How Transcodely compares
An honest look at Transcodely next to Mux, Cloudflare Stream and Bunny Stream — plus Coconut as a transcode-only reference. The free-encoding hosts win real workloads, and we show it.
Transcodely vs
Mux
A polished video API with a generous free tier.
Where they win: Hobby and low-traffic apps: free basic encoding plus 100k free delivered minutes a month can mean a near-zero bill.
See the comparisonTranscodely vs
Cloudflare Stream
Dead-simple hosting with free encoding on Cloudflare’s network.
Where they win: The simplest possible "just host my videos" flow with zero encoding cost.
See the comparisonTranscodely vs
Bunny Stream
Rock-bottom per-GB hosting with free H.264 encoding.
Where they win: Plain H.264 up to 1080p: free encoding plus ~$0.01/GB delivery is about as cheap as hosting gets.
See the comparisonThe cost calculator
One workload, five bills. Pick a scenario or enter your own numbers — the cheapest option is named honestly, whoever it is.
A growing library on the universal codec with real delivery.
Bunny Stream is cheapest here — $110.00/mo.
That’s an honest result: Bunny Stream leads on raw price for this shape of usage. Transcodely’s edge is control — codec, profile, ladder, HDR — and efficient-codec / high-volume workloads. Try the other scenarios above.
- Full codec, profile, CRF & ladder control
- Encoding billed per rendition (3-rung ladder)
- Storage & egress metered per GB — no per-request fees
- H.264 up to 1080p encodes free
- HEVC/AV1, VP9 & >1080p need premium encoding (extra $/min)
- ≈$0.01/GB storage & delivery (EU/NA rate; other regions higher)
- DRM (MediaCage) is an enterprise add-on
- Basic-quality encoding is free (fixed ladder, no codec choice)
- First 100k delivered minutes/month are free (3,662 GB here)
- Per minute of video: $0.0010/delivered, $0.0030/stored·mo at this resolution
- Cold-storage discount up to 60% after 30d inactivity (not modelled)
- Free encoding — but a fixed ladder, no codec/profile choice
- Billed per minute of video, not per GB
- High-bitrate content is cheap here; low-bitrate is relatively pricey
- Transcode only — no hosting, storage or CDN
- $0.015 per output minute (3 renditions here)
- Bring your own storage + CDN (added cost, not shown)
How this is calculated
Ladder 480p · 720p · 1080p (3 renditions). Cloudflare and Mux free tiers are per minute of video, converted at an assumed 5.0 Mbps delivered (1080p (Full HD) / H.264 / AVC) — so Mux’s free allowance is ≈ 3,662 GB here. Transcodely bills in EUR; converted at €1 = $1.08 (as of July 2026). Competitor list prices verified July 2026; negotiated/committed volume discounts are not modelled. Estimates, not quotes — every meter bills on actual bytes.The best comparison is your own footage
Pay only for what you use — no monthly fee. Or open the first-party cost calculator for the full Transcodely rate card.