Vimeo vs. YouTube: Which video platform should you choose?

So you’re wondering which is better, YouTube or Vimeo? 

The truth is you can have both! Each platform is good for different things, and they work really well together.

The TL;DR is that Vimeo is ideal for video hosting (for a number of reasons, which we thoughtfully outlined below) but YouTube can be an important social media and advertising platform.

It all depends on what you’re trying to do with your videos and why. Let’s get into the details.

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What is the difference between Vimeo and YouTube?

On the surface, Vimeo and YouTube seem to have similar purposes: sharing videos via an online platform. But dig a little deeper and you’ll find some significant differences that shape two very different video sharing services and content experiences.

While YouTube is home to a large, global user base with a wide variety of video content and a robust search, at its heart, it’s a social media platform powered by advertising, which places video hosting in the backseat. 

Hosting on Vimeo can result in better traffic to your site. The reason for this is because if you embed a YouTube video on your website, and it ranks for your target terms, when users click the video snippet on Google, that traffic goes to YouTube – not to your website. If you want traffic that goes to your webpage, you should host your video on Vimeo and then embed that video on your webpage because of the special embedding code we use.

Vimeo is specifically geared towards supporting both creators and businesses, from small businesses to enterprise organizations. Stacked with video marketing tools, Vimeo provides features that make uploading, hosting, editing, and distributing high-quality video content effortless for both video professionals and creative teams.

Vimeo vs. YouTube: A side-by-side comparison of video hosting sites

If you’re looking for specific video player, video collaboration, or video monetization features, this comparison table highlights the standout features of each video platform’s services.

In an effort to game video monetization, YouTube allows unlimited storage and doesn’t cap the number of videos you can host. The more videos on its platform, the more ads there are, and the more revenue the company can generate. But YouTube also significantly limits video length for unverified users. In contrast, Vimeo provides high-quality video options, an ad-free video player, and more robust video management tools for creative teams.

Get started for free on Vimeo →

Video hosting platform comparison: Vimeo vs. YouTube

First and foremost, both Vimeo and YouTube offer free video hosting. But the features and capabilities of free video hosting on Vimeo can differ from those available on YouTube. Here’s a deep dive into the video hosting features of each platform.

Vimeo video hosting platform

Vimeo allows both content creators and businesses to stream and host high-quality video on a reliable platform to an engaged audience of professionals and creatives. Give it a try now — upload a video to Vimeo for free.

• Superior video quality. A fast-loading HTML5 video player guarantees reliable performance and hosts videos in 4K, 8K, HDR, and Dolby Vision.
• Advanced sound quality. No other video hosting platform offers the kind of sound quality available on Vimeo, with a constant bitrate of 320 kbps that delivers truly fantastic and dynamic audio.
• Ad free. Vimeo’s commitment to no ads hasn’t wavered. You won’t see ads before, during, or after videos whether you have a free trial, an advanced plan, or an enterprise video account.
• Fully customizable video player. With Vimeo, you get to choose the look and feel of your video player. Customize your brand colors, logos, and video controls — all of which are carried over wherever you embed videos to deliver a seamlessly consistent content experience.
• Video security features. Vimeo’s video platform privacy features include custom permissions, password protection, and private videos to ensure you control access to your video content.
• Videomaker integrations. Whether you film videos on Android, iPhone, Mac, or even Windows, Vimeo integrates with iMovie, Google Drive, and Dropbox for a hassle-free uploading experience.
• View from anywhere. Got the app on your mobile or want to go browser-based on desktop? Vimeo video hosting services have you covered.

Start hosting videos for free on Vimeo →

Youtube video hosting platform

Google’s YouTube is a gargantuan online video sharing and social media platform that is the second most-visited website in the world, as of November 2023. 

• Global audience reach. YouTube has 2.5 billion monthly users, primarily focused in India and the United States, who consume an estimated one billion hours of video daily. That’s a lot of cat videos.
• Free (mostly). Most YouTube features are free, but you’ll pay with your eyeballs. YouTube videos are crammed with ads so content creators (and the site) can cash in on video monetization.
• View from anywhere. Like Vimeo, YouTube offers a seamless viewing experience whether you’re on mobile or desktop.
• Superior search. One of the inherent advantages of being owned by Google is a superior site search function and enviable search engine optimization.
• Private link sharing. Like Vimeo, the platform enables creating unlisted links to videos for private sharing. However, it’s worth noting that, unlike Vimeo, these unlisted links can’t be indexed on your site.
• Unlimited video hosting. YouTube doesn’t cap the number of videos you can host, but they do limit video length for unverified users to just 15 minutes. Think of it as a quantity-over-quality approach.

Live streaming software comparison: Vimeo vs. YouTube

Both Vimeo and YouTube support live streaming but there are a few features that make live streaming on Vimeo the obvious choice for webinars and virtual events.

Vimeo live streaming

Vimeo’s live streaming platform has thought of everything, setting a high bar for webinar software and stunning virtual events through Vimeo Venues.

