6 platforms compared for affordability, ease of use, and professional embeds
Straightforward video hosting with flat monthly pricing. Upload, embed, and share without worrying about bandwidth bills. Custom domains, auto transcription, and a clean player included on every plan.
Pricing: Starter $20/mo ($200/yr), Business $100/mo ($1,000/yr), Custom from $5,000/yr
Budget-friendly video host with lead capture, password protection, and basic analytics. A solid choice for small businesses that need privacy controls.
Pricing: Seed $10/mo, Sprout $35/mo, Tree $75/mo, Forest $295/mo
Well-known video platform with a free tier and familiar interface. Good for businesses that need basic hosting and do not expect high traffic.
Pricing: Free (5 GB), Starter $12/mo (annual), Standard $20-25/mo, Advanced $65-75/mo
Infrastructure-first video delivery with pay-as-you-go pricing. Very cheap at low volumes, though costs can be hard to predict as usage grows.
Pricing: Pay-as-you-go: storage $0.01/GB/mo, delivery $0.01/GB
Marketing-focused video platform with lead capture and analytics. Powerful but expensive for small businesses.
Pricing: Free (10 videos), Pro $79/mo, Advanced $319/mo
The free default. Zero cost for hosting and delivery, but ads, YouTube branding, and related videos undermine professional appearance.
Pricing: Free
| Platform | Pricing | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| host.video | From $20/mo | Small businesses wanting flat pricing and professional embeds |
| SproutVideo | From $10/mo | Tight budgets needing basic privacy controls |
| Vimeo | Free - $75/mo | Low-traffic sites that need a free starting point |
| Bunny Stream | Pay-as-you-go | Technical teams comfortable with usage-based billing |
| Wistia | From $79/mo | Marketing-led businesses with conversion goals |
| YouTube | Free | Businesses with zero budget and no branding concerns |
If budget is the only factor, YouTube is free but comes with ads and branding you cannot remove. For a small step up, SproutVideo and Bunny Stream offer low entry prices, though both charge overages that can be hard to forecast. Vimeo has a free tier but its bandwidth cap and recent ownership changes add risk. Wistia is best if you are running lead-gen campaigns and can justify $79/mo. If you want a clean embed with no surprises on your bill, a flat-rate platform like host.video removes the guesswork.