The 20 Best Interactive Video Platforms [2023]

We all know that video is king - after all, between Zoom meetings, Facetime calls, YouTube wormholes, and diving into video content on TikTok and Instagram, we spend a significant amount of our day consuming video.

But anyone who has their eye on video is probably wondering what’s next for video? Interactive video might very well be the answer.

If you’re tired of the same old boring videos that aren’t capturing your audience, then you’ve come to the right place. Welcome to our blog that covers the top interactive video platforms on the market today.

In this blog, we’ll be looking at the most innovative and exciting platforms that are helping brands revolutionize the way they create and share video content. From shoppable video to quizzes to branching storylines, these interactive video platforms give brands and creators infinite possibilities to create more engaging and memorable video experiences.

Get ready to join the interactive video revolution. Our blog will take you through interactive video types, the latest and greatest platforms, and some tips and tricks to make your interactive content stand out from the rest.

As experts in video commerce and interactive video, we truly believe that video is more than just a way to share information. It’s a fantastic way to tell your story, build a community, and create experiences people will love to engage with and talk about. So let’s get started and see what’s on tap in the world of interactive video!

What is interactive video?

First, a definition: What exactly is interactive video? Put plainly, interactive video is any video experience that gives the viewer an opportunity to actively engage with the video, instead of just passively watching.

Interactive videos offer viewers the ability to make choices, explore different paths, and engage with the content in a way that makes them an active participant in the story. This could be as simple as clicking on a hotspot or link to be taken to a specific webpage, to an elaborate branching narrative. No matter what type of interactive video you create, the aim is to engage audiences in a more meaningful way.

Types of interactive video

Like we mentioned, there is more than one type of interactive video. Choosing the right type of interactive video depends on your industry, audience, and objectives. Here’s a list of the most common types of interactive video.

Shoppable video: Customers can click on products that are featured in a video to be taken to a product page, or to add a product to their cart. Pro tip: You can create shoppable videos for free with GhostRetail.
Branching videos: Allow viewers to follow different paths and experience outcomes based on their choices. For example, a shopper might start with 3 different product categories like tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks, and then dive deeper into each of these areas.
360 degree videos: Provide viewers a fully immersive experience that lets them experience a video in any direction. These videos are particularly popular for creating virtual spaces, like a home tour for real estate or a virtual store.
Quizzes: Test your viewers knowledge on a subject, or use a quiz to sort them into specific customer categories and provide personalized recommendations.
Hotspots: Create clickable areas in video that drive viewers to other pages, videos, products, and more.
Product demos: Show exactly how a product works or what it’s made of by letting customers zoom in and experience different elements of a product.
Choose-your-own adventure stories: It’s possible to create an entire narrative experience through video. Similar to branching videos, viewers get to make choices that impact the outcome of a story.
Training and tutorials: Give viewers the opportunity to watch and learn, and then test their knowledge of a subject.
Games: Make every click count by playing a video that reacts to the exact hotspot a viewer clicks on when playing an interactive ‘video game’.

Important note: For the purposes of this blog, we've chosen not to include live stream video as a type of interactive video. That means we've largely left out social livestream platforms, such as Amazon IVS, as well as tools aimed at livestreaming. If you want to learn more about livestreaming, our guide to the best livestream solutions.

Who should use interactive video?

Interactive video is a great choice for anyone who wants to create more memorable video experiences and engagement. But how do you know if it’s right for you? Here are some of the most common industries and sectors that use interactive video:

Ecommerce: Create shoppable video or product demos that give shoppers more information to motivate them to buy.
Real estate: Provide immersive looks at real estate properties, including zooming into specific areas of a home.
Education: Teach lessons over video and give viewers the opportunity to see how much they absorbed, testing audience engagement and retention.
Tourism: Showcase the best your destination has to offer, then insert an interactive feature to drive viewers to take action and book their trip or take advantage of a special deal.
Entertainment: Get viewers geared up for an entertainment experience like a TV show or movie premiere by giving them a taste of what they’re in for in an interactive video experience.
Advertising: Take static video ads and make boost engagement by giving viewers the chance to dictate what happens next.
Healthcare: Interactive video can be used to give patients more information about medical procedures, help them navigate a diagnosis, and possibly provide virtual therapy or treatment.
Non-Profit Organizations: Create more engaging campaigns, educate the public about issues, and fundraise through interactive video.

