Top 10 Best Video Monetization Platforms

Video monetization platforms have become essential for content creators looking to generate revenue from their videos. With the global video streaming market projected to surpass the $800 billion value mark by 2034, creators have more opportunities than ever to turn their content into income. 

Whether through ad revenue, pay-per-view, or fan support, choosing the right platform can maximize earnings. This guide explores the 10 best video monetization platforms, helping you find the best fit for your content strategy and audience engagement goals.

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What Are Video Monetization Platforms And Why Are They Important?

Video monetization platforms are websites or applications that allow content creators to receive money from the videos that they upload online. They can be a platform where you can upload the content, or one that lets you get donations and funding from your viewers.

Monetization platforms are crucial for video content creators, as it offers a way of generating earnings through their videos, which they can use as their main income stream, or to invest in their video making.

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What To Look For In Video Monetization Platforms  - Criteria Of Selection

Choosing the right video monetization platform is crucial for maximizing your revenue and growing your audience. With so many options available, here are the key factors to consider:

Monetization Models

Different platforms offer various ways to earn, such as ad revenue sharing, subscriptions, pay-per-view, or direct fan support. Look for a platform that aligns with your content strategy and audience preferences.

Revenue Share & Fees

Platforms take a percentage of your earnings, so it's important to compare revenue splits and transaction fees. Some offer higher payouts but come with hidden costs, so read the fine print carefully.

Audience Access & Discoverability

While looking for a monetization platform, consider how easily viewers will be able to find your content. Platforms with built-in discovery features, SEO optimization, or integration with social media can help you grow faster.

Content Ownership & Control

Always check the platform’s terms regarding ownership rights. Some platforms have strict content policies or retain partial control over your videos, which may impact long-term earnings. Introspection is key at this point, and you have to evaluate whether losing a portion of the rights for your content is worth it or not.

Ad & Brand Partnership Opportunities

If advertising is your primary revenue stream, look at the platform’s ad network and sponsorship options. Some platforms offer direct brand deals or in-platform ad placements to increase earnings. For example, you could choose the benefit mostly from YouTube Ads, or complement them with being part of an affiliate program.

User Experience & Platform Features 

A smooth user interface, analytics tools, and engagement features (like live chat, memberships, or tipping) can enhance viewer experience and boost monetization potential. Feel free to test the platform before jumping into it, and see it from the user’s point of view. Still, in this list we only focus on platforms that have high positive rates of user experience.

Platform Restrictions & Policies

Read the rules on content guidelines, demonetization risks, and eligibility requirements. Some platforms have stricter policies that could impact your ability to monetize consistently. If you upload a video that breaks some of their rules, you might suffer the consequences by getting it deleted or your account completely removed from the platform.

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Top 10 Best Video Monetization Platforms

1. YouTube

Pricing: Free

Reviews: 4.0/5.0 (Google Play)

Best for: Content creators looking for a platform to upload long and short format videos.

Free Trial: Free Platform

Everyone who wants to monetize their work as a video content creator can’t overlook YouTube. It is the most popular video sharing platform in the world, where verified accounts can upload videos of up to 12 hours and a minimum length of 15 seconds for YouTube shorts. 

YouTube Pro’s

• Community Engagement: Your audience has a wide range of interaction possibilities that go beyond simply watching the video. They can like, comment, share and subscribe, helping you to build a sense of community around your content and boost engagement.
• No Hidden Expenses: For video content creators, there isn’t any hidden expense on YouTube. As long as you upload good-quality content and optimize it according to the platform’s algorithm, you have high chances of success and monetization.
• No Limits In Monetization: There isn't a limit around how much money you can make from YouTube. Any limitation that you may face comes from local governmental regulations and not from YouTube itself.
• Easy To Use: YouTube has a friendly interface, allowing you to use it with no fuzz. With the help of YouTube Studio, you can upload a high quality, seo optimized video in a matter of minutes.

