# 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.

- Section: Comparisons (https://videokr.com/compare)
- Page: https://videokr.com/compare/hosted-vs-self-hosted-video
- Last updated: 2026-08-18

## 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](/docs/sources) — 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

1. Can I export my videos, leads and analytics, in bulk, today?
2. What exactly is metered, and how is a "view" or "play" defined?
3. Does the embed survive a downgrade?
4. 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.

## FAQ

### Is a CDN enough to host video?

It handles delivery. Transcoding, adaptive manifests, posters, captions, access control and analytics are still yours to build.

## Related

- [Self-hosted video vs a hosted platform](https://videokr.com/guides/self-hosted-vs-hosted-video)
- [Sources: MP4, WebM, HLS, YouTube and Vimeo](https://videokr.com/docs/sources)
- [Plans, plays and limits](https://videokr.com/docs/plans-and-limits)
- [What is Videokr?](https://videokr.com/answers/what-is-videokr)

---
Videokr — Videokr is hosted video for marketing sites: upload or link a video, brand the player, capture emails inside it, embed it anywhere and read second-by-second retention. Free tier forever, $69 lifetime, or metered plans.
Plans: https://videokr.com/#pricing · Full reference: https://videokr.com/llms-full.txt