Comparison of The 15 Best Secure Video Hosting Platforms in 2022

 

A survey of marketers by the Content Marketing Institute found that 71% of B2B organizations use video as a documented part of their content marketing strategy, and 57% use webinars and online events for marketing.

Data from Google shows that 55% of online shoppers used online video while shopping in a store, meaning that video actually turns prospects into customers. Using video as part of your business means you have to go beyond the free video hosting site such as YouTube.

Instead, protecting your videos and the revenue you draw from them relies on finding the right video hosting software to meet your needs and help you reach your business goals.

In this article, we are going to discuss why secure video hosting is so important for businesses, and we’ll look at the most important features of secure video hosting. We’ll also provide a comparison of the top 15 secure video hosting platforms for professionals.

Table of Contents

• Why Secure Video Hosting is Important for Business
• The Limitations of Free Video Hosting
• 7 Key Features for Secure Video Hosting 
• 15 Best Secure Video Hosting Platforms for Business
• Conclusion

Why Secure Video Hosting is Important for Business

Whether you use video content to draw in new customers, offer added value to those who already shop with you, or educate your employees, you need a way to protect your videos from being stolen. This will give you more control over your brand and help keep the revenue stream from those videos steady.

Many broadcasters aim to create a streamlined experience for their viewers while keeping their videos free of buffering issues, incorrect file formats, and display difficulties.

To offer this experience and simultaneously protect your videos, you need a secure video hosting platform that allows you to retain ownership of your content and that also gives you more control over how that content is distributed.

The advanced tools and features that come with most professional video hosting platforms like Dacast provide extra layers of security and control so you can manage how and where your content is distributed, how you make money from it, and who can access your videos.

The Limitations of Free Video Hosting

Many companies turn to free video hosting platforms to host their content because of their prevalence and the fact that usage is free. However, many businesses soon learn that’s not an ideal setup.

Here are a few of the most notable limitations of free video hosting.

File Format Issues 

Different web browsers accept different video file formats, and not all file formats are used by all free video platforms. This can create a problem for viewers using a browser that’s not supported by a specific platform, leading to frustration. 

Professional online video hosting platforms utilize a variety of video file formats, often converting those files into other formats automatically to give all viewers access.

Storage Space and File Size Limits

Some free video sharing websites limit the amount of storage space you get with your subscription or place limits on the size of individual files.  This can severely limit what you’re able to do with your video content, making you pick and choose which files get uploaded and backed up on the platform.

If you stream live content, many free video hosting platforms limit how long you can live stream. If you want to engage in longer live streams, a private video hosting service is the best way to achieve that goal.

No Control Over Monetization

When utilizing a free video hosting site, you’re locked into the monetization method supported by the platform. If this model doesn’t work for how you do business, you either have to adapt or miss out on that money.

Using a professional, secure video streaming and hosting platform allows you to choose the best method for you so you can turn your videos into dollars more efficiently.

You can use different monetization methods based on the professional platform you choose to work with. Common video monetization methods include pay-per-view, subscription access, and advertising.

No White-Label Streaming

Using someone else’s free video sharing platform means you’re required to use their branding, advertising the platform while you’re trying to advertise your product or service with your video.

Many paid platforms allow you to white-label their video players, replacing the developer’s branding with your own to create a seamless, professional experience for your viewers.

Distracting Environment

With a free video hosting platform, recommendations are often shown next to your content. These recommendations are often for similar content your competitors are running on their platform. A viewer can easily watch your video, click on a recommendation, and go down a rabbit hole that pulls them away from your content and message. 

When you work with a paid platform, you control the video environment. There are no third-party content suggestions taking viewers away from your content and message. In fact, many paid platforms offer the ability for you to create playlists or use a “watch-next” feature to keep viewers engaged with your content for longer periods.

Lack of Support

No platform is perfect, and issues with uploading and managing content arise from time to time. Many free video sharing platforms lack robust customer service, leaving you to figure out the problems on your own.

When you pay for a professional platform, customer service is built into your contract, giving you access to knowledgeable support professionals to answer your questions.

