13 of the best online video players you should consider

Today, there is video content all around — from social media to entertainment, online courses, corporate communication, and more. Since people today spend more and more of their time online, an online video player becomes the key to providing a quality viewing experience for your audience.

Online video players make your content easier to access on other devices, and give you more control over the aesthetic of the viewing experience, allowing you to plug in your own branding, build themes, and choose from multiple layouts. In this post, we are going to go through some of the most popular online video players, discussing the advantages and disadvantages of each and, based on that, offer useful tips to help you choose the best online video player for you.

What’s the difference between an app-based video player and a web-based video player?

Most video players today are software-based — accessed by a web page or through an application — compared to the hardware-based video players like VCRs and DVD players of the past. If you’re planning to watch videos on your computer or mobile device, you will need a video player to play video files like Windows Media Player, RealPlayer, or VLC Media Player for app-based video players.

Web-based video players — like Vimeo, Veed, and Dacast — are accessible via any web browser (in most cases — although certain web-based video players won’t work with mobile browsers). In general, video players that are web-based tend to come with extra features like customizations, social sharing links, and embeddable videos you can put on your site. On the other hand, web-based video players are subject to how good the viewer’s internet connection is, while app-based video players’ performance is based on how good the device's hardware is.

Try Vimeo’s video player →

Tips for choosing the right online video player

Before we get into the best online video players, let’s look at some of the most important features to look for and other considerations when you’re comparing these platforms. 

• Ease of use. Find an online video player with a clean, intuitive interface that enables users to easily navigate controls, such as play, pause, and volume. Fullscreen mode and a progress bar are also handy.
• Customization options. Some online video players are extremely customizable, allowing you to add a logo, use brand colors, and other customizations to create a branded look.
• High-quality streaming. Adaptive streaming and high-definition (HD) video-quality video players are essential for a good viewing experience. Adaptive bitrate technology provides the best-quality video that is achievable based on the quality of the viewer’s internet connection.
• Device compatibility. Online video players are meant to be viewed in a web browser, but some players don’t function well — or don’t function at all — within mobile browsers.
• Support for captions and subtitles. By using a video player that features captioning and subtitling, you are making your content inclusive and accessible to a global audience.
• Video storage. Plan for how much video storage you get. You want to ensure you have enough storage for your existing video collection, but you also want to choose a video player that’s scalable, so it can handle a growing video library.
• Video analytics. Video analytics let you see how people are watching your videos (on what devices), where they are watching (specific locations or countries), how long they are watching, and even the total views and viewer engagement.
• Embeddable video. Easily embed your video player, by simply pasting embed codes on your website, blog, etc.
• Security and access control. It doesn’t matter if you’re a business user or a solo content creator — your intellectual property is indeed valuable. This is why you should select an online video player with features such as watermarking, encryption, and the control of who can access, download, share, or embed your videos.
• Advertising. Find out if the video player video you are looking at provides an ad-free experience so your audience can view your videos without interruptions.

The best online video players: A side-by-side comparison

Check out our comparison chart below for a quick breakdown of the key features of some of the top online video players.

13 of the top video players online

In our opinion, Vimeo is the best online video player around, but there are a number of alternatives that also provide powerful features, and in some cases, may be better tailored for a particular use. Let’s dive into the leading online video players and their offerings.

1. Vimeo video player

The Vimeo video player is fully customizable, so you can control how it looks and feels to deliver your webinars, training and onboarding videos, virtual events, and so much more. We are dedicated to bringing you an ad-free experience, meaning that your viewers will never have to struggle through an interruption in the middle of your video — and they won’t have to endure ads before or after your videos, either. Vimeo offers streaming up to 4K and 8K, along with adaptive bitrate technology — so you can deliver the highest quality video to your viewers according to their devices, their location, and their internet speed to ensure smooth viewing.

The Vimeo video player is available in every browser (including mobile), and you can also enable captions, subtitles, and descriptive audio to provide accessibility for your viewers. You can even translate your audio and captions into 29 languages (available on select Enterprise plans), expanding your reach across the globe.

Conversely, you can also apply watermarks to your videos, decide who can view them, enable or disable downloads and specify which sites you permit embedding. Stay on top of your videos’ performance with our smart video analytics, which tells you how many people watched, where they dropped off, where they watched it from, as well as with what device and other similar metrics.

