Are you looking for an online video platform (OVP) to take your business to the next level? Or maybe you’re thinking of switching to a new one in the coming year?
Either way, there are lots of options to choose from. New platforms are popping up all the time in the OVP space. In fact, the global OVP market is predicted to reach $1.6 billion by 2027, driving over 80% of all internet traffic.
With so many options, you might find it confusing to figure out which one is right for your business. Publishers, broadcasters, e-learning brands, sports leagues, fitness companies… Everyone needs different things from an OVP.
So, we’re going to walk you through 19 different platforms. We’ll cover the unique features of each one, along with the pros and cons. But first, let’s cover the basics.
What’s an online video platform?
An online video platform (OVP) allows you to upload live and recorded video content on a website—you can then embed these videos in a library, website, mobile application, or even a smart TV app. The platform hosts the content on your behalf so you don’t have to build your own data centers or infrastructure.
In addition to hosting, OVPs often provide live streaming software and HTML5 video players that allow your audience to watch your content on virtually any device.
OVPs provide out-of-the-box features to help you build an all-in-one video solution. Most will let you livestream and host video-on-demand content, and some come with built-in monetization options and data rights management (DRM) protection.
OVPs also do the difficult job of encoding and transcoding your video uploads to a variety of formats. This transcoding process ensures customers can watch your content regardless of device, browser, or bandwidth limitations.
What are the benefits of an online video platform?
OVPs allow you to transform the way you publish, manage and monetize videos. A dynamic OVP will allow you to:
- Store all of your online video content in one place and manage it from a single dashboard
- Provide an excellent viewing experience that adjusts to multiple devices
- Automatically upload or embed videos without dealing with encoding and other technical issues
- Implement more effective video marketing and monetization strategies
- Securely share, store, or keep videos behind a paywall
- Make your videos available in lots of different places online
- Reach more customers by improving your exposure through search engine rankings
- Rely on a backup in case your own systems go down
What is the difference between an online video platform and a video hosting service?
An online video platform allows you to upload live and recorded content on a website. The platform hosts the content on your behalf so you don’t have to build your own data centers or infrastructure.
In addition to hosting, OVPs often provide live streaming software and HTML5 video players that allow end-users to consume your content on virtually any device. The best video platforms also help you secure, manage, and monetize your videos, providing content delivery and integrations with content management systems and other software.
A video hosting platform only provides hosting, whereas an OVP combines other services with hosting. Examples include live streaming software, HTML5 video players, security features, and monetization options.
How to Choose the Right Online Video Platform
You’ll find dozens of online video platforms (see below) on the market, but not every solution is the right fit for your business.
Some prioritize business-to-business (B2B) marketing and sales content, while others focus on education or entertainment. And some provide all the built-in functionality you need, while others require you to integrate with other software to accomplish your video needs.
Below, we’ve outlined the core criteria you should consider before investing in an online video platform:
1. Use Case and Purpose
What types of video content do you plan on hosting? Who’s your audience? Do you want to use video for brand awareness, sales, lead generation, entertainment, sports, or education?
Answers to these questions will quickly narrow down your online video platform options. Most platforms are purpose-built for specific industries and use cases, providing out-of-the-box features and functionality tailor-made for your business.
2. Quantity of Videos
How many videos do you plan on hosting? How long will these videos be? Some platforms are built to host videos at scale, while others are intended for smaller purposes.
If you plan on hosting hundreds or thousands of videos and streaming them to a global audience, you need an OVP that’s up to the task. You’ll also want to think about the encoding and transcoding options available. Will your provider automatically transcode your videos into the playback formats you need, and how long does the uploading process take on your end?
3. Integrations
Advanced online video platforms integrate with dozens of other applications to seamlessly connect your stack. Consider the tools you’d like to connect to your OVP:
- Customer relationship management (CRM)
- Content management system (CMS)
- Human resources (HR) software
- Analytics tools
Next, consider where you want customers to access your videos. Do you want to build video content into your company’s website or mobile application, or do you plan on providing an OTT app on smart TVs?
Find an online video platform that gives you options for integrating your tech stack. Plugins are nice, but you ideally want powerful APIs and SDKs to quickly and easily build video functionality wherever you need it.
4. Live Streaming Capabilities
Many modern-day solutions are starting to provide live-streaming functionality, but live-streaming features still vary widely. Here are a few things to consider:
- Can your online video platform provide 24/7 live options (for broadcasting or event-based streaming)?
