service that doesn’t require any coding and development expertise as everything is fully managed from Muvi’s end.

Detailed Features:

• Custom branding
• HTML5 video player
• Analytics
• Monetization options
• DRM and security features

Pros:

• Hosting
• CDN
• Video CMS
• Transcoding
• DRM
• Website and Apps for Mobile and TV.

Cons:

• Not user friendly
• Hard to integrate or connect
• CMS user interface is complex
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 144p (256 x 144)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840  x2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: not available
• Max video length: not available
• Total file storage: 1TB, 2TB, 5TB (depending on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, FLV, VOB, M4V, AVI, 3GP, MPG

Pricing:

Muvi has 7 pricing plan categories, namely One, Live, Flex, Player SDK, Playout, TV and Alie.

1. The pricing for Muvi One includes the following plans:

• Standard: $399/month
• Professional: $1,499/month
• Enterprise: $3,900/month
• Ultimate: ask sales for price

Each plan has different features, such as the number of concurrent users, hosting options, and add-ons like the Alie recommendation engine. You can visit Muvi One Pricing for more details.

2. The pricing breakdown for the Muvi Live plans is as followed:

• Standard: $99/month
• Professional: $299/month
• Enterprise: $799/month

Each plan includes unlimited events and meetings, mobile live streaming, Ad-free high quality Streaming and custom branding and more. You can visit Muvi Live Pricing for more details.

3. Muvi Flex includes the following plans :

• Standard: $199/month
• Professional: $899/month
• Enterprise: $2,899/month

Each plan includes unlimited content and views, with varying features like the number of concurrent users, hosting options, and customization availability. Visit Muvi Flex Pricing for full details.

4. Here is the summary for the Muvi Player SDK pricing:

• Pay as You Go: $0/month + $0.001 per view (first 100 views are free)
• Enterprise: $499/month + $0.001 per view (first 100,000 views are free each month)

Visit the Muvi Player Pricing page for more detailed information.

5. Muvi Playout  includes the following plans:

• Standard: $199/month
• Professional: $499/month
• Enterprise: $1,999/month

These plans differ in features such as the number of concurrent viewers, channels, and customization options. The Enterprise plan also offers dedicated servers. For more detailed features, visit the Muvi Playout Pricing page.

6. The pricing breakdown for Muvi TV is:

• Standard: $9/month + 9% commission on content sales.

This plan supports global distribution, and features include unlimited content, views, and the ability to publish and monetize quickly. For more details, visit the Muvi TV Pricing page.t

7. The pricing details for Muvi Alie is:

• Standard: $199/month
• Professional: $899/month
• Enterprise: $1,499/month

These plans differ in features such as ingestion features, training and recommendation requests. Visit the Muvi Alie Pricing page for more details.

Muvi is more than a streaming platform. It offers businesses the tools to create their own OTT video or audio experience simply and easily, without coding or advanced IT knowledge. 

If your business is looking to create and monetize your own streaming, eLearning, or audio streaming platform. You can widen your audience base with cross-platform reach with your own branded over the top platform, website, and apps.

8. Resi

Overview and Company History:

Founded in 2014, Resi is an end-to-end video broadcasting platform that is equipped with a variety of streaming tools. This company offers all of the tools that broadcasters need to get started with live streaming.

Resi is branded as an “affordable” solution, but prices are not listed on their website.

Basic Functionality:

Resi offers a variety of live streaming software in addition to some hardware offerings.

Key Features:

Resi has several notable features including live stream hosting, simulcasting, and encoding technology in addition to a few hardware offerings.

Detailed Features:

• End-to-end live streaming support
• Simulcasting capabilities
• Some encoding support
• Automation tools
• Cloud streaming
• Monitoring tools

Pros:

• Produces high-quality live streams
• Wide range of functionality
• Highly reliable
• Reliable support

Cons:

• Limitations on analytics
• Limitations on chat
• “Dated” interface

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: None
• Maximum dimension: 1920×1080
• Aspect ratio: 16:9
• Max file size: 15 GB
• Max video length: 6 hours
• Total file storage: Unavailable
• Compatible video formats: MP4

Pricing:

Interested broadcasters must fill out an inquiry form to get information on Resi’s pricing.

Resi boasts that their streams never feature a spinning wheel, but that is achieved by the fact that live streams are delayed about 90 seconds from live. If you are okay with a 90 second delay between when you say something and your viewers see it, then this could be the platform for you.

9. StreamShark

Overview and Company History:

Founded in 2011 from research out of the University of Melbourne, StreamShark is another of the best live streaming platforms for pros providing multi-faceted online video functionality. StreamShark is a business wing of MetaCDN. This means that the platform specializes in fast and innovative content delivery.

Basic Functionality:

As a streaming service, this company offers a consumer-grade (B2C) platform and a distinct enterprise platform for streaming. StreamShark is a technology company with reliable video stream delivery expertise for global reach. It excels at making the live streams of large-scale, high-profile events a massive success, with viewers having an exceptional viewing experience.  It is a great live event streaming platform.

Key Features:

Their live event platform offers users the ability to efficiently and reliably manage the different phases of an event’s stream while ensuring maximum reach and reliability of the live stream via its multi-vendor approach and HLS ingests. Additionally, the company focuses overall on providing global video CDN services. If you have a global audience you need to reach, it is one of the top live streaming platforms. 

With the Enterprise package, your business can access advanced features such as peer-to-peer delivery to reduce bandwidth load on corporate networks when conducting a live stream for employees. They also offer end-to-end encryption and 360-degree 4K streams.

Detailed Features:

• Global coverage via a multi-CDN network
• Mobile-compatibility
• Detailed viewer reports
• Customizable live streaming video player
• Privacy controls
• Advertising and customer support
• Multi-CDN

Pros:

• Localized media ingestion
• Video Encoding
• Redistribution
• Increased storage space

Cons:

• No Channel support
• No embeddable playlists
• Fair to no video analytics
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: not available
• Max video length: not available
• Total file storage: 500GB, 1TB, 3TB
• Compatible video formats: HLS, WebM VP9, WebM VP8, WebM VP9 DASH, MP4

Pricing:

Monthly live streaming plans with StreamShark begin at $199 per month and include the following:

• Standard: $199/month; includes 1,000 GB of bandwidth; 500 GB of VOD storage an additional overage of $0.10 per GB
• Team: $499/month; includes 4,000 GB of bandwidth; 2,000 GB of storage, and lowers per GB overage prices to $0.09 per GB
• Business: $999/month; includes 9,000 GB of bandwidth; 5,000 GB of storage, and reduces the overage to $0.08 per GB
• Enterprise: Please contact StreamShark for their custom enterprise solutions and plans

StreamShark caters both to small and medium size businesses with their monthly live streaming package, and to large corporations that need to host big corporate events. They offer a range of online live streaming packages for businesses.

