api.video vs Mux (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Mux grades higher than api.video: 2.2 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
api.video grades higher on ease of use. Mux grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
api.video
Video hosting, live streaming and analytics API for developers
Mux
Video API for storing, streaming and analyzing video in apps
Which one is for you
Pick api.video if
- Fits if you build video features into your own app through an API
- Works for teams that want live streams simulcast to YouTube, Facebook or Twitch
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you don't write code, as the product is an API
- Tight if you want free hosting: the sandbox deletes videos after 24 hours
- Pricey if you need a custom domain, at $60 a month per domain
- Watch out: analytics beyond a month cost $12 to $299 a month, and AI transcription is $0.10 per minute
- Watch out: pay as you go caps API calls at 100 uploads and 500 reads a minute
Pick Mux if
- Fits if you're a developer who needs video inside your own product
- Works for apps that want per-minute billing and playback analytics
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you don't write code, because there's no app, only an API
- Tight if you stay free, with 10 stored videos and no live
- Watch out: custom domains are $100 a month and live simulcast is $0.020 a minute per target
- Watch out: usage billing means the bill moves with your audience
How we grade them
| 2.0GPAapi.videoFair | 2.2GPAMuxFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo monthly fee, and hosting from $0.00285 and delivery from $0.0017 per minute of video, so it depends on usage. Custom domains are an add-on from $60 a month. | CFree to start and usage-based after, with Launch at $20 for $100 of credit. Cost depends on minutes, not seats, so it's hard to set against per-seat tools. |
| Free plan and trial | DThe sandbox has every feature, but videos are 30 seconds, watermarked and deleted after 24 hours. It is a test area, not something to live on. | CA free plan with 100K delivery minutes a month, but only 10 stored videos and no live video, no card needed. |
| Features | BOn-demand and live video, SRT and RTMPS, simulcast, analytics, access controls and AI transcription in 33 languages. Longer analytics history and transcription cost extra. | BHosting, delivery, live, analytics, a free player, AI workflows and signed URLs. The listing shows costs on top: custom domains are $100 a month. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating on record. There is a dashboard, but the work is writing code against the API. | DNo store rating on record, and it's an API: you write code to use it, and there is no app. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb dashboard and API only. No desktop or phone apps, and no integrations list. | BWeb via API, with a free Video.js player and delivery to anything that plays video. |
| Best for | developers adding video upload, hosting and live streaming | developers building video into an app |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: api.video and Mux. How we grade
Where they differ
- api.video also covers multistreaming.
- Mux also covers web analytics.
At a glance
| api.video | Mux | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | Not published | $20 per month for $100 in credit (Launch, prepaid) |
| Free plan | Sandbox account with all features: videos limited to 30 seconds, watermarked and deleted after 24 hours. | 100K delivery minutes and 100K Mux Robots units a month, up to 10 videos stored, on-demand video only, no credit card. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | api.video | Mux |
| Price read from | api.video | mux.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
api.video
- The free sandbox caps videos at 30 seconds, watermarks them and deletes them after 24 hours; production needs a paid account.
- Custom domains are an add-on from $60 a month per domain (the add-ons list shows 60 euros); domain referrer restrictions are $20 a month.
- Analytics retention beyond one month costs from $12 to $299 a month depending on plays; AI transcription is $0.10 per minute.
- Pay as you go allows 100 upload, 200 write and 500 read API calls per minute; Enterprise raises these limits.
Mux
- Mux is an API, so using it means writing code; the pricing page lists no desktop or mobile app.
- The Free plan allows 10 stored videos and no live video.
- Custom domains cost $100 a month, and live simulcasting is $0.020 per minute per target.
Key features
api.video
- Video on demand API
- Upload by file or URL, with HLS and MP4 output, encoding from 240p to 4K, trimming, watermarks, captions, chapters and thumbnails.
- Live streaming
- Concurrent and 24/7 streams over RTMPS or SRT, DVR, recording, low latency and simulcasting to platforms such as YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.
- Analytics
- Viewing analytics for videos and live streams with one month of retention free, and longer retention sold by play count.
- AI transcription and summaries
- Transcription in 33 languages is priced at $0.10 per minute of video; summaries and takeaways are billed per minute too.
- Access control
- Private videos and streams, delegated upload tokens, domain referrer restrictions and AES 128-bit encryption.
Mux
- Video hosting by the minute
- Prices are per minute of content, not file size, with no rounding up to the next minute. Input is free and storage starts at $0.0024 per minute.
- Video delivery
- 100K delivery minutes a month are free, then rates start at $0.0008 per minute.
- Mux Robots AI workflows
- AI jobs priced per minute or per job, including caption translation, summaries, chapters, key moments, content moderation and audio translation.
- Live video
- Live streaming on the paid plans, with live captions free for 6K minutes a month and simulcasting charged per target.
- Analytics and player
- Mux Data video analytics and the Video.js player are listed as free.
- Content security
- Signed URLs and domain and referrer restrictions are free. Media-grade DRM costs $100 a month plus $0.003 per play.
Plans
api.video
Pay as you go$0
No monthly fee. Hosting from $0.00285 and delivery from $0.0017 per minute of video; encoding is free.
Enterprise planCustom
Higher API rate limits, 99.9% SLA with credits, signed MSA and DPA, security review, annual billing, wire transfer.
Mux
Free$0
100K free monthly delivery minutes and Mux Robots units, up to 10 stored videos and on-demand video only.
Pay as you go$0
per month plus usage
Usage-based billing with all API features, on-demand and live video, no storage limit and a $20 monthly usage credit.
Launch$20
per month for $100 in credit
Prepaid credits that apply to usage, with the 100K monthly delivery minutes and Robots units. Usage billing applies after the credits run out.
Scale$500
per month for $1,000 in credit
Prepaid credits for larger volumes, with the same monthly free delivery minutes and Robots units. Usage billing applies after the credits run out.
EnterpriseCustom
Steeper volume discounts over $3k a month, account security features, SLAs and 24/7 support.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, api.video or Mux?
As of Nov 13, 2026, api.video publishes no starting price, and Mux starts at $20 per month for $100 in credit (Launch, prepaid).
Which has a free plan, api.video or Mux?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both api.video and Mux have a free plan.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.