Top 15 Video Hosting Solutions: Everything You Need to Know [2022 Update]

Top 15 Video Hosting Solutions: Everything You Need to Know

For the past several years, the millennial demographic has consistently increased their consumption of digital video, now spending more time watching videos online as opposed to on TV. Today, the OTT video industry is flourishing with no end in sight.

In 2020, global OTT revenue was projected to grow by more than $16 billion. Experts at Streaming Media predict that worldwide OTT revenue will reach $129 billion by 2023. 

As a response to this trend, businesses across all industries are capitalizing on the profits of online video making and distribution. Relatedly, there are more streaming platforms for video hosting on the market than ever before.

In this post, we’ll discuss why you should invest in a professional streaming service. We will also provide an in-depth review of the top fifteen streaming video hosting solutions on the market. We will help you figure out the best hosting for video streaming for your business needs.

Please note that this post has been updated to reflect the most accurate information as of June 2022. 

Table of Contents

Table of Contents:

  • Using Online Video for Business
  • Video Hosting in Different Industries
  • A Comparison of the Top 15 Video Hosting Solutions for 2022
  • Conclusion

Using Online Video for Business

business video hosting
Use video to share tutorials with our team or spice up your marketing campaign. The options are endless.

The online video market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 17.5% between 2020 and 2027, and revenues are forecast to reach $19.7 billion by the end of 2027.

Online video consumption has far surpassed regular TV consumption for all kinds of viewers. Moreover, the broadcasting industry continues to grow. That is why it is so important to have a video hosting solution for your business.

Among other advantages, online video streaming comes with fewer limitations than TV (limited bandwidth on the airwaves). Likewise, the global internet user base continues to grow into the billions. And this means that digital video is exploding in all kinds of realms, making having a video hosting solution vital for businesses. 

While some businesses sell online video content as a product, this is not always the case. Many businesses and other organizations use online video content for marketing or training purposes. There are many different ways to use videos to assist your business.

Some materials are designed to help businesses reach their target audience, and others are meant to stay internal. You can stream everything from educational content to live conferences.

With the right video hosting solution, you can broadcast live streams and video-on-demand content. Many professional video hosting solutions use white-label video players, so your content can be embedded and streamed right on your website without any third-party branding.

As long as you’re investing in the right tools, the options are endless when it comes to video content for business.

The best video hosting and streaming services allow you to share both live streams and video-on-demand, expanding your reach. 

Video Hosting in Different Industries

As we mentioned, video content serves different purposes for different businesses and organizations. What works for one broadcaster may not make sense for another.

In the entertainment industry, Netflix and other similar service providers have contributed to the rise of OTT video streaming. Relatedly, concerts and live sports now stream live around the world, expanding viewership into the millions. 

Corporate users use VOD and live streaming tools for marketing and internal communications. For example, a 2018 study found that 82% of viewers have a preference for seeing a live stream over a brand’s social posts.

So, what do all of these trends have in common?

Taken together, they have sparked the rise of online video content and live streaming in a variety of industries, as well as our daily lives. Online video content dominates, and if you want to connect with your audience, you need an enterprise video hosting solution to host your business’s video content. 

A Comparison of the Top 15 Video Hosting Solutions for 2022

In this post, we have put together an in-depth review and comparison of the top 15 video hosting solutions, with both business and consumer-oriented features, that your organization needs to host and broadcast professional-grade video content.

This list offers 10 professional-grade solutions and 5 social consumer-grade alternatives that businesses could find useful.

There are many B2B online video hosting solutions for cloud storage and streaming that are specifically designed for businesses and professional organizations. These solutions are generally equipped with advanced tools that are not available with free, social media video hosts.

Let’s compare a few of the top streaming solutions for online business video hosting and some of the great features they come with.

This comparison will help you select the best web hosting for video streaming for your business. 

1. Dacast

video hosting solutions
Dacast supports both live streaming and video-on-demand content.

First launched in 2010, the Dacast online video platform offers a broad range of live streaming and video hosting solutions for business and individual users. More than 300,000 broadcasters have used our streaming solution to create video players on their business websites. 

In 2019, Dacast acquired the video hosting platform vzaar. Vzaar is an advanced video hosting service, specializing in VOD hosting. 

Dacast is best suited for professional organizations that want to create high-quality live streams and host VOD content. Dacast’s unified video hosting platform is an excellent option for organizations in the enterprise, e-learning, online media, and religion sectors.

