We’ve reviewed hosting providers for over a decade, covering more than 300 hosts and 1,500 hosting plans. We shortlisted the hosts with great customer service and a reputation for not being stingy with “unlimited” resources.
Lastly, we integrated over 1 million words of reviews by genuine customers to bring you the best hosting providers for FFmpeg.
What Is FFmpeg?
FFmpeg is a free and open source collection of tools and libraries that allows users to record, convert, and stream video and audio in a multitude of formats. These tools are extremely useful in optimizing files for online sharing and streaming.
Video and audio files in their original, uncompressed formats are often enormous in size. For example, a high-quality MPEG2 file captured right from your DVD would be a huge file, into the hundreds of megabytes for just a few minutes. By converting it to a much smaller, but still viewable, VOB format, you could save a lot of space and bandwidth — two critical considerations for any website owner in an age where “unlimited bandwidth” doesn’t always live up to its name.
How to Choose an FFmpeg Web Host
As you select a FFmpeg hosting plan, remember that FFmpeg should not cost you anything. FFmpeg software is free and open source, so it shouldn’t add anything to your monthly hosting expenses.
Hosting limits: Keep in mind that streaming content and big file sizes can add up quickly — and some hosts charge overage fees or even shut down sites that exceed their usage limits. FFmpeg can help reduce your bandwidth levels, but you still need to keep an eye on them.
One-click installs: A hosting provider offering FFmpeg and plug-ins pre installed or available as a one-click install is convenient, especially if you’re planning a multimedia-heavy site. Some hosts won’t enable FFmpeg unless you get a dedicated hosting plan, so be sure to check.
Uptime guarantees: Can you trust the host to keep your website running reliably?
Support: A great web host will be available to help when you run into snags.
FFmpeg is already installed and available on all hosting plans
If you want a fully managed experience and need technical help to setup FFmpeg on your server, choose SiteGround. It allows you to choose the location of your server that’s closest to your target audience and handles technical installation of all the necessary software.
SiteGround will also maintain your server, update your server, and monitor it 24/7 to keep it secure as well as provide you with an around-the-clock support team.
On top of that, you’ll benefit from WordPress enhancements such as the staging area and the caching plug-in, which speeds up your site.
Pros and cons of SiteGround
Pros
Extremely steady
Premium support for small businesses
Easy-to-use admin interface
Cons
Limited hosting options
Limited disk space
What customers are saying about SiteGround:
SiteGround is a reliable web hosting company with fast speeds, a user-friendly interface, and solid customer service. Some customers are not thrilled with the price increase and back-end support.
Plethora of hosting options and features that can be easily upgraded
If you’re looking for something more budget-friendly, then Bluehost is a good choice. The standard dedicated plan allows you to enjoy a highly-tuned server built and maintained by Bluehost’s team of engineers.
The dedicated servers are instantly provisioned, which means your server is ready as soon as you sign up for it.
One of the key benefits of signing up for Bluehost’s dedicated server is the ability to easily upgrade your storage space without having to contact the support team, however, keep in mind that the customer service is available 24/7 should you need any help.
Bluehost also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so it’s definitely worth a try.
Pros and cons of Bluehost
Pros
Free domain and SSL
WordPress partner
30-day money back guarantee
Cons
No auto daily backup
Higher pricing for monthly billing option
What customers are saying about Bluehost:
Bluehost is a reputable provider offering shared and VPS hosting. The company is easy to use, affordable, and has great uptime. It is geared toward entrepreneurs and small online startups. Billing might be confusing, but they have solid customer service for any issues.
Allows their users to have more control over their websites’ configuration
A2 Hosting is a great choice if you’re not quite ready for a dedicated server. It’s also one of the few hosts that provides tailored plans for video and audio streaming sites, thanks to the Wowza streaming engine. The VPS plan is perfect for video hosting websites that get a decent amount of regular traffic.
If you’re not tech-savvy, opt for the managed VPS plan so you don’t have to worry about the technical aspects of managing a server or updating the installed software. You’ll also get access to an easy-to-use cPanel, and you can scale your plan to accommodate the growth of your site.
Aside from the features above, A2 Hosting offers a 99.9% uptime guarantee.
Pros and cons of A2 Hosting
Pros
Outstanding speed
Flexible hosting options
30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
Free domain not included
Higher monthly pricing
What customers are saying about A2 Hosting:
A2 is a reliable, affordable hosting company that has fast speeds. The customer service is generally responsive but could use more updated tutorials and documentation.
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HostGator
Best FFmpeg hosting for small to medium-sized businesses
Provides unmetered disk space and bandwidth to all users on any plan
HostGator only offers installation services for FFmpeg on VPS containers that are Snappy 2000 (or greater) and Dedicated Servers running CentOS 6 64-bit or CentOS 7 64-bit. It offers a manual installation of FFmpeg for $75, which includes many features and modules that were not available in the free version.
If you want VPS or dedicated servers, HostGator has high-quality hosting options. No matter which plan you choose, HostGator offers feature-rich hosting plans such as free domain name, a free Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificate, and unmetered bandwidth.
Pros and cons of HostGator
Pros
Free domain and SSL
Premium support
30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
Upselling features
Slow customer support
What customers are saying about HostGator:
HostGator is a good fit for beginners seeking a web host with various features. The customer service and prices are favorable but avoid paying for unnecessary extras. Note there are limitations to the SEO capabilities.
Offers customizable solutions that support their client needs
Liquid Web has a wide comprehensive knowledgebase allowing its users to completely install FFmpeg without further assistance. If you need help, Liquid Web’s “24/7/365 Human” support is stellar. You can easily reach out via live chat.
Liquid Web’s dedicated hosting plans offer customizable solutions that cater to customer needs. You can remotely administer your server via an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) connection. ServerSecure protection enables you to optimize complex security settings, while business-grade SSDs deliver intensive server performance.
Pros and cons of Liquid Web
Pros
Incredible support
Softaculous installer
Email hosting included
Cons
Confusing pricing descriptions
What customers are saying about Liquid Web:
Liquid Web's price points start a bit higher than the others but customers get stellar support and a lot of customizability.
FFmpeg is a software application that can play, encode, and stream audio and video files. It gets its name from the ‘fast forward’ button.
What does FFmpeg do?
FFmpeg can record, convert, and stream audio and video. In a web hosting context, FFmpeg makes it easy to serve media on your website that your visitors can stream on demand.
What file types does FFmpeg support?
FFmpeg supports hundreds of different audio, video, and image formats. It comes with hundreds of codecs, which you can read about on the official FFmpeg website.
How do I install FFmpeg to use on my website?
Some shared hosting plans come with FFmpeg pre-installed. On a VPS or dedicated server, you should be able to install it yourself if you have root access. Not all hosts allow it, so check the fine print carefully.
Can my website benefit from FFmpeg hosting?
Depending on the type of website you’re looking to create and the bandwidth you need for your multimedia, you may need more than the sometimes basic multimedia support included with many hosting packages.
If you plan to stream multimedia content for your users or provide tools for the conversion, sharing, and streaming of user-created content, then you may want to look into a comprehensive multimedia management tool such as FFmpeg.