A Comparison of 15 Best Online Video Platforms for Publishers and Broadcasters in 2023

Saying that the video advertising and video-on-demand markets are massive would be an understatement. Ever since people realized the power and appeal of online video during the recent pandemic, more and more businesses have been entering the market daily. And with this market boom also came an increased need for secure and reliable online video platforms. 

While video-sharing platforms similar to YouTube are a simple and easy way to host videos online and embed them on your website, these platforms leave much to be desired. Professional publishers and broadcasters need security and versatility in monetization options, and these free platforms fail to live up to these needs.

However, choosing the right premium OVP for your business is challenging. There are dozens of online video platforms on the market, and each specializes in different areas of the market. 

That’s why we wrote this extensive overview of some of the best online video platforms to help you choose the right fit for your business. We will compare 15 OVPs and their features across various categories like video platform features, OTT compatibility, video monetization options, and pricing. Our picks specialize in various fields, so you’re sure to find one that fits your needs.

But before we get to our list, let’s cover some basics about online video platforms. If you want to get straight into our overviews, skip to them from the table of contents below.

What Is an Online Video Platform (OVP)?

Online video platforms (OVP) allow users to host, manage, and stream video content to their respective audiences. Most OVPs use HTML5 players to play back the content they host on their servers (often cloud-based). Professional video platforms also provide users with intuitive video content management systems that publishers can use to upload, organize, and embed their content. 

The most significant advantage of having and using an OVP to distribute your content is that their video hosting services reduce the strain on your website and provide a stable infrastructure for an affordable fee.

Benefits of Using Professional Online Video Platforms for Businesses

The benefits of using a professional OVP in favor of a free one are multiple, but here are some of the most notable ones: 

• They Have More Advanced Features — Free video platforms lack the features publishers and media companies need to make the most of their video library and monetization efforts. The most notable example is that platforms like YouTube don’t give creators complete control over their video monetization and branding. Such uncertainty is a significant downside for mid-to-large publishers looking to maximize video ad revenue.
• Premium OVPs Come With Dozens of Integration Options — Professional video platforms often offer various integration with third-party programs and systems that many companies use daily. These integrations can help streamline your everyday tasks, making them an incredible time-saver in the long run.
• Free Video Platforms Lack Security — Premium video platforms offer advanced server-side security and privacy features. Most premium video solutions rely on private video hosting and the latest encryption technology to keep publishers’ content safe.

These are the most valuable points that set premium OVPs apart from free ones. However, there are many more features professional video platforms offer that publishers might want to look for. 

What to Look for in an Online Video Platform

Whether you’re a publisher, a professional broadcaster, or a television provider looking to get into the OTT space, here are a few features you should look for in an online video platform.

Video Hosting

Including video hosting with your video platform is a massive benefit. Not having to look for a third-party hosting provider will make your life that much easier. Also, many OVPs offer private video hosting services, which can further help keep your content safe from theft.

Adaptive Streaming

Adaptive bitrate streaming has become a staple in the online video industry, and your video platform should support it. This technology lets publishers and broadcasters simultaneously deliver content in different video bitrates, optimizing playback to the end-users’ internet speeds. Using ABS ensures your audience can stream your content buffer-free and get the optimal viewing experience.

Video Content Management System

Publishers often have rich video libraries, sometimes with tens of thousands of videos. That’s why you want to be able to streamline managing all these videos. If your OVP doesn’t come with a content management system, you will find yourself in a pinch. And even if your video library is currently modest, you shouldn’t disregard this feature; your business will surely grow in the future. 

Advanced Security Options

There would be no point in creating premium content if somebody would be able to steal it or repost it elsewhere easily. That is why publishers and professional streamers should look for a video platform with advanced security features like URL tokenization or DRM protection. These features will help protect your content from theft and give you an additional layer of security on top of your private hosting.

CDN

Another vital part of every online video platform is to be able to distribute your videos efficiently. That is where picking a platform with a global CDN can be invaluable. This feature will allow you to reach users from across the globe without losing out on video quality or buffering speed.

Cross-Device Compatibility

Whether you’re a large publisher with a global audience or are just starting your online video business, reaching users across multiple devices is an excellent way to grow your viewership. People are tuning into online videos across their mobile devices in millions every day, and even more are watching content on CTV and various OTT devices. So if you’re looking to maximize your videos’ reach, ensure your OVP of choice has good mobile and OTT support.

Monetization Options

Whether you’re looking to launch an OTT streaming service or are a publisher who wants to monetize their website, finding a video platform with suitable monetization options is vital. There are three primary video monetization models on the market, each ideal for different types of businesses: 

• Advertising Video on Demand (AVOD) — This monetization model relies on serving instream and outstream video ads to monetize videos or websites. This model is best suited for media and publishers or anyone with a website with lots of traffic.
• Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) — This monetization model entails users paying a monthly subscription fee to access your video library. This model is best for video-on-demand and streaming services.
• Transaction Video on Demand (TVOD) — This monetization model means users must pay a fixed price for each video on your website or service. This model is best used alongside one of the other two models since it’s the hardest to leverage on its own.

Different models will suit different types of video services, so make sure to decide which one you’ll adopt before choosing your video platform. If your OVP of choice supports more than one (or all) of these models, all the better.

