WordPress-Only Video Hosting Locks You In
VideoPress only works on WordPress, ties you to a Jetpack/WordPress.com connection, caps storage at 1TB, and — in testing — loaded a pixel.wp.com tracking pixel on every embed. SmartVideo works on any platform (with a WordPress plugin too), ships no third-party ad tracking or WordPress.com pixels, and scales to 5TB of storage.
14-day free trial · No charge until day 15Trusted by teams at
Why People Switch from VideoPress
Works on any platform
VideoPress only embeds on WordPress sites. SmartVideo runs on WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Ghost, Shopify, or any custom HTML site — one video library, every platform you publish to.
No WordPress.com tracking pixel
In testing, VideoPress loaded pixel.wp.com on every embed — WordPress.com analytics fired against your visitors. SmartVideo loads no third-party ad tracking or WordPress.com tracking pixels.
No Jetpack connection required
VideoPress is part of the Jetpack stack and requires a WordPress.com account to activate. SmartVideo runs independently — no Jetpack, no WP.com login, no cross-service plumbing.
Up to 5TB storage
VideoPress tops out at 1TB. SmartVideo offers 1TB on Startup, 3TB on Growth, and 5TB on Pro — with unlimited bandwidth on every plan so traffic spikes never trigger surprise bills.
Full brand control
VideoPress offers limited player styling. SmartVideo’s player supports custom colors, watermarking, and white-label playback so the video feels like part of your site — not a WordPress.com widget.
WordPress plugin still available
Already on WordPress? SmartVideo has its own WordPress plugin — install, and every video on your site loads through our CDN with no Jetpack dependency.
VideoPress Ties You to WordPress.com. SmartVideo Doesn’t.
- WordPress-only embedding — VideoPress doesn’t work on Squarespace, Wix, Ghost, Shopify, or custom HTML. If you ever republish content off WordPress, your video library doesn’t come with you.
- Jetpack & WordPress.com connection required — VideoPress is part of the Jetpack ecosystem and activates against your WordPress.com account, not just self-hosted WordPress. That’s a service-level dependency on Automattic.
- pixel.wp.com tracking pixel — In testing, every VideoPress embed fired a request to
pixel.wp.com, WordPress.com’s tracking pixel. SmartVideo loads no third-party ad tracking or WordPress.com tracking pixels. - 1TB storage cap — VideoPress maxes out at 1TB. SmartVideo scales to 5TB on Pro with unlimited bandwidth on every plan.
VideoPress vs SmartVideo
Side-by-side comparison for on-site video hosting.
| Capability | VideoPress | SmartVideo |
|---|---|---|
| Platform support | ✕ WordPress only | ✓ Any platform (WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Ghost, Shopify, custom HTML) |
| Tracking pixel | ✕ Loaded pixel.wp.com | ✓ No third-party ad tracking or WordPress.com pixels |
| Storage cap | ✕ 1TB | ✓ Up to 5TB (Pro) |
| WP.com / Jetpack requirement | ✕ Requires Jetpack & WordPress.com connection | ✓ No Jetpack, no WP.com account needed |
| Player customization | ● Limited styling options | ✓ Custom colors, watermarking, white-label |
| Brand control | ✕ WordPress.com-flavored player | ✓ Fully white-label |
| Pricing | ● Bundled with Jetpack plans | ✓ $19/mo Startup with unlimited bandwidth |
| Migration | ● Manual export | ● Export from VideoPress, upload to SmartVideo (white-glove help available) |
| Trial | ● Tied to Jetpack billing | ✓ 14-day free trial on every plan |
pixel.wp.comThe bottom line: VideoPress is fine if you only ever publish on WordPress, accept a WordPress.com / Jetpack dependency, and don’t mind a tracking pixel firing on every embed. SmartVideo works the same way on WordPress — via our own plugin — but also runs on every other platform, with no WordPress.com tracking pixel and 5x the storage ceiling.
With VideoPress, your video library lives inside WordPress.com. Move to Squarespace, launch a Ghost newsletter, or spin up a Shopify storefront — and it doesn’t come with you. SmartVideo’s embed code works the same on any HTML page, so the same library powers every property you ship.
What Switchers Are Saying
Love this app. I have videos on my site and this takes away the annoying suggested videos and makes them look more professional and faster. I installed Swarmify on my WordPress site and the process was very easy via the plugin.
This tool is easy to setup and as easy to use. Does the job as intended, no-nonsense. Really enhances the experience of having video on your website.
After using Swarmify we are incredibly annoyed. But only because of our mistake of not having used Swarmify before. Super fast video player and CDN!
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SmartVideo a full replacement for VideoPress?
For on-site video hosting and playback — yes. SmartVideo delivers video through a 125+ edge-location CDN with low latency and unlimited bandwidth, with a white-label player. The key difference: SmartVideo isn’t tied to WordPress.com or Jetpack, and it runs on any platform — including WordPress, via our own plugin.
How does SmartVideo's pricing compare to VideoPress?
VideoPress is bundled into Jetpack plans, which means you’re paying for the rest of Jetpack to get video. SmartVideo’s Startup plan is $19/mo for unlimited bandwidth and 1TB of storage, with Growth (3TB) and Pro (5TB) tiers for larger libraries. See pricing for full details.
What happens to my existing VideoPress embeds?
Existing VideoPress shortcodes keep working on your WordPress site. When you’re ready, swap them for SmartVideo embeds (or install the SmartVideo WordPress plugin, which auto-replaces a wide range of embeds with our accelerated player). You can roll out the change post by post — no big-bang migration required.
Can I use SmartVideo on my WordPress site?
Yes. We publish an official SmartVideo plugin on WordPress.org. Install it on any self-hosted WordPress site (no WordPress.com or Jetpack connection required) and every video on your pages loads through our CDN.
Do I have to keep a Jetpack or WordPress.com connection?
No. SmartVideo runs independently of the Jetpack stack. You don’t need a WordPress.com account, and the SmartVideo WordPress plugin doesn’t require Jetpack to be installed.
What other platforms does SmartVideo support?
Anywhere you can paste an HTML snippet — WordPress, Squarespace, Wix, Ghost, Shopify, Webflow, ClickFunnels, Kajabi, plain HTML, and more. See platforms we support for the full list.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — every plan includes a 14-day free trial with no charge until day 15. See pricing for plan details.
Also comparing? See all comparisons, or check out our Vimeo alternative, Wistia alternative, SproutVideo alternative, and YouTube alternative pages.
Get Off WordPress-Only Video Hosting
SmartVideo runs on any platform with no third-party ad tracking or WordPress.com pixels, unlimited bandwidth, and up to 5TB of storage, starting at $19/mo. A WordPress plugin is included.
See pricing“We've had a 10% increase in conversion rate from lead to customer.”
“SmartVideo loaded immediately; YouTube took 5 seconds to start. It became a no-brainer.”
“Our search-engine rankings went up after we switched over to Swarmify.”