Along with all these benefits, Vimeo also hands you a full toolbox to create, edit, and distribute your videos — from screen recording to an AI-powered script writer and teleprompter, to adding CTAs and shoppable links, and a lot more — meaning you can manage your entire video strategy from start to finish, all inside the Vimeo platform.

Pros

• Ad-free viewing experience
• Branding and customization options
• Embeddable video player
• Comprehensive analytics dashboard
• High-quality streaming (up to 4K and 8K) with adaptive bitrate technology
• Supports live streaming
• Use on any browser
• Privacy settings and controls
• Full suite of video creation and editing tools
• AI-powered tools (text-based editor, auto-generated highlight reels, etc.) 
• Embed shoppable links, CTAs, and contact forms for lead capture (depending on plan)

Cons

• Video storage limits (based on plan)
• Video upload limits (based on plan)
• AI translation only available to select Enterprise plan users
• Some features may only be available on higher-tier plans 

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2. YouTube video player

YouTube is one of the most popular video players globally. It’s completely free to use, but your viewers will have to see ads — before, during, and/or after your videos — unless they pay for YouTube Premium. In particular, this can prove disruptive when doing live streams. 

It allows for unlimited storage, supports high-quality streaming (up to 8K), and can host videos up to 12 hours long for verified users. If your account isn’t verified, you can only post videos that are up to 15 minutes, but it’s easy to get verified. It also has automatic captions in dozens of languages, although overall, its options for video editing are limited, especially compared with Vimeo’s all-in-one video creation, editing, and marketing platform.

Pros

• Totally free to use
• Automatic captioning in select languages
• Embeddable on websites, blogs, etc. 
• Unlimited video storage
• Video quality up to 8K 
• Videos can be up to 12 hours long (for verified users)

Cons

• Limited video editing options 
• Not available in all markets
• Video player is not customizable 
• Videos contain ads (unless viewers have YouTube Premium)
• Unverified users are limited to 15 minutes per video

3. Wistia video player

Wistia is more of a marketing-focused platform that’s similar to Vimeo in many ways — it includes an ad-free, customizable video player, advanced analytics, and live streaming, along with virtual event hosting. Both platforms allow you to embed CTAs and lead capture forms in your videos. Its video editing features and video storage, however, are limited — at the lowest -tier Plus plan, you only get up to 20 videos. The domain-level privacy features Vimeo provides are also absent in Wistia.

Pros

• Ad-free
• Customizable video player 
• Private link sharing, passwords, and role-based access control
• Video analytics
• A/B video testing
• Auto transcripts and captions
• Embed CTAs and lead capture  

Cons

• Limited video storage (20 videos on lowest-tier Plus plan)
• No domain-level privacy features 
• Advanced features are limited to higher-tier paid plans
• Basic editing features 

4. Kaltura video player

Kaltura is an open-source platform that’s favored by educators and specializes in custom corporate video solutions. The educators enjoy a special virtual classroom with a virtual whiteboard and group chat options. It offers streaming in up to 4K HD, along with 360 and customized resolutions. But if you want an end-to-end video platform, Kaltura comes with no built-in recording studio (it does support live streaming and screen recording) and only basic video editing features when compared to Vimeo. Pricing is by TB on the platform, which, while handy, can add up rapidly. And if you want to use Kaltura’s webinar offering, you’re capped at 1,000 attendees when using the Kaltura Business plan.

Pros

• Supports 4K HD, 360, and custom resolutions 
• Ad-free 
• Customizable player 
• Private video sharing and permissions
• Video library 
• Advanced analytics

Cons

• 1,000 attendee limit on Business plan
• Expensive (priced per TB) 
• No built-in recording studio

5. Loom video player

Loom is a screen recording platform focused on team collaboration tools. It includes a video player, a video library, and an analytics dashboard which can all be customized. Unlike Vimeo, it can’t do live streaming, and video editing features are limited to trimming, splitting, and stitching video clips together — although it does have some AI functionality like filler word removal and auto-generated chapters, summaries, and titles. One of Loom’s primary drawbacks is its restrictions: on the free tier — you can only have 25 videos, and they can’t exceed 5 minutes each.

