Video hosting without the ad-tech pivot and billing surprises.
| Feature | host.video | JW Player |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $20/mo | ~$350/mo (AWS Marketplace) or contact sales |
| Pricing transparency | Published on website | Opaque — all tiers "Contact us" |
| Storage billing | Actual storage used | Charges for original + all transcoded variants |
| AI search inside videos | Included on all plans | Not available |
| Transcription cost | Included, no per-minute fee | $1/min reported (vs ~$0.10/min industry standard) |
| Open-source player | N/A | GitHub repo marked "No Longer Maintained" |
| Self-serve signup | Yes, 14-day free trial | Not available on current tiers |
| Product focus | Video hosting and management | Ad monetization (post-Connatix merger) |
JW Player charges for the original file plus all transcoded variants even when originals are not retained. One customer reported being charged for 22 TB when only 6.6 TB was needed — 70% inflation. host.video charges for actual storage used.
JW Player merged with Connatix (ad-tech) in October 2024 and rebranded as JWX in December 2025. The product now focuses on ad monetization — 18B monthly ad impressions — not video hosting. Their open-source player is abandoned. host.video is focused entirely on hosting, management, and delivery.
JW Player shows no dollar amounts on its website. AWS Marketplace lists Express Edition at $4,200/year for 600K plays. host.video starts at $20/mo with published pricing and a 14-day free trial. No sales calls required.
JW Player reportedly charges $1/minute for transcription — 10x the industry rate of roughly $0.10/minute. host.video includes automatic transcription on every upload with no per-minute fees.
JW Player claims 15B+ monthly video views and offers DRM (Widevine/FairPlay/PlayReady), AES-128, and 99.999% uptime. For large media publishers who need ad monetization and studio-grade DRM at massive scale, JWX has a longer operational track record.
host.video Starter is $20/mo ($200/yr). JW Player Express Edition is listed at $4,200/year on AWS Marketplace for 600K plays, 1 TB storage, and 72 TB bandwidth. host.video Business is $100/mo ($1,000/yr) for 500 GB storage and 5 TB bandwidth with AI search, transcription, custom domains, and honest storage billing. JW Player Publishing and Broadcasting tiers require custom quotes. Factor in inflated storage billing and $1/minute transcription costs and the actual JW Player spend is significantly higher than the headline number.
JW Player (JWX) may still be the right choice for large media publishers who need ad monetization across web and OTT, studio-grade DRM, and are comfortable with the post-merger direction toward ad-tech. If video advertising revenue is a core part of your business model, JWX has infrastructure built for that use case.
Choose host.video if you need straightforward video hosting with honest billing, included transcription, and AI search. If you are a JW Player customer frustrated by inflated storage charges, opaque pricing, or the pivot away from hosting toward ad monetization, host.video provides a focused, transparent alternative.