Self-Hosted vs Cloud Streaming Software: How to Choose

Streaming tools come in two main models: software you run on your own machines (self-hosted) and services that run in a provider's cloud. Each fits a different kind of operation.

Self-hosted

You install the software on your own computer or server, next to your production.

• Control: your signal and content stay on infrastructure you manage.
• Predictable costs: no fees that grow with every hour or viewer processed in the cloud.
• Close to the source: it can run on the same machine as your production tools.
• Your responsibility: hardware, internet link and maintenance are on your side.

Cloud

The provider runs the processing in data centers and you access it remotely.

• Fast to scale: add channels or capacity without buying hardware.
• Less on-site equipment: useful when there is no technical team on location.
• Usage-based costs: convenient to start, but they grow with volume.
• Upload dependency: your source still has to reach the cloud reliably.

Questions to decide

• Where is your source today: a studio PC, a radio playout, a remote event?
• Do you need to keep content on your own infrastructure?
• How many channels will you run and for how many hours?
• Who will operate and support the system?

Fast Monkey Creator and Fast Monkey Station are self-hosted and come with a 1-month trial. For larger or mixed setups, Fast Monkey One designs the right architecture with you.