Analytics

Another must-have feature in an online video platform is detailed video analytics. Regardless of your business goals, you’ll need a way to track your content’s performance to make the right decisions.

And if you’re a publisher relying on video advertising as your main revenue stream, you should also search for real-time ad analytics. These can help you track your campaigns’ performance and optimize them on the fly.

API

Choosing an online video platform with access to its API gives publishers incredible control. Access to an API allows publishers to integrate any third-party tools with their platform of choice easily. Whether you want to integrate additional analytics software or a custom video CMS, this feature can make that possible. 

If your business relies on many third-party tools, having access to a platform’s API will prove invaluable.

15 Top Online Video Platforms on the Market

Here’s our comparison of the 15 best online video platforms on the market. For each of the picks, we covered the general features of the platform, its monetization options, OTT functionalities and support, and pricing. We hope this list helps you choose the right platform for your business.

1. Brid.TV

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Video Monetization (AVOD) Platform for Publishers, Broadcasters, and Digital Media	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Brid.TV is an enterprise-level online video platform and monetization solution founded in 2018. Although relatively new on the market, the company quickly made a name for itself across dozens of countries worldwide. Brid.TV’s mission is to build products that help publishers monetize their videos and maximize ad yield. It currently services hundreds of publishers across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East.

Video Platform

Brid.TV’s online video platform gives publishers access to a versatile and secure content management and video hosting solution. The platform supports MPEG-DASH and HLS streaming and various video formats, including MP4 and 360 video. 

The platform comes with a fast and reliable CDN, ensuring smooth playback for users worldwide. Brid.TV’s content management system is equipped with various content management features (e.g., playlists, filters, channels) and extensive video and ad analytics.

When it comes to user engagement, the Brid.TV platform combines unique and engaging content units and video carousels with advanced content matching algorithms. These features work in unison to boost publishers’ view times and ad revenue.

The entire Brid.TV platform is fully white-label, so publishers and ad networks can use its complete infrastructure to launch an online video platform within a day.

Monetization

Brid.TV’s online video platform is built with publishers in mind and offers extensive ad-based monetization options. The platform supports all the latest VAST and VPAID ad tags, various instream and outstream ad formats, and advanced yield optimization tools like video header bidding and a rich header bidding analytics suite.

Brid.TV’s platform allows publishers to set up and configure complex header bidding systems with some of the most popular header bidding wrappers (e.g., SpotX, Amazon Publisher Services, Prebid.js) in just a few clicks. When you combine this system with Brid.TV’s customizable floating player, various sticky ad units, and ad podding system, it should be clear why Brid.TV is one of the most profitable online video platforms for publishers.

OTT

Brid.TV’s platform has extensive and regularly updated Android, iOS, and tvOS SDKs. That means publishers can easily integrate the Brid.TV player and platform with the most popular OTT apps and advertise there. The platform also comes with full DRM support, which can help publishers protect their content from theft on the web and OTT.

But if you’re a publisher looking to expand your businesses into the OTT realm but don’t have a development team to build you an app, Brid.TV can take care of that for you. The company can also help publishers build a branded OTT app on Android, iOS, Samsung TV, Tizen, or Amazon Fire TV with one of its app templates.

Key Features

Pricing

Brid.TV offers users four different pricing plans, so publishers of all sizes are sure to find something to fit their needs.

• Free: One-Time Opportunity to Try the Platform Out (Limited Features)
• Essentials: $25/month
• Business: Starts from $89/month 
• Premium: Fully Customizable Plan 

Each of these plans comes with different functionalities and features, so publishers have plenty of flexibility to pick the one best suited to their needs. If you’d like to try our platform and its features for free, we also offer a risk-free premium demo; no contract required! Get in touch to learn more.

2. JW Player

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Mass Adoption Video Player	Yes (Limited Platform Access)

JW Player is a video player software company founded in 2005 that also offers a full-fledged video platform solution and web hosting services. The company started as an open-source project but switched to a Creative Commons license for commercial use in 2015. JW Player is currently one of the most used online video players on the market and powers the online video businesses of thousands of publishers worldwide.

Video Platform

JW Player’s platform was built to deliver superior viewing experiences and drive business growth, which is why it comes with a wide range of features. The platform sports a fully-fledged content management system from which publishers can access their video libraries, in-depth video analytics, and video monetization. JW Player’s platform is also equipped with a global CDN, allowing users to enjoy smooth, lag-free videos wherever they live.

JW Player’s video platform is equipped with advanced A.I. content matching technology designed to keep users engaged longer. Combined with other engagement-boosting features like playlists, interactive video elements, and highly customizable thumbnails, this platform is a real engagement-driving machine.

Monetization

Publishers looking for a video platform with advanced ad-based monetization options will be pleased with JW Player’s offer. The platform allows publishers to monetize their videos across all devices, including mobile, OTT, and CTV. 

Besides extensive ad support (instream ads, outstream ads), JW Player also has header bidding built into the player. This advanced real-time bidding technique allows publishers to maximize ad revenue without putting additional strain on their websites.

JW Player doesn’t offer direct support for subscription-based and pay-per-view monetization. However, publishers can easily integrate its player with their existing paywall systems, thanks to its platform API and SDKs.

OTT

Although JW Player doesn’t offer direct OTT support, it comes with extensive iOS and Android SDKs. These allow publishers to quickly integrate JW Player with various OTT devices and apps.  

