I need something better than AWS Elemental MediaConvert for simple app uploads

If you mean “I just want users to upload video/audio files from my app and get them processed without the complexity of MediaConvert”, then yes—there are simpler options.

Good alternatives to AWS Elemental MediaConvert

1. Mux

Best for: simple video upload + encoding + playback
Why it’s better: very developer-friendly, minimal setup, great API, handles transcoding automatically.
Good if you want:

• upload directly from your app
• automatic transcoding
• adaptive streaming
• thumbnails/captions hooks
• easy playback integration

Downside: can get expensive at scale, and it’s more video-focused than general media workflows.

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2. Cloudflare Stream

Best for: easiest “upload and play” workflow
Why it’s better: extremely simple API, no need to manage encoding pipelines.
Good if you want:

• one service for upload + transcoding + playback
• low operational overhead
• global delivery via Cloudflare

Downside: less flexible than a full media pipeline.

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3. Bunny Stream

Best for: lower-cost video hosting/transcoding
Why it’s better: simpler and often cheaper than AWS MediaConvert for common app use cases.
Good if you want:

• basic video upload/encoding
• playback
• thumbnails and captions

Downside: smaller ecosystem than AWS/Mux.

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4. Cloudinary

Best for: mixed media apps, especially images + video
Why it’s better: great if you need uploads, transformations, and CDN delivery in one place.
Good if you want:

• image + video + audio handling
• simple upload APIs
• on-the-fly transformations

Downside: not as video-native as Mux/Cloudflare Stream.

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5. Vimeo OTT / Vimeo API

Best for: managed video hosting with minimal engineering
Why it’s better: easy to get started, less infra work.
Downside: more of a platform product; may be less ideal if you need a custom app workflow.

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If you only want something “simpler than MediaConvert”

Here’s the quick recommendation:

• Simplest overall: Cloudflare Stream
• Best developer experience: Mux
• Best lower-cost option: Bunny Stream
• Best for mixed media: Cloudinary

Why MediaConvert feels heavy

MediaConvert is powerful, but it’s built for:

• complex workflows
• custom output groups
• broadcast-style processing
• AWS-heavy architectures

For a normal app upload flow, it often feels like overkill.

A simple architecture

A common lightweight setup looks like this:

1. App uploads file directly to storage/service
2. Service transcodes automatically
3. You store the asset ID in your DB
4. App plays the processed stream

No job orchestration, no complex presets, no queues unless you need them.

If you want, I can give you a side-by-side comparison of Mux vs Cloudflare Stream vs Bunny Stream for app uploads, or recommend the best one based on your stack and budget.