Cinema8 vs Opencast
Cinema8
cinema8.com
Opencast
opencast.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cinema8 | Opencast |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $12/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 2 |
| Spec score · Video Hosting Platforms | 9.4 (#1) | 8.7 (#4) |
| Security | Cinema8 states that its video technology platform is ISO 27001-certified and offers encryption, in-video SSO, and domain-restricted access. | Opencast supports access control and signed media URLs that expire after a configured period, usually one hour depending on server configuration. |
| What it does | Cinema8 is a secure business video-hosting platform combining hosting, interactive video, analytics, CRM workflows and AI automation. | Opencast is an open-source video management system for academic institutions covering capture, processing, management and distribution. |
Plans
Cinema8
- FreeFree
- Starter$15 a month
- Pro$30 a month
- Pro Plus$105 a month
- Starter$12 a month
- Pro$24 a month
- Pro Plus$84 a month
- Interaction Designer Pro add-on$249 a month
- Business$639 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
Cinema8
Cinema8 is a business video platform for hosting, creating, and measuring interactive video. It includes screen recording and editing tools, and videos can contain lead forms, clickable calls to action, hotspots, branching paths, quizzes, and annotations. AI workflows generate subtitles, chapters, keyword tags, and SEO-compatible summaries. Analytics include A/B testing, dashboards, heatmaps, and interaction reports. Cinema8 connects with CRM, e-commerce, LMS, and analytics tools, and supports custom APIs and webhooks. Interactive videos can be exported for LMS use; SCORM and xAPI export are listed with Pro Plus. Cinema8 states that its technology is ISO 27001-certified and describes encryption, SSO, domain restrictions, password protection, and role-based permissions. Its Chrome extension records screens and cameras and supports sharing, calls to action, forms, and analytics. The Free plan includes one seat, 10 videos, 2 GB storage, and 500 GB bandwidth. Pricing notes a free plan, paid access from $12/mo (annual), and a 14-day trial. Platforms are API, extension, and web.
Opencast
Opencast is a free, open-source video management system for academic institutions, designed to capture and distribute video at scale. Administrators can schedule recordings and live streams, with classroom recording also possible depending on hardware. Opencast Studio captures video in a browser without requiring an Opencast installation. Configurable workflows can generate captions, add branding and thumbnails, and deliver media at chosen resolutions and bitrates. The integrated editor handles multiple streams, subtitles, and cover thumbnails. Fine-grained permissions control viewing and editing; learning platform integrations can provide single sign-on and video delivery. Opencast uses the Paella Player by default, while the separate Tobira portal can keep videos online during Opencast maintenance. Integrations include Brightspace, Canvas, ILIAS, Moodle, Sakai, Stud.IP, BigBlueButton, Zoom recording, Matomo, WordPress, Whisper, and YouTube. It runs on one Linux server or can scale across distributed Linux servers. Demo instances are available to explore the administrative interface and portal.