It’s 2021 and while YouTube is the most popular video platform in the world, it now is clear that there are a number of restrictions that are making digital marketers and content makers alike look for alternatives.
Whether you are looking for a non-branded video player without ads, or the ability to publish content that would be deemed ‘not acceptable’ to YouTube and their guidelines, one thing’s for sure, there are a ton of choices!
Before we go into our recommended YouTube alternatives, let’s first look at the pros and cons of YouTube and why some may want to venture out and consider other video platforms.
PROs
- Free video hosting, live streaming and distribution
- Access to the largest video viewing audience on the web
- Unlimited scalability to audiences of any sizes
- Engagement tools to build audiences and fans
- Monetization tools to generate revenue and build a business around YouTube.
- Massive visibility across Google search results with video SEO
CONs
- YouTube branded video player
- Advertisements and recommendations have limited controls
- Unwanted content moderation and highly sensitive rules around what content can be shown and what can be said in videos
- Competitive content can take traffic away
- Video content is not secure and can easily be stolen or misused by others
Based on those pros and cons and the video content you are looking to produce and publish you can make a decision and the best route to go. In most cases its good to use YouTube as one part of a larger video strategy.
Let’s dive into the 10 best YouTube alternatives in 2021. Take a look!
1. Vimeo
Vimeo
Vimeo is a video experience platform designed to give marketers and video creators the ability to assemble high-quality video experiences. Vimeo offers a full suite of online video tools from video hosting to monetization and much more.
2. Brightcove
Brightcove
Brightcove is one of the largest online video platform providers, used by media companies, businesses, and organizations worldwide to publish and distribute video online. The company provides hosting tools such as video on demand and live streaming. Brightcove’s technology reaches over a hundred million video viewers monthly.
3. JWPlayer
JWPlayer
JW Player offers an advanced and flexible online video platform and media player for publishing videos, running video ads, and streaming content. JWPlayer offers a consistent viewing experience across HTML5 and Flash, across mobile, tablet, and desktop platforms.
4. Vidyard
Vidyard
Vidyard hosts your videos, analyzes their effectiveness, and transforms them into powerful marketing tools. Vidyard provides everything you need to manage your video collection and ensure the optimal viewing experience for your visitors. Vidyard's simple approach to video hosting eliminates the barriers to using online video, by integrating visibility, control, and optimization, into a single united solution.
5. TwentyThree
TwentyThree
23 Video provides video hosting and video site solutions, via a cloud video CMS built just for companies and organizations. 23 Video provides an all-in-one video experience solution.
6. Wistia
Wistia
Wistia provides marketers with a complete video marketing platform and toolset to create, host, market, and measure the impact of video in marketing campaigns in one solution.
7. SproutVideo
SproutVideo
SproutVideo is an easy to use video hosting solution for small to medium sized businesses. SproutVideo makes it easy to upload video content, create a custom branded video player, add security features, and track video engagement and analytics. Deploy video to a website via embeds or playlist.
8. VdoCipher
VdoCipher
VdoCipher is a full-proof, encrypted and secure video hosting and streaming platform. VideoCipher protects video assets from download and illegal ripping with DRM and watermarking.
9. Kaltura
Kaltura
Kaltura provides an Open Source Online Video Platform that provides media companies advanced video management, publishing, and monetization tools that increase their reach and monetization and simplify their video operations. Enterprises use Kaltura's video tools for boosting internal knowledge sharing, training, and collaboration, and for more effective marketing.
10. Dacast
Dacast
Dacast provides a self-service, all-in-one video live streaming platform. With Dacast users can easily broadcast vivid, high quality video over the web and across mobile. Out-of-the-box live streaming has never been so easy.
The solutions listed above are just a sample of 10. To see more YouTube alternatives click here. Also, if you are interested in YouTube tools and add-ons see our list of YouTube Apps here.
