Finding the right video hosting platform isn’t just about going live; it’s about choosing a home for your content that supports growth, monetization, and community building.
The platform you pick can shape everything from how professional your streams look to how easily you can turn viewers into paying supporters.
Castr has been around long enough to earn a solid reputation in the streaming world.
It’s reliable, offers strong multistreaming tools, and includes built-in monetization options that make it a go-to for creators, schools, and organizations alike.
However, like any platform, it has its limitations, and what works for one creator may not always work for another. That’s why exploring your alternatives is essential.
In this guide, we break down eight of the best alternatives to Castr for 2025. Platforms that can help you find the right mix of features, flexibility, and revenue potential to take your video content beyond just views.
Castr is essentially a Swiss-army knife for video; one platform that enables you to go live, multistream to multiple destinations, host VOD, monetize your content, and keep everything secure without juggling a stack of separate tools.
Built by a team led by CEO Pouya Saadeghi, Castr was designed to make pro-level streaming accessible for creators, indie teams, schools, churches, and broadcasters who don’t have enterprise budgets or technical crews.
It shines with rock-solid multistreaming, adaptive playback, and a global CDN backbone, while also incorporating extras such as cloud recording, TV playout, and ultra-low latency WebRTC for real-time interaction.
But what makes Castr such a solid choice is the balance between power and ease. You can start simple with a stream to YouTube or Twitch, then scale up into paywalls, OTT apps, and even 24/7 channels as your audience and ambitions grow. Making it a platform that grows with you, instead of one you’ll quickly outgrow.
Castr keeps things flexible with multiple plans that scale as your streaming needs grow.
You can start with the affordable Starter plan if you’re just getting started with multistreaming, then upgrade to higher tiers for advanced features such as adaptive bitrate, custom transcoders, OTT-ready HLS URLs, and even peer-to-peer eCDN with dedicated support.
Here’s the breakdown:
Castr is a strong multistreaming platform, but it isn’t without its flaws.
For many creators and organizations, the limitations become apparent once you move beyond the basics or rely on it for day-to-day streaming.
Here are some of the most common complaints:
Perfect for:
Watch-outs:
Bottom line: Castr works best as a reliable multistream backbone, but if you need deeper community tools, built-in eCommerce, flexible monetization, or faster hands-on support, you may find a better fit with one of the alternatives below.
Think of Fourthwall as your creative hub: not just a place to host videos, but a full platform designed to expand your brand and unlock new ways to monetize.
Although not as advanced as most of the platforms on this list, Fourthwall offers a polished, no-code website that allows video creators to upload and organize 1080p videos, create Netflix-style collections, and secure content behind paywalls or membership tiers.
What sets it apart from platforms like Castr is that video hosting isn’t siloed; it’s woven into an all-in-one platform that also includes memberships, merch, digital downloads, fan perks, and analytics.
Whether you’re sharing premium tutorials, behind-the-scenes content, or exclusive episodes, Fourthwall makes it easy for your audience to watch seamlessly across devices and just as easy for you to get paid.
And because it’s built for creators first, every video you upload is tied directly to the growth of your community and business, not just your view count.
💰 Pricing:
Free Plan – $0 to start + 5% fee on memberships and digital product sales
Fourthwall Pro – $19/month or $180/year; only 5% fee for membership sales
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Vimeo Streaming takes video hosting to the next level by empowering creators and businesses to launch their own branded streaming services without building infrastructure from scratch.
Think of it as your own premium streaming channel. You can upload videos in stunning 4K, organize them into categories, and create polished libraries that feel like a professional streaming service.
Beyond just video quality, Vimeo offers flexible monetization options—whether you prefer subscriptions, pay-per-view, or one-time purchases, you can mix and match models to suit your audience.
Add live streaming, branded OTT apps across iOS, Android, Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV, plus robust analytics and built-in marketing tools, and Vimeo becomes an end-to-end solution for creators who want to scale their video business with polish and control.
💰 Pricing:
Platform Fees:
Transaction Fees:
Video Upload Costs:
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Uscreen isn’t just about streaming; it’s about turning your video library into a full-fledged business.
Built for creators, educators, fitness coaches, and media brands, Uscreen combines professional video hosting with live streaming, community features, and a wide range of monetization models.
You can upload HD videos, build premium video catalogs, and offer subscriptions, pay-per-view events, or rentals, all wrapped in your own branded website and native mobile/TV apps.
What makes Uscreen a standout alternative to Castr is its focus on long-term sustainability. Beyond hosting, you get marketing automations, analytics, and fan engagement tools that help you grow recurring revenue and scale like a true media company.
💰 Pricing:
Growth Plan: $149/month + $1.99 per subscriber fee
App Essentials Plan: $449/month + $0.99 per subscriber fee
Custom Plan: Contact sales + $0.99 per subscriber fee
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Restream is a browser-based studio and multistreaming engine that broadcasts one feed live to 30+ platforms simultaneously, so your content (and calls-to-action) can reach fans wherever they are.