10. Kaltura

Overview and Company History:

With a video management foundation in its open-source software, Kaltura offers a unique focus on the live streaming market. Historically, this company has worked most extensively with educational institutions.

Basic Functionality:

While the Kaltura software is free, it requires an infrastructure of servers for hosting and distribution. This platform represents an alternative to the self-hosted model (e.g., Dacast). That said, Kaltura offers cloud-based video hosting and distribution services for both VOD and live streams.

Key Features:

Kaltura shines when it comes to extensibility. The open-source nature of their software means that a community of users creates and shares countless add-ons and integrations.

However, the downside of Kaltura’s extensibility is that the platform can be confusing to use. With so many different features, it can be overwhelming for beginner users.

Detailed Features:

• Multi-bitrate and adaptive broadcasting are included
• Global content delivery via a combined CDN approach (with the option to bring your own CDN)
• Tech support via a ticket-based system, which is slower than chat or phone
• Video API access
• Security features, including a range of authentication and encryption options
• Monetization, including all major models (subscription, advertising, PPV streaming)

Pros:

• Many available features
• Good monetization options
• Robust security

Cons:

• No phone or chat support
• Highly complex
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 180p (320 x 180)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 2GB
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 10GB to Unlimited (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MOV, MP4

Pricing:

Kaltura is a great live broadcasting platform if you have a more technically advanced video production team that would thrive and enjoy all the additional user-generated features the platform offers.

Kaltura pricing is based on the solutions you’re looking for. These include but are not limited to: 

Webinars:

• Business: $199/month (or $150/month when billed annually)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing

Virtual classroom:

• Limited Trial: $1 for 14 days/organizer, up to 25 participants per session
• Basic: $19/month (or $17/month when billed annually); up to 8 participants per session and 10 hrs of cloud recording 
• Pro: $55/month (or $50/month when billed annually); up to 25 participants per session and 15 hrs of cloud recording
• Business: $125/month (or $115/month when billed annually); up to 100 participants per session and up to 25 hrs of cloud recording
• Business Plus: Custom pricing for up to 300 participants per session, unlimited sessions, and custom storage needs

Media Services:

• Annual discounts: Discounted pricing packages available for any scale and use-case, enterprise SLA, and developer support
• Limited trial account: $1 for $100 worth of credits for 30 days for testing and experimentation, with no commitments
• Pay-as-you-go:  You pay an annual fee for what you use. There are different credit levels, one of which is the Base plan + Pay-as-you-go. Pay a $20 one-time annual fee + monthly usage fees. Check out the other options that may be more suitable for your needs.

Other services include virtual events, video portal town halls, video messaging, meetings and more.

11. StreamYard

Overview and Company History:

StreamYard, founded by Hopin, is an in-browser live streaming platform. This platform is relatively basic but will do the job for broadcasters with minimal live videos needs.

Since this platform is pretty basic, it is relatively easy to start streaming on StreamYard.

Basic Functionality:

StreamYard is a simple in-browser live broadcasting designed to improve audience engagement. StreamYard does not support on-demand streaming.

Key Features:

StreamYard uses in-browser streaming technology. This provides a wide range of functionality without any downloads necessary. The brand customization features on StreamYard are some of the most valuable.

You can also use the platform for multistreaming and directly stream to top platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.

Detailed Features:

• Custom branding
• Graphic overlays
• Simulcast to social media platforms
• Multiple on-screen presenters
• Screen sharing 
• Audience engagement tools

Pros:

• Simple to use
• Engaging
• Great for collaborative streams

Cons:

• Very basic platform 
• No monetization
• No VOD
• Limited browser compatibility 

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• StreamYard does not publish upload guidelines and specs.

Pricing:

StreamYard has changed its pricing plans as of late 2024. Here are the annual prices and what they include:

• Core: $431.88/month with unlimited viewers, streaming, and local recording, 10 on-screen participants, 2hrs of pre-recorded streams, and more.
• Advanced: $827.88/month unlimited viewers, streaming, and local recording, 10 on-screen participants, 4hrs of pre-recorded streams, and more.
• Teams: $2,867.88/month with unlimited viewers, streaming, and local recording, 10 on-sreen participants, 8hrs of pre-recorded streams, and more.

StreamYard is great for businesses without a dedicated IT team to support live streaming events. There is no need for additional software or to download anything. They offer unique branding, with the ability to add your logo, colors, overlays, images, and GIFs to the video player. Up to 10 different people can broadcast at once, and they support audience interactions. 

12. StreamLabs OBS

Overview and Company History:

Streamlabs OBS, also known as “SLOBS,” is another powerful software for live streaming. It has similar functionality to OBS Studio, but it uses a graphical user interface rather than a command-line interface, making it easier to use. The latest version of StreamLabs OBS is v1.15.1 and is available for download here.

Basic Functionality:

Streamlabs offers quite a few features for editing and multicasting live streams. It is the chosen broadcasting software for many professional streamers. One of the unique aspects of this software is its web-based live streaming studio called Streamlabs Talk Studio (formerly MelonApp). The app allows you to broadcast to Facebook, YouTube Live, LinkedIn, or Twitch with one click and without leaving your browser.

Key Features:

The Streamlabs website doesn’t indicate any limitations on operating system compatibility. However, the platform is suitable for streaming on Twitch, Facebook, Mixer, and YouTube Live.

Detailed Features:

• Multistreaming to many popular platforms
• Highlighter free video editing tools
• Layout editor with drag and drop
• Selective recording of streamed content
• Replay buffer to replay clips for your viewers
• Dynamic in-game overlay for single monitors
• Streamlabs Deck with a live stream remote control app
• Secure streaming

Pros:

• Easy for beginners
• Tools for designing stream layout
• Selective recording
• Gaming overlays
• Tools for tipping and donations

Cons:

• No scoreboards
• Limitations on graphic overlays
• Some features are clunky

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: N/A
• Maximum dimension: 1080p
• Aspect ratio: N/A
• Max file size: 300MB
• Max video length: 4 or 10 hours (depends on plan)
• Total file storage: 30 days recording storage
• Compatible video formats: N/A

Pricing:

Streamlabs have effectively 2 plans:

• Starter plan: Streamlabs app is free to download
• Streamlabs Ultra plan: for $27/month to get 10 GB of storage (free Starter plan offers 1 GB), 1000+ themes, and 3+ destinations for stream distribution, without a watermark.

