Let’s cut to the chase: Which is the best video platform for your business? And heck, what’s the best video monetization platform?
It pays to find out.
Video can drive big $$$ — 90% of marketers say video marketing has given them a good return on investment (ROI).
Plus, sticking to social video platforms (like LinkedIn or YouTube) for business is far from ideal. In just one example, YouTube will claim 30% of your hard-earned Channel Membership money. Ouch.
In this post, you’ll learn which online video platform is best for your business and why.
In a hurry? Here’s the TL;DR:
Okay, first things first:
A video platform for businesses is a set of digital tools used to create, host, manage, share, and monetize video content. Online video platforms also typically include features like video analytics and customized branding.
Good question, but hosting videos directly on your website is a recipe for trouble. Why? Videos use a lot of storage space and bandwidth, which often leads to:
Playback errors
Video quality issues
Slow-loading webpages
These issues can hurt your search engine rankings and make your website visitors leave.
Not good.
On the other hand, video hosting platforms give you a home base for your video content. You can then embed videos on your website without weighing it down.
What’s more, most video hosting platforms also provide other features geared toward business growth, such as tools for video monetization, analytics, and branding.
Here’s the thing: social video platforms are great for grabbing attention and connecting with your target audience — but:
Ads and competitor recommendations are shown everywhere on your video content.
Plus, algorithms work overtime to steal your viewer’s attention and direct them to the next shiny thing.
How are you supposed to build a relationship with your audience with all this noise?
Plus, if you embed videos from social platforms on your website, you’ll bring all the distractions with them.
Simply put, these platforms aren’t about you, your genius, or your business — which is why there’s YouTube, LinkedIn, and TikTok branding everywhere instead of your branding.
In contrast, most online video platforms have zero ads, zero competitor recommendations, custom branding options, and more.
Oh, and then there’s money.
Let’s not beat around the bush:
YouTube’s video platform pays most YouTube creators between $1,000 and $5,000 for one million views.
On TikTok, you’ll be paid between $2 and $4 for 100,000 views.
And again, if you sell channel memberships on YouTube’s video platform, you’ll have to pay them a whopping $300 out of every $1,000 you make.
Not cool.
Alternatively, when you use a top video monetization platform like Switcher, you can sell single videos, entire playlists, or subscriptions to your video content and pay Switcher just $0.99 per sale.
Cha-ching.
Bottom line, using a dedicated video platform for business is a no-brainer. So, which one should you use?
Each video platform offers unique features tailored to specific needs. So, whether you’re an artist, a small business, or a corporate B2B sales team, look for the one that best aligns with your goals.
First up?
Okay, we’re a video platform for businesses and probably a little biased. But we’re also experts who know what to look for when it comes to video tools.
Besides, Switcher wasn’t built for everyone. We built Switcher to help creators and small businesses take control of their content and grow their income from video.
Switcher is straightforward, easy-to-use, and packs a punch — empowering you to create, host, and monetize your video content like a pro.
If you’re running a one-person operation or a small team with limited resources and big dreams, Switcher provides all the professional tools you need — without the clutter.
Intuitive, user-friendly interface
Ad-free video hosting and sharing
Easily embed videos with a customizable HTML5 player
Create and customize a video watch page
Stream live to multiple platforms at once
Monetize videos or entire playlists with gated-content
Earn a steady income by selling subscriptions
Add call-to-action (CTA) links in videos
Sell physical products live on social media
Shopify integration to sell live on your website
Sell tickets to live streams
Transparent pricing with no surprises
Very low monetization fees — just $0.99 per sale
Easy-to-use iOS video creation app
Multi-camera recording, streaming, and editing features
Connect up to nine cameras (including iPhones and webcams)
Customizable video graphic templates
Easily edit and customize video clips for social media
Built-in video analytics for growth
Comprehensive help center
Hands-on support from our US-based team
Limited advanced editing capabilities
iOS app (for multi-camera recording, streaming, and editing) only available on business plan
Unsuitable for enterprises
Switcher offers two plans:
Launch: $19/month. Includes video hosting, embedding, monetization, analytics, and storage for up to 50 videos. (There’s no access to the iOS app for multi-camera video recording, editing, or streaming with this plan.)
