castiz vs Vimeo
On June 17, 2024, Vimeo replaced its legacy Plus, Pro, and Business plans with a new seat-based pricing model. The new structure introduces per-seat fees, lifetime storage caps, and bandwidth limits.
This guide provides a factual, detailed comparison. We built Castiz, so we have an obvious bias. We've sourced every claim and encourage you to verify Vimeo's current pricing directly.
Reading time: 15 minutes
Quick Comparison
| Factor | castiz | Vimeo |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $29/month flat | $12/seat/month (annual) |
| Team pricing | Flat rate—teammates included | Per-seat multiplication |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited (all paid plans) | 2TB/month fair-use cap |
| Storage model | Monthly allocation (resets) | Lifetime caps (never reset) |
| API access | All paid plans | Standard+ only ($25/seat/mo) |
| Video upload limit | Unlimited | 60-200 videos/seat/year |
| AI video search | Yes | No |
| Live streaming | No | Advanced plan only ($65/seat/mo) |
| 1-click Vimeo migration | Yes | N/A |
Current Tier Structure
Vimeo now offers four public tiers plus custom Enterprise pricing
| Plan | Annual (per seat/mo) | Monthly (per seat/mo) | Default Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | $0 | 1 |
| Starter | $12 | $20 | 1 |
| Standard | $25 | $41 | 5 |
| Advanced | $65 | $108 | 10 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Unlimited |
What "Per-Seat" Means
Every teammate beyond the default seats adds cost:
A 10-person marketing team on Standard pays ~$3,000/year—before bandwidth overages.
⚠️ Storage: Lifetime Caps
Accounts after June 17, 2024 have lifetime limits that never reset:
At 1080p, 100GB stores roughly 25-50 videos.
The 2TB Bandwidth Policy
All paid plans include a 2TB monthly "fair use" limit.
- • 5-min HD video = ~500MB per play
- • 2TB = ~4,000-4,500 HD plays/month
- • High-traffic embed can consume this quickly
- • Exceed 2TB in two months within a year, OR
- • Hit 10TB in a single month
Video Upload Limits
Each seat has an annual video upload cap:
Starter users can upload ~5 videos/month. Teams producing weekly content hit this fast.
Castiz Pricing
| Plan | Monthly Price | Storage | Bandwidth | Team Members |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 5 GB | 20 GB | 1 |
| Starter | $29 | 100 GB | Unlimited | 3 |
| Pro | $49 | 500 GB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Business | $149 | 2 TB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Real-World Scenarios
5-Person Marketing Team
100 videos/year, API integrations needed, videos embedded on website
10-Person SaaS Team
200 videos/year, API-first workflows, high-traffic embeds
Solo Creator with Low Volume
50 videos/year, basic features only, no API needs
The honest answer: For solo creators with fewer than 60 videos per year who don't need API access, Vimeo Starter is cheaper.
Detailed Comparison
Video Hosting & Delivery
| Feature | Castiz Starter | Castiz Pro | Vimeo Starter | Vimeo Standard | Vimeo Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max file size | 10 GB | 10 GB | 250 GB | 250 GB | 250 GB |
| Max video length | 24 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| Adaptive bitrate (HLS) | |||||
| 4K support | |||||
| Global CDN |
Privacy & Security
| Feature | Castiz Starter | Castiz Pro | Vimeo Starter | Vimeo Standard | Vimeo Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Password protection | |||||
| Domain restrictions | |||||
| Private link sharing | |||||
| SSO/SAML | Enterprise | ||||
| DRM encryption | Enterprise |
Team & Collaboration
| Feature | Castiz Starter | Castiz Pro | Vimeo Starter | Vimeo Standard | Vimeo Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Included seats | 3 | Unlimited | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| Cost per additional seat | $0 | $0 | $12/mo | $25/mo | $65/mo |
| Timestamped comments | |||||
| Review & approval | |||||
| Role-based permissions |
Developer & Integration
| Feature | Castiz Starter | Castiz Pro | Vimeo Starter | Vimeo Standard | Vimeo Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REST API access | |||||
| Webhooks | |||||
| Custom embed player | |||||
| Remove branding | |||||
| Zapier integration |
Unique to Castiz
- AI-powered semantic search
- Search inside video content
- 1-click Vimeo migration
- MCP integration (Claude/Cursor)
Unique to Vimeo
- Advanced onlyLive streaming
- Advanced onlyWebinar tools (registration, Q&A)
- All plansVideo creation tools
- Standard+AI script generation
- Standard+Stock footage library
- OTT plansOTT apps (Roku, Apple TV)
When to Choose Vimeo
We're not the right fit for everyone.