YouTube’s Cons

• Limits For Standing Out: Every day, over 2 million videos are uploaded on YouTube, making it a competitive landscape. To stand out, you have to cover all of the fronts and be sure that your content isn’t just amazing, but also adds value to the platform and aligns with YouTube’s algorithm.
• Strict Community Guidelines: Being such a big platform, YouTube noticed the need of adding stronger filters regarding what content can be uploaded, and they only increase with the years. A community guideline violation can ban your channel or completely close it.
• No Room For No Video Content: YouTube is experimenting with its community posts section, but it isn’t anywhere near to becoming a multi-format platform (such as Instagram). If you want to focus only on videos, then it is the best one.
• Specific Monetization System: YouTube has a specific monetization system where views aren;t the main focus. What matters more is the ad views and YouTube receives a commission from them.

Our Insights

For video content creators whose content fits YouTube community guidelines, there isn’t a better platform to be. You can reupload your content from other platforms (such as Instagram or TikTok), produce videos of different lengths, and expand your social media presence while increasing the monetization.
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2. Creator Hero

Pricing: Free Plan Available. Pro plans start at $19 per month

Reviews: N/A

Best for: Content creators who need a platform to monetize their social media.

Free Trial: Free plan available

Creator Hero is a platform designed to help content creators, including YouTubers, monetize their influence by building custom storefronts, earning commissions through affiliate marketing, and establishing brand partnerships. It provides tools to create personalized shops, manage products, and track earnings, all aimed at enhancing revenue streams for creators.

Creator Hero’s Pros

• Integrated Storefronts: Directly link your storefront to your videos, allowing fans to shop the products you promote with ease.
• Brand-Safe Monetization: Offers a legal way to monetize content through product promotions and sponsored partnerships.
• Customizable Features: Tailor your storefront and promotional tools to fit your personal brand, standing out in a crowded market.
• Multiple Revenue Streams: Earn income through affiliate commissions, sponsored content, and direct product sales.

Creator Hero’s Cons

• Fees: The platform takes a percentage of your earnings, ranging from 5-15%, which can reduce your overall income.
• Setup Effort: Initial setup for your storefront and linking it with your social media takes some time, especially for those new to monetizing.

Our Insights

Creator Hero provides a straightforward, brand-safe approach to monetizing content on different social media platforms. By linking storefronts to videos, creators can easily promote products and generate income through multiple streams, all while staying within the different platforms’ guidelines.

3. TikTok

Pricing: Free to use, with in-app purchases available for promotions

Reviews: 4.6 (App Store)

Best for: Content creators looking for a platform to upload short videos.

Free Trial: Always free to start

TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms for creators to build an audience and earn money. Whether through brand partnerships, affiliate marketing, or promoting products, TikTok provides a range of monetization opportunities. Creators can engage with followers through short-form videos, showcasing products and services or participating in trends. TikTok also has a Creator Fund that directly compensates creators based on video performance, giving them an additional revenue stream.

TikTok’s Pros

• Free to Start: TikTok is completely free to use, making it easy for creators to begin sharing content without any upfront costs.
• Creator Fund: TikTok’s Creator Fund rewards creators for the performance of their videos, offering another way to earn money.
• Brand Collaborations: The platform is home to a variety of brand partnerships, where creators can work with companies for sponsored content or product promotion.
• Viral Potential: TikTok's algorithm promotes videos based on engagement, giving creators a chance to go viral and quickly grow their audience.

TikTok’s Cons

• Inconsistent Earnings: While the Creator Fund pays based on video performance, it can be unpredictable and varies depending on video engagement.
• Time-Intensive: Building a TikTok presence requires consistent video uploads and engagement, which can be time-consuming for creators.
• Limited Direct Monetization: Unlike other platforms with built-in monetization features (like Super Chats or donations), TikTok requires external methods for creators to directly earn income through ads or affiliate marketing.

Our Insights

TikTok offers creators a massive platform to showcase their talents and earn money through various methods, from brand partnerships to the Creator Fund. However, creators need to work consistently to build an engaged following and navigate external monetization options.

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4. InPlayer

Pricing: N/A

Reviews: 4.6/5.0 (Google Play)

Best for: Musicians and music related content.