7 Key Features for Secure Video Hosting

Not all secure video hosting sites are created equally. Some are easier for beginners to use, walking them through the process, while others are better geared toward those with a deeper knowledge of all the features and functions of a professional platform. 

Your video content is a commodity to your business, and you don’t want to risk just anyone getting access to it.

With that said, let’s review some specific features that are valuable for secure video hosting.

1. Privacy and Security Tools

With advanced security and privacy features that come with private video hosting sites, you can protect your videos during the entire process from upload to viewing, ensuring that only those who should have access to your content are the ones who can see it.

Features such as password-protected video hosting and domain restrictions allow you to control who should and shouldn’t be able to view your videos and gives you the opportunity to block downloads. Secure uploading tools protect your hard work as you send them into the platform, preventing you from losing data.

2. AES Encryption

AES encryption adds a strong layer of security to any professional video hosting solution. AES stands for “Advanced Encryption Standard.” AES video encryption can be extremely valuable to anyone who needs to keep the video private.

This form of video encryption prevents “Man-in-the-Middle” (MITM) style hacking attacks. In this type of attack, someone intercepts network traffic maliciously. AES encryption secures each stream using a special key. Unless the viewer has this special key, they cannot watch the video.

AES video encryption allows you to halt these types of attacks completely. Anyone snooping on your streams will be stymied by AES encryption. This provides protection against piracy, data theft, intellectual property appropriation, and more. The process is transparent to the users and easy to implement. With most pro-grade hosting platforms, there’s no learning curve, and turning on AES encryption is as simple as checking a box. 

3. Video CMS

Organizing and storing your video content so viewers can easily find it is key to an easy-to-use platform. That’s where a video content management system (CMS) comes into play.

Being able to organize and store your video content so viewers can easily find it is key to an easy-to-use platform. That’s where a video content management system (CMS) comes into play.

The right video CMS will offer a variety of features to make secure video hosting easier. Some of the top video CMS tools and functionalities include:

• Batch editing or deleting of videos
• Support for adding a custom thumbnail
• Ability to group videos together, such as in a playlist
• Bulk uploading
• Ability to embed a video anywhere
• Capability to replace a video without changing the URL or updating embed codes

If you plan on growing or scaling your operation, you want a video CMS that can grow with you. Some video content hosting sites aren’t optimized for large libraries of content, making their operation clunky and frustrating as you add more video, and possibly causing you to delete files to accommodate limits.

4. Video Transcoding and Encoding

Ensuring your video content is correctly compressed to stream is essential to distributing your content. You also want to ensure that it is in a file format that is playable by various browsers and devices.

If you live stream your videos, such as for event coverage or podcasts, you need a platform that can convert the RAW video files captured by your camera into digital files suitable for live streaming over the internet.

With the right cloud-based online video hosting platform, you can configure your encoder settings before you begin streaming your content, providing your viewers with a hassle-free streaming experience.

Automatic transcoding is valuable because they take care of a highly technical process without much manual configuration. If you’re unfamiliar with certain aspects of video streaming, this feature makes it easier to provide a great experience to your viewers without having to learn all about the encoding process.

5. Live Stream Recording

Turning your live-streamed events into recorded videos that can be played whenever viewers want is a key component of a solid video content strategy. Being able to record your live stream, right in your secure video hosting platform, makes the whole process much easier.

With live stream recording, you simply click a button and your content is recorded as you live to stream it.

While this process uses up some of your bandwidth and your transcoding credits on most platforms, this is usually only equivalent to a viewer watching your live stream and is negligible in the long term.

6. Direct S3 Upload

For years, the standard in secure video uploading has been FTP or file transfer protocol. And while this method works well for moving files around, it also brings with it a variety of drawbacks that newer methods such as S3 upload overcome. With direct S3 uploading capability, you get all the ease of using an FTP server, but with added benefits such as:

• Unlimited storage
• Low latency
• Faster network transfer speeds
• Multiple backups of data
• Increased security

This allows you to move large amounts of data quickly and securely, and at less cost and frustration to you.

