The 20 Best Video Streaming Hosting Providers in 2022 | Dacast

Did you know that 59% of executives report that they’d rather consume information through a video than reading written text? Watching videos accounts for nearly one-third of all online activities of computer users.

People have turned to online video services for news, entertainment, sports, and more, so it makes sense that this trend has carried over into the professional realm.

Research shows that the percentage of screen time spent on video consumption is multiplying. Businesses and other organizations are taking advantage of this trend by streaming their own videos. To produce this content, you need streaming video hosting services.

Dedicated streaming video providers offer easy-to-use interfaces, feature-rich plans, secure video upload, CDN access, tech support, and more.

But do you know the most valuable perk of going with a paid service vs. a free one? It’s that you have more control over how you broadcast and upload videos with the paid ones.

Today, we’ll discuss what video hosting is and the key features to look for in streaming video providers before we dive into a comparison of the 20 best live streaming platforms offering online video host services and video streaming server hosting. We will compare both dedicated solutions and some consumer-grade alternatives.

Let’s get started!

Streaming Video Hosting

As we’ve covered, video content is very valuable in the professional world. However, due to their size, videos can be a pain to share, especially when you want to maintain their quality. Streaming video hosting providers offer a solution to this problem.Professional video hosting solutions offer a multitude of features related to video production, including tools for editing, monetization, video analytics, video SEO, and more. To take this a step further, live video hosting platforms support broadcasting in real time.

While many free video hosting solutions are available, they are much more restricted than paid alternatives. Businesses and professional broadcasters are better off choosing paid streaming video hosting for business solutions to reach their audiences.

Why Professionals Use Streaming Video Hosting

An online video is an engaging form of content that helps businesses, universities, and other professional organizations connect with members of their audience both near and far.

So many organizations are using professional video hosting for online streaming because it is effective for keeping an audience engaged, increasing sales, and more.

Let’s take a look at some evidence that backs this up:

94% of marketers

report that video helps their audience understand their offer more clearly
83% of brands

that use video in their marketing strategies say that it is effective
Over

three-fourths of people

watch online videos each week, and over half of the internet users watch online video content every day
Videos helps

retain a brands message

better than static content
69% of marketers

that are not currently using video content plan start using it soon

For more data supporting the value of video hosting for professionals, check out our live streaming statistics post.

Drawbacks of Free Streaming Video Hosting Solutions

streaming video hosting solutions

Many private individuals that create content use free video hosting services. The most popular of these is YouTube Live.

However, these services simply aren’t suitable for broadcasting at the professional level for a few reasons. First and foremost, most consumer-grade hosting platforms don’t offer the streaming server hosting features necessary for professional users.

Some drawbacks of free streaming video hosting solutions include:

The hosting site has rights to your published content
The video player has third-party branding
No control over ads (whether or not you want ads to appear on your video content)
Minimal customer service/tech support (which is crucial during live broadcasts)
Limited or no monetization options
Limited security options (e.g.,

secure video upload

)
Limited integration and API options

Free video streaming services are simply not designed for a polished and professional end-user experience. If you are creating content for your business or professional organization, you are better off streaming with paid alternatives that offer white-label service that gives you brand control and monetizes your video in a truly professional manner.

51.9% of marketing professionals worldwide name videos as the type of content with the best ROI. Some companies are reporting triple-digit returns on their video investments.

With that context in mind, this article centers on professional video hosting services like Dacast. Read on for a complete comparison of video streaming hosting providers.

Key Features of Professional Streaming Video Hosting Providers

Before we dive into our streaming video provider’s comparison, let’s talk about some of the specific features that are valuable to professional broadcasters.

Security

Digital video piracy costs the U.S. economy between $29.2 and $71 billion annually. To combat this reality, we’ll compare security features for each platform we review.

Some popular security features include

Secure upload
Password protection
Domain restrictions
Geographic restrictions
Digital rights management

Your videos have value. It is important to protect that value. With security features, you can ensure no one hijacks your own videos and streams with other content or steals content you monetize for their own gains.