Basic Functionality:

Dacast is best suited for professional organizations that want to create high-quality live streams and host video-on-demand content. It offers plans for every budget.

Key Features:

New!

Pros:

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)
  • Video aspect ratio: no restrictions (but 16:9 is the default)
  • Max file size: none
  • Max video length: none
  • Total file storage: 10-1000GB (depends on plan)
  • Compatible video formats: MP4 (preferred), MOV, M4V, M2V, AVI, MPG, FLV, WMV, MKV, WEBM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MT

Pricing:

Dacast has pricing plans which include:

  • Starter Plan: $39/month (includes 1,000 GB of bandwidth & 50 GB of storage)
  • Event Plan: $63/month (includes 6 TB of bandwidth upfront and 50 GB of storage)
  • Scale Plan: $188/month (includes 24 TB of bandwidth per year and 1 TB of storage)
  • Custom plan: Contact us for custom pricing plans

Dacast is one of the best hosting services for live streaming and VOD. Dacast offers a robust set of features that makes it easy for newbies to start live streaming, and they offer advanced features that allow for the customization that advanced broadcasters need from their video hosting solution. 

2. Brightcove

Brightcove Cloud Video Hosting Platform
Brightcove was one of the original live streaming OVPs.

Brightcove is one of the oldest players in the video hosting game. It has been around since the early 2000s and has shifted to serve businesses that need digital marketing tools.

Video Cloud is one of their top products. It is designed for hosting on-demand and live videos. This service includes an all-screen video player, monetization tools, and analytics.

In 2019, Brightcove purchased the Ooyala OVP. This service is in the process of being completely merged with Brightcove.

Basic Functionality:

Brightcove offers professional streaming solutions for three primary uses: marketing, communications, and monetization.

Key Features:

  • Global content delivery
  • Multi-bitrate and adaptive streaming
  • Basic tech support
  • Limited API access
  • Limited security features
  • OTT streaming platform
  • Cloud transcoding
  • Best for clients with large budgets 

Pros:

  • Insightful reports and analytics
  • Individualized video portals
  • Powerful CRM integrations

Cons:

  • Reportedly high price points
  • Limited monetization features
  • Live streaming is a secondary solution
  • Limited privacy and security features
  • 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:

Since Brightcove mainly targets enterprise-level clients, they offer several custom-priced streaming plans at high price points.

The three pricing tiers include:

  • Starter: includes 50 to 200 videos, up to 100,000 plays, and 2-5 users
  • Professional: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overages plays, with +10 users
  • Enterprise: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overages plays, with 10+ users, unlimited upload, and analytics-only users

Interested broadcasters can contact their sales department to receive a quote or sign up for a 30-day free trial.

Brightcove is one of the best hosting for live streaming and video-on-demand for larger enterprises, with packages that are designed for big businesses with big online video hosting needs. 

3. Vidyard

Vidyard video hosting solution
Vidyard is another marketing-centric video hosting platform.

Vidyard is a hosting solution focused on business and lead generation. The platform offers basic video hosting and streaming solutions. Since it includes both internal video creation and communication tools, this OVP truly offers an all-in-one solution for businesses.

Basic Functionality:

Vidyard is a great streaming tool for marketing and communication. It focuses on reaching your target audience and generating leads.

Key Features:

  • Built-in marketing tools (SEO, emails, personalization, analytics)
  • Interactive viewing 
  • Lead capture
  • Video organization and channels
  • High-grade security

Pros:

  • Insightful analytics
  • Great technical support
  • Fully loaded with professional broadcasting features
  • Large user community

Cons:

  • Complex backend editing portal
  • Mixed user reviews
  • No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

  • Minimum dimension:  360p (480 x 360)
  • Maximum dimension:  4k (3840 x 2160)
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
  • Max file size:5GB to 16GB (depends on the plan)
  • Max video length: 1 hour (live stream)
  • Total file storage: Not available
  • Compatible video formats: WEBM, MP4, MKV, MOV

Pricing:

There are a few ways to break down Vidyard’s pricing. They have two main umbrellas that their services, and are packaged as follows:

Packages for Individuals and Teams:

  • Free Forever: Free
  • Pro Package: $15/month; comes with password protection and marketing tools
  • Teams Package: $300/month; access for 3 or more users; video analytics and custom branding
  • Business Package: $1250/month; access for 5 or more users; custom integrations

Custom Video Solutions:

Vidyard is a great enterprise video hosting solution that offers access to more tools with each step up in pricing via their hosting packages. They have lots of built-in marketing tools, making it a great video hosting solution if you are looking to capture leads through video content. 