7. Mobile Video Hosting

According to Cisco’s Annual Internet Report for 2018-2023, an estimated 82 percent of all online traffic will come from streaming video, 15 times higher than it was in 2017. Of that, a large portion will come from users streaming video on mobile devices both on the go and at home. 

To ensure that your content is compatible with mobile devices, your video hosting site should provide an all-device video player. This type of player works on all browsers, playing the file type and size best suited to individual users’ devices and internet connection strength.

15 Best Secure Video Hosting Platforms for Business

The bottom line is that serious broadcasters must reach beyond free video hosting platforms to find the most secure hosting solutions. Free video file sharing software is simply not designed to offer you secure, customization options that fit your needs.

 If you’re interested in encrypted video sharing or password-protected video hosting, it’s time to upgrade to one of the most secure video hosting platforms. Let’s review the top 15 video hosting platforms on the market and what they can do to bring your work to the next level.

1. Dacast

Company Background

Dacast is a secure video platform that provides users with a variety of professional features at competitive prices. Video delivery uses a top-tier CDN and is designed for business professionals and enterprise uses. Designed for all levels of experience, it can take some time to really dig in and understand all the features available.

Basic Functionality

If you’re looking for advanced security, monetization, and distribution tools, Dacast is a great choice.

Key Features

• Content control and advanced security options
• White-label capabilities
• Real-time analytics
• Video API access on the scale plan 
• Player API access for easy integration and custom app creation
• Multiple video monetization options to customize
• Reliable delivery via CDN
• Muti-bitrate and adaptive streaming

Pros

Some big benefits come with working with Dacast as your video hosting platform. 

• Plans for all budgets: Dacast offers low-cost plans for small businesses just getting started with video content and enterprise plans for big enterprises. 
• 24/7 customer support: Your video content is always online, and Dacast is always there to support you, with 24/7 customer support on all plans. 
• Unlimited viewers and live channels: You never know when your content will explode. With unlimited viewers and live channels, you don’t have to worry about having your content get too popular too fast. 
• Live streaming and VOD: Dacast offers live streaming and VOD support on all pricing plans. Small and big businesses alike can share live and on-demand content. 
• Live stream recording: With live stream recording, you can record your live streams and turn that content into video-on-demand content, allowing you to get the most mileage possible out of your content.
• Mobile device support: Dacast offers mobile device support. You can use the Dacast platform as a user on your mobile device, managing your content on the go. Dacast’s video players also work on all video devices. 
• Custom video player: Customize how your video content looks, with Dacast’s customizable HTML5 video player, with embed options, making it easy to share your content on multiple platforms. 

Dacast is a secure video platform that offers the tools businesses of all sizes need for live streaming and hosting video-on-demand content.

Cons

• Professional features may require some time to learn

Pricing

Dacast offers multiple pricing plans geared toward all business budgets. Here is an overview:

• 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)

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: 240p is the recommended minimum, with 1080p or 4K maximum
• Supported aspect ratios: No restrictions (but 16:9 is the default)
• Maximum file size: Unlimited, though larger file sizes can impact viewer experience
• Maximum video length: none
• Total file storage: 10 to 1,000 GB depending on the plan
• Accepted video formats: MP4 (preferred), .MOV, M4V, M2V, .AVI, MPG, .FLV, .WMV, .MKV, WebM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MTS

Best Use Cases

Dacast is great for:

• Live event streaming
• VOD on-demand hosting
• Streaming video for education
• Enterprise video platform
• Marketing video Hosting

2. Brightcove

Company Background

Brightcove has been in the video hosting industry since 2004 and was designed for both video monetization and marketing. They boast thousands of users in more than 70 countries worldwide. This secure video sharing platform is great for those looking for top-of-the-line video technology paired with capabilities to integrate with their favorite marketing, communications, or advertising software.

Basic Functionality

Brightcove is designed to smoothly integrate with marketing and advertising campaigns and offers video cloud and video player capabilities.

