Top 10 Best Video Hosting Sites (Free + Paid)

Nowadays, every brand is trying to deliver its message across vertices using videos. Whether it’s an entertainment brand, or an MNC trying to market its products and services, smooth video experiences have helped them all. And that is where they will need video hosting platforms. A good video hosting site helps businesses smoothen the cloud storage and distribution of video content. 

But there are just too many video hosting options available nowadays, that it is difficult to choose from. That is why, our in-house video hosting experts have taken an unbiased approach in reviewing the top paid and free video hosting sites. 

In this blog, we will tell you about the video hosting platforms that came out on top at the end of this review. But before that, let’s understand the need for a professional video hosting site in the first place. 

Why Do You Need A Professional Video Hosting Site?

You might have been thinking, we can do nice video distribution with a self-created server. So why would we pay for video hosting? Well, there are considerable reasons why you should NEVER self-host professional videos. 

While there are many reasons to avoid self-hosting like limitations on your server’s bandwidth, file size, and storage, privacy and security are among the top reasons. Piracy is an increasing threat, hence you can’t take the security of your videos lightly. 

Multi-DRM encryption is essential for the overall security of online video content. However, it will be extremely difficult to implement multi-DRM on your self-created video hosting server. Also, you would need a CDN in the first place, otherwise, your videos will be slower for viewers watching from the other side of the globe. 

Hence, to avoid all such complications, choosing a professional secure video hosting platform is the best way out.  

Top Free Video Hosting Sites: Features, Benefits, and more

When it comes to free video hosting, not much can be expected to be honest. But still, there are a few free video hosting platforms that are not only extremely popular but feature-rich too. YouTube and Facebook have been in this business for years now, but some new sites are also rising to prominence. Our experts have handpicked the top free video hosting sites for you. 

1. YouTube

YouTube was launched way back in 2005, as a simple online video hosting platform. But over the years, it has seen tremendous growth in both users and features, making it what it is today. With over 2 billion active users, YouTube reportedly sees over 500 hours of video content being uploaded every single minute. That is crazy!

Features

• Multiple monetization options including add insertion and membership fees. 
• Easy video-sharing options.
• Easily insert videos into websites and apps.
• Complete ownership of the content. 
• Copyright infringement protection. 
• Multiple encoding profiles including HD and 4K.
• Quality real-time video analytics.
• Live streaming, VOD, and short videos are supported. 

Formats Supported

Pros 

• You can host videos for free, without compromising on the copyrights. 
• They support almost all video formats.
• They allow multiple video bitrates and Adaptive Bitrate Streaming, hence ensuring lower buffering for users with lower internet bandwidth. 

Cons

• Their monetization terms and conditions might be tricky, and you may have to meet certain criteria to be eligible for monetization. 
• Their algorithm keeps checking for copyrighted content. Though their algorithms are quite robust, still, they might still tell you to remove certain parts from your content that you might not have actually copied. 
• Once you get copyright strikes in a certain number of your videos, they might disallow you forever. 
• You cannot monetize any content that matches even a second of any other content available on YouTube. 
• No branding or customization is possible. 

2. Facebook

Facebook is a multi-purpose social media platform. But, it can be a very good option for free video hosting too! In fact, many social media influencers use it regularly to share their video content with their followers. 

Features

• Easy video sharing over social media. 
• Monetization is possible via ad insertion.
• Live streaming and VOD supported. 

Formats Supported

• MP4
• MPEG4
• MOV
• AVI
• FLV
• WMV
• MKV
• 3GPP

And many more…

Pros

• A massive reach helps target a large number of viewers. 
• It is of tremendous help to marketers looking for cheaper ways of social media marketing.  

Cons

• Videos often get compressed and hence their quality might suffer a bit. 
• Ads automatically get inserted into videos even if you don’t want them in your video. 

3. Dailymotion

Dailymotion is a video sharing platform owned by French Technology company Vivendi. It might surprise you when we tell it, but it was among the first few platforms to support HD-quality videos. For the users, it is a bit like YouTube, as it allows the creators to create their own channels and then upload the videos on their channels. 

Features

• Activity Dashboard
• Audience Analytics
• Alerts and Notifications
• Audience Engagement Tools
• Ad Insertion

Formats Supported

• 3GP 
• AVI 
• DV 
• FLV 
• MOV 
• MP4 
• MPEG 
• WMV

Pros

• Advanced video hosting, sharing, and management.  
• Their extensive audience report helps you gain useful insights about your viewers. 
• The videos can be customized as per use.  

Cons

• The videos sometimes take too long to load. 
• Their customer support is lagging behind. 

4. Vidyard

Vidyard is a Canadian video hosting software that lets you create and distribute videos. You can also analyze the performance of your videos. It is a business-friendly platform that helps you gain leads using videos.   

Features

• Ad-free video hosting
• Uploader widget
• Up to 4K streaming quality
• Viewer’s analytics
• Vidyard Rooms

Formats Supported

• MP4
• WEBM
• MKV
• MOV

Pros 

• You can generate new videos using Vidyard, which is an added advantage. 
• You can upload external videos too, and customize them as per your needs. 
• You can even embed your videos into emails. 

Cons

• They won’t inform you of new features properly. They can also do better in onboarding. 
• Integrations are limited. 

5. Vadoo.tv

Vadoo.tv lets you upload videos, record videos, and manage and share video content with a few clicks. This solution is suitable for multiple industry verticals, including marketers, teachers, artists, and professionals. 