Monetization

Worldwide OTT platform revenue was roughly $67.8 billion in 2018. That number is expected to rise to $210 billion by 2026. Therefore, any streaming video hosting service you choose should include monetization tools.

Three popular monetization methods for videos are ad-based, pay-per-view, and subscription-based:

A quality video streaming host will offer you the ability to engage in all three monetization methods.

Ideally, they will support connecting with your own advertising network for ad-based monetization. For pay-per-view and subscription-based monetization, a platform should offer an integrated paywall so you don’t have to work with a third-party app to monetize your video content.

Content Delivery Network (CDN)

A full 63% of live stream viewers in 2017 cited buffering issues as the most severe problem they encounter. Furthermore, that figure represents an increase from the previous year.

Buffering is when you press play on a video, and it doesn’t load and starts playing immediately. Buffering is what you experience when a video “freezes” while watching it. This is a serious issue that impacts the end-user experience.

CDNs help resolve latency and buffering by eliminating bottlenecks in the system for video content distribution. CDNs help to reduce buffering by shortening the distance between the end-user and where the content is stored. A quicker connection is one method for increasing video quality.

If you’re looking to stream video in China, make sure your chosen video hosting service supports this, as well. Video streaming to China requires specific licenses and infrastructure and is a feature only a few platforms offer.

API Access

The last several years have seen the beginnings of the API economy. APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, allow you to build custom apps, video platforms, workflows, and integrations.

These are key for many businesses to use the best web hosting for live video streaming.

Pricing

Whether you have a fixed or infinite budget, the cost is always a factor when choosing among video hosting solutions.

We’ll provide basic streaming pricing plan details for each platform below. Costs can vary widely from platform to platform, as can the features included in each plan level.

These are just a few features you should pay attention to when comparing video streaming hosting providers. Make a list of the most important features for your business to determine which hosting service is right for you.

Top 20 Video Streaming Hosting Services: A Comparison

Here’s a comparison and in-depth review of the top 20 streaming hosting providers equipped with the features your business needs to broadcast professional-grade video content.

This list offers 17 professional-grade solutions and 3 consumer-grade alternatives that businesses find useful.

1. Dacast

Dacast Online Video Hosting Provider

Company Background:

Dacast offers online video services. It’s a comprehensive streaming solution that targets business professionals and enterprises. It offers features that everyone from solo entrepreneurs to large corporations needs in a streaming solution.

With so many features to support your streaming needs, it can take a bit of time to learn how to use Dacast. Dacast offers a complete knowledge base of articles and numerous video tutorials to make learning how to use the platform easy.

The platform is designed to be accessible to newbies and advanced broadcasters alike, so we’re sure you will be able to navigate the platform in no time comfortably!

Dacast also offers 24/7 customer support, so if you have questions or concerns, there is always someone to help you!

Basic Functionality:

Dacast is a streaming platform for broadcasters that want to process and stream their videos with top-notch security, monetization, and professional distribution tools.

Key Features:

Dacast offers critical features that make this platform stand out from other video hosting providers.

API access
: Want to integrate your video player with your existing system or create a custom app? You can do that with

player API access

and take your video experience to the next level with

video API access

.
Easy video monetization
: Want to make money from your content? Dacast supports multiple

video monetization

options, allowing you to make money however you want with your content.
Advanced analytics
: Feedback is the best way to improve your content. Dacast offers advanced real-time

analytics

so you can see how you are doing at the moment with your videos.
Quality end-user experience
: Dacast offers multiple tools that support a quality end-user experience, such as

multi-bitrate streaming

,

adaptive bitrate streaming

, streaming

ad-free videos

, and access to reliable top-tier

live streaming CDNs.
Custom video experience
: Create a customized video experience with white-label capabilities. Don’t have a website? Use Dacast’s

Expo 2.0 galleries

to create video portals that support an immersive video experience.
Quality Security
: Keep your videos secure with

AES video encryption

, domain and geographical restrictions, digital rights management, and an entire host of security features.

Top Benefits:

Working with Dacast as your video host has many benefits.