Another upside of choosing JW Player is that they also offer pre-made OTT apps for Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Samsung Smart TVs, and many more. This option can save publishers time and budget if they’re looking to scale through the OTT market.

Key Features

Pricing

JW Player comes with a custom pricing plan and a 30-day free trial. The trial account gives publishers 25 GB of hosting and 75 GB of streaming, with full API and SDK access. If you’re interested in trying out JW Player’s video platform and its features, you’ll need to get in touch with their sales team.

3. Vimeo

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Mass Adoption Online Video & Hosting Platform With Live Streaming	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Vimeo is an online video platform founded in 2004 and is currently one of the largest video hosting, sharing, and streaming platforms in the world. Although the company started as a video player and hosting service, it expanded its business over the years and now has a strong presence in the OTT and live streaming markets as well. Vimeo is home to over 260 million users and boasts more than 1.6 million subscribers.

Video Platform

Vimeo is one of the most versatile online video platforms on the market, and for a good reason. The company offers a variety of tools for video marketing, employee communications, and monetization.

Besides video hosting services and HD video streaming, Vimeo’s platform comes with many other handy features. Some of the most notable ones are automatic captioning, a user-friendly video CMS, a video distribution platform, screen recording software, and video analytics. 

Vimeo also has two other services — one for live streaming and another for launching an OTT platform. So whether you’re looking to start an on-demand video service or need video software for internal communications, Vimeo’s platform will meet your needs.

Monetization

Vimeo is quite versatile when it comes to monetization, as it supports all of the most popular models — AVOD, SVOD, TVOD, and pay-per-view. That leaves publishers with a lot of flexibility in how they want to monetize their content. These models are supported across all devices (OTT, CTV, Mobile).

However, if you’re an ad-powered online business, it’s worth noting that Vimeo lacks the advanced advertising features of other platforms like Brid.TV or JW Player. So if your main source of income comes from advertising, you’ll be better off with another OVP.

OTT

Vimeo also offers a complete OTT management platform as a separate product for anyone looking to enter the OTT market. This platform allows publishers to seamlessly distribute their content across iOS, Android, Apple TV, Android TV, Roku, Samsung Tizen, Fire TV, and Xbox devices and apps. This service supports both on-demand and live broadcasting.

Vimeo’s OTT platform allows users to monetize their content through subscriptions, pay-per-view, or advertising. The service is available worldwide and follows a pay-as-you-go model, making it one of the most affordable OTT services on the market.

Key Features

Pricing

Vimeo’s services are available on four different pricing plans. The company also offers a 30-day free trial for anyone interested in trying out its platform before committing to it. Here are the pricing plans at your disposal:

• Starter: $9/month
• Standard: $25/month
• Advanced: $65/month
• Enterprise: Custom

Each of the above plans comes with different features and functionalities, so publishers will need to look into them before choosing one. For instance, live streaming is available only on Vimeo’s Premium plan, while custom branding is available from the Business plan and upwards. If you’re interested in Vimeo’s OTT service, it comes at a different pricing scheme. You can find a full list of features for each of Vimeo’s plans on its website.

4. Brightcove

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Mass Adoption Video Hosting & Video Publishing	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Brightcove is an enterprise-level video platform founded in 2004 whose mission is to bring people together using the power of video. The company offers various services, including video hosting, monetization, live streaming, video for marketing, and over-the-top content delivery. Nowadays, Brightcove is one of the largest enterprise video solutions in the U.S. and has even received two Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards for its solutions.

Video Platform

Brightcove’s enterprise-level video platform comes with a wide variety of video and streaming solutions for publishers and broadcasters worldwide. From live event streaming to internal communications and video for e-commerce sites, Brightcove offers something for everybody. 

The platform supports high-quality video streaming and a dedicated content management system, depending on your product of choice. Brightcove is also equipped with dozens of useful video marketing tools, extensive audience insights and video analytics, a variety of monetization options, and cloud encoding services.

Monetization

Brightcove’s platform gives users a lot of flexibility regarding monetization as it supports ad-based, subscription-based, and pay-per-view monetization models. That makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone who wants to incorporate different monetization strategies at scale.

One thing worth noting is that Brightcove’s advertising support is limited, as it doesn’t offer any advanced yield optimization technology.

OTT

Brightcove’s online video platform also has a dedicated OTT management system. The company allows users to easily distribute their content to 11 devices across 175 countries in just a few clicks. 

Brightcove’s OTT platform includes detailed video analytics and subscriber tracking and boasts a 99.9% server uptime. Like its video platform, Brightcove’s OTT service also supports all the most popular monetization models (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD).

Key Features

Pricing

Unfortunately, Brightcove doesn’t disclose its pricing publicly, so you’ll need to get in touch with their representatives to get a quote. However, the company does offer a free trial, so you’ll still be able to try the platform out before signing anything.

5. Uscreen

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Video Monetization & Distribution Platform	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Uscreen is a video monetization platform founded in 2015 to help businesses and creators expand their audiences and earn more money from their videos. The company offers an intuitive video management and monetization solution for anyone looking to build an audience on OTT. Uscreen is currently home to more than 25,000 creators and brands, and that number is growing daily.

Video Platform

Uscreen’s video platform was built and designed for anyone looking for an easy way to build an OTT website and launch a subscription-based video service. The platform offers excellent features and support for brands and content creators looking for an alternative to YouTube monetization. 

