HeapStreamMigrate from Vimeo
Move off Vimeo to HeapStream
HeapStream fetches your source files straight from Vimeo's download links, encodes every quality up to 4K for free, and streams standard HLS from a player on your own domain. Packages from $10/month with storage, bandwidth, and seats stated up front, or pay as you go per TB.
Why people are leaving Vimeo
Each point below comes from Vimeo's own renewal emails and support replies as customers quoted them, or from Vimeo's plans page, read onSeptember 1, 2026.
- On Demand is closing
- Vimeo On Demand stops taking new purchases on 21 September 2026 and shuts down on 20 November 2026. Sellers need somewhere else for the library and the links before then.
- Legacy plans are being retired at renewal
- Plus and Pro accounts are moved to the February 2026 plans on their renewal date, at a new price. Accounts that Vimeo classifies as business use under its Plan Usage Policy are moved to Studio, at several thousand dollars a year, and charged on auto-renew.
- The 2024 storage cap was applied to existing libraries
- In late 2024 the weekly upload allowance became a total storage cap, applied retroactively with no grandfathering. Libraries that had grown for years went over quota overnight.
- Every self-serve tier shares a 2 TB/month bandwidth ceiling
- Outgrow it and the next step is an enterprise contract. There is no overage line to turn on.
- Let the plan lapse and the videos go with it
- An expired card or a missed renewal makes the library inaccessible until you pay again, and there is no bulk download. Export before the renewal date, not after.
What you keep, what changes
| On Vimeo | On HeapStream | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Video | Video | Encoded to an adaptive HLS ladder up to 4K on import, free. |
| Folder | Folder | Nested, per project. |
| Showcase | Showcase | A hosted, password-optional collection page. |
| Private link / password | Private video, password, or signed URL | Signed playback tokens for anything you gate yourself. |
| Embed code | Embed code (new URL) | Vimeo embed URLs do not resolve here. See the honest answer below. |
| Captions | Text tracks | Upload your VTT files, or let auto-captions redo them. |
| Chapters | Chapters | Set them yourself or use auto-chapters. |
| Download link | MP4 downloads | Per-video, signed, optional. |
| Review pages, OTT, monetization | Not offered | HeapStream is a hosting and delivery platform, not a creator suite. |
When staying on Vimeo is the better fit
If you sell videos through On Demand and need a replacement storefront, run client review rounds inside the platform, or want a creator suite with editing and a marketplace, HeapStream does not do those. It hosts, encodes, and delivers video, with an API and a dashboard, at a price you can compute.
How the move works
- 1
Get your download links from Vimeo
On paid Vimeo plans each video has a source-file download link, per video on the site or in bulk through the Vimeo API. Collect them before the renewal date; a lapsed plan hides them.
- 2
Create a HeapStream account and an API key
Sign up, open a project, and create an API key. Packages start with a 14-day trial, card required. API keys →
- 3
Hand the links to fetch-from-URL
One API call per video, or paste the URL in the dashboard. HeapStream downloads and encodes each file in the background; the files never pass through your machine. Fetch video →
- 4
Wait for completed
Fetches run in parallel. A webhook fires when each video is ready, so you do not poll. Webhooks →
- 5
Swap the embeds
Each video gets a new embed URL. Replace the Vimeo embed on your pages with it, or point your own HLS player at the playlist. Embed player →
The same steps, with the exact API call, are in the docs: Migrate from another platform →
Questions before you move
Will my existing Vimeo embed codes keep working?
No. HeapStream does not preserve Vimeo video IDs, so every embed needs its new URL. If your site templates build the embed from one base URL, that is a single search-and-replace; if embeds are pasted per page, it is one edit per video. An importer that keeps the Vimeo ID is on the roadmap and not built; we will say here when it lands.
Do I have to download my library first?
No. Give HeapStream the download URLs and it fetches the files itself. You do need the links, which Vimeo shows on paid plans while the plan is active.
What does it cost?
Packages from $10/month with 2 TB of storage and 2 TB of delivery, or pay as you go at $25 per TB stored and $10 per TB streamed. Encoding is free on both. The pricing page has every number.
What do I give up?
Vimeo On Demand sales, review and approval pages, in-browser editing, and the Vimeo brand on the player. HeapStream hosts, encodes, and delivers video on your own domain with a REST API and a dashboard; it does not sell it for you.
Is there live streaming?
Not yet. It is on the roadmap and not sold.
Vimeo facts last verified September 1, 2026. Spot something outdated? [email protected] · See also the Vimeo alternative comparison.
Start before the renewal date
Collect the download links while the plan is active, then let HeapStream fetch and encode the library in the background.