Top-level tech support
: All plans include access to

24/7 tech support

, so no matter if you are on the biggest or smallest plan, you get access to email and live chat support.
All-inclusive pricing plans
: Want to

live stream

and host

videos on-demand?

Dacast offers both options on all pricing plans, so you don’t have to choose the type of video content you want to create. There are plans for

every budget

and organization.
Mobile support
: Worldwide, the most popular way to access the internet is through one’s mobile device, and Dacast understands that. You can live broadcast directly from your

mobile phone

and ensure quality content delivery to mobile device users watching your content.
No limits
: When creating content, you don’t want to impose limits on yourself. Dacast offers

unlimited viewers

and live channels for your business.
China support
: China has a population of over 1.7 billion people, and Dacast has the tools to support

China video hosting

and live streaming.
Custom video player
: When live streaming, you can customize your

HTML5 video player

and embed the live stream directly on your website or social media channels.

Cons:

One of the only drawbacks of using Dacast is that the platform does present a slight learning curve for new users. However, Dacast has many knowledge base articles, video tutorials, and a responsive support team to help get over this drawback.

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
Maximum video length
: none
Total file storage
: 10-1000GB (depends on plan)
Compatible formats
: MP4 (preferred), MOV, M4V, M2V, AVI, MPG, FLV, WMV, MKV, WEBM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MT

Pricing:

Dacast has multiple live streaming pricing plans. Here is a quick summary of all plans:

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

The Starter plan is ideal for newcomers with 1,000 GB of bandwidth, and 50 GB of storage, at just $39 per month billed annually.

However, business users will likely want to use the popular Scale plan, which includes 24 TB of bandwidth with 1 TB of storage per year, for $188 per month billed annually.

This premium pricing plan adds phone support, a monetization paywall, M3U8 links for live channels, ad insertion, white-label Cnames, and video API access. Additional bandwidth is available upon request for monthly plans.

Our online video services also have the Event plan, ideal for organizations that stream events once, occasionally, or on an irregular schedule, it includes 6,000 GB upfront with 50 GB of storage for $63 per month billed annually.

You can access this bandwidth for up to one year after purchase, making it an economical option for occasional event streamers.

Broadcasters can contact Dacast directly to learn more about custom-priced high-volume plans.

Please check out our calculator to discover the recommended plan for your needs.

Best Use Cases:

2. Brightcove

Brightcove video hosting solution

Company Background:

Brightcove has been in the video hosting game for almost two decades. They started hosting videos for businesses in 2004, so they bring a lot of experience to the table. Marketing and monetization are the two video features that Brightcove focuses on.

Brightcove has users in over 70 different countries around the world. Some include BBC, Johnson & Johnson, Adobe, Ford, and Masterclass.

Their features are tailored for users who want to integrate video content into their marketing, advertising, and communication software.

Basic Functionality:

Brightcove is a video marketing and enterprise video suite designed to work smoothly in all your marketing and ad campaigns. It also has a cloud video platform and video player capabilities.

Key Features:

Video monetization
: Want to make money with your videos? Brightcove supports multiple monetization efforts. They can help you set up your

video advertisements

, and they support other monetization methods. For subscription and payment-based monetization, they offer integrated global payment models.
Live events
: Brightcove supports live events of all sizes. They also support 24/7 streaming, so if you want to create a 24/7 channel, you can do that with Brightcove.
App integration
: Extend the functionality of Brightcove with app integration, such as the Adobe Experience Manager video integration app, Salesforce Pardot, or CaptionHub.
Corp TV
: Corp TV is a new feature that allows you to turn your corporate videos into a premium streaming platform experience. CorpTV allows for consistent training programs and communication across your channels.
PlayTV
: Need to know how to create better content? Check out

PlayTV,

where you can get tips, ideas, and inspiration 24/7.

Pros:

Brightcove offers some top benefits that make its platform stand out.