Free Trial: No

InPlayer is a video streaming platform that supports long and short format videos, as well as livestreams and special releases. The viewers have a pay-per-view option (no need to pay for a complete subscription) and access your videos, allowing you to receive profits from that, ads, and gifts/donations.

InPlayer’s Pros

• Monetization Per View: Since your viewers have to pay to see your content, you will receive a percentage of that per view. There isn’t a minimum or maximum limit, it entirely depends on how many viewers you have.
• Targeted To Musicians: InPlayer is directed to musicians, people who upload music -videos and audios-, bands who want to sell additional content, etc. If your profile doesn’t align with their brand, they may not let you join and feature your content there.
• Donation And Gifting: The monetization doesn’t end in the views, as InPlayer allows you to add features for requesting donations and gifts from your audience. They are usually small amounts, but go a long way as a whole.
• Customer Support: InPlayer offers an extensive FAQ section to solve your problems (with more than 20 entries). It also has a community forum where you can ask questions, a chatbot, and the regular contact methods like email. 

InPlayer’s Cons

• Exclusive For Music: InPlayer is an amazing platform to upload content and monetize your videos, but it is targeted exclusively to musicians and artists. If you upload a different type of content, InPlayer is not the right platform for you.
• Steep Learning Curve: Is not impossible to understand how to use InPlayer, but the first time you upload or host a livestream might be a bit complicated. We recommend doing a rehearsal of the livestream, to be sure that everything is working properly.

Our Insights

If you are a musician, a part of a band, or upload music-related content, InPlayer is a fantastic way of monetizing your videos. You can receive money from multiple streams, and you will have less copyright restrictions than in platforms such as YouTube.

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5. Thinkific

Pricing: Basic plan starts at $36 /mo

Reviews: 4.5/5.0 (G2)

Best for: Coaches, educators, and businesses

Free Trial: 30 days free trial available

Thinkific is an online course creation platform that allows you to host, manage, and sell educational content. It’s ideal for educators, coaches, and businesses looking to share knowledge through video lessons, quizzes, and downloadable resources. Thinkific provides tools for building a complete learning environment without needing advanced tech skills.

Thinkific’s Pros

• Flexible Course Creation: Thinkific allows you to upload videos, PDFs, quizzes, and presentations without technical expertise. This is key, because it adds more layers and diversifies your content, which is crucial for online courses.
• Payment Options: The basic plan starts at $38 per month, but it has other premium options for you to choose from. You can begin with the free trail and then decide if the platform is the right fit for you or not. 
• No Transaction Fees: Unlike other platforms, Thinkific doesn’t take a cut of your sales, as you are already paying for the service in your subscription plan.
• Community Building: Thinkific offers discussion forums and comment sections to foster student engagement. This is more organized than a YouTube comment section, and it provides a better experience both for the students and the teachers.

Thinkific’s Cons

• Limited Design Options: Customization is available, but design templates can feel restrictive. This can be negative if you are used to giving your content and channel your own style.
• Higher Pricing Tiers: If you want to have access to their advanced features, you will have to pay for more expensive plans. The highest one goes up to $149 per month, although business values might be higher.
• No Built-In Live Streaming: With Thinkific you can only upload edited videos, but you can’t make a livestream, which would be a cool addition as it would allow you to respond to your audience on live. However, you would need third-party tools to host live classes.

Our Insights

If you want a user-friendly platform to monetize educational content, Thinkific is a solid choice. It offers strong student management features and multiple revenue models, making it great for growing an online learning business.

6. Kaltura

Pricing: Custom (Based on usage) 

Reviews: 4.2/5.0 (G2) 

Best for: Content creators who want to livestream or upload courses.

Free Trial: No

Kaltura is a highly flexible video platform designed for businesses, educational institutions, and media companies. It supports live streaming, video-on-demand, and virtual classrooms, offering advanced video solutions for large-scale needs.

