OTT Platforms
Wowza: features, pricing and who it fits
Wowza is a developer-oriented streaming server and managed video platform, not a turnkey OTT service. Streaming Engine starts at $195 per instance per month and supports multi-DRM and low-latency protocols. Subscriber management and branded TV apps are not built in.
Who Wowza is for
Best for
- Engineering teams building their own streaming workflows with multi-DRM and low-latency protocols
- Buyers who want to start with a cart purchase of $195 per instance per month
Look elsewhere if
- Teams wanting turnkey branded OTT apps and subscriber management out of the box
Wowza features
- Monetization models
- Custom ad serving and monetization workflows through API, SDK or Java; no built-in subscription or paywall found
- Apps and device coverage
- Player with Web/HTML5, iOS SDK and Android SDK; no branded TV app builder found
- White-label branding and customization
- Customizable server software and player via SDK; no white-label app builder stated
- Live streaming support
- RTSP, SRT, RTMP, WebRTC ingest; HLS, LL-HLS, DASH and WebRTC delivery; 24x7 and live event support
- Analytics and audience tools
- No dedicated analytics product described; analytics integrations via hybrid cloud on Enterprise
- DRM and content security
- Multi-DRM (Widevine, FairPlay, PlayReady), AES-128 HLS encryption, token access, watermarking; SOC and GDPR badges shown
- Pricing model
- Per instance per month or per usage, plus enterprise quote
- Target company size
- Developers to enterprise
Wowza pricing
| Plan | Price | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Streaming Engine One Month | $295 | per instance, one-time | Up to 10 concurrent transcoded channels |
| Streaming Engine Basic Monthly | $195 | per instance per month | Extra transcoded channels $25 each |
| Streaming Engine Enterprise | Contact sales | Annual plans, discounts, hybrid cloud services | |
| Flowplayer OVP Video Platform Growth | $99 | 3+3 ingest hours, 512 playback hours, 20 GB storage | Labeled one-time purchase, FAQ cites one-year term |
| Flowplayer OVP Enterprise | Contact sales | Annual plans, discounted rates |
A Start a Trial link exists but trial terms are not stated. Flowplayer OVP billing label conflicts with its FAQ.
Prices as published by Wowza on the date above. Quotes for larger teams often differ, which is what a request on SaaSBid surfaces.
Integrations, security and hosting
- Security and compliance
- AICPA SOC badge shown (report not detailed), GDPR badge shown
- Implementation
- Professional services offered on Enterprise
Worth knowing before you buy
- Streaming Engine is software you run; $195 per instance per month is the cart price, not a per-viewer price
- Extra transcoded channels cost $25 each
- Multi-DRM and AES-128 are listed on the home page, unlike most creator-focused OTT tools
- Wowza has no built-in subscriber management; monetization is through API and SDK
- Founding year is 2007 on the about page, while press coverage says late 2005
- 35,000+ streaming implementations in 100+ countries per the about page
Wowza alternatives
Vendor dossier
Fit by company size
| Category | 1-10 people | 11-50 people | 51-500 people | 500+ people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OTT Platforms | Poor fit | Poor fit | Workable | Strong fit |
Strong fitWorkablePoor fitNo data from the vendor
How buying Wowza works
- How you buy
- Online up to Streaming Engine Basic Monthly (cart) and Flowplayer OVP Growth, sales above
- Demo or quote needed for
- Enterprise (both product lines)
- Contract
- Month-to-month on Streaming Engine Basic; annual on Enterprise
About the company
- Founded
- 2007
- Headquarters
- Lakewood, Colorado, US
- Ownership
- private
- 2012
- Summit Partners minority investment
- 2013
- Acquired Camfoo GmbH
Support and integrations
- Support
- Support tickets, FAQ and community forums; premium support plans
- API
- REST API, SDK, Java modules
- Notable integrations
- Flowplayer
What vendors in this category ask before quoting
Answer these once in a SaaSBid request and Wowza 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.