Hosted video platform vs self-hosting: the decision
Self-host when video is incidental, you already run a CDN, and nobody needs retention data. Use a hosted platform when the video has a commercial job to do — because transcoding, adaptive streaming, access control, a branded player and a retention pipeline are a small platform to build and maintain, not a task.
The decision table
| Question | Self-host | Hosted platform |
|---|---|---|
| Who pays per view? | You, in egress | Included; Videokr never meters bandwidth |
| Adaptive quality | You build HLS/DASH ladders | Included |
| Player and branding | You build or adopt a library | Configured |
| Retention curve per video | You build the pipeline | Included |
| In-video CTA and email capture | You build it | Included |
| Access control | Signed URLs and Origin checks you maintain | Unlisted, password, domain lock |
| Upfront engineering | Days to weeks | Minutes |
| Ongoing owner needed | Yes, permanently | No |
| Vendor dependency | None | Real — check export before you commit |
The hybrid that usually wins
Keep masters and archive in your own storage. Link that file — MP4, WebM or HLS — into a hosted player when it needs a page, a CTA and measurement. You pay for cheap storage where it is cheap, and pay for the marketing layer only for the videos that earn something.
Cost, concretely
Self-hosting costs engineering time plus egress; the egress line is the one that grows with success. Videokr's cost shape is fixed and small: $0 for 500 plays a month, $69 once for 10,000 a month forever, $29/month for unlimited Agency plays, and $1 per extra 10,000 plays on Starter and Lifetime — with no bandwidth meter, so a page that does unexpectedly well costs the same as one that does not.
Questions to ask any vendor first
- Can I export my videos, leads and analytics, in bulk, today?
- What exactly is metered, and how is a "view" or "play" defined?
- Does the embed survive a downgrade?
- What happens at the limit — does playback stop, or does it bill?
Videokr's answers: yes; de-duplicated plays, once per video per month, bandwidth never; yes; free stops until the month rolls over, paid keeps playing and accrues $1 per 10,000.
How to read this page
Videokr's own numbers here are exact. Everything about the other product is limited to how it is structured — what it hosts, where it plays, what it prices on — because feature lists and prices change without notice and we will not print a number for someone else's product that might be stale by the time you read it. Check their current pricing page before you decide, and try both free tiers: that is a better comparison than any table written by a vendor.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CDN enough to host video?
It handles delivery. Transcoding, adaptive manifests, posters, captions, access control and analytics are still yours to build.