Recognize that interactive video does require a bit more planning than creating video from scratch for say, sharing on social media. Anyone can shoot a selfie video for TikTok or Instagram, but creating an interactive video means thinking through how many videos you might need to create, and how you’ll sequence them or tag products, if creating a shoppable video.

How to create interactive video

First and foremost, recognize that interactive video requires more planning than say, creating a social video for TikTok. Anyone can shoot a simple selfie video, but creating an interactive video means thinking through how many videos you might need to create, how you’ll sequence them, and what products or links you want to drive people to, just to name a few examples.

The good news is, in some cases creating interactive video can be as simple as leveraging existing video assets. For example, with GhostRetail’s free interactive video platform, you can upload any video, tag products, and place the video on your site in minutes.

If you’re looking to create a more advanced interactive video, here are some basic steps to follow:

Define your goal: Decide what exactly you want people to get out of your video, or better yet, what action you want them to take when they’re done watching.
Plan your user journey: Identify all the paths or touchpoints a viewer might want to engage with. From there, decide what interactive elements you’re going to use, where they’ll be placed, and how they’ll take the user on a journey.
Write a script: Don’t wing it! Your script should align with your goal and create a logical path for viewers to follow.
Create visuals: Shoot video footage or create graphics and animations that will take viewers on their visual journey.
Build interactive elements: Using an interactive video platform, create your interactive elements. Make sure they’re intuitive and sequenced at the right points in the video.
Edit and refine: Watch the video back, ensure it’s flowing the way you want, then make any edits as required. Be sure to have others watch and engage with the video to see if they get hung up anywhere and make further improvements as needed.
Publish and promote: Once you’re happy with the finished video, publish it on your website or preferred platform, and get promoting! Share on social media, email, or spotlight on your site.

Tips for creating interactive video

Want to create an effective and engaging interactive video? Follow these 8 tips:

Have a clear goal: Make sure you know what you want your audience to get out of your interactive video. Whether you’re looking to educate, entertain, or sell a product make sure your content supports your overall objective.
Keep it simple: Yes there are limitless ways to create interactive video, but you really don’t want to overload viewers with too many choices or elements. Keep it simple so audiences can easily engage with your content.
Plan out a path: If you’re creating a branching experience, make sure you plan it out in advance so you can create the appropriate resources. Make sure the journey is engaging and logical so there’s no confusion.
Create quality visuals: High quality visuals are guaranteed to keep viewers engaged for longer. But high quality doesn’t have to equal high cost. Simply having proper lighting, a steady hand or tripod, and good audio can be enough.
Align interactivity with objectives: If you want someone to buy a product, make sure the video is shoppable. Want to educate a viewer? Add in a quiz. Whatever your goal is, make sure the interactive elements support it.
Make it mobile-friendly: More and more viewers are consuming video on their mobile devices over any other medium, so make sure your interactive video is optimized for mobile viewing.
Include calls-to-action: There’s got to be an end point or goal to any video. Make sure it’s clear and easy to access, so your viewers are more likely to take the next step after watching.
Test and optimize: Before you launch your video, try running it by a small group to ensure every interactive element is not only working, but makes sense. From there, make adjustments as needed to ensure the video is achieving its intended goal.

The best interactive video platforms and apps

Now that you understand a bit about what interactive video is, who it’s for, and how to create it, the next step is to choose the right interactive video platform for your specific goals or desired type of interactive video.

We’ve rounded up X of the top interactive video apps out there to make it easy for you to find the ideal interactive video software for your needs.

GhostRetail

Want to create interactive video for free? It’s simple with GhostRetail’s Shoppable Video platform. Take any video asset you have, tag products and upload images, then post the video on your ecommerce site. Shoppers can watch the video, click on products that catch their eye, and still keep the video playing while they learn more about a product on a PDP.

If you’re looking for something more tailored, GhostRetail also offers a live one-on-one personal shopping app that connects shoppers with live shopping associates by appointment or on demand to co-browse your website, share products dynamically, and add top picks to the shopping cart. Learn more about live video shopping solutions.