• Reliable, high-definition video quality. The video quality Vimeo is known for extends to live streaming capabilities, with 1080p HD viewing experiences even for participants with limited bandwidth.
• Ad-free, engaging video. Whether you’re running a product launch or an internal town hall event, Vimeo’s live-stream software lets you add chat, polls, Q&A, and live links.
• Multistream securely. You can simultaneously stream to social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn or set up password and embed permission to ensure a private streaming experience.
• Brand your live stream. Virtual events broadcast from the Vimeo studio let you switch between feeds, stream pre-recorded video, mix audio, and add your logo, brand colors, and custom graphics.
• Repurpose your event. Host a live webinar and then create bite-sized video snippets for marketing on social media, organize them into content chapters, or offer downloadable, branded video assets.

Check out how live streaming on Vimeo works →

YouTube live streaming platform

YouTube provides YouTube Live, a tool that helps creators stream and interact with viewers live. But it may lack the features you’d need to host an event like a webinar or internal town hall — things like branding, polls, surveys, Q&A, and analytics.

• Free with requirements. In order to directly live stream for free, Google requires a verified account. If you want to live stream on YouTube on mobile, you’ll need to have at least 1,000 subscribers.
• Set up virtual events. Like Vimeo, you can schedule a virtual event on YouTube, invite people, and set up backup streams, but you’ll be required to use a Google-verified encoder.
• Chat moderation tools. YouTube’s live-stream software doesn't offer much in the way of interactive video, but there are live chat moderation tools.
• Dedicated channel. YouTube’s dedicated streaming channel, YouTube Live, can make it easier to discover, watch, and monetize live streams.

Video creation and editing comparison: Vimeo vs. YouTube

The art of video-making doesn’t end when you stop filming. Vimeo offers creation and editing software to craft your videos into the kind of eye candy that stops scrollers in their social media tracks. YouTube stops short of a full suite of video editing tools but does provide a trimmer to crop and edit your footage. YT Create has expanded editing capabilities, but it’s only available on mobile devices.

Vimeo video editing and creation

Vimeo’s free online video maker and video editing tools empower polished video production for businesses and creators.

• AI Video editor. A state-of-the-art video editor helps you create polished content from scratch, edit and repurpose clips, and boasts a drag-and-drop interface, advanced audio controls, and the ability to add titles, graphics, and more.
• Video templates. Start from scratch or lean into hundreds of professionally designed video templates that transform content into popping, branded visuals from your creative team.
• AI-powered recording tools. Intuitive features like a script generator and online teleprompter produce audio captions, subtitles, and downloadable transcripts that help ensure video content is on message and accessible. Learn more about Vimeo AI.
• Integrated brand kit. Vimeo helps your messaging stay on point with colors, custom fonts, graphics, logos, and other custom templates you can add straight from your brand kit.

Experience Vimeo’s video editing tools for yourself →

YouTube video editing and creation

YouTube Create and YouTube Studio give creators free tools to edit and publish compelling video content.

• YouTube Trimmer. YouTube Studio is the free editing tool embedded in YouTube’s video sharing platform that allows you to trim and tweak videos as well as tinker with subtitles and captions.
• YouTube Create (beta only). Mobile-only YouTube Create is still in beta and offers several filters and the ability to create transitions for videos and other sound effects. But there’s no stock video available, so you’ll have to import your own.

Video marketing capabilities comparison: Vimeo vs. YouTube

If you’re looking at video content as the next way to level up your marketing campaigns, both Vimeo and YouTube have analytics features that can help.

Vimeo video marketing

From frictionless video sharing experiences on social media to analytics that optimize marketing campaigns, you can measure, report and improve the impact of your video content on Vimeo.

• Vimeo analytics dashboard. Vimeo’s analytics don’t just give you the scoop on video performance. They track return on investment (ROI) for campaigns and provide valuable insight to stakeholders.
• Comprehensive reports. Export and share video metrics and other reports from a single, centralized dashboard that enables you to generate new insights and get campaigns back on track.
• Workflow and review tools. Reduce back and forth from stakeholders with built-in tools that support review with time-coded comments and consolidated feedback from across teams.
• Video library. Vimeo Central and its dynamic video library management enables you to create folders and search by keyword even if it’s not in the title of the video thanks to auto-transcription features.
• Content marketing integration. Vimeo integrates with CRM platforms like Hubspot, Marketo, Constant Contact, and Salesforce, meaning you can leverage more video marketing tools to generate leads for your business.

See how Vimeo’s video marketing tools work →

YouTube video marketing 

YouTube Studio offers free analytics tools to video creators, but it leaves making sense of the performance insights up to you.

• YouTube analytics. General performance data on reach, engagement, and audience is available through YouTube Studio. The audience retention tracker can be especially valuable.
• YouTube playlists. While YouTube doesn’t have specific video library management tools, it does offer the ability to create and curate video playlists to help organize your channel content.
• Third-party YouTube video marketing tools. There are quite a few options out there for third-party tools like vidIQ, which is certified by YouTube, that can help you apply insights from YouTube analytics.

Which video platform is best for you: Vimeo or YouTube?

Skipping to the end to find a definitive answer on the best video hosting site? No judgment. In summary, YouTube is a video sharing platform that’s a great fit for individuals and casual content creators who are still trying to find their niche, attempting to monetize a large subscriber base, or just having fun.

Vimeo is a video hosting service and video content marketing platform with powerful tools designed to create, edit, manage, and promote high-quality videos. While both YouTube and Vimeo offer free video sharing and other tools, professionals, creators, and brands will find Vimeo’s Advanced and Enterprise plans well worth the investment.

Get started with Vimeo today →