Thanks to its reliable, lightweight HTML5 player and intuitive video management system, Uscreen is suitable for creators of all sizes. The platform includes various marketing and retention tools, a video distribution system, rich audience and video analytics, extensive monetization options, and high-end security. 

Monetization

Any creator or brand looking to launch a subscription-based service is unlikely to find a better platform than Uscreen. The platform supports some of the most popular OTT monetization models, including SVOD, TVOD, pay-per-view, and even content renting. The sheer number of supported payment options and third-party integrations gives creators plenty of flexibility and caters to the largest number of viewers.

Unfortunately, Uscreen has no advertising support, so it’s not the best choice for anyone looking to launch an ad-powered OTT service or website.

OTT

Uscreen’s online video platform also comes with a dedicated OTT management platform. This feature allows users to upload, manage, and distribute content across some of the best OTT apps and devices from a single CMS. The platform also comes with dozens of useful third-party integrations (e.g., e-commerce, Zapier, Mailchimp) and in-depth analytics.

Premium users can also take advantage of Uscreen’s custom, branded OTT apps. If you want to expand your reach in the OTT realm but don’t have a dedicated development team, Uscreen can build and launch an app for you.

However, the best part about Uscreen’s platform is that it also contains a handy OTT website builder. Creators can use this feature to build an OTT website from a series of templates or from scratch without any coding knowledge. This feature makes Uscreen one of the most user-friendly OTT platforms on the market.

Key Features

Pricing

Uscreen’s online video platform has three pricing plans, each with different features and platform functionalities.

• Basic: $99/month
• Growth: $199/month
• Uscreen Plus: Fully Customizable Plan

Publishers looking to launch an OTT website and start monetizing can do so even on Uscreen’s cheapest plan. However, those who want to expand their reach and implement various OTT apps in their distribution strategy will need to opt for the Uscreen Plus plan. You can learn more about the features available on each of Uscreen’s plans on its website.

6. Contus VPlayed

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Digital OTT Experience Platform	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Contus VPlayed is an online video and OTT platform that started as a digital design company in 2008. However, the company quickly branched out and built multiple products and services, including digital engineering, a custom communications API and SDK, and a digital OTT experience platform. Contus VPlayed currently works with clients from over 40 countries worldwide and helps them provide their users with top-notch OTT experiences.

Video Platform

Contus VPlayed is an online video platform with an easily deployable live streaming and OTT solution. The platform is built for low-latency streaming and offers on-premise or cloud hosting and a global CDN. 

Contus VPlayed’s platform features a fully-fledged video CMS that makes managing rich video libraries a breeze. Users can take advantage of dozens of handy features like content scheduling, playlist creation, video and thumbnail customization, and much more. The CMS also comes with real-time video performance tracking, which will help users make the right decisions at the right time.

This OVP also supports a variety of marketing automations, which will make syndicating videos to other social or video platforms seamless. Contus VPlayed also comes with more than six monetization models, making it an excellent choice for all types of publishers or brands. 

Monetization

Contus VPlayed’s video platform is one of the most flexible solutions on the market regarding monetization. Publishers who choose this platform will get access to a variety of options:

• AVOD
• SVOD
• TVOD
• Pay-Per-View
• In-App Purchases
• Coupons & Promotions
• And More…

On top of these options, Contus VPlayed also supports several advanced advertising features like server-side ad insertion, various overlay ads, and companion ads. Although it lacks advanced yield optimization features like header bidding integration, the sheer variety of monetization options makes Contus VPlayed one of the best options for anyone looking to start a hybrid streaming platform.

OTT

Contus VPlayed is an OTT-first video platform and comes with extensive OTT and CTV support. Besides its rich selection of monetization models, this platform has everything one would need to launch an on-demand or OTT streaming service. 

Contus VPlayed will help users create custom OTT apps and launch them across all the popular OTT devices (Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, etc.). These apps come with dozens of valuable features, including in-app purchases, paywall integration, offline viewing, and more. 

The platform also has extensive DRM support and OTT marketing features like an advanced video recommendation engine, lead capture forms, and social publishing tools. Overall, Contus VPlayed is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a way to reach new viewers across CTV and OTT.

Key Features

Pricing

Unfortunately, Contus VPlayed doesn’t reveal its pricing publicly, so users will need to get in touch with their representatives for more information. However, the platform offers a detailed form that publishers can use to express interest in a free product demo.

7. Dacast

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Mass Adoption Live Streaming Platform	Yes (Limited Platform Access)

Dacast is a live streaming platform founded in 2008 that offers an affordable way for users to host on-demand and live videos. Although the company built a name for itself in the live streaming industry, it has since expanded into other areas of the video industry like OTT. Dacast currently services over 300,000 users worldwide and is one of the few streaming solutions that also do business in the Chinese market.

Video Platform

Dacast’s white-label video platform and live streaming solution is built on the RTMP streaming protocol and offers secure, global content delivery and private video hosting. The platform supports multi-bitrate streaming and is suitable for hosting both on-demand and live content.

Dacast’s OVP is equipped with real-time video streaming analytics and live encoding support. When you combine these features with Dacast’s advertising and paywall support, it becomes clear why this platform is one of the most popular professional streaming services on the market.

