The best api.video alternative

Hyperserve vs api.video

For on-demand video, the same month costs about $72 on Hyperserve against $119 on api.video, from a backend staying in the US market. See our analysis below.

Attribute	Hyperserve	api.video
Scope	HyperserveOn-demand video	api.videoOn-demand + live
Pricing model	HyperservePer GB	api.videoPer minute
Example month*100h library, 1,000h watched @ 1080p	Hyperserve~$72	api.video~$119
Encoding	HyperserveFree	api.videoFree
Output	HyperservePlain MP4 URL, plays as it downloads	api.videoHLS + player library
Adaptive bitrate	HyperserveNo	api.videoYes, HLS
Live streaming	HyperserveNo	api.videoYes
US business availability	HyperserveOngoing	api.videoExiting the US market

The rates are the same at any size. No minimums, you pay only for what you use.

*Assumes 5 Mbps for 1080p and three stored files per video (1080p, 720p, 480p). We bill every stored file; api.video bills the source minutes once. See the math

Verified 2026-08-09.

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A straightforward system with a lower bill, in production today. Free to start.

Choose Hyperserve if

◆You want to pay for bytes, not minutes: their per-minute rate charges a 480p minute the same as a 1080p one.

◆You want playback in a plain video tag that works in every browser and every version. api.video delivers HLS, which still needs a player library where native support is missing; an MP4 does not.

◆US presence matters, or your api.video contract already has an end date.

Choose api.video if

◆You need live streaming.

◆You need adaptive bitrate for long form video.

◆Their broader video feature set maps to something you actually use.

Self serve

What integration looks like

Create a video, upload the file, let transcoding run. What you store is an MP4 URL that plays anywhere. No player to adopt, no ecosystem to learn. Self-serve from signup, free to start.

Full guide, with code: getting started ↗

01Create a video, get back an upload URL

02Upload the file straight from the client

03Transcoding runs in the resolutions you chose

04A webhook tells you it is ready; save the MP4 URLs

Migration

Moving off api.video

◆Videos: re-upload through the Hyperserve API or a bulk transfer

◆Playback: update the video URLs stored in your database

◆Webhooks: update URLs and event mappings

Timeline

Under a day for most users

Support

We provide tools and support for migrating, including 1:1 help.

Show the math

How we got api.video's numbers

The scenario: a 100 hour library, 1,000 hours watched in a month, all at 1080p (5 Mbps). We store three files per video (1080p, 720p and 480p, about 3.8 GB per hour) and bill each one; api.video bills the source minutes once. Hyperserve: 382 GB stored at $0.04/GB·mo plus 2,250 GB delivered at $0.025/GB is about $72. api.video: 6,000 minutes stored at $0.00285/min·mo plus 60,000 minutes delivered at $0.0017/min is about $119. Most of the gap is delivery: their per-minute rate converts to roughly $0.045/GB against our $0.025.

Different numbers? Run your own on the pricing calculator.

The month100h library, 1,000h watched @ 1080p

We store 3 files per video1080p + 720p + 480p ≈ 3.8 GB/h

api.video $0.00285/min·mo × 6,000 + $0.0017/min × 60,000~$119/mo

Hyperserve 382 GB × $0.04 + 2,250 GB × $0.025~$72/mo

Still deciding

Common questions

Why would I move off api.video?

Three reasons: the same month costs about $72 here against $119 there, per-GB pricing means lighter video costs less, and if you are a US business, api.video is closing US accounts regardless of price (see below). If none of that is a live problem for you, staying put is a reasonable decision.

Is api.video actually leaving the US market?

Yes. Per api.video's own help center, they stopped accepting new US-based subscriptions on February 1, 2026, citing a change in commercial strategy and GDPR compliance, and existing US customer contracts terminate by the end of August 2026. If you are a US business on api.video, that deadline is on your account, not a hypothetical.

How hard is the migration?

It's easy and totally scriptable, we can write a custom app to automate it for you. The main work is updating playback URLs wherever you have stored them. For most users it takes a day or less, though can be longer depending on number of videos.

Does Hyperserve do live streaming like api.video?

No, Hyperserve is on-demand only. Your videos still stream in the usual sense: an MP4 plays as it downloads. What we do not do is live broadcast, or adaptive bitrate switching mid-playback. If you use their live features, this is not a migration you should make.

Just video, priced by the gigabyte

Per-GB pricing, a lower bill, from a backend staying in the US market. Most libraries migrate in under a day, and we do it with you.

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