Pros

• Video library with folder organization
• Customizable player 
• Analytics dashboard
• Auto-generated chapters, titles, and summaries
• Automatic filler word and silence removal 

Cons

• Limited video editing capabilities
• Editing features and AI tools only available on paid plans
• Max video length of 5 minutes on free plan
• 25-video limit on free plan

6. Brightcove video player 

Brightcove is a customizable video player that supports both 4k HD streaming and live streaming. Additionally, Brightcove allows greater integrations of Ads if you choose to monetize your videos. It does have formatting features — you’re able to clip, voiceover, change the layout, music, etc. — but they’re not as extensive as the editing features offered by Vimeo. 

There are some cons to this video player as well: Brightcove was just purchased by Bending Spoons, which could alter features or lead to service outages. They don’t show pricing on their website — plans are enterprise-only, and you must contact their sales team for pricing. Lastly, although it can integrate with third-party tools, the integrations can be complex to set up, so it may be overkill for the average user.

Pros

• Unlimited storage
• Customizable player
• Auto-generated tags and descriptions
• Editing capabilities 
• Video ad integrations 

Cons

• Costly for the average user 
• Integrations are complex to set up
• Recent acquisition may lead to changes or disruptions

7. Veed video player

Veed’s main focus is video editing, but it also provides you with an ad-free video player, as well as a video library where you can organize your videos in folders and share them with your coworkers if you want to collaborate. Its video player was built for simplicity — it works with all popular web browsers and features an easy-to-use interface. And while it is possible to add branding elements to your videos, the video player itself is not as customizable when compared to Vimeo.

Pros

• Ad-free player 
• Set videos to private or public 
• Video library with folder organization
• Auto-generated subtitles with language translation 
• Easy video sharing 

Cons

• No longer supports live streaming
• Analytics limited to Pro and Enterprise users
• Limited storage on free and low-tier paid plans
• Video player is not customizable

8. Dacast video player

You can embed Dacast’s video player site, blog, or any web page easily, and it’s customizable and has no ads. There’s a video library where you can categorize your videos, access controls, analytics, and a paywall that you can use to monetize your videos. However, it’s not as comprehensive compared to Vimeo, as it doesn’t have built-in editing capabilities. The other disadvantage is that bandwidth is limited on lower-tier paid plans, so if you have many viewers or high-volume streaming, you’ll have to splurge on one of the more expensive plans.

Pros

• Ad-free 
• Compatible with nearly any device
• Customizable player 
• Chapter markers 
• Live captions and subtitles
• Geographic and domain-based access controls
• Create playlist channels
• Video library with categories and subcategories 

Cons

• Video quality up to 1080p HD (no 4K or 8K)
• No built-in chat 
• No video editing capabilities 
• Limited bandwidth on lower-tier paid plans
• No free plan  

9. Vidyard video player

As Vidyard’s video platform is made for engagement and monetization, it has features like advanced analytics, and you can also add calls to action in your videos. It doesn’t offer detailed access controls and permissions like Vimeo, but you can password-protect a video or ask viewers to submit their email address to request access to view a video. Many features are limited to paid plans, like captions and customizable branding, and editing tools are also limited on Vidyard.

Pros

• Customizable player 
• Video analytics
• Unlimited video hosting and recording length 
• Password protection
• Can require users to request access to view videos

Cons

• Only 5 embeds on free plan  
• 30-minute video limit on free plan
• Many features are only available on paid plans 
• Limited editing tools

10. JW Player

JW Player is made for embedding videos into websites, which is why it’s one of the most customizable video players on this list, providing CSS customization and JavaScript APIs for programmatic control and measuring just about every aspect of the playback experience. These allow for high-quality, HLS- and DASH-compliant video playback, and JW Player offers tools to monetize videos, automatic captioning, and detailed video analytics. The main drawback is that its customization options can be too complex for some users, and it also doesn’t have video editing capabilities.

Pros

• Highly customizable with CSS customization and APIs
• HLS- and DASH-compliant video playback
• Video monetization tools 
• Auto-captioning

Cons

• Must contact sales for pricing information 
• Customization can be complex
• No video editing tools  

11. Hippo Video 

Hippo Video is another good all-around video platform that focuses on engagement and personalization, so it has the ability to embed calls to action or lead-gen forms in your videos as well. Their video player is customizable — you can upload your own logo, customize the theme, add thumbnails, and include title and end screens. You can also create hubs with curated videos based on themes or topics. 

