YouTube vs. Vimeo: Which Video Platform is Best for Your Business?

By 2022, online video content is predicted to command more than 82% of all web traffic (15 times higher than it was in 2017). If you haven't started thinking about how video fits into your long-term marketing strategy, now's the time to start taking it seriously.

Before you dive into creating videos, it's important to figure out where you're going to host them. YouTube is obviously the largest video hosting platform on the web, but it might not be the best choice for every business.

To help you find the best fit for your company's unique needs, we compared YouTube directly against the smaller, more niche platform Vimeo across a number of factors.

Read on to see the results, and decide for yourself.

Number of Users

Winner: YouTube

There's no real competition here. YouTube commands an audience of over 2 billion monthly users, almost half of the entire internet-using population. Vimeo's 240 million monthly viewers (90 million registered) seem insignificant in contrast. For maximum reach, choose YouTube.

Search Optimization

Winner: YouTube

YouTube leaves Vimeo in the dust here. YouTube is the second largest search engine, right after parent company Google. If you're planning to create a video tailored to a specific search query, (e.g., how to pick a font for your website), your video belongs on YouTube. Not only will it appear in search results directly on YouTube, but Google also favors videos from YouTube over those posted on other platforms.

Mobile

Winner: YouTube

70% of all YouTube views comes from mobile and the YouTube mobile app is absolutely dominating the mobile streaming space -- outranking even formidable competitors like Netflix, Hulu, and Twitch.

Videos uploaded to Vimeo and YouTube are both optimized automatically for mobile, but YouTube offers more opportunities for mobile discovery and reach.

Customizable Player

Winner: Vimeo

Vimeo's sleek embedded player offers a number of useful customization options that YouTube can't match, including hex color customization and the ability to include a custom player logo (on Business and PRO accounts). Plus, when you change the default customization options on your account, all previously embedded videos will update to reflect the changes automatically, with no need to go back and tinker with any code.

Analytics

Winner: YouTube

YouTube takes the win here because all their analytics -- ranging from basic statistics like views to more advanced options -- are completely free. Vimeo does also offer powerful analytics tools to evaluate performance, but you'll have to pay to access everything but basic stats.

Video Quality

Winner: Vimeo

When it comes to video quality, Vimeo beats out YouTube. In a test done by Medium, Vimeo's video quality was crisp, clean, and easier to read. On the other hand, the same video on YouTube was blurry, making it much harder to follow.

Audio Quality

Winner: Vimeo

Again, when it comes to quality, Vimeo comes out on top. Sound quality is higher on Vimeo because the platform supports 320Kbps. However, to enjoy higher-quality videos and audio, you'll need to be subscribed to one of the paid plans.

Cost

Winner: YouTube

YouTube is free -- even for businesses. But you might be wondering if Vimeo is as well. It is pretty much free to start with, but in the long term the fee they charge is worth the spend.

So which one should you choose?

It depends largely on what exactly you want to accomplish with your videos. If you're looking for a creative community where you can connect with other video creators and gain some exposure in a specific niche, Vimeo is a better place to start sharing your content. If you have business goals that revolve heavily around search optimization and ads, YouTube is your best bet.

Hope the article adds value to your business. Best,

Bejoy Peter- Marketing Consultant & Communications Strategist, Email: info@VisionKraft.com | Phone: +91 9850 555 795