Gumlet Alternative: StreamVault vs Gumlet
Gumlet did something genuinely good for this market in May 2026: it cut prices by up to 70% and broke DRM out as a $99/month add-on, against an industry average nearer $500. It is a strong platform and the comparison below says where it wins. The gap is the shape of the bill — on Gumlet, DRM is an add-on charged on top of a hosting plan; on StreamVault it is on every plan, including the $12/month one. Prices checked 14 September 2026.
The add-on costs more than our plan
Gumlet's DRM add-on is $99/month before hosting. StreamVault's entry plan is $12/month with DRM already on it.
No two-part bill
One plan covers storage, delivery, encoding, the player and DRM. Nothing to add on when you decide a course needs protecting.
Protect one project, not the account
DRM is a per-project toggle that subprojects inherit, so a free preview and a paid course can live in the same library on different settings.
Feature comparison
Competitor details based on publicly listed plans and reviews as of August 2026 — verify current terms on their site.
| Capability | StreamVault | Gumlet |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to get DRM at all | $12/mo — included | $99/mo add-on, plus a hosting plan |
| Included protected plays | 1,000/mo on Starter, 5,000/mo on Pro | 100,000 views on the add-on |
| Overage | Metered per protected play | $1 per 1,000 views |
| Widevine + PlayReady + FairPlay | Every plan | Included in the add-on |
| Per-project DRM | Project toggle, inherited by subprojects | Account-level add-on |
| Protect videos already uploaded | Bulk re-encode in place | Re-process |
| Image optimisation & delivery | Not offered — video only | Yes, a core product |
| Per-title encoding | Fixed ladder, capped at 1.15x source bitrate | Yes |
| Custom playback domain | Included | Available |
| Free trial | 7 days, no card | Trial available |
The short version
Choose Gumlet if you want images and video from one vendor, or if you are protecting a large audience — its DRM add-on includes 100,000 views a month, which is far more than our entry plans. Choose StreamVault if you are protecting a course or a catalogue that a few hundred to a few thousand people pay for: DRM is on the $12/month plan rather than a $99/month add-on on top of one, it is switched on per project, and the videos you already uploaded can be protected in place.
Frequently asked questions
How much does DRM actually cost on Gumlet versus StreamVault?
On Gumlet, DRM is a standalone add-on at $99/month including 100,000 views, charged on top of whichever hosting plan you are on. On StreamVault, DRM is on every plan: $12/month Starter includes 1,000 protected plays a month, Pro at $59/month includes 5,000, and plays beyond that are metered. If you are protecting a large audience, Gumlet's 100,000 included views may work out better; if you are a course creator with a few hundred paying students, you are paying $99/month for headroom you will not use. Figures checked 14 September 2026.
Is Gumlet better at anything?
Yes, at several things. Image optimisation and delivery is a core Gumlet product and we do not offer it at all. Their per-title encoding tunes the bitrate ladder per video, where ours is a fixed ladder capped at 1.15x the source bitrate. And their included view allowance on the DRM add-on is much larger than ours. If you need images and video from one vendor, they are the better fit.
Why is DRM usually sold as an add-on?
Because licence servers cost money per request and vendors would rather meter that separately than average it into a plan. It is a defensible model — it just means the cheapest way to try DRM is often a three-figure monthly commitment. We took the other route and put a small included allowance on every plan so that protecting one course does not require a pricing conversation.
Do prices like these stay still?
No. Gumlet cut its prices by up to 70% in May 2026, which is exactly why every figure on this page is dated. If you are reading this months after 14 September 2026, check both pricing pages before deciding — and if you find this page out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
Try StreamVault free
7-day trial, no credit card. Bring one video and test the protection stack yourself.