- Will your solution automatically convert live-streamed videos into on-demand content? How long does the process take?
- Can your viewers join live, start over, pause, and rewind live videos?
- Will viewers have a seamless experience, or will they have to deal with buffering and poor frame rates?
- Can you monetize your live videos?
5. Content Delivery Network
You need a content delivery network (CDN) you can trust to stream videos to your audience. A single CDN solution will be your cheapest option, but these are susceptible to outages, downtime, and performance issues.
Ideally, find an online video platform with a multi-CDN approach. A multi-CDN combines several CDNs under an extensive global network, and this expands your geographic availability, accelerates transfer speeds, balances loads, and provides backups in case a CDN network goes down.
For example, JW Player’s multi-CDN solution provides network points of presence (POPs) in 130+ countries, ensuring reliable performance with 99.99% global delivery uptime.
6. Customization
Do you want a full white-labeled video streaming product, or are you satisfied with another platform’s branding? Some players will let you customize everything from the player buttons to the colors and logos, while others simply provide a minimal-designed HTML5 player.
Customization plays a bigger role when you plan on adding video to your mobile applications and website. Having an off-brand video player can sometimes kill the design of a page and lead to a second-rate customer experience.
7. Monetization Options
If you plan on monetizing your video content, consider the methodology you’d like to use. Do you want to monetize your live-streamed video, or do you just plan to make money from your on-demand content?
Here are a few VOD monetization models to consider:
- Advertising Video on Demand: Let viewers watch your content for free in exchange for watching advertisements before and during the video.
- Subscription Video on Demand: Require users to pay a flat monthly fee to get access to your library of video content.
- Transactional Video on Demand: Empower users to buy or rent video content on a pay-per-view basis.
Find an online video platform that lets you monetize video how you’d like, whether that’s on a website, mobile app, or OTT platform.
8. Analytics
Analytics gives you the insights you need to make important business decisions. Monitor your content to learn what’s performing the best (and the worst), when viewers tune in, and where viewers tend to drop out to inform your future production strategy.
Find a solution that provides real-time metrics so that you can be in the know when it matters. For example, when a video goes viral, you don’t have time to wait for your statistics to update 24 hours later—you need immediate insights so that you can capitalize on the opportunity.
9. Security Features
Every time someone illegally accesses or distributes your content, you lose money. If video content is your business’s lifeblood, you can’t afford for it to be compromised. You need an online video platform that protects your content during uploading, storage, and streaming.
Choose an online video platform with robust data rights management. You should be able to protect your content during livestreams and on-demand viewing—offline or online. Your solution should provide 24/7 monitoring to safeguard your content and ensure high-quality streaming.
10. Pricing
Pricing will always need to be a top consideration. You can find plenty of enterprise-quality online video platforms on the market, but they all demand enterprise-level budgets. You need an affordable solution with pricing tailored to your business’s size and needs.
An online video platform is less of an expense and more of an investment. The right solution will help you make (and keep) more revenue from every view, so it’s worth finding the right provider rather than pinching pennies and looking for the cheapest solution.
19 top online video platforms
Now we’ll get into the different options for online video platforms so you can decide which one is best for you.
1. JW Player
There’s a lot to consider when choosing a video platform —from speed to scalability and integration. JW Platform is the industry’s most feature-rich video platform, offering a full-service, hosted solution that includes an open API, seamless integration, management, and analytics.
Plus, JWP is super easy to use. Sara Livengood, Product Manager at Refinery 29 puts it this way: “We’re seeing great returns (with JWP). It was really easy to implement and just a quick check of a box.”
Custom API Implementations
With JW Player:
Our Open API provides you with the building blocks to easily integrate and customize JW Player to fully fit your needs.
With other video platforms:
Our competition’s limited APIs mean that extending their player functionality requires an additional, expensive development package that comes with a significant upsell.
Monetization
With JW Player:
JW Player supports every ad monetization technology on the market, including VPAID 2.0 and Google IMA. Did we mention that we’re also a Google Certified Publishing Partner?
With other video platforms:
Our competitors are lagging behind in supporting industry standards and this ultimately results in lower ad revenue for publishers.
High Quality User Experience
With JW Player:
JW Player takes into account viewer devices, bandwidths, and viewing conditions to deliver consistent and rich playback.