Streamlabs is a great tool for businesses or individuals focused on streaming live content to social platforms. They offer personalized stream overlays and integrate with a range of apps that can provide you access to improved analytics, viewer interaction tools, and more automation tools.

13. Cincopa

Overview and Company History:

Cincopa is a multimedia hosting platform that large organizations use to store their content. In addition to media hosting, Cincopa offers all of the tools that broadcasters need to host high-quality  live streams.

Cincopa offers plans for different budgets. The range of pricing offerings, paired with the flexible functionality of this platform makes it a great tool for many different kinds of broadcasters.

Basic Functionality:

Cincopa’s primary purpose is hosting different types of media files, including video, audio, and images. However, this platform also supports live streaming. 

Key Features:

Cincopa provides all of the features that broadcasters need for a professional streaming experience, including video monetization, stream recording, OTT streaming, powerful content delivery, and more.

Another perk of this streaming solution is that it supports integrations for a customizable streaming experience.

Detailed Features:

• Multimedia hosting
• Live streaming support 
• Powerful video player
• Video monetization
• Integrations for customization
• OTT streaming
• Reliable CDN partnerships
• Secure streaming

Pros:

• High-quality streaming
• Professional streaming experience
• Wide range of useful tools
• Customizable streaming
• Reliable customer support 

Cons:

• Live streaming is a secondary offering
• Some complaints of media storage limits

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 144p
• Maximum dimension: 4K
• Aspect ratio: 4:3, 16:9
• Max file size: 1, 2, 20GB (depending on the plan)
• Max video length: not available
• Total file storage: 5 videos, 40 videos, unlimited videos (depending on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: AVI, MOV, WMV, MP4, M4A, F4A,  F4B, F4V, F4P, M2TS, MTS, VOB, MKV, RMVB, M1V, QT, DIV, DIVX, DV, 3GP, 3GPP, 3G2, MPG, MPEG, MPE, FLV

Pricing:

Cincopa offers four pricing plans for multimedia hosting:

• Free: $0/month; includes 20 videos and 100 GB monthly traffic
• Plus: $30/month; includes live stream and basic analytics
• Corporate: $119/month; includes marketing tools (CTAs, email integrations, etc.)
• Enterprise: $420/month; advanced broadcasting tools with more flexibility
• Custom Enterprise: Contact sales

Contact Cincopa’s sales team for detailed information on the Custom Enterprise plan where you can optimize your media strategy as per your business growth.

Cincopa is an image and podcast hosting platform that supports live streaming. If you need all three of those video live streaming services in one place, they may be the right platform for your business.

14. Restream

Overview and Company History:

Restream is a streaming platform that specializes in multistreaming but offers some other streaming products.  Restream Studio is their offering that supports in-browser live streaming.

Restream studio offers the ability to broadcast video in real-time, designed to increase brand exposure and sales.

Basic Functionality:

Restream is a platform for broadcasting live videos in-browser, most popular among the gaming, tech, government, sports, media, and music industries.

Key Features:

Restream is primarily a multistreaming platform, but it offers support for collaborative in-browser streaming alternatives.

The platform enables you to launch scheduled events, enable in-browser streaming for your audiences, and provides tools to help you collaborate with your team. The reach of your stream to 30+ destinations makes it a great platform for distributing your content. 

Detailed Features:

• In-browser streaming
• Multistreaming capabilities 
• Features for boosting engagement
• Peer-to-peer streaming support
• Tools for audience interaction
• Brand customization
• Scheduled events

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Tools for collaboration
• On-brand streaming
• Tools for audience engagement 

Cons:

• Not a dedicated streaming platform
• In-browser streaming is secondary to live stream hosting

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Recommended dimension: 1920 ×1080
• Aspect ratio: Unavailable
• Max file size: 2GB (for pre-recorded streams)
• Max video length: 1-4 hours (depends on plan)
• Total file storage: 10 videos
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MKV, M4V, MOV

Pricing:

Restream has several pricing plans for both individuals and businesses. These include the following plans:

• Free: $0/month (for individuals)
• Standard: $16/month (for individuals)
• Professional: $39/month (for individuals)
• Business: $199/month (for businesses)
• Enterprise: Custom pricing and solutions for media and corporate teams

These prices reflect monthly rates when paid monthly, but discounts are available when you pay a full year in advance.

Restream touts that with one live stream, you can reach 30+ destinations all at once. However, their free plan only allows you to be multistream to 2 channels, their standard plan allows for multistreaming to 5 channels, and the professional plan allows for streaming to 8 channels. If you need to stream to more locations, you must subscribe to one of the Companies plans.

15. Wowza

Overview and Company History:

Founded in 2005 by David Stubenvoll and Charlie Good, Wowza is a bootstrapped start-up, with live and on-demand live streaming capabilities to phones, tablets, consoles, focusing on greater accessibility, further flexibility, and the best cost-effectiveness.

Basic Functionality:

Wowza offers two main products, the first of which is the Wowza Streaming Engine. This product is widely used in the industry for self-hosted streaming. Wowza streaming services, however, come with the Wowza offering. The Streaming Cloud functionality includes a variety of features aimed at providing low-latency content access to global audiences of all sizes.

Key Features:

Wowza’s live streaming platform’s core capabilities help developers, event producers, and technical entrepreneurs deliver live streams to their viewers/customers through third-party integration, captioning, API, and more.

You can also monitor the performance of your live streams through Wowza. The pay as you go pricing also means that the platform is quite affordable for small businesses and can be scaled as you grow. 

Detailed Features:

• Cloud management portal
• Up to 4K streaming
• Wide range of security options
• APIs available
• Live stream recording

Pros:

• Audience Engagement
• Performance Monitoring
• Robust security
• Mobile Screen Support
• Video Looping
• China video delivery

Cons:

• No Multistreaming
• No Session Recording
• No Video Monetization Tools
• No Multiple Camera Feeds
• No Audience Analytics
• No Event Scheduling

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 240p (320 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: Not available
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 250 GB (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, FLV, MP3, SMIL, AMLST, ID3, NGRP

Pricing:

Wowza recently overhauled its pricing plans and added several options. These are split into 2 main tiers: Video and Streaming Engine.

1. Wowza Video Cloud Streaming offers three different pricing plans:

• One Month of Streaming: $149 one-time purchase; includes 15 hours of live streaming and 500 viewing hours
• Pay as you go: $0/month; $2.50/hour of streaming, all usage billed separately
• Enterprise: Annual plans built for your needs; contact sales for custom pricing

All of these Live Event plans include full brand control, adaptive-bitrate streaming, and HD and UHD streaming.

