Uscreen Review, Pricing & Features

Uscreen Pricing & Cost

Here's an overview of Uscreen's pricing. All plans come with a free 14-day trial:

PlanMonthly CostAnnual CostVideo StorageSubscribers
Basic Plan$149/month$99/month3,000 minutes300
Plus Plan$299/month$249/month7,500 minutes1,000
Custom PlanCall for quoteCall for quote7,500+ minutes1,000+

To get started with your free trial, visit Uscreen here.

Table of Contents

Uscreen Full Review

Uscreen is a video on demand service that enables anyone to easily build video streaming and subscription channels and sell their content online, without having to worry about hosting videos themselves. Founded in 2015, the company has over 5,000 paying customers and currently hosts over 1 million videos.

Uscreen enables businesses to sell one-off or recurring subscriptions, and build a profitable video-on-demand company. With the increase in subscription-based video streaming services (SVOD), such as Netflix, Uscreen enables users to access purchased content at any time, anywhere, and through any device.

The company takes care of everything from video hosting to payments, subscriptions, and even includes a website builder. Businesses only need to supply the content, and can create everything from video tutorials to online classes, and even professional training for their audience.

Unlike some of its competitors, Uscreen operates on a monthly subscription fee with no revenue share or hidden fees. This means that businesses can set their own prices and receive 100% profit from their sales. In saying that, Uscreen is still a premium product and only recommended for serious content creators that have a clear direction for their videos, and a sound business plan. The platform has the potential to deliver a solid stream of income, and the company states that their average customer generates approximately $3,800/month in revenue. Top content creators earn more than $30,000 per month with Uscreen.

Designed for users with no technical experience, the platform is intuitive to use, and includes easy navigation with helpful prompts to create your first program. Several pre-built templates are available to showcase your content, and each template can be customized according to your brand using a visual editor. However, with only a handful of templates offered, it can be challenging to build a truly unique website without additional HTML/CSS customization. Support is also limited to email for users on the Basic and Plus plans, although there is an in-depth Help Center available online if you run into any issues.

A useful add-on for companies using the Pioneer Plan is the ability to build branded native apps (iOS and Android) to improve engagement and offer a seamless experience for viewers. Uscreen even takes care of the entire process from setup to ongoing maintenance.

Why use Uscreen instead of Youtube?

Though Youtube is the most popular platform for users to upload videos, it's used for free content that's accessible to anyone. If you want to create videos that are only accessible to paying subscribers, you'll want to use Uscreen. In addition to restricting videos to subscribers, Uscreen also helps you build a website, manage subscriptions, and process payments—all of which would be expensive, and difficult to do from scratch if you were to try to do them on your own.

Both Uscreen and Youtube take care of hosting the videos on your servers, so that they're always available to viewers, without you having to manage your own servers and storage (which can get expensive).

Ultimately, if you're looking to build a subscription-based business that sells videos to your users, then Uscreen is the more suitable choice.

Key Features

Below, we'll discuss the key features of Uscreen, and how they can help your business.

Content Programs

To begin sharing content with your community and accepting payments, you will need to set up a program and upload your content. Programs relate to how your content is organized and structured on the Uscreen platform. A program can include several chapters or episodes that relate to an overall theme. As an example, a fitness video subscription business may want to build a program called "Complete Bodyweight Training" and include several chapters such as "Introduction to Bodyweight Training", "Chest Workout", and "Core Workout".

Uscreen Review Create Program

Uscreen makes it easy for users with no technical experience to build eye-catching programs due to the step-by-step process and helpful prompts. Clicking on the "Program" section, users can add a title, include a brief description of the program, and select a cover image. Categories can be added allowing you to group and organize multiple programs. The categories will then be displayed on the homepage of your storefront, similar to a menu.

Once you’ve set up the general program information, the next step is to upload your content. If you have everything prepared, you can use the bulk upload feature to upload all of your content, and even allocate videos to programs at a later date. Uscreen can also sync with Wistia or Vimeo if you have existing videos stored on these platforms.

Uscreen Review Upload Content

Programs can be organized and structured using dividers. Dividers break each chapter into different sections and make it easy for your audience to navigate and consume. Clicking on each file will enable you to edit the chapter title, description, thumbnail, and select whether the content is offered for free or paid. Free content can be useful to entice your audience and provide them with a sample of what to expect in the paid section. You can also include a quiz or series of questions in between videos, which can be particularly useful if you are creating a training course.