Beyond going live, you can schedule pre-recorded videos as “live,” invite on-screen guests, switch layouts, brand your show, and aggregate chat from every platform in a single window.
While it isn’t a full OTT/VOD library like Castr, Restream shines for reach-first creators looking to pair live distribution with built-in overlays, QR codes, and a web player (on higher tiers) to funnel viewers to their storefronts, memberships, or monetization tools.
And with real-time, cross-platform analytics that help you see what’s working, Restream allows you to double down on the channels and formats that actually convert, giving you a clear path to grow your audience faster and maximize revenue without wasting time on streams that don’t deliver.
💰 Pricing:
Free — $0/month
Standard — $19/month (or $16/month billed annually)
Professional — $49/month (or $39/month annually)
Business — $239/month (or $199/month annually)
Enterprise — Custom:
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
StreamYard is one of the easiest ways to go live and record professional-quality content straight from your browser; no downloads, no complicated setups.
You can multistream to up to eight destinations simultaneously, providing your viewers with fully branded shows, each equipped with custom overlays, logos, and backgrounds.
Businesses use it not just for social streaming but also for webinars and podcasts thanks to features like backstage “Greenroom” spaces, team roles, and enterprise-grade stability.
However, unlike most platforms on this list, StreamYard doesn’t offer any built-in monetization features, such as subscriptions or paywalls. Nevertheless, it integrates seamlessly with platforms that do, making it a polished choice for creators and companies focused on audience engagement and reach.
💰 Pricing:
Free Plan – $0/month
Core Plan – $44.99/month
Advanced Plan – $88.99/month
Teams Plan – $298.99/month
Business Plan – Custom pricing
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
If you’re streaming a big event, whether it’s a sold-out concert, a global conference, or Friday Night Lights, Dacast is built to ensure your broadcast not only looks professional but also pays for itself.
Unlike Castr, which focuses more on multistreaming, Dacast shines with its integrated paywall that lets you run subscriptions, charge pay-per-view, or even monetize with ads right inside your player.
Beyond monetization, it delivers enterprise-level reliability with a white-label, fully branded player, global CDN delivery, VOD hosting, and direct Zoom integration for hybrid events.
Add in real-time analytics, advanced library management, and developer APIs, and you’ve got a streaming platform that’s tailor-made for professionals who need both reach and revenue.
💰 Pricing:
Starter – $39/month (billed annually)
Event – $63/month (billed annually)
Scale (Most Popular) – $165/month (billed annually)
Custom – Contact sales
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
When you need streaming that’s built for scale, reliability, and real-time delivery, Wowza is one of the strongest alternatives to Castr on the market.
Trusted by broadcasters, sports organizations, and enterprise teams, Wowza is engineered for ultra-low latency HLS and adaptive bitrate streaming, ensuring smooth, high-quality playback across all devices, especially under heavy traffic.
Its flexibility is what sets it apart: you can build fully customized workflows using advanced APIs, developer SDKs, SecureToken playback protection, CSS skinning, and plugins, making it a favorite for businesses that need more than just basic video hosting.
Wowza also supports 360° video, closed captions (SCTE standards), interactive broadcasts, and white-label OTT delivery, making it ideal for mission-critical use cases like virtual conferences, live sports, or large-scale hybrid events.
While it doesn’t offer built-in monetization like Castr’s paywalls or Fourthwall’s membership tiers, Wowza integrates easily with payment gateways and third-party tools, giving enterprises full control over how they monetize content.
💰 Pricing:
Pay As You Go – $0 base fee, pay only for usage
One Month of Streaming – $149 one-time purchase
Streaming Cloud Monthly Plans – Starting at $25/month
Streaming Engine (Self-Hosted) – From $175/month (billed annually)
Enterprise – Custom pricing
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
Looking to build a fully branded streaming service without stitching together plugins? Enter Muvi!
This platform allows you to host unlimited video and audio content, stream live, and deliver secure playback across web, mobile, and TV apps, all from a single dashboard.
Its hosting stack is serious: rapid transcoding, built-in CDN, adaptive bitrate, multi-DRM, dynamic watermarking, geo/domain controls, and a customizable HTML5 player.
Muvi’s CMS handles massive libraries (bulk upload, scheduling, metadata), while monetization covers SVOD, TVOD/PPV, AVOD, coupons/bundles, multi-currency, carrier billing, and dozens of gateways.
Layer in AI subtitles/translations, recommendations, analytics, partner portals, and SDKs, and you’ve got a white-label OTT platform that scales from first launch to enterprise.
💰Pricing:
Standard — $399/mo (billed annually + infra fees)
Professional — $1,499/mo (billed annually + infra fees)
Enterprise — $3,900/mo (billed annually + infra fees)
Ultimate — Custom (from ~$10,000/mo + infra fees)
✅ Pros:
❌ Cons:
As you can tell, not all streaming platforms are built the same, and the best Castr alternative really depends on where you are in your creator or business journey.