With other video platforms:
Expect slow and clunky playback from our competitors who discount viewing experience in favor of fancy bells and whistles.
Seamless Workflow Integration
With JW Player:
Our player-driven architecture ensures out-of-the-box performance for all features.
With other video platforms:
Unlike JW Player, their publishing features require complicated integrations that interrupt your workflow.
Developer-led Innovation
With a strong developer community and documentation, JW Player empowers you to create awesome user experiences.
Features
- Comprehensive video management console
- Best-in-class VOD and live streaming capabilities
- Industry-leading HTML5 video player (the first one developed)
- Native SDKs
- Recommendations engine
- Client-side ad insertion (CSAI)
- Delivery and management APIs
- Studio-approved DRM, geo-blocking, and URL token signing
Pros
- All-in-one solution for publishers
- End-to-end solution for broadcasters
- Secure, user-friendly platform
- Highly reputable: 9 out of 10 customers rate JWP better than any other OVP
- Best-in-class technology
- Effective: 88% of JWP customers increase video viewing by at least 10%
Cons
- Sometimes it’s more than small organizations need, depending on your broadcasting or publishing plans. But you can always use our 30-day free trial to see if JWP is the right fit.
- For some users, there’s a small learning curve. Our top-notch support team is designed to onboard all of our customers as quickly as possible though!
2. YouTube
As one of the first platforms to make online video streaming popular, YouTube is probably the most well-known OVP on the market. The Google-owned platform is free to use and one of the best options for consumer-created content.
YouTube can have some downsides for businesses though. There are limitations on monetization, for example, and you don’t retain full ownership of your content. But if you’re just getting started with video, YouTube is a good way to dip your toes in the water.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD hosting
- Ad-based monetization
- Strong search engine
- Analytics tab
- Browsing capability
Pros
- Completely free video platform
- Most viewers are already familiar with the platform
- Good for maximizing public views or building a following
- You can pay to promote content
Cons
- Limited privacy and security
- Only offers ad-based monetization
- Third-party ads and logos
- Limited ownership rights (YouTube’s terms of service state that you turn over intellectual property rights to your videos when you upload them to YouTube, giving them a royalty-free license and the right to copy and redistribute your video content.)
3. Panopto
On the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of security, you have Panopto — a platform designed for internal video sharing and secure live streaming. Panopto is widely used by organizations in the education space and integrates smoothly with many Learning Management Systems (LMS).
Features
- Education-focused streaming tools
- Remote video communication and collaboration
- Privacy features for secure streaming and sharing
- Customizable, HTML5 video player
- LMS integrations
Pros
- Audio and video hosting
- Strong video organization and search tools, including asset categorization
- Highly customizable platform
- Used by leading academic institutions, including Duke, Stanford, Dartmouth, and Brown.
Cons
- Several G2 users say the user interface isn’t always intuitive and it can take a while to get the hang of it
4. Brightcove
Founded in 2004, Brightcove is an online video platform designed for enterprise video. It’s focused on helping customers monetize videos, motivate employees, and increase sales.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD hosting
- HTML5 video player
- OTT (over-the-top) video experiences
- Monetization options
- Video encoding
- Audience insights
Pros
- Wide variety of marketing tools and integrations
- High-quality video technology
Cons
- Several G2 users mention that Brightcove’s analytics and metrics are lacking
- Reviews also mention a steep learning curve with the user interface
5. Vimeo
Also launched in 2004, Vimeo got its start as a niche video platform for film and digital media. The platform has grown substantially though, and it’s now probably the second most well-known OVP after YouTube.
Vimeo acquired Livestream in 2017 and pivoted more towards the B2B space. Around the same time, the company also pivoted away from being a video-viewing destination (similar to YouTube) into being a distribution solution for video creators.
Features
- Full-HD streaming capability
- All-device video player
- Adaptive bitrate streaming
- Full suite of privacy tools
- White-label services
- Vimeo Create, a template-based video builder that allows you to create quality VOD without high-tech skills
- Monetization tools
Pros
- Highly customizable
- Easy to use
- Good for creators
Cons
- Some G2 users mention poor customer service
- A few complaints of unclear service terms
6. Wistia
Wistia’s video platform is designed primarily for marketing teams. Its suite of video marketing tools allows users to create, host, market, and analyze the impact of video.
