Vimeo Vs. Youtube: The Business Champ of 2021

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When talking about video sharing websites, YouTube and Vimeo are among the most popular platforms. But which one is better? While both are great platforms, both come with their respective pros and cons, which we will compare in this article.

PRICING

Both platforms offer free and premium plans. But unlike YouTube, Vimeo is mainly funded by its community rather than advertisers.

You can use Vimeo for free with their Basic Plan, which is limited to 500 MB of uploads a week. Vimeo has higher prices so businesses and content creators can get an ad-free viewing experience. Their most affordable premium plan is priced at $7 a month with access to 250GB storage annually. For higher upload limits, SEO or Google Analytics options, as well as a live stream feature, you can join their Pro Plan at $20 a month, Business at $50/month, or Vimeo Premium at $75 monthly. Many businesses prefer this tool so that they can embed and share videos without the risk of a competitor’s ad popping up on their content. 

On the other hand, since YouTube mainly earns revenue through ads, it is free to upload and watch videos on their site. Their premium subscription also lets viewers get an ad-free experience. Even with the absence of ads, YouTube still allows creators to earn revenue from Premium subscribers’ views. This is a great option for brands producing content that they hope will go viral or will be more searchable as YouTube is not just a website; it’s a search engine. 

MONETIZATION

Vimeo is an ad-free video-sharing website. Hence, creators do not earn revenue from ads. Premium users, however, can still earn income from Vimeo on Demand. It is also a good platform for professional filmmakers to sell their content so viewers can get ad-free, full access.

YouTube has its monetization program, the YouTube Partner Program (YPP). This lets creators earn from ads shown prior-to, during, and after their videos. To qualify for monetization, creators must reach 10,000 views on their channel. Vloggers and social media celebrities can make a lot of money this way.

ANALYTICS

Both Vimeo and YouTube have their analytics dashboard.

Vimeo users get an overview of likes, impressions, plays, even the frequently skipped parts, and plot the region or location of viewers. The platform also allows users to download custom reports.

On the other hand, YouTube has more advanced analytics – it can determine age, gender, even the audience retention of viewers. Not only that, it is also important to note that Google owns YouTube and is the second most popular website on the Internet, that said, it would be your better option for search engine optimization.

PRIVACY

Vimeo and YouTube both offer privacy settings. 

Vimeo users can select from various options as Anyone, Only people I follow, Only people I choose, or Only me. Premium Vimeo users can also password-protect their videos or generate private links. 

YouTube offers three basic privacy settings – public, unlisted, and private, with unlisted videos only accessible to people with the video URL.

Video creators and professionals prefer to use Vimeo when sharing videos privately with their team or their clients.

VIDEO EDITING FEATURE

Both Vimeo and YouTube have robust editing capabilities.

Vimeo Video Editor allows creators to build high-quality videos through their custom templates. Users can customize the layouts, fonts, and colors to ensure professional video quality. It also has its marketing tools to help your videos rank on search results.

On the other hand, YouTube Creator studio allows for basic edits and lets users trim and add audio tracks to create polished videos.

VERDICT

Both are great for different purposes. To decide which is best for you, it’s important to consider your content goals. If your goal is to maximize reach for content not in line with Vimeo’s niche, then YouTube would be a better fit.

Vimeo offers an ad-free viewing experience, ideal for video creators who want to showcase feature-length films, documentaries, or journalism. It’s also a great choice for embedding proprietary content on your website.

YouTube is great for marketing promotions, social media influencers, and any budding video creator who prefers a free video-sharing platform with big search engine power.