- 1. You need live streaming or webinars
Vimeo Advanced includes virtual event tools with registration pages, live Q&A, polls, and multi-presenter support (up to 100 registrants per event). Castiz focuses exclusively on on-demand video hosting.
- 2. You're a solo creator with low volume
If you upload fewer than 60 videos per year and don't need API access, Vimeo Starter at $12/month is significantly cheaper than our $29 entry point.
- 3. You need massive storage (7TB+)
Vimeo Advanced offers 7TB lifetime storage. If you have a large back-catalog of thousands of videos, that's difficult to match.
- 4. You want video creation tools
Vimeo includes teleprompter, AI script generation, screen recording, and stock footage. We focus on hosting and delivery, not video production.
- 5. You're building an OTT streaming service
Vimeo OTT provides branded apps for iOS, Android, Roku, and Fire TV with subscription management built in. We don't offer OTT capabilities.
- 6. You need enterprise-grade DRM
Vimeo Enterprise includes Hollywood-level DRM encryption. Our security is password and domain-based, which covers most business use cases but not high-value content protection.
When to Choose castiz
Choose Castiz if:
- Your team is larger than 2-3 people
Per-seat pricing punishes team growth. A 10-person team on Vimeo Standard costs $3,000/year. Our Pro plan costs $588/year regardless of team size—an 80% savings.
- You embed videos on high-traffic pages
Unlimited bandwidth means no surprise emails when your product demo gets embedded in a popular blog post or your training videos see a usage spike. No 2TB limits, no overage negotiations.
- You need API access at an accessible price point
Castiz includes full API access on Starter ($29/month). Vimeo gates API access behind Standard ($25/seat/month minimum). For a 5-person team, that's $1,500/year vs $348/year for equivalent API capabilities.
- You're migrating from Vimeo
Our 1-click migration tool uses Vimeo's OAuth API to transfer your videos, metadata, folder structure, captions, chapters, and thumbnails. Keep your organization intact.
- You want to search inside your videos
Our AI-powered search transcribes and indexes your video content. Search for concepts ("Q3 revenue discussion") across your entire library and jump directly to the relevant timestamp.
- You value predictable costs
No per-seat multiplication. No bandwidth overage negotiations. No forced upgrades when limits are crossed. Know exactly what you'll pay every month.
What Transfers from Vimeo
| Content Type | Transfers? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Video files | Original quality preserved | |
| Titles & descriptions | All metadata intact | |
| Folder structure | Your organization stays | |
| Captions/subtitles | VTT format preserved | |
| Chapters | Timestamps maintained | |
| Tags | Fully transferred | |
| Thumbnails | Auto-generated + custom | |
| Privacy settings | Converted to equivalent | |
| Embed codes | Partial | URLs change; you'll update embeds |
| View counts/analytics | Historical data doesn't transfer | |
| Viewer comments | External comments don't transfer |
Migration Process
Link your Vimeo account via OAuth (read-only access; we never modify your Vimeo content)
Review your video library and select what to migrate
One click starts the background transfer
Replace embed codes on your site with new Castiz URLs
Confirm everything works before canceling Vimeo
Typical Timing
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Vimeo wins if you:
- • Are a solo creator with <60 videos/year
- • Need live streaming or webinar tools
- • Want built-in video creation features
- • Require 7TB+ storage for a massive back-catalog
- • Are building an OTT streaming service
Castiz wins if you:
- Have a team larger than 2-3 people
- Embed videos on high-traffic websites
- Need API access without enterprise pricing
- Want AI-powered search across your library
- Value predictable, non-escalating costs
- Are migrating from Vimeo
Disclosure: This comparison was written by the castiz team. We have an obvious interest in the outcome. We've cited public sources for all Vimeo claims and encourage you to verify current pricing directly on Vimeo's website. Try both platforms before deciding—Vimeo and castiz both offer free tiers. Last updated: December 2025.
Ready to Switch?
Start free — Upload up to 5GB with no credit card required.
Migrate from Vimeo — Our 1-click tool handles the transfer.