Monetization

Dacast has built-in advertising support for VAST & VPAID ad tags for anyone looking to monetize their live or on-demand content. Although the platform doesn’t provide direct support for subscription-based and paywall monetization, broadcasters can easily implement these models using Dacast’s platform API. 

OTT

Streamers looking to get onto OTT and CTV devices will be glad to hear that Dacast’s streaming platform also supports OTT broadcasting. However, the platform lacks a dedicated OTT app builder to streamline the process. But if you have the resources to build your own OTT app or website, you can easily integrate Dacast’s platform with the most popular OTT devices, thanks to its extensive SDKs and API support.

Key Features

Pricing

Dacast’s video streaming platform comes with four pricing plans, each with different streaming and storage limits and features.

• Starter: $39/month
• Event: $63/month
• Scale: $188/month
• Custom: Fully Customizable Plan

Dacast’s streaming platform is incredibly flexible with its plans since they are suitable for a wide variety of broadcasters. The Starter plan is perfect for smaller streamers, while the Event plan is excellent for brands who need to live stream an event from time to time. However, the Scale and Custom plans are where Dacast’s platform shines. If you’re looking for an online video platform for streaming, Dacast is one of the best choices, regardless of your streaming needs.

8. Flowplayer

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Performance-First Online Video Platform	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Flowplayer is an HTML5 player and video platform founded in 2004 by two brothers looking to revolutionize the online video industry. The company started as an open-source project but quickly became a full-stack solution for publishers and media companies. Nowadays, thousands of publishers worldwide rely on Flowplayer to deliver smooth video streams and monetize their video libraries.

Video Platform

Although Flowplayer started as an HTML5 player, it quickly developed into a full-fledged online video platform. Users can now upload, manage, and embed videos on their websites in just a few clicks from Flowplayer’s CMS. The platform also includes in-depth video and ad analytics and a readily-available API.

Flowplayer’s platform supports 4K video and live streaming and handles all users’ hosting and encoding needs. Publishers can also safeguard their content from theft, thanks to Flowplayer’s DRM protection.

Monetization

When it comes to monetization, Flowplayer comes with extensive advertising support. Publishers can enjoy a variety of instream and oustream video ad formats, fill rate optimization features (e.g., waterfalling, ad scheduling, header bidding), and extensive ad analytics.

Although Flowplayer has no direct support for subscription-based and pay-per-view monetization models, it does come with plenty of third-party integrations. So publishers with enough coding knowledge won’t have much trouble setting these up.

OTT

Unfortunately, Flowplayer’s video platform doesn’t come with any built-in OTT support. However, publishers can still integrate the company’s HTML5 player with a pre-built OTT solution or app and monetize it if they have adequate coding knowledge.

Key Features

Pricing

Flowplayer’s OVP comes with three different pricing plans:

• Free: One-Time Opportunity to Try the Platform Out (Limited Features)
• Starter: Starts from $49/month
• Enterprise: Fully Customizable Plan

The Free plan offers publishers a hassle-free way to get a feel for Flowplayer’s platform with no strings attached. However, you will need to pick one of the paid plans to unlock the platform’s main features. The Starter plan contains everything small- to mid-sized businesses need to get their video business on their feet. In contrast, the Enterprise plan is tailored to publishers with large libraries and video streaming needs. Publishers interested in the Enterprise plan will need to contact Flowplayer’s sales team to get an accurate quote.

9. Playwire

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Monetization and Revenue Amplification Between Publishers & Advertisers	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Playwire is a monetization and revenue amplification platform founded in 2007 that started its journey in the video gaming advertising space. The company quickly expanded its portfolio of products and grew its business globally in just a few years. Playwire’s mission today is to build reliable video solutions that help publishers make the most of their available ad inventory and maximize ad yield across all platforms.

Video Platform

Playwire is a video ad serving and revenue amplification platform whose purpose is to streamline the integration and management of multiple demand sources and maximize publishers’ revenue. Although this platform is not your typical online video platform, it comes with a dedicated HTML5 player and various ad stack management tools for web and apps.

Playwire’s platform relies on machine intelligence to optimize publishers’ revenue and comes equipped with a data management platform. When you combine these features with its dedicated ad server and various brand safety features, it’s clear why Playwire is one of the best video platforms for anyone with an ad-powered online business.

Monetization

Playwire’s OVP gives publishers access to over 20 different SSPs and video ad networks, helping publishers get their inventory into only the most competitive auctions. This platform supports Google Open Bidding, large-scale prebid auctions, and direct sales for enterprise-level publishers. 

Playwire also features several unique video ad formats publishers can use to monetize across all devices. This platform is also suitable for publishers in children-oriented businesses, as it has a dedicated COPPA-certified monetization initiative. This initiative ensures that all ads served on child-friendly content undergo intense scrutiny.

Overall, whether you’re a publisher looking to get into CTV and OTT advertising or wish to maximize your website’s ad revenue, Playwire’s platform will deliver. 

However, if you’re looking to launch a subscription-based or pay-per-view video service, you’ll need to settle for another solution.

OTT

Playwire’s video and revenue amplification platform doesn’t offer any support for launching an OTT service. However, if you’re looking to monetize your existing OTT platform, you can easily do so. But if you need help launching a service from scratch or building an OTT app, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Key Features

Pricing

Unfortunately, Playwire doesn’t disclose its pricing scheme on its website, so publishers will need to contact their sales team to get a price estimate. However, the platform offers a free trial, so you’ll still be able to test the platform before committing to it.