2. Wowza Streaming Engine has its own pricing plans. These professional-grade streaming plans are billed annually and include:

• One Month of Streaming: $295 one-time purchase + $295month for each additional instance
• Basic Monthly: $195/month + $195/month for each additional instance
• Enterprise: Please contact Wowza directly for access to their custom-tailored high-volume enterprise solutions

Wowza is a platform that has streaming plans that work for both individuals and businesses. If you need a live streaming portal with plans that will grow with your business, Wowza may be right for you.

16. Panopto

Overview and Company History:

Founded in 2007 in Pittsburg at Carnegie Mellon University as a tech project, Panopto is a video company focusing on  businesses and universities. This platform enables you to stream, share, record, and broadcast video content. With more than 100 employees in 6 offices worldwide, Panopto serves an audience of over 5 million end-users in the e-learning space.

Basic Functionality:

With a primary focus on internal use for online education, Panopto provides powerful tools for creating “internal YouTubes” and integration with  Learning Management Systems. Panopto is a more focused online video organization than the other best live streaming platforms.

Key Features:

With Panopto, users have a single mobile-ready solution for recording live videos, live streaming, video search, quizzing, and analytics. Their content management (CMS) system allows for the centralization of video streams, playlists, and playback. You also get access to Chinese audiences through Panopto’s China hosting. Finally, customizable branding means your video player will help grow your brand too. 

Detailed Features:

• Lecture-capture and video-search software
• Analytics
• Access control & security features
• White-label streaming
• Integration with LMS systems; APIs  for further integrations.

Pros:

• Audio Content
• Document Indexing
• Full-Text Search
• Video Content
• Asset Categorization
• Customizable Branding
• China hosting

Cons:

• No customizable templates
• No image editor
• No SEO management
• No version control

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Compatible video formats: AVI, MP4, MPG, WMV, MOV, QT, ASF, 3GP, WMA, MP3, M4V
• All other upload guidelines and specs are only available to paying customers. 

Pricing:

Panopto no longer offers pricing information on its website, so you have to get in touch with their team to find out custom pricing for your requirements. You can even request a demo to test it out. 

After establishing a contract, you have access to unlimited streaming and storage. However, this aspect may represent a potential downside for some streamers as Panopto does not handle any external-facing video content.

Panopto understands the needs of educational institutions, making it a great platform for educational institutions.

17. Uscreen

Overview and Company History:

Founded in 2014 by Pejman (PJ) Taei, Uscreen is headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland. The company has experienced significant growth since its inception, serving over 11,000 video creators who collectively generate hundreds of millions in revenue annually. As of recent reports, Uscreen supports more than 9.2 million end-users worldwide.

Basic Functionality:

Uscreen is a unified streaming platform that supports live and on-demand streaming, OTT video delivery and a comprehensive suite of tools for video creators, including branded mobile and TV applications, a user-friendly interface, and various monetization options such as subscriptions, one-time purchases, and pay-per-view. The platform is equipped with all the tools that organizations need to host and deliver educational content, whether it be training videos for enterprises or online courses for schools.

Uscreen has streaming for businesses that want to host an online training platform. Community-related tools are helpful for internal use.

Key Features:

The Uscreen platform supports private video streaming with top-notch security tools to protect content, while providing seamless live and VOD (video-on-demand) hosting. Its customizable HTML5 video player ensures a branded and user-friendly viewing experience. Additionally, Uscreen includes specialized tools for marketing, robust video insights and analytics to track performance, and monetization tools that enable creators to generate revenue through subscriptions, pay-per-view, and one-time purchases.

Detailed Features:

• OTT streaming
• Tools for marketing
• Powerful video analytics
• Community-building features
• Fee-based video monetization
• Lecture-capture and video-search software
• Access control & security features
• White-label streaming
• Integration with LMS systems; APIs  for further integrations.

Pros:

• Simple but comprehensive platform
• Reliable platform
• Time-saving tools
• Powerful video management

Cons:

• Some complaints about the user interface
• Slow customer support

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Recommended dimensions: 1080p/2k or smaller
• Supported aspect ratios: 16:9 (standard widescreen)
• Maximum file size: 13 GB
• Maximum video length: No maximum video length, but it’s recommended to keep videos under 5-10 minutes
• Total file storage: 3000, 7500, 7500+ minutes
• Accepted video formats: MP4 (Recommended)

Pricing:

Uscreen has three different pricing plans for broadcasting. The pricing below reflects rates when billed monthly and include:

• Growth: $199/month
• App Essentials: $499/month
• Build Your Own: Custom pricing

If you choose annual billing, you can save 20% on the Growth and App Essential plans.

18. Boxcast

Overview and Company History:

BoxCast is a Cleveland-based live streaming company founded in 2013. It offers an end-to-end video platform designed to make professional broadcasting accessible to organizations of all sizes. Initially focused on serving churches and educational institutions, BoxCast has expanded its reach to include businesses, sports teams, and local governments. The company emphasizes automation, reliability, and ease of use in its streaming solutions.

Basic Functionality:

BoxCast provides a cloud-based streaming platform that allows users to broadcast live events with minimal technical expertise. Its ecosystem includes:

• Hardware Encoders: Devices like the BoxCaster and BoxCaster Pro for capturing and streaming video.
• Software Solutions: Tools such as the Broadcaster app for iOS and the web-based Producer for browser-based streaming.
• Cloud Services: Features like automatic archiving, multi-destination streaming, and analytics.

This integrated approach enables users to manage the entire streaming process – from capture to delivery within a single platform.

Key Features:

BoxCast offers a range of features tailored for professional-quality live streaming, particularly for organizations that need simplicity and reliability. At the core of its platform is BoxCast Flow, a patented streaming protocol designed to maintain high video quality even on unstable networks. Users can take advantage of multi-destination streaming, allowing broadcasts to be sent simultaneously to platforms like Facebook Live, YouTube, and their own websites. The platform also supports automated workflows, enabling scheduled broadcasts, auto start/stop, and cloud-based archiving with minimal manual effort. To boost engagement, BoxCast provides viewer interaction tools such as live chat and the ability to display documents or announcements during the stream.

Detailed Features:

• Graphic Overlays: Add logos, lower-thirds, and other branding elements to your stream.
• Video Markers: Tag significant moments during a broadcast for easy navigation in on-demand playback.
• Smart Embedding: Easily embed streams on your website with a responsive, white-labeled player.
• Analytics Dashboard: Monitor viewer engagement, stream health, and other key metrics in real-time.

