StreamZilla
Compare Vimeo alternative
The European alternative to Vimeo
Video hosting under European law, in European hands.
StreamZilla is an all-in-one European video platform by Jet-Stream Services B.V. in Groningen, the Netherlands, from the team that put the first live stream on the web, with 32 years of experience. It runs under European law, on European infrastructure, without American cloud underneath. It covers the core of what most organisations use Vimeo for: uploading, managing, embedding and sharing video, with subtitles and translations created automatically.
Vimeo has changed hands. Since November 2025 it has been owned by the Italian company Bending Spoons, which has since laid off most of Vimeo’s staff. The service itself is still run by Vimeo.com, Inc., a US company, and Vimeo is rolling out new plans once again.
Sovereignty and privacy are not the only reasons organisations leave. Vimeo customers have reported being told to move to far more expensive plans, of 12,000 to 20,000 dollars a year, while they were not exceeding their current plan. Those who did not pay were told their account would be deleted at the end of the month, and their entire video library with it.
Free during the beta. For organisations. Nothing to pay.
Sovereign and compliant
European ownership, law and infrastructure, out of reach of the US CLOUD Act. GDPR without transfers to third countries, a player built to WCAG 2.2 AA and certified green hosting. Host it with us, or on your own servers.
Simple
Drag your video in. StreamZilla creates every quality up to 4K, poster images, subtitles and a transcript. Brand the player, choose public, unlisted or password-protected, and embed it on your site.
Honest pricing
Fixed plans in euros, no sales call before you can see a price, and no silent increases at renewal. Use more than your plan includes and it simply moves up a plan: your videos never stop.
StreamZilla and Vimeo compared
The differences that matter most to organisations in Europe.
| StreamZilla and Vimeo compared | StreamZilla | Vimeo |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Jet-Stream Services B.V., the Netherlands, streaming since 1994 | Vimeo.com, Inc., United States; owned by Bending Spoons (Italy) since 2025 |
| Law that applies | European and Dutch law | US law, including the CLOUD Act |
| Where your videos and viewer data live | In the EU, on our own hardware in two Dutch data centres | Not published as EU-only |
| Host it yourself under licence | Yes, on your own servers, even air-gapped | No |
| Cookies and trackers in the player | None: the player loads no external services | Partly, depending on plan and settings |
| Accessible player | Built to WCAG 2.2 AA | Partly |
| Green hosting | Certified, 100% renewable energy | Not published |
| Pricing | Fixed plans in euros, no silent increases at renewal | Plans per number of users, with monthly bandwidth limits; new plans being rolled out |
| When you use more than your plan | Your plan moves up one step automatically. Your videos never stop and are never deleted | Customers report demands to move to plans of 12,000 to 20,000 dollars a year, or have their account and library deleted |
| Live streaming | Coming to StreamZilla. Until then, our parent company Jet-Stream, live streaming since 2003, helps you | Yes |
| Video editing, webinars, creative community | No: StreamZilla focuses on hosting and publishing | Yes |
Based on public information, checked on 11 November 2026. Brand names belong to their respective owners. Spotted an error? Email e-mail and we will correct it.
Why the new owner does not change the legal picture
With an Italian owner, it is tempting to call Vimeo European now. But the service is still provided by Vimeo.com, Inc. in the United States, and US law follows the company that controls the data, not the nationality of its shareholder. Under the CLOUD Act, US authorities can compel a US provider to hand over data in its possession, custody or control, wherever in the world that data is stored.
StreamZilla has no American parent, shareholder or hyperscaler underneath. Engineering, operations and support are done by our own staff in the Netherlands. Read how we define sovereign video hosting.
What does Vimeo cost?
In November 2026, Vimeo’s pricing page listed three self-serve plans, billed annually: Creator for one user, 50 GB of managed storage and 1 TB of managed bandwidth a month; Core for three users, 500 GB and 2 TB a month; and Professional for ten users, 7 TB and 2 TB a month. The entry plan starts under €10 a month; exact prices vary by country and VAT. Business and enterprise plans are priced on request. The same page announced that Vimeo is rolling out new plans.
The entry prices look low. What they do not show is what happens when your videos get watched: the monthly bandwidth limits apply to your managed videos, and above them Vimeo asks you to move to a business or custom plan. That is where the real price of Vimeo is decided, and not by you.