10. Muvi

Platform Focus	Free Trial
OTT, Video Streaming, and Video on Demand Provider	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Muvi is an online video platform and OTT company founded in 2013 that offers an end-to-end solution for multi-screen audio and video streaming across a variety of apps and OTT devices. The company designed its product with transparency in mind and believes publishers should always have full control over their content. 

Video Platform

Muvi is an online video platform that focuses on providing ready-made OTT solutions for enterprise-level businesses or publishers. The platform comes with a reliable online video and audio player and complete back-end infrastructure. Users will also enjoy various advanced security features to ensure their content remains safe from piracy (e.g., biometric authentication).

Muvi’s content management system is easy to use and allows broadcasters to upload, manage, and track the performance of videos across multiple OTT websites and applications. The platform also lets account owners easily manage users and content metadata.

Although Muvi provides the entire platform infrastructure, it gives publishers much control through its third-party integrations (e.g., Zapier) and mobile SDKs. With these options, publishers have the freedom to customize the platform to their needs and introduce new integrations.

Muvi’s video platform also comes with a handy website builder. Publishers can use this tool to build and launch an OTT website without needing to do any coding.

Monetization

When it comes to monetization options, Muvi is pretty flexible. The platform supports all the most popular monetization models (AVOD, SVOD, TVOD), and a few not-so-common ones. Broadcasters using Muvi can hide their content behind a paywall, decide to rent it for a one-time fee, or even hand out discount coupons to new or existing users.

These monetization options are available across all devices and platforms.

OTT

Muvi’s OTT platform offers excellent support for launching any number of OTT websites or apps across various devices (e.g., iOS, Android, LG TV). Although users will need to pay a fixed fee for each OTT instance or app running, Muvi will handle the entire launch process for you. 

Muvi’s platform includes private hosting and DRM support, which are a must-have nowadays for any OTT service. High-end broadcasters will also get additional benefits like a staging environment and on-demand, strategic consultations with Muvi’s team of experts.

If you need an all-in-one solution for launching an OTT service like Netflix or Hulu, Muvi’s monetization flexibility and stable infrastructure make it an ideal choice.

Key Features

Pricing

Muvi’s OTT platform comes with four different pricing plans for publishers of different sizes.

• Standard: $399/month
• Professional: $1,499/month
• Enterprise: $3,900/month
• Ultimate: Fully Customizable Plan

Although Muvi’s prices are quite steep, this platform is one of the best choices for anyone who wants to launch an all-in-one OTT platform with a pre-built infrastructure. This pricing also includes additional costs for every active OTT app and overage fees. 

The features and options available with each plan vary greatly, and the best way to check them out is to visit Muvi’s website.

11. Bitmovin

Platform Focus	Free Trial
APIs to Encode, Play, and Analyze Video	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Bitmovin is a video platform and video technology company founded in 2012 with a single mission — to create the best video development technology and enable publishers and broadcasters to deliver smooth video experiences worldwide. Since its founding, Bitmovin has developed three primary products — an HTML5 player, analytics software, and a next-generation video encoder. Today, Bitmovin provides its solutions to over 250 enterprises worldwide.

Video Platform

Bitmovin’s online video platform comprises three primary products:

• A Next-Gen Video Encoder
• A Lightweight Video Player
• Real-Time Video & Ad Analytics 

These products combined make Bitmovin’s suite one of the best options for anyone looking for a reliable, lag-free streaming solution. 

Publishers using Bitmovin’s platform will have their hosting needs covered and enjoy up to 300% faster encoding speeds than its competitors. Bitmovin’s encoder supports some of the best video codecs on the market and is sure to deliver smooth viewing experiences for your users.

Bitmovin’s flexible analytics suite collects real-time video and advertising data and is easy to integrate with various third-party platforms or products. Publishers can use Bitmovin’s analytics to identify underperforming content or ads and detect problems before they go out of hand. 

Bitmovin’s video player supports multi-codec streaming and comes with extensive advertising support. The player also supports on-demand DRM protection for anyone looking to safeguard their content from piracy.

Monetization

Bitmovin’s video player has extensive advertising options and works with any ad server. Publishers using Bitmovin can monetize their videos across any device or platform (web, mobile, OTT). 

Bitmovin’s OVP supports dozens of ad formats, including pre-, mid-, and post-roll instream ads, overlay ads, and companion ads. This video platform is also equipped with advanced advertising options like ad tag waterfalling and advertising for live video.

Considering how Bitmovin’s player is easy to integrate, publishers have a lot of flexibility. Unfortunately, this platform doesn’t support subscription-based or transactional monetization models, which may prove a dealbreaker for some.

OTT

Bitmovin’s online video platform doesn’t include dedicated OTT support. However, publishers can integrate Bitmovin’s video player with their OTT website or app using the company’s video player SDK for Android, iOS, Roku, and webOS. That allows them to use Bitmovin’s player to deliver their content across some of the most popular OTT devices on the market.

If you’re looking to connect Bitmovin’s analytics and encoder with your OTT website or app, you can do so with their encoding API. So despite lacking direct OTT support, users with enough coding knowledge can easily integrate Bitmovin’s products with their OTT services.