Key Features

• Live event and 24/7 streaming
• Video monetizing and advertising customization
• TV Everywhere (TVE) streaming services
• Over-the-Top (OTT) streaming services
• Multiple useful app integrations for enhanced customization

Pros

You should be aware of a few big benefits of working with Brightcove as you look for the right secure video hosting platform. 

• Editing tools: Sometimes, you need to fix your content before sharing it. Brightcove offers video editing tools so that you can fix your video content before releasing it. 
• Easy to use interface: The platform is designed to be easy to use, making it simple for new users to start uploading and sharing content. 
• Configurable permissions: If you have a big team helping with your video content, you will want to give access to your video hosting platform to everyone involved in the content creation process. Brightcove makes it easy to configure permissions for users. 
• Customizable privacy and security settings: It is essential to keep your content secure, and Brightcove makes it easy with its customizable privacy and security settings.

Cons

• Limited reporting capability
• Pay extra for 24/7 support
• Sophisticated tools mean the platform can be difficult to learn

Pricing

Brightcove offers several pricing plan levels. These include the following:

• 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

Brightcove doesn’t publish its pricing plans for Video Cloud live streaming services online. For a customized quote, you need to contact them directly to discuss your specific business needs.

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: Determined by user
• Supported aspect ratios: Determined by user
• Maximum file size: Unlimited
• Maximum video length: Unknown (No limits are published)
• Total file storage: Depends on the plan 
• Accepted video formats: MP4, .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .FLV, .MKV, 3GPP

Best Use Cases

• Live streaming sports
• Streaming video for sales
• Live event streaming
• Enterprise video hosting
• Marketing video hosting

3. IBM Cloud Video

Company Background

IBM Cloud Video, previously known as UStream, is one of the most well-known services in the secure video hosting space. It’s widely considered to be highly reliable, but that reliability and notoriety come at a higher price than many other similarly outfitted platforms.

Basic Functionality

IBM Cloud Video provides live streaming and video-on-demand services.

Key Features

• Reliable platform
• Exceptional customer support
• Delivers video using an internal VOD server

Pros

IBM Cloud Video offers many benefits to you as a video hosting platform. 

• Reliable: IBM Cloud has its own global network of content delivery networks (CDN), which allows it to provide reliable delivery of your content around the globe. 
• Stellar customer support: IBM Cloud Video has a robust support team that helps not just with selling video plans but also offers technical support as well. 
• Great for large businesses: IBM Cloud offers plans geared towards large companies and has the support and tools that large organizations need. 
• Features for professional broadcasters: IBM Cloud offers a range of features for professional broadcasters, such as professional one-on-one support, AI-powered captions, and secure video sharing.

Cons

• No customizable monetization tools
• Does not use a CDN
• API access is only available on expensive custom-priced plans

Pricing

IBM pricing plans range from $99 to $999 per month and include the following:

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

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: 4K (3840×2160)
• Supported aspect ratios: Unknown (Not published)
• Maximum file size: 4 GB
• Maximum video length: Unknown (No limits are published)
• Total file storage: 1 TB – 5 TB, depending on plan
• Accepted video formats: MKV, MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MPEG2, H264, H263, MPEG4, VP6, VP8, THEORA, WMV, MP3, AAC-LC, NELLYMOSER, PCM, SPEEX, VORBIS, WMA

Best Use Cases

• Live event streaming
• Marketing video hosting
• Enterprise video hosting
• Streaming video for sales

4. Kaltura

Company Background

Kaltura is a secure video hosting service based in Israel that offers both live video and VOD streaming. Its suite of specialized services makes the platform suitable for educational institutions.

Basic Functionality

Used by organizations across the world, Kaltura capably handles online and in-person training, such as webinars. 

Key Features

• Security features include password protection, encryption, and watermarking
• Cloud TV service
• Closed captioning available for accessibility
• Monetization options include advertising, subscriptions, and one-time transactions
• Video looping available

Pros

• Multiple video monetization options
• Allows bulk video uploading
• Easily accessible for viewers
• Password protected video hosting

Cons

• No China delivery
• Uploading and processing of video is slow
• Can be difficult for beginners
• Users must provide their own CDN, increasing cost and complexity

Pricing

Pricing is based on individual usage of both bandwidth and features. They provide annual plans as well as pay-as-you-go pricing, with annual plans beginning at $5,400.

