The Wistia Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Wistia 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.
Wistia
The Insider’s Guide
Video hosting, recording and webinars for marketing teams
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among screen recording and video tools, read from Wistia’s own pages.
Made by Wistia · checked Oct 6, 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 Wistia’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Wistia’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 6, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade
Wistia is a video and webinar platform for businesses, used mostly by marketing teams. It hosts videos behind an ad-free, customizable player that embeds on a company's own site, and adds browser-based recording, editing, analytics and lead-capture forms. Webinar hosting and the Automation Suite, which sends viewing data to tools such as HubSpot and Marketo, are priced above the core Business plan.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Wistia, taken from its own pages and our grades.
No store rating on record, and the work here is building things: player settings, collections, calls to action, embeds and forms.
- 1
Best for video hosting for marketing teams
Wistia hosts company videos behind an ad-free player you can brand and embed on your own site, tracks how people watched and collects leads inside the video.
- 2
Paid plans start at $79 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $79 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly), with 3 users.
- 3
There is a free plan
1 user, up to 25 GB of storage and 200 GB of bandwidth, basic video analytics, the recording studio and transcript-based editing. The player carries Wistia branding.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Hosting and embedding
Videos are stored in one library and played through an ad-free, customizable player that embeds on any site. Paid plans add collections, channels and playlists.
- 6
Recording studio
Record the screen, a webcam or both in the browser, or invite guests by link. Each participant is recorded locally on a separate track with a cloud backup.
- 7
Editing and AI clips
A timeline editor plus transcript-based editing, AI background-noise removal and silence trimming. Remix turns a prompt into highlight reels, cut-downs and social clips.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 11 of 52
That is against the other screen recording and video tools we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Wistia you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Wistia at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $79 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly), with 3 users
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- Free trial of Business with no credit card; the webinar plans state a 14-day trial
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- Wistia, since 2006
- Category
- Screen Recording & Video
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for video hosting for marketing teams
Wistia hosts company videos behind an ad-free player you can brand and embed on your own site, tracks how people watched and collects leads inside the video. But it's priced for marketing teams: Business is $79 a month billed annually for 3 users, the HubSpot and Marketo hookups need Signals at $329, webinars start at $429, SSO is Enterprise only, and cancellations aren't refunded.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | D | Business is $79 a month billed annually for 3 users, with extras at $25 each, against a $10 middle for this category and a dearest tenth starting at $38. The marketing automation hookups need Signals at $329, and webinars start at $429. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Free gives 25 GB of storage, 200 GB of bandwidth, basic analytics, the recording studio and transcript editing, enough for one person to work on. The player keeps Wistia's branding, and it's one user. |
| Features | B | An ad-free customizable player that embeds anywhere, a recording studio with each guest on a separate track, timeline and transcript editing, AI clips from a prompt, heatmaps, A/B tests, in-video lead forms and webinars with 9 presenters. No gap in the core job. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record, and the work here is building things: player settings, collections, calls to action, embeds and forms. Pushing viewing data into HubSpot or Marketo is a project on its own, on a pricier plan. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | A browser app and nothing else, with no desktop or phone app listed, but it connects to HubSpot, Marketo Engage, Pardot, Google Analytics, Mailchimp, Klaviyo and LinkedIn, and there's an API. |
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 Wistia is for
- Fits if your marketing team wants branded, ad-free video on its own site
- Works for teams that can pay $329 a month to send video leads and viewing data into HubSpot or Marketo
Who it is not for
- Pricey if you only need hosting for one person, at $79 a month billed annually for Business, or $99 monthly
- Pricey if you want HubSpot, Marketo or Pardot hooked up, since that needs Business + Signals at $329 a month
- Skip it if you need SSO or playback protection on a budget, as both are Enterprise-only
- Tight if you're staying free, because it's 1 user, 25 GB and Wistia branding left on the player
- Watch out: extra users are $25 each, dubbing is a paid add-on below Enterprise, and cancellations aren't refunded
Good to know
Good for
- Marketing teams embedding branded, ad-free video on their own site
- Companies that want leads and viewing data from video in their marketing tools
- Teams running webinars and reusing the recordings as on-demand video
Worth knowing
- The Free plan is limited to 1 user, 25 GB of storage and 200 GB of bandwidth, and keeps Wistia branding on the player.