4. Vimeo

Vimeo video Hosting Platform
Vimeo has switched from a consumer-grade platform to a professional-grade platform in recent years.

The Vimeo online video platform originally launched in the early 2000s, but it has spent over a decade developing the powerful solutions it offers today. In its early years, Vimeo catered mainly to the creative market. 

In recent years, the platform began to shift toward the B2B sector. This platform caters to large-budget operations and takes a high-end premium approach to its streaming service.

Today, Vimeo hosts over 10 million live events for professional organizations each year. 

Basic Functionality:

Vimeo serves B2B businesses. It supports live streaming and video-on-demand hosting.

Key Features:

  • Video CRM
  • Powerful analytics
  • High-Definition Streaming
  • Lots of storage
  • Top-notch security

Pros:

  • Unlimited events and viewers
  • Ad-free streaming
  • Sleek and professional platform
  • Insightful analytics and reports
  • TVOD monetization

Cons:

  • Generates less traffic to videos than other platforms
  • No China video delivery

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.

  • Basic: 30-day free trial
  • Plus: $7/month; 5GB/week or 250GB every year; Single user; Brand customization and privacy tools
  • Pro: $20/month; 20GB/week or 1TB every year; 3 users; collaboration tools and video showcase sites
  • Business: $50/month; No weekly limits with 5TB of storage; player CTAs; lead generation; showcase SEO; Google analytics
  • Premium: $75/month; Unlimited live streaming with 7TB of storage; unlimited viewers

All plans are billed annually. The Plus plan can be billed monthly at an increased rate of $12/month.

Vimeo offers a wide range of plans for different-sized business enterprises. They offer limited monetization options for your content. 

5. Wistia

wistia streaming video hosting
Wistia is a business-focused OVP with a focus on marketing.

Founded in Massachusetts in 2006, Wistia provides streaming solutions for video hosting geared for businesses. 

This “TV-quality” streaming solution is loaded with tools that focus on driving engagement via video. These interesting features include built-in video editing tools, marketing features, and organization solutions. 

This online video platform does not support live streaming.

Basic Functionality:

The main purpose of Wistia is to host, edit, and broadcast video content for professional marketing purposes.

Key Features:

  • Video CRM
  • Custom video player
  • Viewing without ads
  • Organization features
  • “Up Next” feature
  • Marketing tools
  • Powerful analytics
  • SEO tools

Pros:

  • Ad-free streaming
  • Great customer support
  • Some customization with branding 
  • Reports and analytics
  • Marketing features
  • Video SEO tools

Cons:

  • Limitations on customization
  • No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

  • Minimum dimensions: None
  • Maximum dimensions: Maximum of 4K (3840 x 2160)
  • Supported aspect ratios: Any
  • Maximum file size: 8 GB
  • Maximum video length: 2 hours
  • Total file storage: Up to 10 videos with the pro plan ($99 per month), $0.25 per month for every extra video
  • Accepted video formats: MP4 (recommended format), .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .FLV, .MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

Wistia has three pricing plan tiers. 

  • Free: No cost to use; up to 250 subscribers and 3 videos; cannot remove Wistia’s branding from the video player
  • Pro: $99/month; 10 free videos with additional videos for $0.25/each; white-label video player
  • Advanced: custom pricing; 100 free videos with additional videos for $0.25/each; multiple channels, 250+ subscribers

If you are looking for a video hosting solution that also includes built-in editing tools you can use to improve your videos before releasing them to your viewers, Wistia may be the right video streaming host for you. 

6. JW Player

JWplayer video hosting platform
JW Player is a reliable video hosting solution for professional broadcasters.

Today, JW Player is a video hosting solution that is geared towards enterprise broadcasters, but some of the original technology behind the platform was used in YouTube’s original video player.

Basic Functionality:

This solution is equipped with everything enterprise broadcasters need including an HTML5 video player, simulcasting tools, top-notch security, and more.

Key Features:

  • Reliable content delivery
  • Access to video API 
  • Monetization tools
  • Adaptive bitrate streaming
  • Multi-bitrate streaming
  • Technical support

Pros:

  • Top-notch video player
  • A simple, easy-to-use video platform
  • Advertising capabilities

Cons:

  • 6 hour limit on live streams
  • Only supports AVOD (no other monetization methods)
  • Starter plans have limited tech support
  • No delivery to China

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

  • Minimum dimension: 360p (640 x 360)
  • Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920 x 1080)
  • 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:

JW Player has pricing plans which range from free with a non-commercial license paid with numerous benefits and features. 