GhostRetail is best for:

Ecommerce brands
Creating free shoppable video
Live interactive video

Pricing: Free!

VideoAsk

A brainchild of the folks behind survey platform Typeform, VideoAsk uses brief video prompts to incite action from whoever is on the other end. Viewers can respond in the form of a video, audio-only recording, or text, or simply respond to multiple choice questions to be taken to different video assets.

VideoAsk’s primary use case as interactive video software is to create dialog on-demand between the video creator and viewers - for example, HR teams may use VideoAsk to prescreen candidates by asking them to respond to a simple question or two that they can then review back instead of calling a dozen candidates.

VideoAsk is best for:

Interview-style call and response interactive video
Branching logic
1:1 communication

Pricing: $0 to $40/month, billed annually

Playable

The idea behind Playable is simple: Add video that instantly plays to email. Their patented interactive video software integrates with any email provider and promises to work on 99% of email clients.

Playable allows users to create and send personalized video with interactive elements, such as call-to-action buttons and clickable product links. Playable also offers enterprise features like the ability to deliver live streaming content directly via email, instead of sticking solely to a website or social feed.

Playable is best for:

Enhancing email marketing efforts

Pricing: Starts at $29 for 1,000 plays per month, up to $999 for 150K plays per month (additional plays available at a cost).

Mindstamp

Geared toward sales, education, training, and marketing, Mindstamp offers buttons, hotspots, and quizzes to make any video more interactive. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for Mindstamp’s features - they also suggest chapters, drawings, comments, transcripts, and a variety of multimedia features to enhance video.

With integrations into major sales platforms and a rich data set, Mindstamp's interactive video software positions itself to be a strong solution for lead generation, as well as training and education.

Mindstamp is best for:

Sales teams
Creating interactive educational or training experiences

Pricing: Starts at $29/month for 10 videos and 10k streaming minutes, up to $249/month for 100 videos and 100k streaming minutes.

Vimeo

Primarily known as an alternative to YouTube for hosting video, Vimeo has also started adding new functionality to keep it more competitive from the video social network. Specifically, Vimeo offers interactive video that lets shoppers engage with interactive touchpoints to deepen their experience with a video.

Vimeo promotes that their interactive video tools can be used for ecommerce, employee communications, education or training, and marketing.

Vimeo is best for:

Doing more with an existing Vimeo account
Creating interactive video that differentiates itself from a typical YouTube experience
Enterprise

Pricing: Interactive video is only available on Vimeo Enterprise, which reportedly starts at $10,000 or up to $120,000, depending on needs.

Spott.ai

The simple premise of Spott is to spot the dots that indicate interactive content on images, catalogs, and videos. Spott's interactive video software lets you create interactive layers on top of content that can link to other web pages, highlight benefits or additional written content, or drive people to specific products or services.

As a European-based company, Spott’s primary success stories have come from the EU (their pricing is also in EU). They promise the ability to easily tailor their interactive videos through brand kit templates, as well as customizable templates to simplify the interactive video creation process. Finally, Spott content can be pushed to a variety of different channels with a single click, including Shopify, social media, email, and the Google Display Network.

Spott is best for:

Turning static content into interactive content
Publishing interactive content directly to a range of publishing platforms

Pricing: Starts at €99 per month, billed annually, up to €1,499 per month, billed annually, for their enterprise solution. Note that the €99 per month plan doesn’t include video, and their professional plan, at €499 per month, caps you at 10 videos.

PadSquad

With PadSquad you can make your video ads interactive pretty much on autopilot. Their patented technology uses content recognition and audio fingerprinting to trigger 'Brand Activated Moments' (BAMs) surfacing actions or content at key moments in the video ad.

PadSquad also highlights the ability to enhance video through playful interactions or gamification, turning a standard video spot into an all-out interactive advertising experience to drive more engagement.

PadSquad is best for:

Creating interactive video ads

Pricing: Available upon contact.

ThingLink

Looking to create more interactive images and video? Look no further than ThingLink’s user-friendly, drag-and-drop interactive content platform. Easily add interactive elements like text, images, and links to visual content to make them more engaging.