Key Features

Pricing

Bitmovin has a different pricing plan for each of its products (player, encoder, analytics) and two custom plans. Overall, the company’s pricing scheme is flexible, which many publishers will appreciate.

• Player Starter: $249/month
• Encoding Starter: $249/month
• Analytics Starters: $249/month
• Pay-As-You-Go: Only Pay for Usage
• Enterprise: Fully Customizable Plan With Volume Discounts

Bitmovin’s platform is one of the most versatile ones due to its Pay-As-You-Go pricing scheme. However, if you don’t need all of its products, you can just opt for one of them through one of their starter plans. And if you’re a publisher with high-volume streaming or video encoding needs, the Enterprise plan’s discounts will be a well worthwhile investment. 

12. Kaltura

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Enterprise Video Software and Video Cloud Platform	Yes (Platform Access Depends on Product Choice)

Kaltura is an open-source cloud video software company founded in 2006. The company strives to create flexible and affordable video solutions for various markets and needs, including government streaming, e-learning, and cloud TV. Kaltura prides itself on its impact on democratizing media and making it more accessible to audiences worldwide.

Video Platform

Kaltura’s video platform has historically been the most popular among educational institutions and e-learning services, but it has users from all walks of life. The thing that sets Kaltura apart from most competitors is its open-source software, making it incredibly flexible for all types of businesses.

Besides this flexibility, Kaltura offers cloud-based video hosting and a dedicated content management system. The platform is suitable for distributing both live and on-demand content and has an active community of users that regularly create new add-ons and integrations.

Another benefit of Kaltura’s OVP is that it offers several different services, including software for internal communications and a full-fledged e-learning platform. So if you need any of these services, Kaltura is an excellent choice.

Monetization

Unfortunately, Kaltura doesn’t have any built-in monetization support. However, thanks to its platform API, users can easily integrate their monetization systems with their service. Due to its open-source nature, publishers can integrate any monetization model they like (SVOD, AVOD, TVOD, pay-per-view).

OTT

Kaltura’s platform comes with extensive SDKs for all the most popular operating systems, making it easy for users to integrate it with their OTT apps or devices. Doing so will require manual coding, but the entire process is streamlined as much as possible.

Kaltura also offers a unique Cloud TV platform as one of its products. This service lets media companies, broadcasters, and service providers deliver personalized TV experiences at scale. So if you’re looking to reach more viewers or enter the CTV advertising world, Kaltura is one of the best options for you.

Key Features

Pricing

Kaltura has different pricing schemes for each of its nine solutions, and most of them require publishers to reach out to get a quote. We encourage you to visit their website to check their product pricing schemes or to reach out.

13. Wowza

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Video Streaming & Management Platform	Yes (Full Platform Access)

Wowza is a video streaming and management solutions provider founded in 2007. The company strives to build reliable and stable streaming technology for powering video streaming worldwide. Wowza has developed two primary products — Wowza Streaming Engine and Wowza Cloud Engine. Currently, more than 38,000 businesses rely on Wowza’s infrastructure to stream live video worldwide.

Video Platform

Wowza’s video platform allows users to easily host, manage, and serve live and on-demand video content across any device. This platform is equipped with various tools to streamline the management of large video libraries and comes with a global CDN.

Wowza’s streaming platform also includes extensive real-time analytics for live and on-demand content, so broadcasters can always stay in the loop with how their videos perform. Users will also get access to a detailed platform API and mobile SDKs, allowing them to integrate various third-party software with the platform easily.

But the best part of Wowza’s platform is that it is infinitely scalable, thanks to its global reach and reliable infrastructure. So if you’re looking for an affordable video streaming solution to scale your business, Wowza’s video platform will be an excellent choice.

Monetization

Unfortunately, Wowza doesn’t have any built-in monetization support, so anyone looking to use this platform to monetize their videos must implement their monetization system manually.

OTT

Wowza’s streaming platform comes with extensive SDK and API support, allowing publishers to easily integrate Wowza’s streaming products with their OTT services or apps. Although Wowza doesn’t offer a user-friendly OTT website builder or management system, publishers and broadcasters with dedicated development teams will have no trouble using their products in an OTT environment.

Key Features

Pricing

Wowza’s online video platform has two primary products — Wowza Video and Wowza Streaming Engine — and each of them has a separate pricing scheme.

Wowza Video Pricing

• One Month of Streaming: $149 (one-time purchase)
• Pay As You Go: $25/month
• Annual: $130/month
• Enterprise: Fully Customizable Plan

If you’re looking for a reliable video platform with extensive branding options, multi-bitrate streaming, and HD streaming, this product is perfect for you. The available plans also give you a ton of flexibility, so you’re sure to find one suitable for your business.

Wowza Streaming Engine Pricing

• One Month of Streaming: $295 (one-time purchase)
• Basic: $195/month
• Enterprise: Fully Customizable Plan

If you’re more interested in a live streaming solution, Wowza’s Streaming Engine is for you. Depending on your streaming needs, you can settle for one of the above plans or contact Wowza’s sales team for a custom solution.

