The api.video Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about api.video in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
api.video
The Insider’s Guide
Video hosting, live streaming and analytics API for developers
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from api.video’s own pages.
Made by api.video · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from api.video’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on api.video’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.0
GPA, above 14 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade
api.video is a developer-focused video platform that handles upload, encoding, storage, delivery and live streaming through an API and dashboard. It includes a customizable player, analytics and optional AI transcription and summaries. Billing is by minutes of video stored and delivered, and encoding is not charged.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about api.video, taken from its own pages and our grades.
There is a dashboard, but the work is writing code against the API.
- 1
Best for developers adding video upload, hosting and live streaming
api.video handles upload, encoding, delivery and live streaming through an API, billed by minutes stored and watched with no monthly fee.
- 2
There is a free plan
Sandbox account with all features: videos limited to 30 seconds, watermarked and deleted after 24 hours.
- 3
It runs on Web
Web.
- 4
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.
- 5
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.
- 6
Analytics
Viewing analytics for videos and live streams with one month of retention free, and longer retention sold by play count.
- 7
A 2.0 GPA, above 14 of 133
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
To replace api.video you would be making one live stream sent to several platforms at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
api.video at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- api.video
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.0 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for developers adding video upload, hosting and live streaming
api.video handles upload, encoding, delivery and live streaming through an API, billed by minutes stored and watched with no monthly fee. The free sandbox cuts videos to 30 seconds with a watermark and deletes them after a day, and add-ons like custom domains start at $60 a month.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No 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. |
| Free plan and trial | D | The 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. |
| Features | B | On-demand and live video, SRT and RTMPS, simulcast, analytics, access controls and AI transcription in 33 languages. Longer analytics history and transcription cost extra. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. There is a dashboard, but the work is writing code against the API. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Web dashboard and API only. No desktop or phone apps, and no integrations list. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who api.video is for
- 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
Who it is not for
- 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
Good to know
Good for
- Developers building video upload and playback into an app
- Products that need live streaming plus recorded video
- Teams that want to pay by minutes stored and delivered
Worth knowing
- 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.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
2
plans to choose from
api.video has a free plan.
It is a test area, not something to live on.
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 plan
Custom
Higher API rate limits, 99.9% SLA with credits, signed MSA and DPA, security review, annual billing, wire transfer.
The free plan
Sandbox account with all features: videos limited to 30 seconds, watermarked and deleted after 24 hours.
Read from api.video on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Video hosting, live streaming and analytics API for developers. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, transcription, multistreaming.
Longer analytics history and transcription cost extra.
- 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.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
api.video is made by api.video.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
14/133
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
api.video's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 14 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 27.
It stands best on features (B, above 78 of 133) and worst on free plan and trial (D, above 14).
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 134 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. api.video’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 20 of 133
- DFree plan and trialAbove 14 of 133
- BFeaturesAbove 78 of 133
- CEase of useAbove 2 of 133
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 17 of 133
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace api.video you would be making one live stream sent to several platforms at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 92 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools grade higher.
What you could not
- One live stream sent to several platforms at once.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- An API that other software can build on.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. api.video’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Mux, Bunny Stream, Vimeo, JWX (JW Player) and Brightcove
The 5 tools api.video is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Mux
Free plan · from $20/mo
Video API for storing, streaming and analyzing video in apps.
- api.video also covers multistreaming.
- Mux also covers web analytics.
- 2.4GPA
Bunny Stream
Free trial · from $1/mo
Pay-as-you-go video hosting, encoding and delivery.
- api.video has a free plan. Bunny Stream does not, though it has a free trial.
- api.video also covers multistreaming.
- 2.6GPA
Vimeo
Free plan · from $12/mo
Ad-free video hosting with a customizable player and review tools.
- Only Vimeo lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- api.video also covers multistreaming.
- Vimeo also covers templates, screen recording and video editing.
- 1.8GPA
JWX (JW Player)
Paid
Video streaming, delivery and ad monetization platform.
- api.video has a free plan. JWX (JW Player) does not.
- api.video also covers transcription and multistreaming.
- 2.0GPA
Brightcove
Paid
Enterprise video hosting, player and live streaming platform.
- api.video has a free plan. Brightcove does not.
- api.video also covers transcription and multistreaming.
- Brightcove also covers reports.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is api.video free?
api.video has a free plan. Sandbox account with all features: videos limited to 30 seconds, watermarked and deleted after 24 hours.
How much does api.video cost?
api.video lists 2 plans. Pay as you go: $0.
What platforms does api.video work on?
api.video is available on Web.
Does api.video have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. api.video is listed for Web.
Does api.video have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. api.video is listed for Web.
Is api.video open source?
api.video is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Does api.video have an API?
Yes. api.video offers a public API, according to its own site.
Who makes api.video?
api.video is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to api.video?
The closest alternatives to api.video in our directory are Mux, Bunny Stream, Vimeo, JWX (JW Player) and Brightcove.
How does api.video compare with other screen recording and video tools?
api.video's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 14 of the 133 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 27.
Could I make my own version of api.video?
To replace api.video you would be making one live stream sent to several platforms at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from api.video’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from api.video's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by api.video. Prices change, so check api.video before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- api.video, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/api-video
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "api.video: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/api-video
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/api-video/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after api.video, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 134 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
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- Zencastr Insider's GuideFree podcast recording, chat-based editing and hosting in one app3.4 GPA
- Cap Insider's GuideOpen-source screen recorder with instant share links and an editor3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what api.video’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. api.video is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by api.video. Prices and plans change: check api.video before you buy.