And with so many options on the market, narrowing it down to a platform that aligns with your goals will save you time, money, and frustration.
Here are some key factors to consider, along with examples of platforms that shine in each area:
If you’re just getting started, a free or low-cost option like Restream or StreamYard makes it easy to test the waters.
But if you’re planning for long-term growth, platforms like Uscreen and Muvi are designed to scale with you, offering advanced infrastructure and enterprise-level features as your audience expands.
Castr is flexible, but some alternatives go even further. Dacast and Uscreen both feature built-in paywalls with multiple monetization models, including subscription video on demand (SVOD), pay-per-view (PPV), and ad-supported video on demand (AVOD).
Fourthwall stands out for solo creators by allowing you to bundle video hosting with memberships, merchandise, and digital downloads, transforming your channel into a full-fledged creator business.
Meanwhile, Wistia focuses on lead generation and marketing ROI, while Muvi combines nearly every monetization model into one, including ads, subscriptions, and direct carrier billing.
Want your own branded experience instead of looking like another channel on someone else’s platform?
Vimeo Streaming and Muvi offer white-label players, branded TV and mobile apps, and full control over your streaming environment.
Fourthwall provides creators with a fully branded site where your video content is showcased alongside your merchandise and membership offerings.
For businesses that require deep technical flexibility, Wowza offers developer-friendly APIs and custom workflows, enabling you to build a streaming setup tailored to your exact needs.
Data is everything when it comes to growing your viewership.
Wistia is known for its marketing-focused analytics, including heatmaps and engagement graphs, while Restream provides cross-platform analytics, enabling you to see where your streams perform best.
Uscreen takes it further with detailed revenue and subscriber reporting, helping you refine not just your content but your monetization strategy.
Some platforms are made for beginners, while others are built for enterprise teams.
StreamYard and Restream Studio keep things simple with browser-based streaming and drag-and-drop customization, while Wowza and Vimeo Streaming cater to technical users who need low-latency workflows and advanced API integrations.
Fourthwall sits in the middle, offering creators an intuitive, all-in-one dashboard that's powerful enough to monetize in multiple ways, but still beginner-friendly compared to enterprise-level platforms.
While Castr is a dependable option for multistreaming and video hosting, most creators require more than just a platform to upload videos—they need a comprehensive solution that can power their entire business.
That’s where Fourthwall comes in. With built-in video hosting, memberships, digital downloads, and merch all under one roof, Fourthwall makes it easy to monetize in multiple ways without relying on third-party tools.
You get a free storefront, creator-first features, and the ability to grow your brand globally—all with no monthly fees unless you choose to upgrade to Pro.
If you’re serious about turning your content into income, Fourthwall isn’t just an alternative to Castr; it’s the platform designed to help you build a business that lasts.
There are no monthly fees, no upfront costs, and no contracts to use Fourthwall. You set your prices and choose your own margins. Here is how our pricing and splits work when you sell:
Additionally, all US-based credit card transactions have an added 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee (same as Shopify). Fees vary for PayPal and other providers. Learn more.
Product costs are listed directly in our product catalog.
If a t-shirt is listed in our catalog at a $10 cost, we will automatically deduct that amount from your profits whenever you make a sale. You can sell products for any price you want.
For example, if you sell the shirt for $22, you'll make $12 in profit on each unit sold. If you sell it for $50, then you'll make $40 in profit on each unit sold.
Yes! Fourthwall works with manufacturing & fulfillment partners around the globe in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.
Shipping rates are dynamically determined by the size of package and destination. We work with most major carriers and pass through the true cost of shipping. That means that you can offer low-cost, fast shipping to your fans. Most items have a delivery window of 5-8 days.
Be sure to browse our product catalog to find products that are fulfilled out of your target regions to provide the fastest & cheapest shipping for your community.
Yes! Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record" and automatically supports the following payment methods on checkout:
Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record", which means that we're responsible for handling all sales taxes. This includes nexus registration, collecting sales tax, and remitting this to US states & other countries.
That way you can focus on designing products and promoting your shop, not taxes.
Yes. You can connect a custom domain or subdomain on Fourthwall. Learn More.
Fourthwall Pro subscribers receive a free custom domain upon upgrading.
If you need help finding an artist or designer, check out our design community.
This is a vetted network of exceptional designers that can help you make great quality designs for your audience. We also recommend tools like Canva or Kittl.
Yes. For any product from our product catalog, we'll handle all customer support for you.
From answering general order questions to making address changes, our team is there to ensure that your buyers are treated with the same level of care that you would personally give them. We have a 12-hour or less average reply time, including nights and weekends.
For any items that you source on your own and ship from home, however, you'll need to do customer support.
Yes! Over 200,000 sellers use Fourthwall to power their storefronts. This includes creators, podcasters, artists, musicians, startups, non-profits, and more.
Get inspired and browse all examples sites.
Fourthwall supports many free integrations, including:
There are no requirements to join Fourthwall! Sign up now.