It also includes editing options such as trimming, importing audio and clips, cutting and cropping of your videos, effects, and more — just like Vimeo. That being said, all plans have limited video length — 30 minutes on the Starter Plan, 60 minutes on the Pro Plan, and 120 minutes on the Growth Plan. What’s more, many of its functions — such as password protection and customization options — are only available on the more costly paid plans.

Pros

• Customizable player 
• Embeddable video 
• Access control and permission settings
• Captioning 
• Automatic subtitles with translation
• Create video hubs with curated video collections
• Quick Edit and Pro Edit tools

Cons

• Video length is limited to 30, 60, and 120 minutes, depending on plan 
• Password protection not available on lowest-tier plan
• Some customization options and other features only available on higher-tier paid plans
• Subtitle translation limited to 5 languages 

12. SproutVideo

SproutVideo’s ad-free, customizable video player offers detailed access controls to protect your IP, video analytics, and high-quality streaming (up to 8K). It doesn’t include any integrated video editing features like Vimeo, though, and its pricing scheme — which is based on usage for additional bandwidth/storage, minutes of delivery, and live input minutes — can get pricey. If your audience grows suddenly, you can end up with a big bill.

Pros

• Video analytics
• Granular access controls
• Customizable player
• Ad-free 
• Automatic bandwidth detection for high-quality streaming
• Embeddable videos
• Supports up to 8K video  

Cons

• Extra bandwidth/storage, live input minutes, and live delivery minutes can be costly 
• Watermarks and viewer login protection not available on lowest-tier plan
• Live input limited based on plan 
• No built-in video editing tools 

13. Cincopa video player 

Cincopa claims to be an all-in-one video and image platform. You can brand your videos, customize the video player’s color and thumbnails, and you can embed CTAs and lead-gen forms right into your videos. Cincopa provides a few solid security controls — it blocks right-click downloads and third-party downloaders, in addition to other access restriction and password protection options. 

But it’s very much focused on business use cases like marketing, e-commerce, and education, which means it might be overkill for a solo creator. And many of its most useful features — like live streaming, subtitles, and chaptering — are only accessible with the higher-cost paid plans.

Pros

• Embeddable player and galleries 
• Video library 
• Supports live streaming
• Video analytics  
• Blocks right-click downloads and third-party downloaders
• Password protection and access controls

Cons

• Limited player customization 
• Designed primarily for business users 
• Many features only available on higher-tier paid plans
• Limited to 20 videos on free plan, 50 videos on lowest-tier paid plan

Video player FAQ:

What’s the difference between a video player and a media player?

A video player is used to watch video files, while a media player can play all kinds of media file types (audio files, videos, and, occasionally, images). Media players, in general, support a wider range of content types and file formats.

What video formats do online video players support?

They usually accept popular video formats, like MP4, WebM, AVI, MWV, MOV, etc. Some even allow you to upload and publish a video in any format without converting it beforehand. If your own video content is in a lesser-used format, you’re going to want to look to see what formats the video player supports before you settle on a platform.

Can I customize the appearance of an online video player?

For the most part, you can customize an online video player to include your logo, brand colors, and other elements for branding. On some video players, you can also select what player controls are shown to viewers.

Do online video players support monetization? 

You can monetize your videos with some online video players — aside from Vimeo, you can also monetize with tools like Dacast and Wistia. There are a few ways to do this, like subscriptions, pay-per-view, and ads, but the specific options can vary from platform to platform. 

How do I embed videos from online video players on my website? 

Generating an embed code — which is a few lines of code you copy and paste into your site’s HTML — is an easy way to embed videos on your website. Most video players allow you to do this. 

Conclusion: Which video player is best for you?

Online video players are straightforward, for the most part, but there are some things to remember if you’re looking for one — usability, customizability, analytics, access controls, security features, etc. So, to find the perfect video player for you, you should determine what features you need for your use case.

Good news: There are lots of web-based players with different features, so you can probably find at least one that suits your needs. Vimeo’s video player is free of ads, and it’s also customizable. You can stream in up to 8K with adaptive bitrate technology, giving your viewers a watching experience that’s as smooth and uninterrupted as possible. It also includes a range of additional features such as analytics, video creation, video editing, and marketing and distribution — allowing brands and creators alike to manage the entire video lifecycle all from one platform.

Get started with Vimeo →