Their interactive video software can be used for a variety of purposes, including education, marketing, and employee training and development. They also offer an intuitive scenario builder that can create branching and conditional logic.

ThingLink is best for:

Transforming images into interactive content
Creating immersive educational experiences
Designing 360 degree video and interactive tours

Pricing: Pricing varies depending on the use case. Individual marketing license can be obtained for $25/mo billed annually, up to $450/mo for enterprise. Education and corporate models are based more on the number of teachers and students (seats) using the platform.

Verse

The team at Verse is all about creating a compelling story through clickable hotspots built in their interactive video software. Their primary categories include entertainment, experiential, education, and ecommerce. The technology behind Verse is one thing - where this platform really shines is in elevating enterprise-grade video content into a sequential experience.

Verse posits itself as able to transform static video into dynamic, connected experiences that invite exploration. Buttons appear on screen that encourage viewers to go deeper, whether it’s following a progressive storyline or learning more about a specific issue, topic, or product.

Verse is best for:

Enterprise-grade video enhancement
Creating story-based content

Pricing: Available upon demo request.

Kaltura

The idea behind Kaltura is to offer solutions for literally any video need a brand could have. When it comes to interactive video software, this means offering elements such a quizzes or calls-to-action, perfect for training and educational purposes.

The benefit of Kaltura primarily comes from needing lots of different video functions. They offer the ability to host video events, webinars, training seminars, and livestreams, as well as hosting video portals for more static video experiences.

Kaltura is best for:

Managing internal business video needs
Corporations
Event-based videos

Pricing: Free trials are available for most Kaltura products. Some products have individual pricing models, others require a quote request.

Dot.vu

You want interactive content? Chances are dot.vu has a plug and play template to tap into. The expansive interactive content platform comes with dozens of interactivity tools to create personalized, engaging content, from calculators and quizzes to contests and marketing plugins.

Video is just one branch of all dot.vu promises it does, including interactive video quizzes, shoppable video, video quiz contests, branching videos, and regular old interactive videos. They also offer the ability to create interactive virtual tours - a boon for those in the real estate and design sector looking to boost on-site engagement.

Dot.vu is best for:

Creating a wide breadth of interactive content
Marketing-related interactive content

Pricing: Starts at $200 a month (or $1,920 annually) for a ‘Basic Lite’ account that lets you create 1 project from 7 types. Offering more than 3 live projects requires a premium account starting at $700/month. Enterprise pricing is available by request.

Adobe Captivate

Is Adobe Captivate truly an interactive video tool? Ultimately the platform takes existing PowerPoint content or new materials and helps users create interactive learning modules in a matter of minutes. Technically those learning modules are in the form of interactive video, which can be used to test learners' knowledge, or disseminate training.

In many ways, Adobe Captivate is more on par with an LMS (learning management system) than some of the options listed here, making it particularly well-suited for a business-to-business or internal business training communication. If that is the type of interactive video you want to create, it's worth noting that Captivate isn't part of the Adobe Creative Cloud and needs to be purchased separately.

Adobe Captivate is best for:

Adobe users
Serving as an LMS
Internal business communication or training

Pricing: Starts at $44.99/month for an individual; pricing for Teams, Enterprises, and Education is available upon request.

Adways

Turn a standard video into an interactive video ad with Adways. Their tool lets you add overlays or skins that take interest in a linear video ad and direct it to a specific call-to-action, in a way they posit feels organic instead of invasive.

A unique element of Adways is the fact they actually have publishing partners where their branded video ads can be inserted, creating an end-to-end solution for brands looking to create more engaging video advertising and interactivity.

Adways is best for:

Enhancing paid video ads

Pricing: Available upon demo request.

Stornaway

Cloud-based interactive video platform Stornaway lets businesses create and publish interactive videos that can be embedded on your site or shared on social. Interactive elements like hotspots, quizzes, and forms, are easy to add through a drag and drop editor.

The platform’s no code storymaker promises to be easy to use for any skill level, and is designed specifically for scenario-based interactive videos. Encourage viewers to go on a choose your own adventure style quest or creative interactive conversations with them. Stornaway also promotes the fact you can take any type of video - including 360 degree video, VR, or in-app video - and make it interactive with their tool.

