Wowza Pricing Breakdown 2026:
Hidden Costs Exposed ($1,920/month Reality)
Wowza advertises "$149 one-time cost" but doesn't mention the hidden per-hour ($2.50/hour) and per-viewer ($0.10/viewer hour) fees. For a small radio station streaming 24/7 to 100 viewers, the real cost is $125/month recurring plus hosting. This complete breakdown reveals the true cost of ownership.
Advertised Price vs. Reality
What Wowza Advertises
"One-Time Perpetual License"
This is what you see on Wowza's website homepage. It sounds affordable—buy once, use forever.
What You Actually Pay
Recurring Usage Fees + Hosting
• $2.50/hour streaming fee
• $0.10/viewer hour fee
• VPS hosting ($50-200/month)
• SSL, CDN, support ($100-500/month)
The Psychology of "$149"
Wowza's marketing focuses on the low one-time cost because it sounds affordable. Most buyers don't realize usage fees apply until after purchase. For 24/7 broadcasting (radio, TV stations), the "$149" is essentially meaningless—recurring costs dominate total ownership.
Wowza Cost Calculator: Real Examples
Let's calculate what Wowza actually costs for three common use cases:
Scenario 1: Small Radio Station (100 concurrent listeners, 24/7)
- Streaming hours: 24 hours/day × 30 days = 720 hours/month
- Viewer hours: 100 viewers × 24 hours/day × 30 days = 72,000 viewer hours/month
- Streaming fee: 720 hours × $2.50 = $1,800/month
- Viewer fee: 72,000 viewer hours × $0.10 = $7,200/month
- VPS hosting: $100/month (required for Wowza)
- SSL certificate: $10/month
Annual cost: $109,320 + $149 one-time license
Audio hosting, unlimited bandwidth, AutoDJ included
Scenario 2: Live Event Stream (500 viewers, 3 hours)
- Streaming hours: 3 hours
- Viewer hours: 500 viewers × 3 hours = 1,500 viewer hours
- Streaming fee: 3 hours × $2.50 = $7.50
- Viewer fee: 1,500 viewer hours × $0.10 = $150
- VPS hosting: $100/month (prorated for event)
- CDN bandwidth: 500 viewers × 3 hours × 2 Mbps × $0.10/GB = $135
This is Wowza's ideal use case—occasional events
Unlimited events, viewers, hours
Scenario 3: Medium TV Channel (1,000 viewers, 24/7)
- Streaming hours: 720 hours/month
- Viewer hours: 1,000 viewers × 720 hours = 720,000 viewer hours
- Streaming fee: 720 × $2.50 = $1,800/month
- Viewer fee: 720,000 × $0.10 = $72,000/month
- Dedicated server: $300/month
- CDN bandwidth: $1,500/month
- Support contract: $500/month
Annual cost: $913,200 + $149 one-time license
10,000 viewers video, unlimited hours
The Pattern
Notice how Wowza's cost explodes with 24/7 streaming? The per-hour and per-viewer fees were designed for webinars and occasional events, not continuous broadcasting. For radio/TV stations, Wowza is 99% more expensive than flat-rate alternatives.
Complete List of Hidden Costs
Beyond the $149 license and usage fees, Wowza requires these additional expenses:
| Hidden Cost | Monthly Cost | Annual Cost |
|---|---|---|
| VPS Hosting 4-8GB RAM required for Wowza |
$50-200/month | $600-2,400/year |
| SSL Certificate Required for HTTPS/mobile apps |
$5-20/month | $60-240/year |
| CDN Bandwidth $0.08-0.15/GB for global delivery |
$100-1,000/month | $1,200-12,000/year |
| DDoS Protection Cloudflare/Akamai to prevent attacks |
$100-500/month | $1,200-6,000/year |
| Backup Storage S3/Backblaze for VOD files |
$20-100/month | $240-1,200/year |
| Support Contract Priority support beyond forums |
$200-500/month | $2,400-6,000/year |
| Server Maintenance Updates, monitoring, troubleshooting |
$100-300/month | $1,200-3,600/year |
| Total Hidden Costs | $575-2,620/month | $6,900-31,440/year |
Why These Costs Exist
Wowza is a self-hosted server software, not a managed cloud service. You're responsible for infrastructure, security, and scaling. This DIY approach gives flexibility but requires technical expertise and ongoing expenses that aren't obvious upfront.
Wowza vs Shoutcast Net: Total Cost of Ownership
| Cost Component | Shoutcast Net | Wowza Streaming Engine |
|---|---|---|
| License/Software | $0 Included in hosting |
$149 one-time Perpetual license |
| Per-Hour Streaming Fee | $0 Unlimited hours |
$2.50/hour $1,800/month (24/7) |
| Per-Viewer Fee | $0 Unlimited viewers |
$0.10/viewer hour $7,200/month (100 viewers, 24/7) |
| Hosting | Included Cloud infrastructure |
$50-200/month VPS required |
| Bandwidth | Unlimited No overage fees |
$100-1,000/month CDN charges |
| SSL/HTTPS | FREE Automatic |
$60-240/year Manual setup |
| Support | 24/7 Included Live chat + email |
$2,400-6,000/year Optional contract |
| Total Monthly Cost (100 viewers, 24/7) | $4-149/month Fixed rate |
$9,110+/month Variable + hidden costs |
Frequently Asked Questions
Tired of Hidden Fees? Switch to Flat-Rate Pricing
Shoutcast Net: $149/month for unlimited viewers, unlimited hours, no hidden fees. Save thousands compared to Wowza's usage-based pricing.