Business: $99/month. All the features from Launch, plus the iOS app for multi-cam video recording, editing, and streaming — and storage for up to 100 videos.
Brightcove was built for the big leagues. This enterprise video solution provides all the tools needed for enterprise-level video management — including internal communications, live streaming and conferencing, granular analytics, and robust security features.
It’s also ideal for companies with extensive tech stacks and enormous content demands because it integrates seamlessly with other tools like:
Content Management Systems (CMS)
Customer Relationship Managers (CRM)
Advertising tools
Analytics software
Ecommerce platforms
Social media channels
If you’ve got a big budget and a team of experts, Brightcove can deliver every feature imaginable. However, small and medium-sized businesses may find this video platform overly complex, impractical, and expensive.
Top-tier security and privacy features
Extensive and detailed analytics
Robust and relatively straightforward user interface
Built-in integrations for all your other cloud apps
Live streaming — both privately and to social media
Advanced video and streaming editing
Video cloud storage that integrates with your tech stack
Video monetization via advertising, subscriptions, and pay-per-view
Pricey with a high cost of entry
Lower-tier plans restrict customization options
Complex to navigate
Requires a team of professionals to implement and manage
Brightcove offers seven different Studio plans across three main groupings — all of which include its Video Cloud offering:
Marketing Studio: Starter, Essential, and Premium
Comms Studio: Essential and Premium
Media Studio: Essential and Premium
Each plan offers various features and limitations. You’ll need to contact a sales representative at Brightcove for pricing and to identify the best plan for your business needs.
Kaltura is an open-source platform — which means it shines when it comes to customization, making it a top choice for large organizations and educational institutions with specific needs.
Kaltura offers solutions for corporate communications, including internal events, virtual town halls, interactive workshops, and dedicated video resource hubs. It’s also ideal for hosting and managing educational content like training sessions, webinars, virtual classrooms, and hybrid events.
Overall, Kaltura is perfect for large teams with the resources and expertise to create and manage a comprehensive, tailor-made video platform.
Highly customizable open-source software
Integrates seamlessly with learning management systems (LMS)
Built-in marketing tools for lead scoring, refined segmentation, and personalized follow-ups
High-quality streaming and multi-device support via Cloud TV services
Comprehensive video portal hub to centralize your organization’s content library
Numerous plans and pricing options
Challenging setup with a steep learning curve
Complex interface due to extensive customization options
Requires a capable team of experts to implement and manage
The plans and pricing options can be challenging to navigate
Kaltura has various pricing plans for its Webinars, Virtual Classroom, and Media Services offerings. You’ll need to contact a sales representative to ask about pricing for its Video Management, Virtual Events, Video Messaging, Town Halls, and Meetings offerings.
Vimeo started life as a social video platform, like YouTube, and it remains popular among creators and filmmakers thanks to its creative community.
These days, Vimeo offers a versatile toolkit well-suited for medium-sized businesses and enterprises with small marketing teams. Its business video tools include video hosting, capture, editing, live streaming, and monetization.
Video capture and editing tools
Integrations with professional video editing software like Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro X
Video hosting with customizable branding options
Live streaming and webinars with chat and polls
Monetization via pay-per-view and subscription options
Mobile app to manage content on-the-go
Limited business analytics
Lacks integrations with many popular business and marketing tools
Vimeo offers four plans:
Free: Includes basic creation, editing, hosting, and sharing. Your videos will feature Vimeo’s watermark logo.
Starter: $12/month. Removes Vimeo’s watermark. Adds custom video players, custom URLs, and collaboration tools.
Standard: $25/month. Adds a brand kit and analytics.
Advanced: $65/month. Adds live streaming tools.
Enterprise: Contact a sales representative for a custom quote.
Okay, HubSpot isn’t a dedicated video platform. However, HubSpot has much to offer growing businesses — including video and marketing tools baked into its website builder and CRM software.
