OTT Platforms
Dacast: features, pricing and who it fits
Dacast is a self-serve live and on-demand streaming service starting at $39 per month billed annually, with a 14-day trial. Paywall and ads are add-ons on Starter. DRM for video on demand begins at the $165 Scale plan.
Who Dacast is for
Best for
- Small businesses, schools and event producers that want published prices and a 14-day trial
- Teams needing paywall and ads without a custom enterprise contract
Look elsewhere if
- Brands that need native Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV apps; the pricing page lists browser and mobile streaming only
- Buyers sensitive to auto-renewal billing complaints
Dacast features
- Monetization models
- Paywall (add-on on Starter, included on Event and up), pre/mid/post-roll ads
- Apps and device coverage
- Browser-based and mobile streaming; native connected TV apps not named
- White-label branding and customization
- All-device HTML5 player; white-label detail not stated
- Live streaming support
- Live transcoding channels (3 to unlimited), simulcast hours, live events and CDN live streaming
- Analytics and audience tools
- Video analytics; Video API and player API
- DRM and content security
- DRM for VOD on Scale and Custom; AES for VOD on Scale and Custom; no certifications listed
- Pricing model
- Flat monthly tiers with bandwidth and storage caps plus overage
- Target company size
- Small business to mid-size events
Dacast pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $39 per month, billed annually | flat | 2.4 TB bandwidth per year, 500 GB storage, 3 live transcoding channels; paywall and ads are add-ons |
| Event | $63 per month, billed annually | flat | 6 TB bandwidth upfront, 250 GB storage, paywall and ads included |
| Scale | $165 per month, billed annually | flat | 24 TB per year, 2,000 GB storage, DRM for VOD, unlimited live channels |
| Custom | Contact sales | Custom SLAs and large events |
14-day free trial, no credit card. Overage $0.30 per GB data and $0.15 per GB storage. The page also shows monthly prices of $29, $99 and $199 in a feature section that conflict with the plan cards.
Prices as published by Dacast on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Worth knowing before you buy
- Paywall and ads are add-ons on Starter and included from Event
- DRM for VOD only starts on the $165 Scale plan
- Monthly billing requires a three-month prepaid minimum
- Overage runs $0.30 per GB for data and $0.15 per GB for storage
- Phone support is not included on Starter and is an add-on on Event
- Pricing page shows conflicting numbers between plan cards and feature section
Dacast alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTT Platforms | Strong fit | Strong fit | Workable | No data |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying Dacast works
- How you buy
- Online up to Scale, sales above
- Demo or quote needed for
- Custom
- Free trial
- 14 days
- Contract
- Annual billing; monthly plans require three months prepaid
About the company
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, US
- Customers (vendor figure)
- 2,000+ customers (home page)
- 2019
- Acquired vzaar video hosting
Support and integrations
- Support
- 24/7 support, phone support and knowledge base; phone included on Scale and Custom, add-on on Event, not on Starter
- API
- Video API, player API and SDK
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and Dacast and its alternatives quote against the same facts.
- How many subscribers and monthly viewing hours do you expect in year one?Bandwidth and per-subscriber fees drive the quote, and overage rates differ.
- Which devices must your apps cover at launch?Connected TV apps are often priced per app or locked to an enterprise plan.
- Do you sell subscriptions, single purchases, ads or a mix?The monetization model decides which plan tier and billing layer you need.
- Is your content licensed, and does the licensor require DRM?DRM requirements can move you to a higher plan or a different vendor.
- Do you stream live events, and how many hours per month?Live is metered or sold separately by many providers.
- How many hours of video must be migrated, and by what date should you launch?Library size and deadline determine onboarding scope and any project fees.