Pros:

• User-Friendly Interface: Designed for users with varying levels of technical expertise.
• Reliable Streaming: Proprietary technology ensures consistent video quality.
• Comprehensive Ecosystem: Offers both hardware and software solutions for a seamless streaming experience.
• Scalable Solutions: Suitable for small organizations and large enterprises alike.

Cons:

• Limited Customization: Some advanced customization options may be restricted to higher-tier plans.
• Cost Considerations: Additional features and higher-tier plans can increase overall costs.

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Recommended Dimensions: 1920×1080 pixels (Full HD)
• Supported Aspect Ratios: 16:9 (standard widescreen)
• Maximum File Size: 50 GB per upload
• Maximum Video Length: Not explicitly limited; subject to file size and storage constraints
• Total File Storage: Varies by subscription plan; users can check their storage limits in the dashboard settings
• Accepted Video Formats: MP4 and MOV

Pricing:

BoxCast offers several pricing tiers to accommodate different needs:

• Starter: $25/month (billed annually) – Includes web app, live stream integration, 50 hours of video storage, and basic monetization.
• Growth: $75/month (billed annually) – Adds advanced monetization, 100 hours of storage, and additional admin users.
• Pro: $200/month (billed annually) – Includes mobile and TV apps, 150 hours of storage, API access, and priority support.
• Enterprise: Custom pricing – Offers unlimited storage, custom branding, and tailored integrations.

Top Social Video Streaming Platforms

As we mentioned, free B2C streaming platforms like YouTube and Facebook are not ideal for video hosting on a professional level. Live streaming social platforms tend to have limited features and functionality compared to the professional streaming services mentioned above.

Despite their limited functionality, social media live streaming platforms are useful for teasing content and building a loyal following for your brand. Doing a live stream on social media is also free, making it appealing for those unsure about professional broadcasting.

Let’s take a look at a few of the top social media streaming platforms.

19. YouTube Live

Overview and Company History:

YouTube was one of the first social broadcasting sites to make  online streaming popular, and it has grown exponentially in the past decade. This Google-owned website is designed for consumers, but many businesses use it while they are getting into broadcasting.

YouTube is not the best live stream hosting platforms since the site has strict limitations on monetization and other professional tools. Additionally, YouTube Live requires that broadcasters give up partial ownership of their content when they upload it to the platform. It is a live stream service that your business can use, but it has major limitations. 

Basic Functionality:

YouTube Live is a free B2C platform for streaming live videos, designed for users with little to no prior broadcasting experience.

Key Features:

YouTube is primarily a consumer-grade video sharing platform. It supports VOD and live streaming, but the most popular content on the platform is on-demand videos. But considering the sheer reach of the platform with over  2 billion monthly active users, your online live streams will get unparalleled reach through YouTube. It’s particularly useful for live streaming events and product launches. 

Detailed Features:

• Ad-based monetization is limited to users with large followings and watch times
• No notable security features
• Popular among consumers
• Powered by Google
• Easy to share videos
• Videos can be embedded in other websites
• No white-label capabilities

Pros:

• Free to use
• YouTube is a household name, so viewers are comfortable using it
• Easy to use (for both viewers and broadcasters)
• Easy to embed video player
• Live and VOD hosting

Cons:

• Cannot remove YouTube Live branding
• Limitations on live streaming
• Strict restrictions on content. For example, if there’s a popular song playing in the background, your video can be abruptly taken down for copyright reasons.
• YouTube Live owns partial rights to your content. For example, if you rely on in-video sponsorships, you may be forced to start giving a cut of your revenue to YouTube in the future.
• Distracting third-party in-stream ads and branding
• YouTube Live will suggest the videos of competitors off to the side, which can drive away potential fans

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (adds padding to videos with other aspect ratios)
• Max file size: 128 GB
• Max video length: 12 hours
• Total file storage: No storage limit
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG4, FLV, AVI, Web M, WMV, MPEG-PS, 3GPP

Pricing:

YouTube is a free platform that allows you to broadcast videos, live stream events, and monetize live videos. However, that free tag comes with a cost, as you don’t have complete control over your content that a professional-grade live streaming platform can offer your business.

20. Dailymotion

Overview and Company History:

Dailymotion is a streaming platform that calls itself a place where you can discover content you love from around the world, live or on-demand, and where video-makers are free to share their world and connect with a passionate audience. One thing that many broadcasters like about Dailymotion is that it allows just about any content, whereas YouTube is quite strict.

The purpose of Dailymotion is essentially the same as YouTube. It is a basic platform for new broadcasters to upload and host video material. Since this site is free, it is pretty “bare bones” regarding professional broadcasting tools.

Basic Functionality:

The growing popularity of Dailymotion and the greater freedom of expression makes this streaming platform a great choice for many broadcasters.

Key Features:

Dailymotion is a basic video sharing platform that consumers and independent content creators primarily use. It includes tools for easy video sharing.

Detailed Features:

• Basic video sharing platform
• Based in France
• Small creator’s fund
• Copyright protection tools
• Minimal content limitations

Pros:

• Very few content restrictions
• Growing in popularity around the world

Cons:

• Not as popular as YouTube
• No significant monetization tools (other than a slim “creator fund’)
• Limited video analytics

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (adds padding to videos with other aspect ratios)
• Max file size: 128GB
• Max video length: 12 hours
• Total file storage: Unlimited
• Compatible video formats: MOV, MPEG4, MP4, AVI, WMV,  MPEG-PS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM

If you want a free platform that isn’t YouTube, Dailymotion is the next logical choice. Dailymotion has fewer restrictions on what content can be shared on its platform.

21. Facebook Live

Overview and Company History:

Regarding video hosting, Facebook offers both “Live” and “Watch,” which allows businesses and organizations to host on-demand content or broadcast live content. 

Live streams can be hosted on personal profiles, pages, and groups, but on-demand “Facebook Watch” videos can only be published on Facebook Pages.

Facebook Live is commonly used by businesses and organizations that are just dipping their toes in live broadcasting. Since it is a free platform, Facebook Live poses many challenges related to video ownership, time limits on videos, monetization, and more.

Aside from those few technical restrictions, live streaming with Facebook Live is valuable for connecting with existing audiences. 

Basic Functionality:

It is common for broadcasters who use premium streaming solutions to connect their accounts to multicast on Facebook and their livestream websites. That allows users to tap into their existing Facebook audiences while accessing the professional tools of a hosting solution.

Key Features:

Facebook is a social media platform with tools for uploading and sharing videos to online communities. The live streaming feature on Facebook gives viewers commenting and reacting capabilities. They can write to you in real-time and you can answer their questions right away. Similarly, the engagements can help increase your reach on the platform and help make your live streams successful.