14. IBM Cloud Video (Former UStream)

Platform Focus	Platform Focus
Streaming Video Platform & Hosting Services	Yes (Full Platform Access)

IBM Cloud Video is a streaming video platform and hosting provider founded in 2017 under the name Ustream. The company rebranded to IBM Cloud Video in 2018 after it got acquired by IBM and has since incorporated IBM’s advanced AI technology into its video platform. Nowadays, IBM Cloud Video is helping thousands of broadcasters and enterprises deliver smooth, high-quality video worldwide.

Video Platform

IBM Cloud Video’s enterprise streaming platform offers secure hosting and video management services for anyone looking to start an online video business. This platform also includes cloud transcoding services, ensuring publishers always deliver their videos in optimal formats.

IBM Cloud Video’s content management system is intuitive and was built to help publishers streamline the management of large video libraries. The company’s AI-driven video search makes the process that much easier. 

This platform also has several other handy features like automatic captioning, in-depth analytics and audience insights, and round-the-clock support.

Monetization

When it comes to monetization, IBM Cloud Video doesn’t disappoint. The platform supports all of the most popular monetization models, including advertising, subscriptions, and pay-per-view. This flexibility makes this platform suitable for many users and video businesses.

One handy feature IBM Cloud Video has over its competitors is the easy integration of a donation-based monetization system. Publishers can embed donations support into their video content via various overlays.

One downside to this OVP is that its advertising support is not great. If you’re a publisher looking for a platform with various yield optimization features, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

OTT

IBM Cloud Video’s platform has everything one needs to build and launch an OTT streaming service. The platform features a fully-fledged OTT content management system that allows users to easily upload, schedule, and manage their content. The CMS also has an easy way to manage metadata, meaning publishers can save a lot of time when organizing their content.

IBM Cloud Video relies on adaptive bitrate streaming technology to ensure smooth playback to users worldwide. IBM’s video platform is fully white-label and supports all popular monetization models, making it perfect for anyone looking to launch a streaming service.

Key Features

Pricing

IBM Cloud Video’s OVP comes with four different pricing plans and a 30-day free trial. However, users will need to contact IBM Cloud Video’s representatives to get a pricing estimate. The primary difference between these four plans is in its storage and viewing limits, so publishers won’t have to do much research to find the best one for their needs. However, the Custom plan comes with a few additional benefits to the other three, like 4K streaming and various third-party integrations. Visit IBM Cloud Video’s website for a full list of features available on each plan.

15. Wistia

Platform Focus	Free Trial
Video Marketing Software	Free Plan Available

Wistia is a video marketing platform and software provider founded in 2006 by two Brown University graduates. The company is tailored to video marketers and focuses on crafting various products for video creation, distribution, and measurement. Wistia’s mission is to make business more human, and they’ve been successfully doing that with thousands of brands worldwide.

Video Platform

Wistia’s online video platform is incredibly popular among podcasters and video marketers, and for a good reason. The platform has a user-friendly CMS and a brandable video player, so it has everything one needs to start with online video.

However, what makes Wistia stand out is that it features various marketing integrations with dozens of CRM software or ad platforms. When you couple that with its rich selection of lead generation tools (e.g., CTAs, email collection), it becomes obvious why Wistia’s platform is the go-to choice for many marketing professionals.

Wistia’s OVP also contains a few additional features that help marketers streamline their workflow. One of the handiest ones is a built-in video editor. This tool lets users make quick video edits straight from Wistia’s CMS. 

Besides the above, Wistia also comes with actionable video analytics and various video distribution tools. These allow marketers to make data-driven decisions and easily get their videos in front of new viewers.

Monetization

Unfortunately, Wistia doesn’t have any built-in monetization support. However, the platform does support a few external paywall integrations marketers can use to monetize their videos. You can learn more about these integrations on Wistia’s website.

OTT

Wistia’s marketing platform offers no OTT support. So if your goals are to reach broader audiences across OTT devices, you’ll need to look elsewhere.

Key Features

Pricing

Wistia’s online video and marketing platform comes with three pricing schemes, each with different limits and features.

• Free: Best for Businesses Just Getting Started With Video
• Pro: $99/month
• Advanced: Fully Customizable Plan

Although Wistia is not your typical online video platform, it has some handy tools and features for anyone into video content marketing. The Free and Pro plans have strict video and subscriber limits, so the best option for any mid-to-large business would be the company’s Advanced plan. However, users will need to contact Wistia’s sales team to get an accurate quote for it.

So Which Online Video Platform Is the Best for You?

With so many video platforms on the market, making the final choice won’t be easy. Each of these platforms comes with different strengths and weaknesses, so which one would be best?

The answer will depend on what kind of video business you plan to start. Some of these OVPs are excellent for publishers running ad-powered online businesses, while others are better for brands looking to start an OTT service or stream live events.

Here is our selection of the best platforms for different types of video businesses to help you make the best choice:

• Publishers: Brid.TV and Playwire
• Live Streaming: Dacast and IBM Cloud Video
• OTT: Uscreen, ContusVPlayed, and Muvi
• E-Learning: Kaltura
• Enterprises: Vimeo, Brightcove
• Video Marketing: Wistia

We hope this comparison helps you find the best online video platform for your business. Don’t forget to take advantage of the free trials most of these platforms offer before making the final decision. That’s the most reliable way of finding out if a platform is a right fit for you.

Since you’re already here, why not give Brid.TV’s platform a shot? Get in touch with our team and start a risk-free Premium trial today.

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