Mux
Developer-first video infrastructure with encoding, storage, delivery, and analytics — no credit card needed for the free plan.
Best for developers who need professional video hosting with adaptive streaming and built-in analytics.
Use Cases
Free Tier
10 videos stored, 100K delivery minutes/month, Mux Player and analytics included
How to Maximize the Free Tier
The free plan caps storage at 10 videos but gives 100K delivery minutes monthly — enough for a portfolio site or small application. Use Mux Player (free) for adaptive streaming with minimal frontend code. Enable auto-generated captions at no extra cost. Track viewer engagement with built-in analytics to understand watch time and drop-off points. When you outgrow 10 videos, the Starter plan is pay-as-you-go starting at $0 until you exceed 1,000 stored minutes.
Getting Started
Sign up at mux.com → create a video environment → generate an API access token → upload a video via the REST API or dashboard → embed Mux Player in your frontend using the React, Next.js, or vanilla JS SDK → monitor engagement in the analytics dashboard.
Pros
- No credit card: Free plan requires no payment info — just sign up and start uploading
- Professional encoding: Automatic transcoding to adaptive bitrate formats with Mux Player for smooth playback
- Built-in analytics: Engagement metrics, quality of experience data, and error tracking included at no cost
Cons
- 10 video limit: Free tier caps stored assets at 10 — you'll need to upgrade for larger libraries
- No live streaming: Live streaming is only available on paid plans, not the free tier
- Delivery cap: 100K monthly delivery minutes is generous but can be consumed quickly by high-traffic apps