StreamZilla works with fixed plans in euros, published before launch, and no silent increase at renewal. During the beta, StreamZilla is free.
Upgrade or lose your library
Vimeo customers have reported a recurring pattern: an email saying their usage requires a far more expensive plan, often 12,000 to 20,000 dollars a year, even when they were not exceeding the limits of the plan they already paid for. The deadline is short. Those who do not pay are told their account will be deleted at the end of the month, and with it every video they ever uploaded.
StreamZilla works the other way round. If you use more than your plan includes, your account moves up to the next plan, which is published in advance. We warn you at 80% and 100% of your included volume and before every upgrade. Your videos never stop, we never hold your library hostage, and you can export everything in open formats at any time, without exit fees.
What changes when you switch
Your videos, titles, descriptions and subtitles come with you. You upload them to StreamZilla and replace the Vimeo embed codes on your site with StreamZilla embeds. Your existing Vimeo links keep working for as long as you keep your Vimeo account, so you decide when to close it.
During the private beta we guide every participant through the move personally. StreamZilla is also working on import features that bring your videos and metadata over from other platforms, Vimeo included.
When Vimeo is the better choice
- You need webinars or virtual events with registration and interaction built in.
- You want video editing, screen recording and stock media built into your video platform.
- You rely on Vimeo’s community of filmmakers to be discovered.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Vimeo alternative in Europe?
For organisations that want European law, no trackers and an accessible player, StreamZilla is built as a European alternative to Vimeo. Other sites like Vimeo are compared on our comparison page.
Is there a European alternative to Vimeo?
Yes. StreamZilla is a European video hosting platform by Jet-Stream Services B.V. in Groningen, the Netherlands. It runs under European law, in European hands, without American cloud infrastructure, as a hosted account or as a licence on your own servers.
Is Vimeo European now that Bending Spoons owns it?
Its owner is Italian, but the service is still provided by Vimeo.com, Inc., a US company. US law, including the CLOUD Act, applies to the company that runs the service and controls the data.
Can I use Vimeo under the GDPR?
Many organisations do, relying on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework for transfers of personal data to the United States. That framework is being challenged in court, as its predecessors Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield were before they were struck down. A platform under European law does not depend on it.
Is there a free alternative to Vimeo?
The StreamZilla private beta is free for organisations. After the beta, StreamZilla moves to fixed paid plans in euros. StreamZilla is not a free consumer platform: we earn from subscriptions, not from your viewers.
Can I take my Vimeo videos with me?
Yes. Download your original files from Vimeo and upload them to StreamZilla, together with titles, descriptions and subtitles. We help beta participants with the move, and we are working on import features that make it even easier.
Does StreamZilla support live streaming?
Live streaming is coming to StreamZilla. Until then, our parent company Jet-Stream, which has supported live streaming since 2003, is happy to help you. As soon as live streaming is available in StreamZilla, you can switch. Podcast support is coming soon too.
How much does Vimeo cost in 2026?
In November 2026, Vimeo offered three self-serve plans, Creator, Core and Professional, starting under €10 a month, billed annually, with monthly bandwidth limits of 1 to 2 TB. Exact prices vary by country and VAT. Business and enterprise plans are priced on request, and Vimeo is rolling out new plans.
Can Vimeo force me onto a more expensive plan?
Vimeo customers have reported being told to upgrade to plans of 12,000 to 20,000 dollars a year, with their account and library deleted at the end of the month if they did not pay. With StreamZilla, extra usage moves you up one published plan, after a warning, and your videos are never deleted for it.
What will StreamZilla cost?
Fixed monthly plans in euros, with no silent price increases at renewal and no sales call needed to see a price. We publish the prices before launch. Beta participants hear them first.
Sources
- Vimeo pricing page, checked 11 November 2026
- Newsshooter: Vimeo sold to Italian app developer Bending Spoons for $1.38 billion
- Engadget: Vimeo lays off most of its staff months after its sale
- The Verge and The Fader: Vimeo customers told to upgrade to expensive custom plans or have their accounts removed (March 2022)
- US Department of Justice: the CLOUD Act
Read more
Try Europe’s video platform.
StreamZilla is the all-in-one video platform from the team that put the first live stream on the web, with 32 years of experience. It is in private beta, and joining is free: you get early access, a direct line to the people who build it, and a say in what comes next.
Join the free private betaFree during the beta. For organisations. Nothing to pay.