- Marketing automation integrations and lead scoring need Business + Signals, a webinar plan or Enterprise.
- Business includes 3 users and each extra user costs $25; SSO and playback protection are Enterprise-only.
- Dubbing and AI audio descriptions are a paid add-on below Enterprise, and cancellations are not refunded.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$79
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Wistia has a free plan. Paid plans start at $79 per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly), with 3 users.
The player keeps Wistia's branding, and it's one user.
Free
$0
1 user, up to 25 GB of storage, 200 GB of bandwidth, basic video analytics and Wistia branding on the player.
Business
$79
per month, billed annually ($99 billed monthly)
3 users with more at $25 each, 250 GB of storage, no Wistia branding, collections and playlists, CTAs and forms, heatmaps and A/B testing.
Business + Signals
$329
per month, billed annually ($412 billed monthly)
Business plus the Automation Suite: HubSpot, Marketo and Pardot integrations, lead scoring, triggered campaigns and revenue attribution.
Webinars
$429
per month, billed annually ($537 billed monthly)
Everything in Business plus live webinars for up to 500 attendees, 1.5-hour streams, registration pages and the Automation Suite.
Webinars Plus
$829
per month, billed annually ($1,037 billed monthly)
1,000 attendees, 3-hour streams, webinars embedded on your own site, simulcast to social platforms and Wistia branding removed.
Enterprise
Custom
Storage from 1 TB, custom users, team accounts, SSO, video playback protection and a dedicated customer success manager.
The free plan
1 user, up to 25 GB of storage and 200 GB of bandwidth, basic video analytics, the recording studio and transcript-based editing. The player carries Wistia branding.
Trying it first
Free trial of Business with no credit card; the webinar plans state a 14-day trial
Read from wistia.com on Oct 6, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
Save 20% with annual billing
Wistia's pricing page labels annual billing as saving 20%: Business is $79 a month billed annually against $99 billed monthly, and Business + Signals is $329 against $412.
Stated on wistia.comNonprofit
Discount for nonprofit organizations
Wistia's help center says it offers a discount to nonprofits that email its support team with documentation of their status. The size of the discount is not stated.
Stated on support.wistia.com
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, recording and webinars for marketing teams. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: public API, AI features, transcription, noise cancellation, screen recording, video editing.
- Hosting and embedding
- Videos are stored in one library and played through an ad-free, customizable player that embeds on any site. Paid plans add collections, channels and playlists.
- Recording studio
- Record the screen, a webcam or both in the browser, or invite guests by link. Each participant is recorded locally on a separate track with a cloud backup.
- Editing and AI clips
- A timeline editor plus transcript-based editing, AI background-noise removal and silence trimming. Remix turns a prompt into highlight reels, cut-downs and social clips.
- Analytics and lead capture
- Paid plans add heatmaps, engagement graphs, A/B testing and CSV export, along with calls to action and in-video forms that collect leads.
- Webinars
- Webinar plans cover live, simulive and pre-recorded events with registration pages, chat, Q&A and polls, and up to 9 presenters on screen.
- Automation Suite
- Puts video and webinar engagement on contact records in HubSpot, Adobe Marketo Engage and Pardot for lead scoring, segmentation and triggered campaigns.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- HubSpot
- Adobe Marketo Engage
- Salesforce Pardot
- Google Analytics
- Mailchimp
- Klaviyo
- Google Drive
Wistia is made by Wistia, and has been around since 2006.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
11/52
Other screen recording and video tools it is graded above
Wistia's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 40 of 52) and worst on value for money (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $79 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 41 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, cut by the letter each got. Wistia’s own letter is outlined.
