The Dacast Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Dacast 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.
Dacast
The Insider’s Guide
Live streaming and video hosting with bandwidth-based plans
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among webinar and live streaming tools, read from Dacast’s own pages.
Made by Dacast · checked Nov 12, 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 Dacast’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Dacast’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 15 of the 34 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade
Dacast is a live streaming and video hosting platform with unlimited concurrent viewers on every plan. Plans differ by bandwidth and storage allowance rather than attendee count, and add features such as paywall, advertising and DRM at higher tiers. It is used for webinars, events and on-demand video.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Dacast, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Web only, with no rating on record, and the encoder side is yours to set up.
- 1
Best for live streaming and video hosting by bandwidth
Dacast hosts live streams and video on plans priced by bandwidth, starting at $39 a month billed yearly.
- 2
Paid plans start at $39 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $39 per month, billed annually.
- 3
You can try it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Live streaming
Full 1080p broadcasting with RTMP and HLS channels and browser or mobile streaming.
- 6
Video hosting
VOD library with bulk upload from Google Drive and VOD to Live.
- 7
Monetization
Paywall and pre, mid and post roll advertising start on the Event plan.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 15 of 34
That is against the other webinar and live streaming tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Dacast you would be making live video to hundreds of people at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Dacast at a glance
- Pricing
- Free trial, from $39 per month, billed annually
- Free plan
- No
- Free trial
- 14-day free trial, no credit card required
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Dacast
- Category
- Webinars & Live Streaming
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for live streaming and video hosting by bandwidth
Dacast hosts live streams and video on plans priced by bandwidth, starting at $39 a month billed yearly. Overage runs $0.30 a GB, paywalls need the $63 plan, and there are no webinar features like registration or polls.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | $39 a month billed yearly for Starter, between the cheaper quarter ($27) and the middle ($49) of webinar tools, with only 2.4 TB of bandwidth a year. |
| Free plan and trial | C | A 14-day trial needs no card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | C | Live channels with RTMP and HLS, a video library, paywall and ads from the Event plan, and analytics. It lists no webinar tools. |
| Ease of use | C | Web only, with no rating on record, and the encoder side is yours to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web only, but there is a public API and Google Analytics and Google Drive links. |
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 Dacast is for
- Fits if you stream and host video for a paying audience
- Works for events where you can estimate the bandwidth you will use
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want registration, polls or attendee chat, because none are listed
- Watch out: overage costs $0.30 per GB of bandwidth and $0.15 per GB of storage
- Pricey if you need paywalls or ads, since they start on the $63 Event plan
- Tight if you pay monthly, as that carries a three-month minimum
- Watch out: extra team seats are $10 each a month, and multi-CDN and China streaming are add-ons
Good to know
Good for
- Hosts streaming to large audiences with unlimited viewers
- One-off events, using the Event plan
- Organizations needing hosted video and paywalls in one tool
Worth knowing
- Overage runs $0.30 per GB of bandwidth and $0.15 per GB of storage.
- Monthly payment carries a three-month minimum, and extra team seats cost $10 per user per month.
- Multi-CDN, China Live and China VOD are paid add-ons.
- The page lists no webinar-specific features such as registration or polls.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$39
A month to start
Dacast is a paid product with a free trial, starting at $39 per month, billed annually.
Starter
$39
per month, billed annually
2.4 TB bandwidth a year and 500 GB storage, with live streaming, simulcast and VOD hosting.
Event
$63
per month, billed annually
6 TB upfront and 250 GB storage; adds paywall, ads, countdown and stream monitoring.
Scale
$165
per month, billed annually
24 TB a year, 2,000 GB storage, unlimited channels, DRM, 3 team members and phone support.
Custom
Custom
High-volume plans with custom SLAs, migrations and extra support.
Trying it first
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Read from dacast.com on Nov 12, 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
Live streaming and video hosting with bandwidth-based plans. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, reports, webinars, multistreaming.
Live channels with RTMP and HLS, a video library, paywall and ads from the Event plan, and analytics.
- Live streaming
- Full 1080p broadcasting with RTMP and HLS channels and browser or mobile streaming.
- Video hosting
- VOD library with bulk upload from Google Drive and VOD to Live.