Detailed Features:

• Facebook Live
• Facebook Watch
• Facebook Groups
• Facebook Pages
• Easy video sharing
• Live commenting and reacting
• Paid ads 
• Some tools for business use

Pros:

• The app is free
• Viewers are familiar with the platform
• Live chat promotes engagement
• Taps into existing following

Cons:

• No monetization options
• Time limits on live videos
• Cannot remove Facebook Live branding

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 720p (1280×720) 
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920×1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 9:16, 2:3, 4:5, 1:1
• Max file size: 4 GB
• Max video length: 90 minutes
• Total file storage: No storage limit
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, MPEG4, AVI, 3GPP, WMV, FLV, MKV

Pricing:

Facebook Live works best when integrated with a professional live streaming platform that allows for simultaneous casting to multiple sites. It can allow you to connect to your already-developed Facebook audience. 

22. Instagram

Overview and Company History:

Instagram is a popular social media app with various video-sharing features. If you want to broadcast live videos with high production values, the app isn’t for you, but it is great to share pre-recorded videos. 

Basic Functionality:

Both consumers and businesses upload small, shareable clips to the platform to share with followers. Businesses often use Instagram Live to tease the content on their site or app. They add CTAs that lead users to their websites with products or longer videos. Instagram Live is popular for eCommerce businesses and offers sellers the ability to include shoppable and product links in their stories, reels, and live broadcasts.

Key Features:

Instagram is a social media platform for sharing pictures and videos. Basically, Instagram Live is a social network that allows you to live stream music and videos. If you want a dedicated streaming service, it’s better to look at other platforms.

Detailed Features:

• Live streaming on stories
• Video and photo sharing
• Direct messaging tools (which can be used to share posts and interact)
• Minimal privacy controls
• Some business tools

Pros:

• Free to download and use
• Popular among most age groups
• Easy to navigate
• Uploading and sharing is almost instantaneous
• Some business tools
• Supports streaming
• Live shopping

Cons:

• No monetization features
• Poor privacy tools
• Limited streaming hours
• Minimal live streaming features
• You can be temporarily blocked from live streaming if you mistakenly violate Community guidelines
• Stream can be taken down abruptly if the platform hears popular music in the background

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 864 x 1080 (recommended)
• Maximum dimension: 864 x 1080 (recommended)
• Aspect ratio: 9:16, 4:5
• Max file size: 15 MB
• Max video length: Depends on which feature you use
• Total file storage: Unlimited
• Compatible video formats: MP4

Pricing:

It’s free to start a live broadcast on Instagram, though you can only do it on iOS or Android devices. But while Instagram is great for video sharing, you’re going to want to back that up with a professional live streaming service.

23. TikTok

Overview and Company History:

TikTok is a live video streaming app that is still relatively new to the scene, and its algorithm is geared toward growth. That means it’s relatively easy to go viral and build a following on this app, even if it’s by mistake.

TikTok is a social media platform through and through, but when used strategically, businesses can use it to lead viewers to their websites for their intended conversion.

Basic Functionality:

Please note that most TikTok users are Gen Zers, meaning most viewers on the platform are around the age of 25 and younger. This option is best suited for businesses with an audience in that age group.

Key Features:

TikTok has some live streaming tools, but the platform is primarily used for sharing short video clips.  You can get live streaming features on the platform once you cross 1,000 followers. It makes it slightly challenging to get live streaming capabilities, but once you do, you’ll be among the few who have it. 

Detailed Features:

• Highly controlled live streaming tools
• 15-180 second video sharing
• “Dueting” tool, which allows users to use parts of existing videos for their own
• “For You Page” that generates content based on viewers’ interests
• Very young users

Pros:

• Free to download and use
• The algorithm makes it easy to go viral
• Suitable for quick growth
• Generates a “For You” feed page based on viewer behavior
• Because they limit who can go live, when you do get 1,000+ followers, you’re able to stand out with live videos

Cons:

• Extremely limited monetization options
• A 180-second video length limit
• Cannot remove TikTok branding
• Ongoing issues with data privacy
• Not everyone can go live. You need 1,000+ followers.

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 1080 x 1920
• Maximum dimension: 1080 x 1920
• Aspect ratio: 9:16
• Max file size: 287.6 MB  on iOS and 72 MB on Android
• Max video length: 3 minutes
• Total file storage: No storage limit
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV

Pricing:

TikTok is free to use, though it supports 15 seconds, 60 seconds, or 3-minute videos. This isn’t long enough for a live stream event, but it can be a way to connect and grow your audience with short sound bites.

24. Twitch

Overview and Company History:

Twitch is a live streaming app that doubles as a social media platform. When Twitch was founded 9 years ago, it went by the name Justin.tv. Justin.tv no longer exists, and the original platform was spun off and sold to Amazon.

Viewers can subscribe to their favorite streamers so that they are alerted when they go live.

Basic Functionality:

Twitch.tv is a consumer-grade platform for independent streamers, and it is especially popular among Esports (video game) streamers.

This site is pretty niche, but it is a great platform if you are trying to reach an audience in the gaming, fantasy, or tech industry.

Key Features:

Twitch is a social network that is primarily meant for Esport live streaming. It’s a great platform for streamers and individuals to quickly gain a large audience and might also be helpful for gaming brands as you can partner with influencers on the platform to grow your reach. 

Detailed Features:

• Viewers can “Tip” streamers
• Primarily used by streamers who broadcast gaming and special interests/hobbies
• Tools for an audience to chat with streamers and each other in real-time

Pros:

• Affordable
• Relatively easy for beginners to use 
• Tools for engagement and community interaction
• Robust chatting features
• Several monetization options

Cons:

• Not designed for professional use
• It May require some encoding tools
• Limited monetization tools
• Strict community guidelines
• Several monetization options, but you need to qualify first by becoming a Twitch Partner or Affiliate.

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 720p (1280 x 720)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: Not available
• Max video length: 48 hours
• Total file storage: Not available
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV

Pricing:

Twitch does not charge content providers to use their platform, but they allow them to make money off of their users. This program is called Twitch Subscriptions, and it includes three tiers:

• Tier 1 subscription – $4.99/month
• Tier 2 subscription – $9.99/month
• Tier 3 subscription – $24.99/month

If you run a gaming business, Twitch is a great live streaming platform. You can also connect a professional streaming service to Twitch for greater functionality and control over your stream.

25. LinkedIn Live

Overview and Company History:

LinkedIn is a popular social media platform for professionals to network and gain connections. Since the pandemic’s start, people have had to get creative with building their “Rolodex,” and LinkedIn has come in handy.