Video Editing
: Need to edit your video? Use Brightcove’s comprehensive editing and

video marketing tools

.
Customer support
: Need some help? Brightcove has a responsive customer support team.
Easy-to-use interface
: It shouldn’t be hard to create, manage and

upload videos

; with Brightcove, it isn’t.
Privacy & Security
: You don’t want to share all videos with the world, especially internal training and communication videos, which is why Brightcove offers robust privacy and security settings.
Good audience insights
: You can view conversions, lost customers, and engagement data. You can also segment your audiences and view their analytics separately.

Cons:

The biggest cons of Brightcove is that reporting is limited, which means you may not get the analytics and information you need to drive your video content forward. It’s also quite challenging to set up custom reports.

If you want 24/7 support, you have to pay for it; it isn’t a part of all plans. The UI of this video streaming provider is outdated, and you might have to spend some time learning where all the features are.

Additionally, if you haven’t used the platform before, you may experience a bit of a learning curve when you start.

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

Minimum dimension
: Determined by the user
Maximum dimension
: Determined by the user
Aspect ratio
: No restrictions (since Brightcove uses a responsive player)
Max file size
: No limits on

video files

size
Maximum video length
: No published limits
Total file storage
: Varies by plan
Compatible 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 overage plays, with +10 users
Enterprise
: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overage plays, with 10+ users, unlimited uploads, and analytics-only users

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

Best Use Cases:

Live Streaming Sports
Live Event Streaming
Streaming Video for Sales
Enterprise Video Hosting
Marketing Video Hosting

3. Wistia

wistia streaming video hosting

Company Background:

Wistia is a streaming video hosting site focused on helping businesses with marketing through videos.

Wistia’s top marketing features include annotation links, email, and integrated CTAs. Wistia’s video engagement tools help capture and convert leads through your content.

Basic Functionality:

Wistia’s basic functionality is creating, managing, and streaming video or audio content shared for marketing purposes.

Key Features:

Video creation and editing tools
: You can utilize soapbox, Wistia’s browser-based screen recorder, to record your screen for video creation. They also offer essential editing tools, such as trimmers, to increase the quality of your videos.
Custom video player
: You want your brand front and center with marketing videos. You can design your video player to match the feel of your brand with Wistia’s custom video player. They even have an “Up Next” feature to keep people engaged with the content you can add to your video player.
Cloud-based content management system
: When you start producing videos regularly, you need a way to keep things organized. Wistia offers a cloud-based CMS so your team can easily manage your video content.
Video analytics and SEO
: Wistia offers SEO features to help ensure your embedded videos get the traffic they need to benefit your business. They also provide video analytic tools to drive your marketing efforts.
CRM integration
: Integrate Wistia with your CRM to make managing customer relationships easier.

Top Benefits

Various calls to action
: A marketing video aims to get people to act. With Wistia’s various CTA tools, you can integrate a wide range of CTAs into your videos.
Automated SEO
: Don’t stress over optimizing your content for search engines; Wistia offers automated SEO tools
No Advertisements
: Want to create an ad-free experience? You can easily do that for your viewers.
Custom branding
: Customize the video experience to match your brand’s look and feel.
Channels and subscribers
: You can create all the custom channels you need, and your viewers can subscribe to your content, allowing them to get notifications when you add new content.

Cons:

If you use Wistia’s free plan or one of their smaller paid plans. Many users also experience some road bumps with customization options within the platform.

The project folder structure of this video streaming provider isn’t the best, and you might face glitches trying to move videos between folders. Its customizations are limited for advanced users who want to make the interface for Wistia the same as their business website.

Also, it lies on the pricier end of the online video services spectrum if you have high traffic.

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 formats
: MP4 (recommended format), .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .FLV, .MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

Wistia has these pricing plan tiers.

Free
: No cost to use; up to 250 subscribers and 3 videos; cannot remove Wistia’s branding from the video player
Plus:
$24/month, up to 3 users and 20 videos
Pro
: $99/month; 50 free videos with additional videos for $0.25/each 5 users. white-label video player
Advanced
: $399/month 250 videos, 20 users,multiple channels, 250+ subscribers
Premium:
Custom pricing, Upto1000 videos and unlimited subscribers.