Kaltura’s Pros

• Live Streaming: Different to other educational or business video platforms, Kaltura offers high-quality broadcasts with interactive features. This is great because the viewers can give immediate feedback and you can respond to them at the same time.
• Scalability: Kaltura was designed to work on a large scale. For that reason, it works well for large organizations with extensive video needs.
• High Customization: Kaltura offers advanced tools so that users can tweak almost every aspect of the platform.
• Interactive Tools: If you want to upload educational content, or large format videos, it is a must to have the opportunity to add additional content or formats, to keep the audience engaged. With Kaltura, you can include polls, quizzes, and live chat for more engaging content.

Kaltura’s Cons

• Complex Setup: Although Kaltura offers customization features, at the end of the day, it requires technical knowledge for full customization.
• Pricing Transparency: The prices aren’t publicly disclosed, and the costs can be unpredictable as they are based on usage. We recommend contacting customer support if you have any questions or a tight budget.
• Resource-Intensive: If you want to host high-quality livestreaming videos (over 60 minutes duration) it will demand for you to have a strong infrastructure. This could be avoided on a platform like YouTube.

Our Insights

Kaltura is perfect for businesses and institutions that need large-scale, highly customizable video solutions. While it has a steep learning curve, its interactive features and scalability make it a top choice for advanced users.

7. Dacast

Pricing: Starts at $39/month

Reviews: 4.3/5.0 (Trustpilot)

Best for: Brands and content creators to upload on-demand videos.

Free Trial: Yes, 14 days

Dacast is a professional streaming service known for its ease of use and affordability. It’s ideal for businesses and content creators who want to monetize live and on-demand videos without ads.

Dacast’s Pros

• Easy Monetization: Dacast is great for monetization as it fosters multiple payment models, including subscriptions and pay-per-view. This way, your audience can choose between a longer-term subscription or a shorter one, and you can set the price.
• High-Quality Streaming: If you want to do livestreams or upload high quality content, you can rest assured that Dacast will maintain that. The quality of the video will stay the same, even during livestreams.
• Affordable Plans: Given its diverse features, Dacast has a competitive pricing, especially when compared to other similar platforms. Its professional-grade services are definitely worth the price.
• Ad-Free Experience: Since your viewers have to pay -to watch a video on-demand or a livestream-, they don’t have to go through external ads. This makes for a much better user experience.

Dacast’s Cons

• Limited Customization: Compared to other platforms that offer a similar service, Dacast has fewer design options. This limits the customization that you can do once that the video is uploaded, and to your page.
• No Community Features: Dacast has the option for a live chat for your videos, but it doesn't have built-in discussion or community sections, which may be discouraging for some content creators.
• Bandwidth Costs: There are extra fees if you exceed the allocated bandwidth, though they are properly explained so you get to comprehend them before joining the platform.

Our Insights

Dacast is a strong option for businesses looking for affordable video monetization. Its simple setup and reliable streaming make it a good choice for professional content creators. Since it is ad-free for your audience, it offers a great watching experience, although the lack of a community forum reduces the amount of interactions that you can foster.

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8. Vimeo OTT

Pricing: Starts at $1 per subscriber/month

Reviews: 4.6/5.0 (Capterra) 

Best for: Creators and brands to launch their streaming services.

Free Trial: Yes, it offers a 30-day free trial

Vimeo OTT is a subscription-based video platform that allows content creators to launch their own video streaming services. It’s perfect for those building a branded content library with consistent revenue.

Vimeo OTT’s Pros

• Video Analytics: Vimeo OTT has a dashboard that can help you to track viewer behavior and content performance. This means that you will be able to tell how much is the actual watch time of a video, the amount of interactions, and more.
• Recurring Revenue: Vimeo OTT offers multiple subscription models to ensure that you perceive a consistent income. You can increase or decrease the value within the offered range.
• High Video Quality: Vimeo has a strong infrastructure that ensures smooth streaming. With over 2 decades in the industry, it fosters some of the best tools to upload videos and preserve its quality.
• Content Security: Vimeo OTT has advanced tools with the purpose of protecting intellectual property. Thanks to them, your video and overall content (such as music if you include it) will be protected, but it might flag content that you upload if there is a copyright infringement suspicion.