Their pricing packages include:

  • Free trial: JW Player offers a 30-day free trial subscription which includes full API and SDK access, a non-commercial license, 25 GB hosting bandwidth, and 75 GB streaming.
  • Starter plan: At $10 per month, the Starter pricing plan includes an HTML5 Video Player, a video gallery, with 150 GB hosting bandwidth, and 500 GB streaming (50,000 plays) per month (billed annually).
  • Enterprise: Please contact JW Player directly for access to their custom-tailored enterprise solutions

If you need an easy-to-use video hosting solution, JW Player has been in the business for years and has a simple video hosting solution interface that is easy to work with. 

7. Wowza

wowza streaming video hosting
Wowza offers two packages for professional broadcasting.

Founded in 2005 by David Stubenvoll and Charlie Good, Wowza is a unified streaming solution that provides flexibility and accessibility in terms of viewership.  Wowza is built for customization. The streaming solution offers third-party integrations, APIs, and other advanced features.

Basic Functionality:

Their two packages, Wowza Streaming Engine and Wowza Streaming Cloud are designed to provide broadcasters with a top-tier streaming experience. The Wowza Streaming Engine product is widely used in the industry for self-hosted streaming. Next is the Wowza Streaming Cloud offering. This functionality includes a variety of features aimed at providing low-latency content access to global audiences.

Key Features:

  • Tools for cloud transcoding
  • Supports both live and VOD hosting
  • Customizable video player
  • All-device streaming
  • Video API
  • Reliable tech support

Pros:

Cons:

  • No tools for simulcasting
  • No monetization tools
  • No viewer analytics

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 has several pricing options that are split into 2 main tiers: Streaming Cloud and Streaming Engine.

Streaming Cloud:

The Wowza Streaming Cloud offers four distinct  pricing plans and services. These monthly plans include:

  • Pay As You Go: $29/month, with a 3-month minimum; flexible streaming with low startup costs
  • Basic: $99/month; includes 20 hours of live streaming and 1000 viewing hours based on video resolution of 720p
  • One Month Event: $149 one-time purchase; includes 20 hours of live streaming and 1000 viewing hours also at 720p
  • Plus: $499/month; includes 150 hours of live streaming and 7000 viewing hours based on video resolution of 720p

All the Live Event plans reflect rates when paid monthly and include full brand control, multi-bitrate streaming, and HD and UHD streaming.

Streaming Engine:

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

  • Basic: $175/month + $195/month for each additional instance and $125/month for each additional prepaid instance
  • One Month Event: $295/month + $295month for each additional instance
  • Companies solution: Please contact Wowza directly for access to their custom-tailored high volume enterprise solutions
  • If you are looking for a highly customization video streaming host, consider checking out Wowza. 

    8.  Kaltura

    kaltura business video hosting
    Kaltura supports a totally customizable broadcasting experience.

    Kaltura is an open-source video management project that is designed to help broadcasters build a unique streaming solution. This tool is especially popular among educational institutions. 

    The options are endless in terms of monetization options, transcoding tools, security features, and more. All of these customizations can be stacked upon Kaltura’s cloud-based hosting and streaming services.

    Basic Functionality:

    This video streaming solution is an alternative to the self-hosted model. The software for Kaltura is free, however, it requires an infrastructure of servers for hosting and distributing content. Kaltura provides cloud-based video hosting and distribution for both VOD and live streams.

    Key Features:

    • Multi-bitrate streaming
    • Adaptive bitrate streaming
    • Reliable content delivery
    • Monetization integrations (SVOD, AVOD, and TVOD)
    • Advanced security features via integration
    • Access to video API 

    Pros:

    • Unlimited customizations 
    • Wide range of integrations
    • Equipped with the tools needed for advanced broadcasting

    Cons:

    • The total can add up fast with the “pay-as-you-go” structure
    • The platform can be a bit difficult to use
    • Not designed for beginner broadcasters
    • Slow technical support

    Upload Guidelines and Specs:

    • Minimum dimension: 180p (320 x 180)
    • Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920x 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 does not publish its pricing on its website since each plan is flexible. Please contact them directly for a custom quote.

    Kaltura is an open-source video hosting solution, which means you can customize the experience to fit your needs. That also means you can access all the open-source tools that others build for the platform. If you need endless customization, Kaltura may be the best hosting for live streaming and video-on-demand for your business. 