Features

• Host, Manage, and Share full HD videos
• Videos can be delivered without any ads
• Customizable Video Player
• Video Chat Bubble
• Request Videos

Formats Supported

• AVI
• GIF
• M4V
• MP4
• MPG
• TikTok Video

Pros

• You get your own branded player with HD video quality. 
• Encryption and security features help ensure the safety of your content.  

Cons

• You get only 1 GB of storage in the FREE plan. 
• Also, the number of videos is restricted to 10 in the FREE plan. 

Top Paid Video Hosting Sites: Features, Benefits, Pricing, and more…

Till now, we have discussed the top Free video hosting sites. But, as you can see, some of them have limitations in storage and the number of videos, while some of them do not offer white-label solutions. Many of them do not offer adequate security features either! 

But for big enterprises, these issues can prove to be major obstacles. Hence, you will need paid and professional video hosting software that offer you a complete solution. Here are the top Paid Video Hosting Sites:

1. Muvi Flex
2. Vimeo
3. Wistia
4. Dacast
5. Kaltura

1. Muvi Flex

Muvi Flex is one of the best and most secure paid video hosting platform out there in the market. Their quality lies in their comprehensive features and all-round performance. You get high-quality video hosting with up to 4K video quality and extremely low latency. Your own branded HTML5 video player and advanced user analytics help make your bond with your viewers even stronger. 

Features

• Video / Audio CMS
• Social Media Sharing
• Video Players for multiple OS environments
• Video Streaming Server
• Geo-Blocking
• MRSS Feeds
• Built-in CDN
• Bulk Upload
• Subtitles
• Playlists with HLS Output
• Built-in Multi-DRM Security

Pros

• This platform is packed with all the latest and trending features, which makes it one of the most feature-rich video hosting sites.  
• You get a FREE Trial period of 14 days, and you do not have to enter your credit card details to avail of it. 
• They have their own WordPress Plugin that makes embedding videos over websites even more easier. 

Cons

Enterprise plan is a bit costly. 

Pricing

• Their Standard plan costs US$ 199 per month.
• For their Professional plan, you will pay US$ 899 per month. 
• Their Enterprise plan, which is their most expensive plan, will cost you US$ 2899 per month. 

2. Vimeo

Vimeo has been in the video hosting industry for years now. They host high-quality videos, and support 4K, 8K HDR, and Dolby Vision. They have a no-ad policy, so ads will never be placed on your videos. Your brand logo and brand colors will be used on your videos so that your viewers can associate them with your brand. 

Features

• Security and Permissions Control
• Update Your Live Videos Without Changing URLs
• Video Analytics
• HTML5 Video Player
• SEO Optimization

Pros

• It is a highly scalable and reliable platform.
• It is a good choice if you want to host 8K videos.  

Cons

• If you want ad-based monetization, this is simply not your platform. 
• They can do better in terms of security features. 
• The lower plan is limited to 60 videos.

Pricing

• Their Starter plan starts at US$ 20 per seat per month. 
• Their Standard plan starts at US$ 33 per seat per month.
• Their Advanced plan started at US$ 108 per seat per month. 

3. Wistia

Wistia is a paid video hosting site that offers ad-free video hosting. They make sure that your videos will not have any ads or video recommendations. They offer adaptive streaming and support multiple bitrates including 4K. 

Features

• CDN
• Embed Videos
• SEO-friendly videos
• Secured hosting

Pros 

• The platform focuses on fast video delivery and instant playback. 
• The consumers will enjoy buffer-free streaming at any internet speed. 

Cons

• Not too many features. 
• If you want to insert ads, this video hosting platform is not for you. 

Pricing

• The Plus plan will cost you US$ 24 per month. 
• The Pro plan will be offered at US$ 99 per month. 
• The Advanced plan will cost you US$ 399 per month. 

4. Dacast

Dacast offers video hosting solutions using which you can host and live stream multiple videos at a time, create channels of video content, and embed them on your web pages. They also offer private video hosting services. 

Features

• Content Management System
• Private Video Hosting
• Live stream videos

Pros 

• Dacast is a multi-utility platform.
• They have been in this industry for years. 

Cons

The platform might seem a bit complicated for beginners. 

Pricing

• Their Started plan will cost you US$ 39 per month. 
• Their Event plan will cost you US$ 63 per month. 
• Their Scale plan will cost you US$ 165 per month. 

5. Kaltura

Kaltura is a cloud video hosting platform that specializes in educational video hosting. It offers very good security features, along with advanced video scheduling and editing capabilities. They offer webinar solutions too, along with cloud hosting. 

Features

• Video Content Management
• Player APIs and SDKs
• LMS for Educational Videos and Live Classrooms
• Virtual Event Platform
• Online Community Portal

Pros 

• It is one of the best options for educational video hosting. 
• It offers LMS live capabilities to ease the online educational video hosting process.
• Offers very good security features.  

Cons

Its features might not be suitable for many other industries. 

Pricing

It offers varied pricing for varied industries and use cases. The lower-priced plans start from around US$ 19 per month. 

To Sum Up

Free video hosting sites are good for beginners who are just trying out some video hosting. YouTube, Facebook, and Dailymotion are some of the best free video hosting sites. But if you are looking for professional video hosting platforms, you might have to choose from paid video hosting sites like Muvi Flex, Vimeo, and Wistia. 

Among the paid ones, Muvi Flex is the most feature-rich and extensively sacred video hosting solution. It offers high-quality video hosting services with up to 4K video quality. The videos get loaded faster without latency due to their extensive CDN network. Built-in multi-DRM architecture prevents any form of video piracy attempts. So, why wait? Sign up with Muvi Flex to start your 14-day free trial today!