Top 5 Video Streaming Platforms Comparison 2018

This article will provide you with the most updated comparison of the top 5 video streaming solutions available on the market today.

What to know about video streaming platforms

While you’re jumping through hoops trying to learn all you can about video streaming services, it’s important to narrow in on what exactly you want to achieve. This process is not really about how to find the cheapest or the most popular platform. It’s about choosing the platform that possesses the greatest number of attributes that could benefit you or your business. This article outlines you a comparison of the top five video streaming platforms.

Some well known online video platforms work well for users as long as you give them the rights to the content and let them monetize it themselves.  YouTube Live is free, for example. But unless you’re a mega media company, you give up the distribution rights to your content. You also forfeit any control over displayed ads and comments.

If you plan to stream live events like concerts, meetings, and religious events, you need a platform that is going to keep the process of broadcasting simple. Likewise, if you want to stream live video on your website, you’ll want to choose a platform that supports that feature. Let’s take a look at some of the top video streaming platforms to choose from.

A Growing Market

According to Statista’s report, the number of digital video viewers in the United States is projected to surpass 232 million in the year 2020. Video streaming has become one of the top ways to communicate with and entertain customers. The need for video streaming continues to grow exponentially. At the same time, so do the number of options available to meet that demand.

Reliability

Reliability is one aspect to consider when choosing a streaming platform. For example, a CDN powered service, like DaCast, Ustream, Livestream, Wowza, and Brightcove, will allow you to stream content globally without fear of hittingreaching a viewer limit.

Along with providing a platform for broadcasting video content, many live streaming platforms now come equipped with a variety of built-in features, such as providing analytics about your viewers. If you aren’t sure how many people are actually viewing your content, you can easily request a report using analytics to familiarize yourself with viewership metrics.

Price

Arguably the most important point of consideration for many consumers is price. With close competition between live streaming platforms, clients are interested in finding the best quality and features for the lowest price.

This competition helps keeping prices down while increasing what you can afford with your budget. When consumers find high quality video streaming platforms at a great price, they tend to snatch it up right away. We recommend comparing live streaming pricing plans, and also taking advantage of free trials (like DaCast’s) when available!

Video Streaming Platforms: A Comparison

Let’s get into some finer details now of the specs of the top five platforms available today.  The chart below compares the top five video streaming platforms, analyzing the 1st plan level from each service. First take a look at the chart and categories compared. Then try to identify for yourself which feature(s) are most necessary for your streaming goals. What are the non-negotiables? On which features could you compromise? If you’re already a customer of one of these platforms, why did you choose it? Are you satisfied with the services you’ve received so far?

 

Features	DaCast	Livestream	Ustream	Wowza	Brightcove
Entry Level Price	$19/mo	*no longer offers a basic plan $75/mo	$99/mo	$199/mo	Custom
Ad-Free Viewer Hours	300	Unlimited	100	6000	Custom
Storage (GB)	20	Unlimited	50	250	Custom
Number of Channels	Unlimited	1	1	Unlimited	Custom
Watermarking	√	From $999/mo	From $799/mo	√	Custom
Paywall	From $125/mo	From $999/mo	X	X	Custom
Analytics	√	√	From $399/mo	√	Custom
Geo restriction	√	From $999/mo	From $799/mo	√	Custom
Password Protection	√	From $999/mo	√	X	Custom

How to Choose?

Each of these five video streaming platforms also provide video API. This feature helps to ensure a quick and easy integration of the product into numerous cloud-based video applications, services, and digital media workflows. And that means that no matter your choice, you’ll be able to develop your very own platform and stream directly from the site.

You’ll also want to note whether a given platform offers a basic/starter plan, or whether it requires you to commit to a premium or professional-level account right off the bat. Additionally, you’ll want to consider which features are available at the basic plan level, and whether you’ll be required to pay more for basic features right from the start.

For example, Livestream recently eliminated their Basic plan offering, and instead broadcasters can choose the Premium Plan for $900 when billed annually or $199/month. For Livestream broadcasters looking to access professional live streaming features such as white-label, security features, or 24/7 streaming, you’ll need to purchase an Enterprise Plan, starting at $999 per month. This may be a good option for larger-scale businesses; however, many live streamers will need to look for more accessible, affordable options that are still feature-rich.

For more tips on how to choose the best live video streaming platform for your business, check out this infographic.

Why choose DaCast?

That said, DaCast is the only video streaming platform that offers so many features in its starter plan. Nearly all of the Pro-level features are included in the Basic plan. This plan is currently available at the low price of only $19 per month. DaCast is a self-service, white-label, online video platform delivering both live and VOD streaming.  We stream video using HTML5 via HLS or HDS, which is compatible with mobile, desktop, tablet, and any other device.

DaCast’s starter plan ensures you have access to a white-label system. This means that you can completely rebrand the platform for your needs. Want to get access to the white-label, integrated paywall? Just  upgrade to the Pro plan at $125 a month. This gives you access to ALL of our features. First you need to sign up for an account (or for a free trial). Once you do, you can set up and begin streaming in just a few minutes.

DaCast features include 24/7 customer support, ad-free and white-label system, analytics, APIs, and access to Akamai’s CDN. It has a network of more that 160,000 servers worldwide. The Akamai CDN allows DaCasters to broadcast high-quality streams to a large audience all over the world. Additionally, DaCast makes it easy to stream live video from your website, meaning you can control the look and feel of your site and content.

If you need API access, monetization, and rapid phone support, we recommend the DaCast Premium Plan for $125/month. This plan includes 2000 GB of streaming data per month and 200 GB of storage. Click here for pricing details.

Conclusion

Whatever your streaming needs, whatever the size of your audience, DaCast offers an all-in-one professional streaming solution with no need to engage with intermediaries. You’re assured an easy, seamless experience, backed by our 24/7 support service and a complete knowledge base. With DaCast, as shown in the video streaming platforms comparison provided above, you’re guaranteed a high quality product with advantageous features at a highly competitive price.

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Thanks for reading, and good luck with your live broadcasts!

*Note to our readers: We’ve updated this article to reflect the latest comparison information as of September 2018.