Why teams are switching and what to look for
Dacast charges without a consent policy before renewal. There is no way to cancel on the same day you are charged. Refunds are refused as a matter of policy. Cancellation requires both a form submission and a separate email before the renewal date.
The control panel is buggy; changes are not always saved on first try. Analytics are limited on basic plans. Sound and image lag and sync issues persist. The pay-per-view interface is cumbersome.
DRM and AES encryption require the Scale plan at $165/mo (annual billing). Lower-tier customers get limited security options despite paying $39-63/mo.
Modern VOD hosting with flat pricing, password protection on all plans, and AI-powered search. No billing traps.
Pricing: Starter $20/mo, Business $100/mo, Custom from $5,000/yr
Professional video hosting with ad-free player, privacy controls, and a free tier.
Pricing: Free, Starter $12/mo (annual), Enterprise custom
Marketing video platform with analytics, lead capture, and webinar hosting.
Pricing: Pro $79/mo, Advanced $319/mo
Privacy-focused hosting with white-label options and a turnkey video website builder.
Pricing: From $10/mo to $295/mo
Pay-as-you-go video CDN with a massive global network. The budget option for teams that need reliable delivery.
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go, $1/mo minimum
Serverless video infrastructure with per-minute pricing and automatic transcoding.
Pricing: Starter $5/mo, Creator $50/mo
| Platform | Pricing | Features | Ease of Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| host.video | From $20/mo flat | AI search, transcription, password protection, custom domains | Dashboard + API; modern UI |
| Vimeo | Free to ~$65/mo | Privacy controls, collaboration, 4K | Dashboard; familiar |
| Wistia | From $79/mo per-video | Marketing analytics, CTAs, webinars | Dashboard; marketing-focused |
| SproutVideo | From $10/mo | SSO, watermarking, video websites | Dashboard; easy setup |
| Bunny Stream | Pay-as-you-go | CDN, HLS, API | Developer-oriented |
| Cloudflare Stream | From $5/mo | Transcoding, CDN, signed URLs | Developer-focused |
If Dacast's billing practices, dated interface, and security feature-gating are pushing you to look elsewhere, the priority is a platform that treats you fairly. host.video offers transparent flat pricing, password protection on every plan, and a modern dashboard that works reliably. AI search and transcription are included, not locked behind a premium tier. No auto-renewal traps. No 2014-era interface.