    9. IBM Video Cloud

    ibm video cloud hosting platform
    IBM Video Cloud is one of many powerful software options from the tech giant.

    IBM Video Cloud is a video hosting solution that supports live streaming and video-on-demand content. This solution is a bit more expensive than many competitors, but its reliability and wide range of features make it worth the investment for broadcasters with the budget.

    Basic Functionality:

    The basic functionality of IBM is live streaming. However, this live streaming solution also hosts video-on-demand files from previous live streams.

    Basic streaming accounts are free, with advertising supporting IBM Cloud Video. 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.

    Key Features:

    • Powerful analytics
    • Viewer engagement tools
    • Auto-archiving
    • Reliable CDN
    • Tools for monetization

    Pros:

    • Tools for enterprise streaming
    • Reliable customer support
    • Hong Kong video delivery

    Cons:

    • HD streaming comes with an added fee
    • Minimal 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 Video Cloud include:

    • Silver – $99/month
    • Gold – $499/month
    • Platinum – $999/month
    • Custom Please contact IBM Cloud video for custom plan pricing.

    IBM Cloud Video allows you to start with a free plan so you can determine if this is the best hosting for live streaming and video-on-demand for your business. 

    10. SproutVideo

    sprout video hosting platform
    SpoutVideo is the perfect video hosting solution for marketing professionals.

    SproutVideo is a business video hosting solution that supports both live streaming and on-demand video hosting. The primary function of SproutVideo is marketing video hosting.

    Basic Functionality:

    SproutVideo is a unified streaming solution for both live and VOD content.

    Key Features:

    • API access
    • White-label video player
    • VOD and live stream hosting
    • Marketing tools 
    • Custom video portal pages

    Pros:

    • Pricing plans for every budget
    • Customizable video player
    • Powerful video analytics 

    Cons:

    • Minimal tech support for cheaper plans
    • Advanced security is only available at higher price points
    • Minimal SEO tools

    Upload Guidelines and Specs:

    • Minimum dimension: None
    • Maximum dimension: None
    • Supported aspect ratios: Any
    • Maximum file size: Up to 100 GB
    • Maximum video length: Unlimited
    • Total file storage: 500 GB 
    • Accepted video formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, 3GPP

    Pricing:

    SproutVideo offers four pricing plans to target different budgets.

    • Seed: $24.99/month
    • Sprout: $59.99/month
    • Tree: $199.99/month
    • Forrest: $499.99/month

    If the focus of your video content is marketing, then SproutVideo is a great video streaming host for marketing video content. 

    Top Social Video Hosting Solutions

    Although paid video hosting solutions are optimal for streaming at the professional level, social video hosting solutions can come in handy, as well.

    Generally, professional broadcasters use these social platforms to build a following and to tease content on their websites. 

    Let’s take a look at a few of the top social media video hosting options.

    11. YouTube

    YouTube Online Video Platform
    YouTube is one of the most popular video platforms.

    YouTube was one of the first sites to make online video streaming platforms 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 with broadcasting. 

    YouTube is not ideal for business video hosting since the site has limits on monetization and other required tools. Additionally, broadcasters give up partial ownership of their content when they upload it to YouTube.

    Basic Functionality:

    The biggest perk of using Youtube is that the site is completely free to use and is designed for users with little to no prior broadcasting experience. 

    Key Features:

    • Owned by Google
    • B2C platform
    • A social media hosting platform
    • Primarily used by independent content creators and vloggers
    • Ad-based monetization (with strict limitations)
    • Organization by playlists and channels

    Pros:

    • No fees to use
    • Viewers are familiar with the YouTube brand
    • Very user-friendly
    • Easy to embed video player
    • Live and VOD features

    Cons:

    • Cannot remove YouTube’s branding
    • Limitations on live streams
    • Many restrictions on content
    • YouTube owns rights to your content
    • Unprofessional third party ads and branding

    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

    YouTube is one of the cheapest video hosting services you can use, as it is free. However, in return for free video hosting, you give up branding control and customization in return for potentially connecting with a larger audience. 

    12. Dailymotion 

    dailymotion video platform
    Many refer to Dailymotion a “the French YouTube.”

    Dailymotion is a video hosting site that is often referred to as the “French YouTube.” 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 the same as YouTube. It is a place for new broadcasters to upload and host video content. Since this site is free, it is pretty “bare bones” in terms of professional broadcasting tools.