- Monetization
- Paywall and pre, mid and post roll advertising start on the Event plan.
- Security
- Domain and country restriction on all plans; DRM and AES for VOD on Scale.
- Analytics
- Advanced analytics and a Google Analytics integration are listed.
- Support
- 24/7 support on all plans, with phone support on Scale.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- Google Analytics
- Google Drive
Dacast is made by Dacast.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
15/34
Other webinar and live streaming tools it is graded above
Dacast's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 15 of the 34 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 10 of 34) and worst on features (C, above 2).
Its paid plans start at $39 a month, against a middle price of $50 for the category: 7 of the 28 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 2 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 35 webinar and live streaming tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Dacast’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 9 of 34
- CFree plan and trialAbove 12 of 34
- CFeaturesAbove 2 of 34
- CEase of useAbove 3 of 34
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 10 of 34
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 30 webinar and live streaming tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Dacast is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
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 Dacast you would be making live video to hundreds of people at once. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $468 a year.
What you could make
- Reports: an app builder makes this well.
What you could not
- Live video to hundreds of people at once.
- One live stream sent to several platforms at once.
- It plugs into other products, Google Analytics and Google Drive among them, and has an API.
What this rests on. Dacast’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
Castr, Wowza, BoxCast, Restream and vMix
The 5 tools Dacast is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.4GPA
Castr
Free trial · from $16.67/mo
Multistreaming, video hosting and 24/7 playout in one service.
- Dacast also covers reports and webinars.
- 1.4GPA
Wowza
Free trial · from $195/mo
Streaming server software you run yourself, plus a cloud platform.
- Wowza is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Dacast also covers reports, webinars and multistreaming.
- 1.8GPA
BoxCast
Free trial · from $109/mo
Live streaming platform with encoders, captions and OTT apps.
- Dacast also covers reports and webinars.
- BoxCast also covers ticketing and web analytics.
- 2.4GPA
Restream
Free plan · from $19/mo
Multistream one live video to YouTube, Twitch, LinkedIn and more.
- Restream has a free plan. Dacast does not, though it has a free trial.
- Dacast also covers reports.
- Restream also covers transcription.
- 2.2GPA
vMix
Free trial · from $60 one-time
Windows live video production and streaming software.
- Only Dacast lists a web app.
- Only vMix lists a Windows app.
- vMix can be bought with a one-time purchase.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
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 Dacast free?
No, Dacast is a paid product, but you can try it first. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.
How much does Dacast cost?
Dacast lists 4 plans. Starter: $39 per month, billed annually.
What platforms does Dacast work on?
Dacast is available on Web.
Does Dacast have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Dacast is listed for Web.
Does Dacast have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Dacast is listed for Web.
Is Dacast open source?
Dacast is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
Does Dacast have an API?
Yes. Dacast offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Dacast integrate with?
Dacast's listing names Google Analytics and Google Drive. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Dacast?
Dacast is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Dacast?
The closest alternatives to Dacast in our directory are Castr, Wowza, BoxCast, Restream and vMix.
How does Dacast compare with other webinar and live streaming tools?
Dacast's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 15 of the 34 other webinar and live streaming tools we grade, and level with 8.
Is Dacast good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Dacast C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $39 a month, against a middle price of $50 for the category: 7 of the 28 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Dacast?
To replace Dacast you would be making live video to hundreds of people at once.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Dacast’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Dacast's own pages on 12 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 Dacast. Prices change, so check dacast.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
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.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Dacast, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/dacast
- 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, "Dacast: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/dacast
Know someone choosing between webinar and live streaming tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/dacast/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded webinar and live streaming tools after Dacast, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Webinars & Live Streaming Insider's GuideEvery one of the 35 webinar and live streaming tools we grade, compared
- Lightstream Insider's GuideBrowser-based live streaming studio, built for console streamers2.8 GPA
- ClickMeeting Insider's GuideWebinars and online meetings with paid events and automation2.6 GPA
- Streamlabs Insider's GuideLive streaming apps, overlays and tools for creators2.6 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 Dacast’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. Dacast is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Dacast. Prices and plans change: check dacast.com before you buy.