Uscreen Review Creating Program Structure

The final step to building a program is to set up payment processing. There are currently only two payment options available: Stripe or the Uscreen payment gateway. Stripe is recommended as the fees are lower (typically 3% plus 30 cents per transaction). However, if Stripe is unavailable in your country, Uscreen can collect payments via Stripe on your behalf. Fees using Uscreen are currently at 5% plus 30 cents per transaction, and payments are distributed on the first of each month via PayPal.

Subscription Plans

Uscreen provides several types of subscription plans that your audience can sign up for. The different pricing options that you can provide your viewers are:

  • Fixed Price: One-time payment for permanent access to your program.
  • Rental Price: Access to your program for a set period of time ranging from 24-hours through to 3-months.
  • Subscription Price: Access to all selected programs for a monthly fee.

Uscreen recommends combining a fixed price structure with a subscription plan. Subscriptions deliver recurring monthly revenue and often result in better conversions. However, also including a fixed price for all your programs can entice new customers that may want to trial your paid content without making an initial commitment.

Programs can also be bundled together by combining multiple programs into one product. For example, you may want to offer a "Holiday" package and include several programs at a discounted rate. Uscreen recommends limiting your purchase offer to a maximum of two options (subscription, individual program price, or bundle), as too many choices can overwhelm visitors and make them less likely to purchase.

Live Streaming

Uscreen has recently released the ability to live stream through their platform. Live streamed content can be included in existing packages, sold separately, or provided for free. Uscreen's CDN allows you to broadcast live streams to any country and any device.

Uscreen's customers often use the live streaming functionality to host live events. The company has built a few specific features for events such as event pre-registration, an event countdown clock to help drive sales, and notification emails.

Uscreen Live Streaming

Website Builder

In addition to hosting your videos, Uscreen also helps you create an engaging website to showcase your programs. No technical experience is required, with 10 ready-to-go templates available to help you launch your site quickly. Each theme is built using Liquid (an open source template language) and meets modern design standards, in addition to being responsive across all devices.

Uscreen Review Website Themes

Themes can be customized to match your brand using a visual editor. Users can adjust the styling/colorway to match your existing branding (Login & Checkout, Player, Other Pages). Additional pages, custom media (video, imagery), and navigation can be incorporated allowing you to build an engaging storefront.

Uscreen Review Website Builder

However, one downfall is the limited selection of themes that Uscreen offers. Choosing from only a handful of templates can make it challenging to create a truly unique storefront, especially if your competitors are using the same platform. However, if you have a web developer (or some technical experience), it’s possible to modify each theme using the code editor. Alternatively, if you have an existing website, you can integrate programs into your site to create a seamless user experience. It’s worth mentioning that you should always backup your data on a regular basis, as changing themes will remove all previous customization.

Uscreen Review Website Example

Sales & Marketing

Running promotions can help boost your exposure and provide an incentive for customers to purchase. Coupons can either be fixed-price or based on a percentage, and set as a one-off, repeating, or forever. As an example, a repeating coupon set for three months will provide a reduced rate (fixed or percentage) for each billing month. After three months, the coupon will expire and revert to the full price. Coupons can only be applied to subscriptions, although users can create "Bundles" to offer fixed price reductions.

Uscreen Review Creating Coupon

Another useful way to increase sales is by offering an affiliate program. Affiliate marketers can promote your course to their audience, in exchange for a commission or royalty. Setting up an affiliate program is straightforward, with only an email and name needed. A unique link is then allocated to your affiliate, which can be shared and allows you to see how many users and how much revenue each affiliate is bringing in, and pay them accordingly. However, one weakness of Uscreen's affiliate capabilities is the ability to pay affiliates directly through the Uscreen platform.

Uscreen Review Add Affiliates

Reporting & Analytics

Understanding how your videos are performing and how your audience responds is crucial to building a successful business. Uscreen offers an easy to use reporting module that enables users to quickly analyze sales, video performance, coupon redemptions, and affiliate revenue. Reports are broken down across several dashboards and offer basic insights into your programs, videos, and sales.

Detailed video analytics, such as views, seconds watched, and even the average engagement level, are provided to provide an in-depth understanding of how viewers are interacting with your content.

While there is enough data for a high-level view of your sales and video performance, gathering detailed insights on customer viewing habits and comparing different metrics is difficult. Some reports don’t have an export button and require a Chrome extension to pull in the information. In addition, the date filtering system isn’t available on all reports, which forces you to export and analyze the data offline.