    Basic Functionality:

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

    Key Features:

    • B2C video platform
    • Commonly used by independent content creators 
    • Small creator fund
    • Minimal content restrictions
    • Tools for avoiding copyright issues

    Pros:

    • Copyright tools
    • Minimal content restrictions
    • Becoming more popular

    Cons:

    • Less popular YouTube
    • No real monetization tools (other than a small “creator fund’)
    • Limited vide 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

    DailyMotion has many of the same limitations as YouTube. There are also no real monetization tools; if your audience uses DailyMotion, it can be a good place to simultaneously host your videos as well as on your own website with a professional video hosting solution. 

    13. Facebook 

    Facebook Live Video Hosting
    Facebook is a social platform that businesses use to reach consumers with video.

    Facebook offers both “Live” and “Watch” which gives businesses and organizations a place to host and broadcast content. Live streams can be hosted on personal profiles, pages, and groups, but on-demand “Facebook Watch” videos can only be published by Facebook Pages.

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

    Aside from those few technical restrictions, live streaming to Facebook Live is generally a good idea. 

    Basic Functionality:

    Many broadcasters who use paid streaming solutions connect their accounts to multicast to both Facebook and their websites. This allows users to tap into their existing Facebook audiences while accessing the professional tools of a video hosting solution.

    Key Features:

    • Primarily a social media platform
    • Some business tools
    • “Facebook Live” and “Facebook Watch”
    • Chat thread under live streams
    • Can stream in groups, business pages, or on personal profiles

    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’s 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

    Facebook live can allow you to tap into a larger audience, but what you can do with your video is very limited in comparison to working with a professional video hosting service. 

    14. Instagram

    Instagram Online Video Platform
    Instagram is an app for sharing photos and videos.

    Instagram is a social media app that includes a variety of video-sharing features. This app isn’t really suitable for video hosting, but it is great for video sharing. 

    Basic Functionality:

    Many businesses upload small shareable clips to tease the content on their site or app. They add CTAs that lead users to their websites with products or longer videos.

    Key Features:

    • Primarily a social platform 
    • Feeds with videos and photos
    • Reels (similar to the short videos on TikTok)
    • Stories (photos and videos that are available for 24 hours unless saved to a Highlight)
    • Tools for business
    • Hashtags make it a search engine

    Pros:

    • Free to download
    • Popular among most age groups
    • Easy to use
    • Uploading and sharing is almost instantaneous

    Cons:

    • No monetization features
    • Limited privacy tools
    • Minimal professional features

    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

    You can use Instagram to share your videos and drive video engagement; however, you are still going to want to have a professional vidoe hosting solution.

    15. TikTok

    Tiktok Online Video Hosting
    TikTok is very popular among teens and young adults

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

    Basic Functionality:

    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.

    Please note that the majority of TikTok users are Gen Zers, making them around the age of 25 and younger. This option is best suited for businesses with an audience in that age group.

    Key Features:

    • 15-60 second video clips
    • Primarily a social media platform
    • The majority of users are young Millennials and Gen Zers
    • Small creator fund 
    • Easy video sharing

    Pros:

    • Free to download
    • Easy to go viral
      Suitable for quick growth
    • Generates a “For You Page” based on viewer behavior

    Cons:

    • Extremely limited monetization options
    • A 60-second video length limit
    • Cannot be white-labeled 

    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: 60 seconds
    • Total file storage: No storage limit
    • Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV

    With TikTok, you can only share very short, 15-second videos, or a series of 4 15-second videos strung together. It can be a clever marketing tool that you can use to drive views to your content that is hosted on your own website using a professional video hosting solution. 

    Conclusion

    Now that you know a bit more about the top video streaming solutions and what they have to offer, it’s time to narrow down your choices and decide what features are most important to you. 

    We recommend making a decision based on your budget and your unique business needs. For best results, go for a unified platform that supports both VOD hosting and live streaming.

    Remember, most of the solutions for streaming video hosting offer free trials. Take advantage of these to test out the features and see what works for your business.

    Interested to learn more about video hosting and live streaming with Dacast? You can take advantage of the Dacast 14-day free trial (no credit card required) by clicking the button below.

    Get Started For Free

    Any questions, comments, or ideas? Let us know in the comment section down below! We love to hear from our readers, and we will get back to you. Finally, for regular live streaming tips in a community of experts, as well as exclusive offers, you’re invited to join our LinkedIn group.

    Thanks for reading, and best of luck with your broadcasts!

Emily Krings

Emily is a strategic content writer and story teller. She specializes in helping businesses create blog content that connects with their audience.