Features
- Video SEO, marketing automation, and video engagement tools
- Soapbox, a browser-based screen recorder
- Video trimmer, an easy-to-use tool supporting simple video edits
- Video analytics tools and A/B testing
Pros
- Advanced marketing tools and analytics
- Tech support for all plans
- Fully customizable video player
- Easy embedding and sharing
Cons
- Very limited live streaming capabilities
- Focused primarily on marketing so may not be the best choice if you’re looking for a broader tool
7. IBM Watson Media
IBM Watson Media is a scalable, cloud-based OVP that offers end-to-end solutions for live or on-demand content. It’s often used for enterprise-level employee communications, virtual conferences and events, commercial promotion, government proceedings, and concerts or entertainment.
Features
- Livestream and VOD capability
- HD live broadcasting and recording
- Mobile compatible player
- Live chat and Q&A
- Multi-CDNs
- Live playlists with looping
- Customizable channel page
Pros
- Ability to handle complex setups
- Multiple layers of protection and encryption
- Video streaming works with all RTMP-based (Real-Time Messaging Protocol) encoders
Cons
- Some G2 users mention the cost being too expensive
- Not ideal for small organizations
8. Kaltura
Kaltura’s open source video management solution is best known for its applications in the education space, including virtual meetings, classrooms and webinars, town halls, and more.
The majority of Kaltura’s clients are higher education, education management, or e-learning organizations.
Features
- Real-time, live, and VOD experiences
- Collaboration spaces with HD video playback, digital whiteboard, shared notes, and chat
- Live broadcasting
- Video messaging via emails
- Advanced analytics
- Branded video player with captions, translations, and auto-transcriptions
Pros
- Highly customizable
- Special tools for education providers, including virtual classrooms, LMS video, lecture capture, and campus portal tools
Cons
- It can be overwhelming for beginners because it’s so customizable
- Might not be ideal for organizations outside of the education industry
9. Vidyard
Vidyard is an online video platform that’s designed primarily for sales and marketing teams. It allows sales reps to easily record and send videos to potential clients using unique features like ready-to-record video templates.
Features
- Free screen or webcam recording
- Ready-to-record video templates
- Built-in tracking and analytics
- Quick video editing
- Customizable and branded video landing pages
Pros
- Unique sales tools like video “call to action” buttons and links
- Easy to use and beginner friendly
Cons
- Not an all-in-one or end-to-end solution
- Focused primarily on sales videos
10. Flowplayer
Flowplayer offers a lightweight, fast-loading solution for media houses, broadcasters, publishers, event owners, and OTT platforms. The company was recently acquired by Wowza, paving the way for new features and capabilities like expanded analytics and enhanced player configurability.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD hosting
- High-quality HTML5 player
- Live broadcasting capabilities
- Monetization tools
- Real-time video analytics
- Android and iOS SDK for mobile app development
Pros
- Multiple options for video monetization
- Lightweight, fast video player
Cons
- Not beginner-friendly
- Some reviews mention frequent bugs
11. Muvi
Muvi is an online video platform focused on OTT streaming. It’s designed to help broadcasters set up a fully managed, white-label streaming platform like Netflix or Hulu. And it doesn’t require any coding or development to produce TV-quality streams.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD capabilities
- Live broadcasting tools
- White-label streaming
- Audio and music streaming
- Customizable, HTML5 video player
- Video monetization tools
Pros
- Straightforward, easy-to-use platform
- Full-featured video CMS
- Strong security features
Cons
- Some reviews mention limitations in Muvi’s design templates
- Heavy emphasis on OTT streaming so it’s not ideal if you’re looking for a broad solution
12. Qumu
If you’re looking for a video platform focused on internal communications only, Qumo could be one to consider. The Qumo platform offers solutions for capturing and sharing secure videos within your organization. It’s often used for executive webcasting and corporate communications, striving to “provide a more efficient and effective way to share knowledge”.
Features
- Live streaming with chat, polling, and Q&A capabilities
- Video conferencing integrations
- Compatible with mobile and desktop devices
- Built-in CDN and CMS
- Advanced analytics
Pros
- One centralized library where you can organize content by playlist, metadata, topic, etc.