LinkedIn recently rolled out LinkedIn Live, a premier business offering that helps brands connect with professionals through live-streamed content. LinkedIn Live requires the support of a custom RTMP  streaming setup (self-hosted) or the support of a third-party streaming platform (like Dacast and the other tools we’ve mentioned above).

The value of streaming to LinkedIn live is that it is possible to target a very specific audience, professionals in your industry. However, this could also be a negative for some broadcasters looking to go beyond this specific audience. 

Basic Functionality:

LinkedIn is primarily a social media platform, and LinkedIn Live is a newly added feature for enhanced engagement. 

Key Features:

LinkedIn Live is a regulated platform that allows brands to connect with professionals in their industry. Even individuals on LinkedIn can use it to go live. However, you have to get approved for live streaming capabilities. But this exclusivity makes it even more valuable. 

Detailed Features:

• Social streaming to a professional audience
• Quality control and exclusivity 
• Designed to boost engagement
• Integrated with LinkedIn Events for virtual event hosting

Pros:

• Free to use
• Very specific audience 
• Helps build brand awareness
• Boosts engagement among an audience

Cons:

• Users must apply for access
• Requires third-party support
• Highly regulated 
• Offers no ability to monetize your content

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Video guidelines and specs depend on the third-party app that you use for support

Pricing:

• LinkedIn Live is free to use as long as LinkedIn accepts your application.

To stream on LinkedIn Live, you will want the support of a professional live streaming platform.

Best Live Streaming Platforms by Business Type and Industry Use Case

Not all live streaming platforms are built the same — and the best solution often depends on your specific industry, audience, and goals. Whether you’re running a virtual event, launching a live shopping experience, or broadcasting internal training, choosing a platform tailored to your use case can significantly improve performance and ROI. Below, we break down the top live streaming platforms by industry to help you make the right choice in 2025.

For Enterprise & Corporate Communications

Enterprises require secure, scalable solutions with support for SSO, internal broadcasting, and global delivery. Dacast offers white-label streaming, enterprise CDN infrastructure, and access control features that make it ideal for large organizations handling private communications or company-wide broadcasts.

• Recommended Platforms: Dacast, Wowza, Vimeo Enterprise

For E-Commerce & Live Shopping

Retail brands and DTC sellers benefit from platforms designed for real-time engagement and shoppable video. Dacast supports integration with third-party ecommerce tools, low-latency delivery, and mobile optimization—perfect for launching interactive live shopping streams.

• Recommended Platforms: Bambuser, Amazon IVS, Dacast

For Education & eLearning

Schools, universities, and training providers need reliable platforms with on-demand content support, privacy controls, and LMS compatibility. Dacast enables both live and recorded educational content streaming with custom branding, analytics, and restricted access settings.

• Recommended Platforms: Dacast, Panopto, Vimeo

For Churches & Nonprofits

Faith-based and nonprofit organizations value ease of use, cost-effectiveness, and the ability to reach large audiences with minimal technical friction. Dacast offers donation-friendly, ad-free streaming, high-quality video playback, and simple embedding—ideal for weekly services, fundraisers, or outreach events.

• Recommended Platforms: Dacast, BoxCast, YouTube Live

For Media & Broadcasters

Broadcasters and media companies need professional-grade tools for syndication, monetization, and multi-device distribution. Dacast supports RTMP ingest, M3U8 delivery, and monetization options such as subscriptions (SVOD), pay-per-view (TVOD), and ad-based models (AVOD), making it suitable for OTT workflows and content platforms. 

• Recommended Platforms: Dacast, Brightcove, Vimeo Livestream

Live Streaming Technology Compatibility

Choosing a live streaming platform isn’t just about features or pricing—it’s about how well it integrates with your existing technology stack. From encoders and protocols to software and mobile support, platform compatibility can significantly impact your streaming quality, workflow efficiency, and viewer experience.

1. Protocols and Encoder Support

One of the first things to check is whether your platform supports the streaming protocols and encoders your team plans to use.

• RTMP ingest is the industry standard for connecting hardware and software encoders to a streaming platform. If you’re using affordable RTMP encoders like OBS Studio or Wirecast, your platform must support this protocol.
• SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) and WebRTC are modern protocols gaining adoption for their ability to deliver low-latency, high-quality streaming. SRT is ideal for unstable networks, while WebRTC excels in real-time applications like virtual classrooms or live conferencing.
• For example, Dacast supports both RTMP and WebRTC streaming, and it integrates seamlessly with Zoom, enabling users to livestream web conferences directly through the platform.

These capabilities are particularly important if you’re producing interactive content, webinars, or need minimal lag during live events.

2. Software Integrations and Playback Optimization

A truly business-ready live streaming platform should also offer compatibility with other tools that support your workflow.

Look for:

• Broadcast software compatibility: Ensure support for OBS Studio, vMix, Wirecast, or other encoder software of choice.
• Switcher support: Useful for multi-camera live productions in corporate events, houses of worship, or media broadcasting.
• Simulcasting tools: These allow you to stream simultaneously to YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and other destinations, expanding your reach.
• Mobile live streaming support: If you plan to go live from smartphones or tablets, make sure the platform offers native mobile streaming or app integrations.

Finally, prioritize platforms that support adaptive bitrate streaming via M3U8 file playlist generation. This technology allows the video stream to adjust dynamically to the viewer’s internet speed. As a result, viewers on slower networks will still receive a smooth playback experience, reducing buffering and increasing retention.

How to Choose the Best Live Streaming Platform for Your Needs

With so many live streaming platforms available, selecting the right one depends on your specific goals. Each platform has strengths and weaknesses, so it’s essential to evaluate your top choices based on your business objectives.

To narrow your options, consider these key questions:

• How important is video to my business? If video is a core part of your strategy, choose a platform that can scale with your growing audience.
• How do I plan to monetize my content? Some platforms support ad revenue, subscriptions, and pay-per-view, while others focus on brand engagement.
• What type of content will I live stream? Business meetings, gaming, and entertainment all require different features and security measures.
• Who is my target audience? If your viewers are professionals, avoid platforms that are commonly blocked in corporate environments.
• How concerned am I about video piracy? Features like DRM, watermarking, and encryption can protect your content from unauthorized use.
• Do I work in a regulated industry? Healthcare and finance companies should prioritize security features like AES encryption and password protection.
• Do I have technical expertise on my team? Some platforms offer 24/7 support, while others provide minimal troubleshooting assistance.

Live Streaming Statistics

Many businesses are using live streaming providers to reach their audience in a way that is both engaging and entertaining.