Vimeo OTT’s Cons

• High Startup Costs: Creating a branded app is more expensive, if you compare it to other platforms that offer a similar service.
• Limited Interactivity: Vimeo OTT doesn’t offer live chat or community features, which can make the process of analyzing the engagement of a video more difficult, as you will have to focus on shares and likes.
• Revenue Split: Vimeo always takes a percentage of subscription earnings, so you will have to keep that commission in mind.

Our Insights

Vimeo OTT is an excellent option for creators ready to build a branded subscription-based streaming service. Its quality and security are top-notch, but costs can add up quickly if you opt for custom apps.
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9. VlogBox

Pricing: Plans starting from $2.99

Reviews: 4.9/5.0 (G2)

Best for: Creators looking to diversify their content

Free Trial: VlogBox offers a 14-day free trial

VlogBox is a specialized platform focused on video monetization through connected TV apps. It’s ideal for content creators looking to distribute their videos across smart TV ecosystems and maximize ad-based revenue.

VlogBox’s Pros

• Wide Distribution Network: With VlogBox, your videos can reach a larger audience through multiple connected TV apps, enhancing your visibility. 
• Ad-Based Monetization: The platform makes it easy to set up ad-based revenue streams, helping you earn without relying on subscriptions. 
• Comprehensive Analytics: VlogBox provides in-depth insights into viewer engagement and ad performance, allowing you to fine-tune your content strategy.

VlogBox’s Cons

• Niche Audience: Since VlogBox focuses on smart TV distribution, it might not be suitable for creators targeting web or mobile viewers. 
• Learning Curve: Setting up your own TV app and managing ad placements can require some technical knowledge. 
• Limited Integration: VlogBox mainly focuses on video distribution, so you won’t find many additional tools for content creation or editing.

Our Insights

VlogBox is perfect for creators who want to break into the connected TV space and monetize through ad-based revenue. If your content is high-quality and fits long-form formats, this platform offers great visibility and earning potential.

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10. Cleeng

Pricing: Plans starting from $1.5

Reviews: 5.0/5.0 (G2)

Best for: Uploading long-format videos or courses

Free Trial: Cleeng has a 7 days free trial

Cleeng is a great platform for uploading and monetizing your content, especially if you focus on courses or larger videos, as your audience has to pay per view. With AI powered tools, it boosts your productivity and the performance of your videos, while providing in-depth insights and analytics.

Cleeng’s Pros

• Detailed Analytics And Dashboards: Once your videos are live, it is super simple to understand the analytics and performance overview. The dashboard will show you how many minutes people spend on your videos, if they click on any ad or link, how much they interact with it, etc.
• AI Tools: Thanks to its AI tools, a large part of the process is automated, and you can access the analytics near real time.
• Scalable Billing Options: The billing options from Cleeng are more scalable that the ones on similar platforms, making it a stand out point.

Cleeng’s Cons

• Subscription Basis: You have to convince your audience to pay a subscription to Cleeng to watch your videos. For that reason, it is recommended for long-format videos, courses, or content that can’t be featured on YouTube.
• Complicated Interface: The analytics dashboard is amazing and pretty self explanatory, but the video uploading process can be more complicated. Is not identical to the ones from other platforms, so for newbies it might be difficult to give the first steps.
• No Integration To Other Tools: With Cleeng what you see is what you get. You can’t integrate other tools in this platform, you can only upload the edited video and optimize for the search/encourage your audience to see it in this platform.

Our Insights

Cleeng was mostly developed for long-format content, courses, and video that doesn’t fully fit YouTube community guidelines. It is great if your content fit one of those categories, or if you have a strong following base that will pay the subscription fee to see your videos there.

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Final Thoughts On Video Monetization Platforms

Choosing the right video monetization platform is crucial for maximizing your revenue and engaging your audience effectively. 

Each platform offers unique benefits tailored to different types of content creators, from ad-based models on YouTube to subscription options on Vimeo OTT. 

Whether you focus on educational content, music, or creative videos, finding a platform that aligns with your goals and audience preferences is key. By carefully evaluating each option, you can make an informed decision and optimize your monetization strategy.

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