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: 180p (320×180) to 1080p (1920×1080)
• Supported aspect ratios: 16:9, 4:3
• Maximum file size: 2 GB
• Maximum video length: Unknown (No limits are published)
• Total file storage: 10 GB to unlimited, depending on the plan
• Accepted video formats: MOV, MP4

Best Use Cases

• Marketing video hosting
• Streaming video for sales
• Live event streaming
• Enterprise video hosting
• Streaming videos for education

5. Wistia

Company Background

Wistia offers secure video hosting for “TV-quality” streaming, making it the ideal option for advanced broadcasters. It comes equipped with custom players that allow users to add their own logos and branding. The platform also provides CTAs, annotation links, and email features that make it suitable for use in video marketing.

Basic Functionality

Wistia is best suited for the creation, management, and streaming of marketing video content.

Key Features

• Custom video player
• Ad-free experience
• Video analytics and SEO features
• Interactive video tools
• CRM integrations for easy use by marketing and sales teams

Pros

• Custom branding
• Built-in analytics
• Automated video SEO
• Great customer service
• No ads on user videos

Cons

• Customization can be clunky

Pricing

Wistia pricing plans have 3 tiers and include:

• Free – $0/month
• Pro – $99/month
• Advanced – Please contact Wistia directly for pricing information.

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: Maximum of 4K (3840×2160)
• 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

Best Use Cases

• Live event streaming
• Enterprise video hosting
• Streaming video for sales
• Marketing video hosting

6. Vidyard

Company Background

Vidyard is a secure video platform aimed at marketing, sales, and corporate communications teams. They aim to support businesses in distributing their content professionally, allowing them to take advantage of everything the digital world has to offer businesses.

Basic Functionality

Vidyard aims to help marketing, sales, and corporate communications teams turn viewers into customers with secure video hosting.

Key Features

• Encrypted video sharing
• Video analytics and built-in SEO tools
• Interactive playback experiences
• Custom video-sharing pages
• Video personalization and creation

Pros

• In-depth analytics and data reports
• Exceptional customer service
• A broad range of features
• Active user community

Cons

• The backend is not user-friendly
• Mixed user experience reviews

Pricing

Vidyard’s pricing depends on how you plan to use the platform, either for marketing, sales, or corporate communications. Vidyard pricing plans come in four tiers, split amongst two categories: Individual and Teams.

The plans are priced as follows:

• Individual 
  • Free – $0/month
  • Pro – $15/month

• Teams
  • Teams – $300/month
  • Business – $1250/month

Corporate Communications packages are all priced individually for the organization.

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: 360p to 4K (480×360 to 3840×2160)
• Supported aspect ratios: 16:9, 4:3
• Maximum file size: 5 GB to 16 GB, depending on the plan
• Maximum video length: 1 hour for live streams
• Total file storage: Unknown (not published)
• Accepted video formats: WEBM, MP4, MKV, MOV

Best Use Cases

• Streaming video for sales
• Enterprise video hosting
• Marketing video hosting

7. JW Player

 

Company Background

JW Player is a secure video-sharing platform that has historic beginnings. It originally shared some of its code with the initial YouTube video player but has since evolved to a platform that includes VOD hosting and live streaming at affordable prices.

JW Player has prices for broadcasters with a wide range of budgets. However, it’s important to note that the lower-tier plan comes with limited features and is best suited to those on a very strict budget who don’t mind limited capability.

Basic Functionality

JW Player offers lower price points and superior customer service, but it provides limited features and services.

