Enterprise video hosting without the enterprise uncertainty.
| Feature | host.video | Brightcove |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $20/mo | ~$199/mo (Starter), sales-led |
| Self-serve signup | Yes, 14-day free trial | No — sales process required |
| Pricing transparency | Published on website | Pricing page returns 404 |
| AI search inside videos | Included on all plans | Not available |
| Auto transcription | Included, no per-minute fee | Available on higher tiers |
| Setup cost | $0 | Reported $10,000+ implementation |
| Contract | Cancel anytime, no lock-in | Annual contracts required |
| DRM | Not currently offered | Studio-grade DRM on Enterprise |
Bending Spoons acquired Brightcove for $233M in February 2025 and laid off 85% of staff — 450 of roughly 530 employees — in March 2025. Only about 80 remain as a "skeleton crew through April 2026." Named customers are already leaving. host.video has an active product team shipping updates.
Brightcove has no published pricing (the pricing page returns 404), requires a sales process, and locks customers into annual contracts with reported setup costs of $10,000 or more. host.video publishes pricing on the website, offers a 14-day free trial, and lets you cancel anytime.
host.video includes automatic transcription, AI search across your video library, and auto-generated chapters on every plan. Brightcove does not offer in-video search and locks advanced features behind enterprise tiers.
Brightcove offers studio-grade DRM, ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification, CSA STAR Level 1, and regional data storage options. For organizations that require these specific compliance certifications, Brightcove has a longer track record — though the staffing situation raises questions about ongoing compliance maintenance.
Brightcove supports subscription, ad-supported, and pay-per-view monetization models through its Beacon Studio product. If OTT distribution and video monetization are core requirements, Brightcove offers capabilities host.video does not.
host.video Starter is $20/mo ($200/yr). Brightcove Starter is reportedly around $199/mo ($2,400/yr) for 50-200 videos and up to 100K plays. host.video Business is $100/mo ($1,000/yr) for 500 GB storage and 5 TB bandwidth with no video count limits. Brightcove Professional is approximately $500/mo ($6,000/yr). Brightcove requires annual contracts and reported setup costs of $10,000 or more. host.video has no setup fees, no annual lock-in, and a 14-day free trial.
Brightcove may still be the right choice for large media companies that require studio-grade DRM, OTT distribution across multiple devices, and have existing annual contracts in place. If your organization has compliance requirements that specifically mandate Brightcove certifications, switching mid-contract may not be practical — but planning a migration timeline is prudent given the staffing situation.
Choose host.video if you want enterprise-quality video hosting without the enterprise sales process, annual lock-in, or uncertainty about whether the product will be maintained. If you are a Brightcove customer watching the layoffs unfold and evaluating options, host.video offers a modern alternative with predictable pricing, AI search, and a team actively building the product.