Uscreen Review Reports

Branded App

Uscreen includes a range of OTT (over the top) apps that allow content providers to reach a wider audience, improve your viewers' experiences, and ultimately make it easier for people to access content. An OTT app is a standalone product offered over the internet to consumers. Customers can download the app and access your content by purchasing a subscription. The company states that on average, customers have seen a 25% increase in sales by offering an app alongside their video site.

Currently, iOS and Android apps are only available on the Pioneer plan, with TV apps an extra $199/month (for Apple TV, Fire TV, etc). Uscreen also offers branded apps as a part of their premium service, where Uscreen will handle everything from launching the app to ongoing maintenance.

Uscreen Review Branded App Example

Uscreen Competitors & Alternatives

The top Uscreen competitors are:

Uscreen vs. Vimeo

Uscreen and Vimeo OTT are both popular video monetization platforms with thousands of customers. Overall, Vimeo OTT is likely better for individuals and large enterprises, while Uscreen is preferable for small and medium businesses. Vimeo is a reliable enterprise product with features such as an API that developers and media companies can use to build custom, high-quality SVOD services. Uscreen is generally cheaper, and comes with features such as website themes and marketing tools that have significant value for SMBs.

Pricing

The biggest pricing factor for both platforms is whether you want your own branded apps in services like iOS, tvOS, Android TV, Amazon Fire and Roku. If you do, you can expect to pay at least $500 per month for either solution. Both companies require you to get in touch for quotes on enterprise plans.

If you don't need branded apps, and are okay only having web-based videos, then the more cost effective platform depends on your number of subscribers. If you have between 1-99 subscribers, then Vimeo is cheaper. If you have over 99 subscribers, then Uscreen is cheaper.

It is also important to note that Vimeo charges upload and transaction fees. Vimeo also requires a long-term contract, and has a slower payout than Uscreen.

Features

Uscreen and Vimeo offer many of the same core features. Both can be used to host and monetize videos using branded apps in several channels. When comparing the tools, here are the most important features to help you determine which is best for you.

FeatureUscreenVimeo
Monetization
  • Subscriptions
  • Transactions
  • Registration
  • Subscriptions
  • Transactions
  • Registration
  • Advertising
OTT Themes
  • 12 customizable website themes
  • No themes provided
Marketing Tools
  • Reduce churn tools
  • Smart retries
  • Coupons
  • Affiliate Programs management
  • Marketing integrations
  • Abandoned cart emails
  • Community management
  • Analytics
  • Analytics
Third-party Integrations
  • Zapier
  • Google Analtyics
  • Mailchimp
  • 1000+ others
  • API and SDK Support

Is Uscreen Right for You?

Uscreen is a robust Video On Demand platform that allows anyone to monetize their content and build a profitable online business. The company provides everything you need to get started, including video hosting, payment collection, a website builder, and a branded app, allowing you to focus on creating quality content and growing an engaged audience.

Uscreen operates on a monthly subscription basis instead of a typical revenue-share model, allowing businesses to predict costs and maximize profit as they scale. you’re on a tight budget, Uscreen may not be the best option. You can quickly get started with Uscreen for just $149/month for up to 100 users. Though Youtube may be free to host your videos, you won't be able to restrict access to your content for your subscribers only.

While the platform includes an easy-to-use website builder, the limited themes offered can present a challenge for growing businesses that want to stand out in a crowded marketplace. A developer will be needed if you’re looking to make any major layout changes or incorporate additional features.

However, the pros of Uscreen clearly outweigh the cons for those who are looking to monetize their content. Videos can be streamed globally with no buffering using Uscreen’s CDN (content delivery network). Branded apps can provide a seamless experience for viewers, and payments can be completely automated. Overall, Uscreen is a simple and affordable platform for serious publishers that want to build an audience and make money from their video content.

To get started with your free trial, visit Uscreen's website.

Uscreen FAQs

Uscreen is a video on demand service that enables anyone to easily build video streaming and subscription channels and sell their content online, without having to worry about hosting videos themselves. Founded in 2015, the company has over 5,000 paying customers and currently hosts over 1 million videos.

Uscreen pricing starts at $149 per month for a basic plan. If you have more than 1,000 subscribers per month, you must contact Uscreen for a custom quote.

Uscreen comes with several valuable tools:

  • Content programming
  • Subscription plans
  • Live streaming
  • Website builder
  • Sales & marketing
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Branded mobile application

Bruce Hogan

Bruce Hogan is Co-founder & CEO of SoftwarePundit. He leads the team's research and publishes content about software products and trends. Bruce has experience investing at multi-billion dollar private equity firms, leading teams at venture-backed technology companies, and launching new businesses. You can connect with Bruce on LinkedIn.

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