Key Features

• Informative analytics
• Video distribution management
• Tokenized access and DRM support
• Ad optimization
• Designed for organizations of all sizes

Pros

• Advertising monetization integrations
• Video is auto-converted for different devices
• Easy-to-use user interface
• Excellent customer service and sales support
• Very affordable plan pricing
• Secure video hosting

Cons

• No live streaming via API
• No closed captioning or screen sharing
• Live events limited to 5 hours
• No support for subscriptions or pay-per-view monetization

Pricing

With JW Player, live streaming support begins at a free trial level. There are 3 pricing plan tiers:

• 30-day free trial subscription, which includes full API and SDK access, and a non-commercial license, with 25 GB hosting bandwidth and 75 GB streaming.
• Starter pricing plan for $10 per month, which includes an HTML5 Video Player and video gallery, with 150 GB hosting bandwidth and 500 GB streaming (50,000 plays) per month billed annually.
• Enterprise plans are available with custom pricing for high-volume storage and streaming. Enterprise plans support live streaming, while lower-tier plans only support VOD.  

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: 360p to 1080p (480×360 to 1920×1080)
• Supported aspect ratios: 16:9, 4:3, 2.39:1
• Maximum file size: 25 GB
• Maximum video length: Unknown
• Total file storage: 25 GB to 500 GB, depending on the plan
• Accepted video formats: MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, 3GP, FLV

Best Use Cases

• Streaming video for sales
• Marketing video hosting
• Enterprise video hosting

8. Vimeo Livestream

Company Background

Purchased by Vimeo in 2017, Livestream is great for professionals looking for an all-in-one platform for business. Livestream offers several packages for secure video hosting.

Basic Functionality

Livestream is suited for professionals searching for a platform that allows them to stream, manage, and monitor their video content. It offers marketing, video management analytics, and live streaming capabilities.

Key Features

• Excellent security features
• Audience interaction tools
• Additional marketing capabilities

Pros

• Secure video hosting
• Works with YouTube
• Easy for both users and viewers to use
• Exceptional security features
• Detailed video analytics

Cons

• Limited CDN capabilities
• No China delivery
• Frequent streaming pauses for software updates

Pricing

Vimeo Livestream offers three main pricing plans, including:

1) Vimeo Premium:

• Premium pricing: $75/month
• Their Premium plan includes both live streaming and VOD support. This plan is the best option for professional broadcasting on this platform.

2) Vimeo Enterprise:

• Enterprise Pricing: Please contact Vimeo for custom pricing information
• The Enterprise plan includes white-label service, monetization, and video API access. It also includes branding control and added security features.

3) Vimeo OTT:

• Starter Pricing: $1/subscriber per month
• Growth Pricing: starting at $500/month
• 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.

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: 720p (1280×720)
• Supported aspect ratios: 16:9, 4:3
• Maximum file size: 3 GB
• Maximum video length: Unknown
• Total file storage: Unknown
• Accepted video formats: MP4 (recommended)

Best Use Cases

• Live event streaming
• Marketing video hosting

9. Panopto

Company Background

Panopto is a secure video platform that focuses on businesses and universities. This platform is equipped with tools for streaming, sharing, recording, and managing video content.

Basic Functionality

The platform’s main focus is on internal use for online education, providing tools to create a private “Youtube” just for your organization’s use and integrating with Learning Management Systems.

Key Features

• Mobile-ready solutions for online learning needs
• Centralized video streams, playlists, and playback
• Access control and security features
• White-label streaming capability
• Lecture-capture and video-search software
• Integrates with Learning Management Systems and APIs
• Password-protected video hosting

Pros

• Supports audio and video content
• Document indexing offered
• Customizable branding
• Full-text search capability

Cons

• No customizable templates or image editors
• No SEO management

Pricing

Panopto has three different pricing packages for secure video hosting, including:

• Basic: Free
• Pro: $14.99/month
• Enterprise: Please contact Panopto for custom pricing.

After establishing a contract with Panopto, users have access to unlimited streaming and storage.

Technical Specifications

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max video length: Information not available
• Total file storage: Information not available
• Compatible video formats: AVI, MP4, MPG, WMV, MOV, QT, ASF, 3GP, WMA, MP3, M4V, and more.

Best Use Cases

• Live event streaming
• Streaming video for education

10. SproutVideo

Company Background

SproutVideo is another great option for secure video hosting. This platform offers a variety of plan ranges for all budgets and needs, providing live and on-demand video hosting.