This makes it ideal for growing businesses looking for an all-in-one solution or those wanting to integrate video into their sales and marketing efforts without building complex software integrations.
HubSpot can handle nearly everything a business needs, including:
Building a website
Integrating marketing automation software
Sales forecasting and managing sales pipelines
Content marketing management — including videos, blogs, podcasts, landing pages, and more
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Customer service tools like knowledge bases and support ticketing
Email marketing automation
Payments and billing management
Data quality automation
Integration with over 1,750 applications and platforms — including many video tools
However, if you just want an online video platform, HubSpot probably isn’t the best fit for you.
Complete CRM with extensive tools across nearly every business function
Robust video hosting and marketing tools
Virtually limitless scalability
Reliable support
Suited for businesses needing a holistic marketing solution
Not priced as a standalone video platform — you’ll need to pay for an entire toolset
Lacks advanced video editing features
Lacks robust streaming capabilities
Overkill for small businesses or creators looking for a video-focused platform
HubSpot has six different offerings:
Marketing Hub
Sales Hub
Service Hub
Content Hub
Operations Hub
Commerce Hub
Each Hub has various pricing plans that range from $12 to $3,600 per month, with custom pricing available for enterprises.
Wistia is a video marketing platform that offers lead generation tools, detailed marketing analytics, A/B testing, and SEO optimization. It also integrates with popular marketing platforms, like HubSpot, Salesforce Pardot, and Marketo.
Wistia also covers the basics, including video capturing, editing, hosting, embedding, and live streaming.
Excellent for video marketing teams
Integrates with many top marketing platforms
Ideal for tracking engagement and generating leads
Offers advanced marketing analytics
Limited social media integrations — Wistia only connects with YouTube
Premium features are pricey
Wistia offers four plans:
Free: Includes up to 10 videos, a customizable player, recording and editing, and Wistia branding.
Plus: $24/month. Removes Wistia branding, adds basic CTAs, and supports multiple users.
Pro: $99/month. Includes lead capture forms, enhanced data analytics, and webinar hosting.
Advanced: $399/month. Adds marketing integrations, unlimited video galleries, and custom-branded webinars.
Vidyard is a business video platform built for B2B sales, and it integrates with popular CRMs like Salesforce.
It also empowers sales teams to cut through the noise by replacing text-based emails with personal video messages. It also allows salespeople to track viewer actions and follow up with prospects directly from their CRM.
Vidyard also offers:
A browser extension for video capture and screen recording
AI-generated personalized video scripts for prospects
Ad-free video hosting and embedding
Customizable landing pages
Quick and simple video editing and trimming
Automatic video transcription for accessibility
Analytics dashboards
While Vidyard is ideal for lead generation and sales, it doesn’t offer extensive editing features, making it best for teams focused on connecting with prospects rather than creating polished content.
Tailored for B2B lead generation and sales
Advanced analytics with real-time insights
Extensive integration options with sales and marketing tools
Active user community for support and insights
Limited advanced video editing capabilities
Relatively complex setup and management
Vidyard offers four different plans:
Free: Video recording limits. Includes video editing, sharing, and AI script generation.
Pro: $19/month. Includes unlimited video recording, real-time viewer insights, CTAs, branding, and password protection.
Plus: $59/month. Adds full analytics, customizable branding, and team performance analytics.
Business: Contact sales for pricing. Includes CRM/MAP integration, fully customizable CTAs, custom permissions, and priority support.
Choosing the best video platform for your business doesn’t have to give you a headache — keep it simple. Consider your needs, budget, and goals, then go from there.
In summary, here are seven top online video platforms to consider:
Switcher: Best for content creators and small businesses
Brightcove: Best for enterprises
Kaltura: Best for educational institutions
Vimeo: Best for medium-sized enterprises
HubSpot: Best CRM with built-in video tools
Wistia: Best for marketing teams
Vidyard: Best for B2B sales
If you're a creator or small business looking for a user-friendly video platform that covers all the bases, try Switcher for free today