# Wistia Soapbox review: retired recorder · VSL Host Report > Source: https://vslhostreport.com/reviews/wistia-soapbox Video hosting review ## Soapbox is retired. Here is what replaced it. Wistia closed Soapbox, and the files went with it. Record is the screen and camera tool Wistia points people to now. [See the ranked roundup](/best) [How we research](/methodology) By [Mara Vance](/authors/mara-vance), reviewed by the VSL Host Report desk. Updated October 2026\. Prices verified with the vendor. **Disclosure:**We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our rankings. At a glance Starts at Retired Billing model Discontinued Free plan or trial No plan. Subscriptions cannot be renewed. Sale attribution None. The product has been shut down. Best for It was a screen-and-camera recorder. Website [Wistia Soapbox official site](https://wistia.com/product/video-recording) Quick answer Re-record into Wistia if the clip belongs in a library. Move a finished sales video to a host that can attribute the order to the play. Soapbox was the Chrome recorder inside the Wistia world: screen sharing, a camera, a link on the video, and a way to see that someone opened the email clip. That product has been discontinued. The [sunset article](https://support.wistia.com/en/articles/8288758-sunsetting-soapbox) says Soapbox was retired on September 1, 2024\. It says you can no longer open Soapbox, and subscriptions cannot be renewed. It also says the recordings can no longer be viewed, downloaded, or recovered, even by Support. If you never exported the file, it is gone. Plan the next clip as a new recording. Wistia names Record as the replacement. [Record](https://wistia.com/product/video-recording) captures the webcam, the screen, or both, and the file lands in the Wistia library when you stop. From there you trim, caption, and share a link or an embed. Calls to action, forms, heatmaps and A/B tests are Business features of that library. They are not included in the recorder itself. The comparison chart in that article shows a second gap. HubSpot meetings and Calendly are marked on Soapbox's paid tiers and left off Record. A booking link that used to sit on the video has to move to the email or to a page you control. A salesperson writing in [a public forum](https://www.reddit.com/r/sales/comments/hs5ual/best%5Fvideo%5Fmessaging%5Ftool%5Finquiry/) credited the old plugin with those call-to-action links, the tracking and screen sharing. A marketer on [a marketing thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMarketing/comments/d7d0br/wistia%5Fvs%5Fvidyard/) later said Vidyard's Go Video was easier to place in Outlook. One comment on the sales thread warned that dropping the video file straight into the message can send it to spam. Record-and-send and host-and-sell were the two options that thread was already debating. For the inbox, Vidyard still records and sends. If you want the file in a Wistia library, use Record. Move to Business when you need a button on the hosted video. If you run paid traffic to the page where the video sells, the [Soapbox alternatives](/alternatives/wistia-soapbox) rank TrackPlay first, because the checkout can attribute the order to that play. [Wistia vs Vidyard](/compare/wistia-vs-vidyard) compares a library on your site with a clip a rep sends. [The Wistia review](/reviews/wistia) covers the account Record saves into. ##### What works * Sales reps used the Chrome extension for outreach. It combined screen sharing, links on the video and view tracking, and they said it brought more email replies. * Record now captures the webcam, the screen, or both, and saves the file to the Wistia library so you can trim it, add captions, share a link or embed it. ##### What to watch * The product is no longer accessible, plans cannot be renewed, and Support cannot view, download or recover the recordings that were left on it. * The sunset chart marks HubSpot meetings and Calendly on Soapbox's paid tiers and leaves both off Record, so a booking step at the end of the video needs another home. ### Changelog October 24, 2026: first published, using the sunset announcement, the Record page, and public threads about email outreach. ### Frequently asked questions Is Wistia Soapbox still for sale? No. The account cannot be opened, and existing plans do not renew. Record, inside Wistia, is the capture the company names in its place. Where did the old recordings go? Wistia says they cannot be viewed, downloaded or recovered, including by Support. A file that was not copied out before the close is not coming back. Does Record keep the old meeting buttons? The sunset chart marks HubSpot meetings and Calendly on Soapbox's paid column and leaves them off Record. Put the booking link in the email or on the page. ### Sources #### From Wistia Soapbox * #### Other sources We read 5 discussions and reviews for this page. Quotes are excerpts. Open a link to read the original. 1. \[w-sunset\] [Sunsetting Soapbox ](https://support.wistia.com/en/articles/8288758-sunsetting-soapbox) Blog 2. \[w-recover\] [Sunsetting Soapbox ](https://support.wistia.com/en/articles/8288758-sunsetting-soapbox) Blog 3. \[r-chrome-cta\] [Best video messaging tool inquiry ](https://www.reddit.com/r/sales/comments/hs5ual/best%5Fvideo%5Fmessaging%5Ftool%5Finquiry/) Reddit, 16 Jul 2020 4. \[r-outlook\] [Wistia vs Vidyard ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMarketing/comments/d7d0br/wistia%5Fvs%5Fvidyard/) Reddit, 10 Sep 2019 5. \[r-spam-embed\] [Best video messaging tool inquiry ](https://www.reddit.com/r/sales/comments/hs5ual/best%5Fvideo%5Fmessaging%5Ftool%5Finquiry/) Reddit, 16 Jul 2020 Related reading * [Wistia Soapbox pricing explained](/reviews/wistia-soapbox/pricing) * [The best video hosting for VSLs and sales videos](/best) * [Wistia Soapbox alternatives](/alternatives/wistia-soapbox) * [Head-to-head comparisons](/compare) * [Cheap video hosting: bandwidth, plays or minutes](/best/cheap-video-hosting) * [Video hosting for agencies running client funnels](/best/video-hosting-for-agencies) * [Video hosting for landing pages that have to load and sell](/best/video-hosting-for-landing-pages) * [Video hosting for WordPress sales pages](/best/video-hosting-for-wordpress) * [Video hosting with A/B testing for a sales video](/best/video-hosting-with-a-b-testing) * [Video hosting with analytics: retention, heatmaps, and buyers](/best/video-hosting-with-analytics) * [Secure video hosting for paid courses](/best/secure-video-hosting-platform) * [Video sales letter examples: what the player does](/best/video-sales-letter-examples) * [Five questions to help you find a VSL host](/best/vsl-host-picker-answer-five-questions-get-the-host-that-fits-your-funnel) Written by Mara Vance Editor Mara edits the reviews and roundups on VSL Host Report. She checks autoplay, watch time, timed buttons, lead gates and page speed when the visitor is new and the traffic is paid. She also maps what each host really costs, whether it bills per play, per gigabyte or per seat, and rebuilds the monthly bill for a typical VSL funnel. For each piece she reads long-term user reports across forums and review sites, works through the vendor's own docs and pricing, and confirms the numbers before a verdict goes live. [marav@vslhostreport.com](mailto:marav@vslhostreport.com) Last checked 2026-10-24 --- [ VSL Host Report ](/) Independent reviews of video hosting for VSLs and sales videos, judged on how well each player and its analytics turn paid traffic into sales. © 2026 VSL Host Report. Independent and reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our rankings.