Alibaba Cloud Live (阿里云直播) vs Video Thumbnail API
Both are solid Video APIs. Choose based on your specific requirements.
Alibaba Cloud Live (阿里云直播)
Alibaba's live streaming — real-time transcoding, time-shift, recording, global CDN distribution
Video Thumbnail API
Create Video Thumbnails from any video or URL
Alibaba Cloud Live (阿里云直播)
- No authentication required
- HTTPS supported
Video Thumbnail API
- Simple API key authentication
- HTTPS supported
- CORS enabled for frontend use
| Feature | Alibaba Cloud Live (阿里云直播) | Video Thumbnail API |
|---|---|---|
| Authentication | None | apiKey |
| HTTPS | Yes | Yes |
| CORS | Unknown | Yes |
When to use which?
Alibaba Cloud Live (阿里云直播) is the better choice for quick prototypes and hackathons since it requires no authentication. Video Thumbnail API works directly from the browser with CORS enabled, making it better for frontend-only apps.