Let’s review a few live streaming statistics that truly demonstrate the growing value of the online video streaming industry:

• Experts predict that the live streaming industry will be worth $416.84 billion by the year 2030
• The weekly reach of live streams worldwide in Q3 of 2023 was 27.7%
• 80% of people prefer watching live video over reading blogs
• 82% of consumers would rather engage with a brand on a live stream than through social media posts​
• 67% of viewers rank video output quality as the most important factor in a live stream
• Multistreaming will be big in 2025, with many  multistream platforms already available to stream to multiple sources
• Top live streams capture viewers’ attention for about 27% longer than on-demand videos
• Using video for marketing can help businesses increase revenue by 49%
• Landing pages that use video tend to drive at least 80% more conversions
• Live streaming content hold viewers’ attention for 10-20x longer than VOD content
• Online video is currently used by 91% of businesses for marketing purposes
• The Zoom video communications platform has been downloaded a 81.48 million times in the first 6 months of 2023 and as of January 2024, there were over 220,400 enterprise users on Zoom

Want to learn more about the state of the live streaming industry and how live streaming can best help your business? Check out our 115 live streaming statistics article to learn more about how live web streaming is changing the way people consume content.

Why Trust Dacast’s Reviews?

With over 15 years of experience powering professional live streaming for broadcasters, enterprises, and 400K+ content creators worldwide, Dacast is a trusted leader in online video. Our all-in-one platform has supported thousands of successful streams across industries—from media and entertainment to education and sports. We know what makes a streaming platform reliable, scalable, and user-friendly. That’s why you can count on our recommendations to help you choose the right solution for your streaming goals. 

FAQs

1. What is a Streaming Platform for Business?

A business streaming platform is a digital service that allows users to broadcast or view live or on-demand video content over the internet. These platforms manage video delivery, encoding, content distribution, and sometimes monetization. Examples include Dacast, YouTube Live, and Vimeo.

2. What Are the Key Features to Look for in a Live Streaming Platform?

When choosing a live streaming platform, consider these essential features:

• Video Quality & Performance – Look for HD or 4K streaming, adaptive bitrate streaming, and cloud-based transcoding.
• Monetization Options – Platforms should support pay-per-view, subscriptions, ads, or donations.
• Audience Engagement – Features like live chat, polls, reactions, and Q&A enhance interaction.
• Analytics & Insights – Real-time viewer stats, watch time, and engagement metrics help optimize content.
• Security & Privacy – DRM protection, password-restricted access, and geo-blocking prevent unauthorized use.

3. How Does Live Streaming Work?

Live streaming works by capturing video and audio in real time, encoding it into a digital format, and transmitting it over the internet to a streaming platform. The platform then distributes the content to viewers via a content delivery network (CDN), often using protocols like RTMP or HLS.

4. What is Needed for Streaming?

To start streaming, you need a stable internet connection, a video source (like a camera or webcam), an encoder (hardware or software like OBS Studio), and a live streaming platform such as Dacast to host and deliver your stream to viewers.

5. How Do I Start a Live Stream?

To successfully start a live stream, follow these key steps:

• Get the Right Equipment – Use a high-quality camera, microphone, and proper lighting for a professional look.
• Set Up Your Streaming Space – Ensure a visually appealing and distraction-free environment.
• Choose a Live Streaming Platform – Select a service that fits your needs, such as DaCast, Twitch, or Vimeo Livestream.
• Adjust Streaming Settings – Configure resolution, bitrate, and encoding for optimal video quality.
• Test Before Going Live – Run a trial stream to check video, audio, and internet stability.
• Go Live & Engage – Start streaming and interact with your audience via chat, Q&A, and other engagement tools.

6. What Are the Best Live Streaming Platforms?

The best live streaming platforms in 2025 include Dacast, Wowza, Vimeo Enterprise, Brightcove, and StreamYard. These platforms offer a range of professional features like white-label players, global CDN delivery, monetization options, and robust analytics.

7. What Are the Different Types of Live Streaming Platforms?

Live streaming platforms vary based on their purpose and features. A live stream service is a platform that allows users to broadcast video content in real time over the internet. These services cater to different audiences, from businesses and educators to individual content creators and gamers.

There are four main types of live streaming services:

• Professional Broadcasting Platforms – Services like DaCast, IBM Cloud Video, and Vimeo offer high-quality streaming, monetization, and security features for businesses.
• Social Media Live Streaming – Platforms like YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Instagram Live prioritize audience engagement and easy sharing.
• Gaming & Entertainment Streaming – Twitch, Trovo, and Kick cater to gamers and esports content creators.
• Corporate & Internal Streaming – Enterprise-focused platforms like Kaltura and Brightcove provide secure streaming for training, webinars, and corporate communications.

Each type of live streaming platform or service offers unique features, such as monetization tools, analytics, audience engagement features, and streaming quality settings.

8. How to Choose the Right Live Streaming Platform?

Choosing a live streaming platform depends on your goals and audience. If you need a professional solution with monetization options, platforms like DaCast or IBM Cloud Video are ideal. For social engagement, YouTube Live, Facebook Live, and Twitch are popular choices. Businesses may prefer JW Player or Vimeo for brand-focused streaming. Consider pricing, features, video quality, and audience reach when making your decision.

9. How Can I Monetize My Live Streams Effectively?

There are several strategies to monetize your live streams:​

• Advertisements: Incorporate ads into your streams or channel to generate revenue.​
• Subscriptions: Offer exclusive content or perks to viewers who subscribe to your channel.​
• Sponsorships: Partner with brands that align with your content for financial support and promotional opportunities.

10. What Equipment is Essential for High-quality Live Streaming?

To ensure a professional and engaging live stream, consider investing in the following equipment:

• Camera: A high-definition webcam or professional camera for clear video quality.​
• Microphone: A quality microphone to capture crisp and clear audio.​
• Lighting: Proper lighting setups to enhance video clarity and visual appeal.
• Stable Internet Connection: A reliable and fast internet connection to prevent interruptions.​
• Encoder: Software or hardware that converts your video for streaming over the internet.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you to get a better idea of the streaming platforms available and what you should be looking for as you compare each one. Most importantly, we hope you’ve succeeded in narrowing down your live streaming service provider.

Want to start streaming but you’re still not sure which streaming service to choose? We highly recommend taking advantage of free trials for the best live stream platforms.

On that note, why not start today with the Dacast 14-day free trial? Sign up today to begin streaming live in a matter of minutes. No credit card is required.

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Do you have questions or feedback about live streaming platforms or video broadcasting in general? Send a message to our 24/7 technical support team, and we will get back to you. For regular tips and exclusive offers, you can join our LinkedIn group.