When you hear about video platforms, the names that come to mind are big players like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, but these aren’t the only platforms worth looking at. Vimeo has been around since before YouTube and has carved a niche for itself as a high-quality video hosting platform with an abundance of creative content.

Is Vimeo worth using, and could it be a good place for your content? Here are 3 reasons you might want to give Vimeo a chance.

Diverse Monetization Options

Vimeo is not an ad-supported platform. While users might see a few banner ads placed around the site here and there, Vimeo doesn’t use any in-content ads. That means there are no ads before, in the middle, or after your video. Instead, Vimeo has different tiers of paid plans for content creators that unlock new features for a cost.

Because Vimeo is creator-supported instead of ad-supported, they have a wide range of monetization options for creators, including:

  • Video on demand (VOD)
  • Memberships
  • Exclusive video sales
  • Webinars/live streams

These monetization methods are made possible because of the different ways you can display content publicly as a Vimeo creator. The built-in VOD system is especially helpful for setting up a series of videos that viewers can pay to watch through a monthly subscription or per-video basis.

Because videos can easily be shared exclusively, either through password-locking content or allowing access only to specific people, videos can be sold more easily to news agencies or other media companies. Audiences on Vimeo are more open to monetization methods like this, and it can be easier to get eyes on your content with this platform than with a larger platform like YouTube.

While Vimeo creators will need to sign up for a paid membership plan to access some monetization methods, there’s a good infrastructure for paid content, especially VOD monetization, paid digital courses, and exclusive subscription content. You have more freedom to choose how you want to monetize, without having to nag your audience with ads.

Better Reputation for Quality Videos

Vimeo has a reputation for hosting better quality content than other platforms. Their monetization policies and privacy features attract many more filmmakers and creators that make high-quality content since there are better options for monetizing content without ads. There also tends to be a more mature audience on Vimeo as compared to other video hosting platforms, leading to better feedback and reception of a more diverse range of content.

Beyond the content itself, Vimeo also tends to be better in a technical sense. Videos played through Vimeo tend to be sharper and crisper than those from other platforms. Video quality from Vimeo is great, even on slower internet connections.

Vimeo has a culture of quality over quantity, which sets it apart from other video hosting platforms, especially social media platforms. Creators can still get eyes on their videos, grow an audience, and monetize content without having to post constantly or maintain a set template style of content.

This reputation for quality attracts a different audience of viewers to Vimeo. While viewership is lower on the site than on other platforms like YouTube or Instagram, viewers are more engaged with what they’re watching and more connected to individual creators. As of 2021, Vimeo had more than 260 million registered users, so the audience size on the platform is still significant.

Large Creator Feature Set

Vimeo gives creators a lot more freedom than most other video hosting platforms. Creators on the free plan have access to a basic suite of tools, while paying creators get access to a growing set of tools with many more customization options.

Here’s a look at some of the best features Vimeo offers to creators:

  • Editable/replaceable videos: Even after a video is uploaded and has been viewed by users, the video can be edited or reuploaded without changing the URL or losing the analytics data.
  • Password-only content: Content can be restricted to being viewed only by those with a specific password unique to that video. Restrictions can also limit access to specific people, including making the video visible only to followers, those you’re following, or those who paid for the content as subscribers or VOD customers.
  • Memberships: Vimeo creators can build a membership program through the site that limits access to certain videos based on a user’s membership status, allowing for flexibility in monetization and freemium content creation.
  • Interaction controls: Video owners can control who can interact with their content and to what extent, including if a video can be shared or embedded. Comments can also be limited to specific people, followers, or members.
  • Custom video templates: Creators can make and save custom video templates for easier uploading.
  • Customizable video players: On higher membership tiers, creators can customize how the player looks, including video recommendations after content.
  • Video editing software: Vimeo’s basic video editing software is available to all creators, with more features being unlocked at higher membership tiers. Creators can access stock images and footage through the editor, as well as licensed music when paying for a higher service tier.

Vimeo puts a lot more control into the hands of the creator. It’s a breath of fresh air among a wide collection of video platforms that restrict what creators can and cannot do and how they can be paid for their work. Because they’re supported by creator memberships rather than ad-supported content, Vimeo gives more control back to creators to operate more freely on the platform.

Downsides of Vimeo

Vimeo has more to offer than most creators think, but it’s not a perfect platform. You should be aware of a few issues before you decide to make Vimeo part of your content strategy. The main issues for creators are:

  • Limited analytics data because of privacy policies
  • Paid membership costs can be prohibitive
  • Smaller audience compared to other large platforms
  • Embedded advertisements and sponsorships are not allowed
  • Content is harder to find on Google
  • Live streams are only available at higher membership tiers

These issues can be a barrier to entry for new creators who may not have the budget to pay for Vimeo’s better feature sets, or who can’t afford to wait for an audience to find them. If you have some runway to create without a large audience, or if you have an existing audience, you might find more success uploading to Vimeo.


Are you considering using Vimeo for your content in 2023? Let us know in the comments below!