Stornaway is best for:

Storytelling-focused interactive video

Pricing: Starts at $10/mo, up to $75/mo for premium. Academic and enterprise plans are also available.

Adventr.io

This interactive video platform allows users to create and publish interactive videos with ease. Users can add interactive elements such as quizzes, surveys, and clickable hotspots to videos to make them more engaging and boost brand awareness.

The interactive video platform’s intuitive drag-and-drop interface and customizable templates make it easy for users to create interactive videos that can be shared across multiple channels. Plus, their platform offers advanced analytics and A/B testing to help users track engagement and optimize videos.

Adventr is best for:

Elevating enterprise-grade video content
Creating branching narratives

Pricing: Starts at $0 for 10 minutes of video and 2 projects (watermarked). Paid plans start at $29 up to an Enterprise level with custom pricing.

Eko

With Eko Studio, you have a large gallery of interactive video templates to start from when creating your own interactive video content. These templates can be customized with unique video clips and branding and are designed to create logical journeys for possible customers or shoppers to go deeper with a brand.

Eko is primarily geared towards ecommerce, and can be embedded on any part of a merchant’s website. They also promote the ability to track where a potential customer is engaging with or dropping off from a video to give brands the ability to refine their video marketing approach accordingly. Not in ecommerce? Eko also suggests their tool can be used for other business goals and KPIs like email capture or demand gen.

Eko is best for:

Creating branching ecommerce experiences

Pricing: Pricing is based on the number of videos a brand wants to publish and number of users they want to give access. Annual contracts start at $2,748/year ($349/mo) up to $8,988/year ($999/mo), or custom enterprise pricing.

Wootag

The Wootag interactive video suite includes the ability to add hotspots that let you go deeper during a viewing experience, whether it’s to order food, learn more, or buy a product. But that’s not all. Wootag also offers the ability to create interactive display ads, and the ability to tailor an interactive experience by outside variables, such as weather.

Wootag also promotes itself as a B2B solution, suitable for collecting sign-ups, feedback, and demand capture.

Wootag is best for:

Creating interactive display ads
Offering B2B interactive video

Pricing: Starts at $25 a month. Enterprise pricing is available by request.

Cinema8

As you might expect by the name, Cinema8 offers 8 different interactive video features and tools, including interactive live streams, AI-created videos, and interactive 360 degree video and VR.

As a drag-and-drop no code interaction design platform, Cinema8 promotes its ability to creative branching interactive videos, a library of ready-to-use plug & play modules, and smart interactive video creation.

Cinema8 is best for:

Learning and filmmaking interactive content
Ecommerce

Pricing: Starts at $249 per month for 10 projects. Enterprise pricing available by request.

Idomoo

At first glance, Idomoo isn’t a typical interactive video platform compared to a lot of others on this list, largely because it primarily promotes itself as a personalized video creator. But if you dive deeper, you’ll see their Living Video tool can be used to create videos that are not only personalized, but interactive.

Specifically, Idomoo’s Living Videos take into account in real time who is watching, based on factors like their device type or location, and offers tailored video content. Not only that, but viewers can be enticed to manipulate the video - for example, changing a product color or redesigning a scene. These same interactive components can be used to feed your data and provide even more customization, including through branching video.

Idomoo is best for:

Creating personalized videos at scale

Pricing: Available on request.

Selecting an interactive video platform

Based on the sheer number of interactive video platforms out there, it’s clear that not every tool is going to be right for every user. Some tools are clearly geared toward certain types of users, such as education or ecommerce, while others are best suited to a certain quality or complexity of video content. That’s not to get into other factors, like budget, audience sizes, or other limitations that exist in different interactive video platform pricing plans.

If you’d like to try interactive video for free, many of the solutions listed here actually offer a free trial to help discern whether it’s the right solution for your needs.

And if you’d like to create shoppable video for free, GhostRetail can help you do just that. Upload any existing video asset you have, tag products, and add the finished video to your site in seconds. It’s that simple, and again, totally free. Get started with shoppable video today.

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