Hosting
Private video hosting.
The right lock for each film.
Private video hosting is a service that keeps your videos away from the public while letting the right people watch them: a client, a festival programmer, a buyer, your members. There are four common ways to do it, each stops a different kind of viewer, and on many hosts the useful ones sit behind a paid plan.
Video hosting for filmmakers · 5 GB free · Paid plans from USD 9/month
By uncompressed.io · Updated October 2026
Short answer
What is the best way to host videos privately?
Use a host with password, unlisted and embed-only modes on the plan you can afford: a password controls who watches, unlisted only hides the video from search. uncompressed.io includes all three on every plan, the free one included, with no ads or suggestions. Vimeo's help center lists them as available with paid plans.
- Password: only people with the password can watch
- Unlisted: hidden from search, open to anyone with the link
- Embed-only: plays only where you embed it
- Vimeo: Password, Unlisted, Embed only need a paid plan
- uncompressed.io: all three on every plan, free included
- Leak tracing needs a per-viewer mark, not just a password
The modes
Four kinds of private
and what each one stops
Each privacy mode answers a different question. Pick by who must not see the video, not by the label.
Unlisted
Not in search or on your profile. Anyone with the link can watch and forward it. Good for low-stakes sharing.
Password
The link alone is not enough. Good for clients, festivals and press, as long as the password travels separately.
Embed-only
The video plays only inside your own page, not on the host's site. Good for a portfolio or a members area.
Private, by invitation
Only named accounts can watch. Strong, but every viewer needs an account, which clients often resist.
Side by side
Privacy modes by host
and the plan each needs
Vimeo and YouTube from their own help pages, read 12 October 2026. Vimeo's 4K figure from its playback resolution guidelines, same date.
Beyond the link
Tracing a leak
when privacy is not enough
A password decides who can open a link. It cannot tell you who passed the film on. For that you need a mark that is different for each viewer.
Leak Shield, for films you sell
Every buyer gets their own invisibly marked copy; the open web and torrent indexes are searched weekly for the first month after release and monthly after; you review each sighting, and a confirmed leak identifies and blocks the buyer and sends a takedown notice. USD 99 a month or USD 1,188 a year, on any paid plan.
Vault, for the most sensitive cuts
Playback in the compatible macOS app with a visible session watermark identifying the viewer. Built for screeners and pre-release cuts.
The honest limit
Choosing
Which mode for whom
by audience
A client reviewing a cut
A review link, with a password if the project is under NDA.
A festival or press screener
A password link per programme, sent separately from the password; Vault for the most sensitive.
A portfolio on your site
Embed-only, so the film plays on your page and nowhere else.
A paid film or membership
The streaming shop handles access for buyers; add Leak Shield for premieres.
Step-by-step guides: password-protect a video link and embed-only private video hosting. If you only need to hand a file over, a transfer service or drive may be enough; private hosting is for when people should watch it in a player.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best private video hosting?
One that offers password, unlisted and embed-only modes on the plan you can afford, shows no ads or suggestions, and keeps your picture intact. On uncompressed.io all three modes are on every plan, including the free Starter plan. On Vimeo, its help center lists Password, Unlisted and Embed only as available with paid plans.
Is an unlisted video private?
Not really. YouTube states that unlisted videos can be seen and reshared by anyone with the link. Unlisted hides a video from search; it does not stop a forwarded link. Use a password when it matters who watches.
How do I share a private video with a client?
Send a link with a password, or a review link if they need to leave notes. On uncompressed.io the share link is the access: the client needs no account, and comments pin to the exact frame.
Can I host private videos for free?
Yes. YouTube's Private and Unlisted modes are free. Vimeo's Private mode is on all plans, but Password, Unlisted and Embed only need a paid plan. uncompressed.io Starter includes password, unlisted and embed-only with 5 GB and one film at a time.
Can private hosting stop someone recording my video?
No host can fully stop a determined person with a camera or a capture tool. Privacy modes control who can open the link. To trace a leak, a per-viewer forensic mark is needed; on uncompressed.io that is Leak Shield for sold films, and Vault for films played in the compatible macOS app. Both reduce risk and make leaks traceable; neither can guarantee footage never leaks.
Is private video hosting the same as a cloud drive?
No. A drive shares files; a private host streams them in a player, with privacy modes, a clean page and analytics. Google Drive, for example, states a maximum playback resolution of 1920 x 1080.
Every privacy mode, on the free plan too.
Password, unlisted and embed-only on every plan. Starter is free with 5 GB; paid plans: Lite USD 9, Pro USD 39, Max USD 99, Studio USD 219 a month.
Sources
- 1.Video privacy settings, Vimeo help center (read 12 October 2026)
- 2.Change video privacy settings, YouTube Help (read 12 October 2026)
- 3.Play videos stored in Google Drive, Google Drive Help (read 12 October 2026)