Basic Functionality

SproutVideo is suited for broadcasters who want a unified platform offering both live and VOD streaming.

Key Features

• Live chat support for all plans
• API access
• Customizable privacy and security features

Pros

• A broad range of customization options
• Plans suited to every budget and business need
• Detailed analytics reports
• Password-protected video hosting

Cons

• Inadequate video SEO tools
• Slow playback caching leads to buffering
• Limited storage availability

Pricing

SproutVideo has four different pricing plans at different budgetary levels.

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

Technical Specifications

• Recommended dimensions: None
• Supported aspect ratios: Any
• Maximum file size: Up to 100 GB
• Maximum video length: Unlimited
• Total file storage: 500 GB with 500 GB of bandwidth, minimum 
• Accepted video formats: MP4, .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .FLV, .MKV, 3GPP

Best Use Cases

• Live video streaming
• Enterprise video streaming
• On-demand video hosting

11. Wowza

Company Background

Wowza, which was founded in 2005 to simplify video delivery, is a secure streaming platform with both live and on-demand streaming. The platform focuses on greater flexibility and accessibility across all viewing devices.

Wowza offers its Wowza Streaming Engine for self-hosted video workflows in addition to the Wowza Streaming Cloud, which is a comprehensive streaming solution.

Basic Functionality

Wowza allows broadcasters to build highly customized streaming workflows using third-party integrations, APIs, and other advanced features.

Key Features

• Host-your-own streaming server
• Built-in transcoding
• Live streaming and on-demand video hosting
• White-label video player for an on-brand viewer experience 
• Mobile video streaming with HTML5 video player
• API access available for customization and integrations
• Customer support

Pros

• APIs are available
• Live stream recording
• Cloud management portal
• Streaming up to 4K
• Wide range of security options
• Secure video hosting

Cons

• No simulcasting tools
• Lack of video monetization and audience analytics tools

Pricing

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

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

• Pay as you go: $29/month; three-month minimum with additional fees for usage
• 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 of these Live Event plans reflect the rate when paid monthly and include full brand control, multi-bitrate streaming, and HD and UHD streaming.

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
• Enterprise: Please contact Wowza directly for access to their custom-tailored high-volume enterprise solutions

Technical Specifications

• 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

Best Use Case

• Live event streaming
• Building custom streaming apps
• Self-managed streaming with the Wowza Streaming Engine

12. Vimeo

Company Background

Vimeo is a secure video platform that provides on-demand streaming geared toward artists and the creative market. Vimeo also owns Livestream, which we discussed earlier, but the streaming plans under the Vimeo name are significantly more basic than those from Livestream.

Basic Functionality

This inclusive streaming video hosting service offers live streaming services, collaboration tools, marketing, monetization, and more.

Key Features

• Analytics reporting
• Collaboration tools for teams
• Live streaming and on-demand capability
• Monetization options

Pros

• Unlimited events and viewers
• Ad-free viewing
• Basic privacy options
• Pay-per-view option for monetization
• Easy-to-use platform
• Secure video hosting

Cons

• Extra fees to monetize videos
• Connection issues to an internal server can cause distribution problems
• No China delivery
• Less traffic than other competing sites

Pricing:

Vimeo offers basic video hosting plans that are suitable for content creators and startups. These include:

• 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
• Premium: $75/month; Unlimited live streaming with 7TB of storage; unlimited viewers
• Enterprise: Custom-priced, custom-built plans for advanced streaming needs

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

Technical Specifications

• 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)

Best Use Cases

• VOD hosting and sharing
• “Prosumer” video hosting
• Video hosting for independent creators

13. Cincopa

Company Background

Looking for a secure video platform that supports multimedia hosting? Cincopa might be an option for you.

This platform is capable of storing and hosting live and on-demand video streaming, as well as photos, audio-only files, and more. Cincopa has a wide range of plans, so it is a reliable option for businesses of all sizes.

Basic Functionality

Cincopa’s functionality is slightly different than the other secure video platforms that we’ve discussed in this comparison. In addition to VOD and live streams, users can host audio files, photos, and other types of media on Cincopa.