- DValue for moneyAbove 0 of 52
- BFree plan and trialAbove 40 of 52
- BFeaturesAbove 26 of 52
- CEase of useAbove 0 of 52
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 15 of 52
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 46 screen recording and video tools. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Wistia 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 Wistia you would be making a video editor. 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: 25 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools grade higher. It costs $948 a year.
What you could not
- A video editor.
- Audio cleaned up live as you speak.
- Recording the screen with its sound, and somewhere to keep the video.
- Speech turned into text you can trust.
- It plugs into other products, HubSpot, Adobe Marketo Engage and Salesforce Pardot among them, and has an API.
- AI features, unless you pay a model provider for each request yourself.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Wistia’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
Vimeo, Vidyard, Loom, Riverside and Descript
The 5 tools Wistia is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 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.
- Wistia also covers noise cancellation.
- Vimeo also covers templates.
- 2.4GPA
Vidyard
Free plan · from $59/mo
Video messaging, AI avatars and video hosting for sales teams.
- Only Vidyard lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Vidyard lists a browser extension.
- Wistia also covers transcription and noise cancellation.
- 2.8GPA
Loom
Free plan · from $18/mo
Screen and camera recorder for shareable video messages.
- Only Wistia lists a web app.
- Only Loom lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Loom lists a browser extension.
- 2.6GPA
Riverside
Free plan · from $9.99/mo
Remote recording studio for podcasts and video interviews.
- Only Riverside lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Wistia also covers noise cancellation.
- 2.4GPA
Descript
Free plan · from $16/mo
Audio and video editor that works by editing the transcript.
- Only Descript lists macOS and Windows apps.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
15
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 Wistia free?
Wistia has a free plan. 1 user, up to 25 GB of storage and 200 GB of bandwidth, basic video analytics, the recording studio and transcript-based editing.
How much does Wistia cost?
Wistia lists 6 plans. Free: $0.
What platforms does Wistia work on?
Wistia is available on Web.
Does Wistia offer any discounts?
Wistia publicly lists the following: Save 20% with annual billing; Discount for nonprofit organizations.
Does Wistia have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Wistia is listed for Web.
Does Wistia have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 6, 2026. Wistia is listed for Web.
Is Wistia open source?
Wistia is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 6, 2026.
Does Wistia have an API?
Yes. Wistia offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does Wistia integrate with?
Wistia's listing names HubSpot, Adobe Marketo Engage, Salesforce Pardot, Google Analytics, Mailchimp, Klaviyo, Google Drive and LinkedIn.
Does Wistia have a free trial?
Yes. Free trial of Business with no credit card; the webinar plans state a 14-day trial.
Who makes Wistia?
Wistia is made by a company of the same name. It dates from 2006.
What are the alternatives to Wistia?
The closest alternatives to Wistia in our directory are Vimeo, Vidyard, Loom, Riverside and Descript.
How does Wistia compare with other screen recording and video tools?
Wistia's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 11 of the 52 other screen recording and video tools we grade, and level with 16.
Is Wistia good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Wistia D for value for money. Its paid plans start at $79 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 41 of the 41 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Wistia?
To replace Wistia you would be making a video editor. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Wistia’s own pages on Oct 6, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Wistia's own pages on 6 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-05-20.
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 Wistia. Prices change, so check wistia.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 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.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Wistia, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/wistia
- 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, "Wistia: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 6, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/wistia
Know someone choosing between screen recording and video tools?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/wistia/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded screen recording and video tools after Wistia, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- Screen Recording & Video Insider's GuideEvery one of the 53 screen recording and video tools we grade, compared
- DaVinci Resolve Insider's GuideVideo editing, color, effects and audio post-production in one app3.4 GPA
- 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 Wistia’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. Wistia is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Wistia. Prices and plans change: check wistia.com before you buy.