- Ability to create workflows and manage access at the user and network levels
Cons
- Not designed for external or public-facing videos
- Not a broad solution
13. Dacast
Dacast’s OVP offers a cloud-based live streaming and OTT video streaming solution across all devices. Dacast broadcasters include small- to medium-sized companies, enterprise businesses, media companies, TV stations, religious networks, sports leagues, and municipal organizations.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD capabilities
- Video security features like password protection and AES encryption
- RTMP ingest, playback, and streaming support
- Video monetization tools
- HTML5 video streaming
- Real-time video streaming analytics
- Ad-free streaming
Pros
- Tech support included with all plans
- Unlimited viewers and channels
Cons
- Steep learning curve for beginners
- Many user reviews mention issues with customer service
14. Hippo Video
Hippo Video is another OVP that’s designed specifically for sales and marketing teams. It also offers special solutions for sales teams in real estate, tech, healthcare, insurance, tourism, and a few other industries.
Features
- Record and send video email through Gmail and Outlook
- Video personalization tools
- Live streaming through integrations
- VOD hosting support
- White-label video player that can be customized through API
Pros
- Teleprompter feature lets you plan out what you’re going to say
- Includes virtual background options
Cons
- Video monetization only available through a Muvi integration
- Some complaints about the reliability of tech support
15. Cincopa
Cincopa was founded in 2006 with the mission of providing businesses with advanced capabilities to market, teach, and engage through video, images and audio. Cincopa’s platform is focused mostly on hosting. It’s best suited for large organizations that need a solution for storing and managing videos, photos, audio, and other types of files.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD capability
- Video templates
- Customizable HTML5 player
- Video asset management solution
- Integrations with marketing automation platforms like HubSpot
- Centralized Digital Asset Management (DAM) platform
- Security features and API solutions
Pros
- Unlimited storage and bandwidth
- Unique online course hosting and internal communication training features
Cons
- Some complaints about the file organization system being clunky
- Focused mostly on storage
16. Vdocipher
If your videos are behind a paywall and security is your number one concern, Vdocipher is worth a look. This OVP offers secure video hosting for e-learning, media, and LMS platforms, incorporating unique features like watermarking to prevent illegal downloads and screen captures.
Features
- DRM-encrypted streaming
- Watermarking to deter screen capture
- Amazon AWS server plus CDN
- HTML5 video player, compatible with multiple devices
- Plugins For WordPress and Moodle
Pros
- Strong security features
- Easy to use, intuitive platform
Cons
- Some complaints about the amount of storage for the price
- Level of security may be unnecessary depending on the type of video you produce
17. Zype
Zype is a cloud-based SaaS platform focused on OTT streaming. Its API-first platform is designed to help you manage, distribute, and monetize your video across the entire OTT ecosystem.
Features
- Flexible, API-centric architecture
- Bring your own storage, encoding, video player, DAM, or CDN
- 28+ video connectors and integrations
- Apps creator for OTT
- Flexible monetization and data capture options
- Video CRM
Pros
- High level of customization available
- Strong API platform
Cons
- A few online Zype users have mentioned that analytics could be improved
- Focused mostly on OTT streaming
18. Brid.TV
Just founded in 2018, Brid.TV is a fast-growing OVP focused on speed and monetization. The platform offers an HTML5 player, a high-spec video platform, and a content management system. The company has offices in Los Angeles and Belgrade.
Features
- Video hosting and library
- Lightweight HTML5 video player
- Low-latency live streaming
- Video monetization using instream and outstream ads
- Video ad performance platform
Pros
- Monetization features like header bidding
- Brid.TV marketplace for advertising
Cons
- Learning curve for beginners
- Might not be ideal if monetization isn’t your primary goal
19. VPlayed
VPlayed by Contus was founded in 2008 as a web design company. Today, VPlayed is
an OTT streaming solution that enables broadcasters, media professionals, online tutors, and content owners to launch a white-label video streaming platform.
Features
- Live streaming and VOD
- HLS/HTML5 video player
- Monetization options
- Video CMS
- White-label video streaming
- DRM and security features
- Encoding and transcoding
Pros
- Strong OTT features
- Integrates easily with other products
Cons
- Specific to OTT businesses
- No free trial available
Choose an end-to-end online video platform
Trust JW Player to satisfy all of your video content needs. We provide a complete video solution with all the out-of-the-box functionality you need to deliver top-notch video experience at scale.
Live streaming? Check. Monetization features? Check. Robust APIs and SDKs? Check.
You focus on building your business and growing your income—leave the video details to us. Sign up for our 30-day free trial to see how JW Player can transform video content for your business.