Key Features

• Multimedia management
• Secure video hosting
• Many integrations options
• Mobile-friendly streaming
• Accessibility support
• ABR streaming
• Powerful content delivery

Pros:

• Large collection of valuable streaming tools
• Support high-quality streaming
• Flexible functionality
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Limited organization tools
• Some complaints about the user interface
• Limited documentation and support
• The platform can be buggy

Pricing:

Cincopa offers four different pricing plans, including:

• Plus: $25/month; includes marketing tools (CTAs, email integrations, etc.)
• Corporate: $99/month; advanced broadcasting tools
• Agency/Enterprise: $350/month; advanced broadcasting tools with more flexibility

Please check out Cincopa’s pricing page for a further breakdown of storage and capabilities that come with each plan.

Technical Specifications

• 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

Best Use Cases

• Education streaming
• Multimedia hosting
• VOD hosting
• Live streaming

14. StreamShark

Company Background

StreamShark is another reliable private video host. It was founded in 2011 and provides a wide range of online video hosting functionality.

Basic Functionality

StreamShark is an online video platform that specializes in private video hosting.

Key Features: 

• Tools for event management 
• High-quality video streaming
• HLS streaming and ingest
• Powerful CDN for reliable content delivery

• Brand customization 
• Privacy and security tools
• Video monetizations

Pros:

• Mobile-friendly
• Encoding support
• High-quality video delivery 
• Large storage capacity 

Cons

• Limited tech support
• No playlists
• Limitations on reporting and analytics

Pricing

StreamShark offers a variety of streaming plans:

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

Technical Specifications 

• 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

Best Use Cases:

• Global content delivery
• Live streaming 
• Business video hosting

15. Muvi

Company Background

Muvi is an OTT streaming platform that offers secure video hosting. This platform is geared towards advanced broadcasters, such as media companies, that are looking to launch their own OTT streaming service.

Basic Functionality

Muvi is designed to help advanced broadcasters launch secure OTT streaming platforms. 

Key Features

• All-device OTT streaming
• Various monetization options
• Support for video and audio streaming
• 24/7 tech support

• Customizable video player
• Powerful reporting and analytics
• Support for video Monetization 
• DRM for secure streaming

Pros

• Reliable content delivery
• Live and VOD hosting powered by OTT
• Audio and video streaming
• Powerful video CMS
• Transcoding tools
• Password-protected video hosting

Cons

• Not suited for beginners
• Some difficulties with integrations 
• Complex user interface
• Does not support China delivery

Pricing:

Muvi offers five different pricing plans, including:

• Standard plan: $399/month (+ $299/month per app + infra fees), allows 2000 concurrent viewers, 1TB each of bandwidth and storage, and API support.
• Professional plan: at $1,499 per month (+ $499/month per app + infra fees) increases limits further and adds premium support.
• Enterprise plan: $3,900 per month (+ $499/month per app + infra fees) adds a dedicated server with auto-scaling.
• Ultimate plan: $8,900/month (+ $499/month per app + infra fees) doubles the bandwidth and storage of the enterprise plan and adds your own CDN and unlimited API calls.
• Black plan: this is a custom solution and includes everything in the Ultimate plan plus premium services and project management. Contact Muvi for pricing.

Technical Specifications

• 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

Best Use Cases:

• OTT streaming
• Secure video hosting
• Advanced broadcasting
• Live streaming

Conclusion

Using online video content as part of your business plan requires more robust, customizable tools than the free platforms available on the market. With the right secure video hosting platform, you have access to all the tools you need to protect and monetize your content.

With so many options to choose from, finding the perfect secure video platform might feel overwhelming. We recommend taking advantage of free trials to get a better feel for each platform’s layouts and features.

Not sure where to start? Try Dacast risk-free for 14 days. Access all of our secure video hosting features to see how our platform could fit into your streaming setup. Sign up today to start your free trial.

Thanks for reading, and let us know your questions and feedback in the comment section below. We love to hear from our readers, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. For more regular tips on live streaming, as well as exclusive offers, you can join our LinkedIn group.