When looking for the most inexpensive way to host videos, there are several options to consider based on your needs for storage, bandwidth, and audience size. Here’s a concise breakdown of cost-effective options:

### 1. **YouTube (Free)**
   - **Cost**: Free for video hosting and streaming.
   - **Pros**: Unlimited storage and bandwidth, large audience potential, built-in discovery tools, monetization opportunities.
   - **Cons**: Ads on videos (unless you turn off monetization), limited control over branding and privacy.

### 2. **Vimeo (Free and Paid Tiers)**
   - **Cost**: Free tier for basic use, with paid plans starting at $9/month for more features like higher storage limits and better customization.
   - **Pros**: Ad-free, customizable player, privacy controls, better video quality.
   - **Cons**: Limited storage on free plan, paid plans required for more advanced features.

### 3. **Amazon S3 + CloudFront (Pay-per-use)**
   - **Cost**: Based on usage, typically very inexpensive for low traffic (e.g., ~$0.023 per GB of storage and ~$0.085 per GB of data transfer).
   - **Pros**: Scalable, fast, highly customizable with CDN (CloudFront), no limits on video size or quality.
   - **Cons**: Requires technical setup, costs can rise with higher traffic or large storage needs.

### 4. **Dropbox/Google Drive (Free and Paid Tiers)**
   - **Cost**: Free plans offer limited storage (e.g., Google Drive: 15GB free, Dropbox: 2GB free); paid plans range from $9.99/month for additional storage.
   - **Pros**: Easy to use, can share private links, simple integration.
   - **Cons**: Not designed for large-scale video hosting, bandwidth and file-size limitations, lower playback quality.

### 5. **PeerTube (Self-Hosted, Open Source)**
   - **Cost**: Free if self-hosted, but server hosting costs vary (~$5-15/month).
   - **Pros**: Complete control over the platform, no ads, decentralized network, privacy.
   - **Cons**: Requires technical expertise, self-management of servers and bandwidth.

### 6. **WordPress with Hosting (e.g., Bluehost, SiteGround)**
   - **Cost**: Hosting plans start at ~$2.95/month.
   - **Pros**: Control over content, easy integration with video plugins, flexibility for website and video hosting.
   - **Cons**: Limited bandwidth on cheaper plans, video storage can be a concern without a CDN or additional services.

### Conclusion:
For **free video hosting**, **YouTube** is the most cost-effective, offering unlimited storage and bandwidth. If you need more control over branding, privacy, or want to avoid ads, **Vimeo’s basic plan** or self-hosted options like **PeerTube** could be good alternatives. If you expect higher traffic and need scalability, **Amazon S3 + CloudFront** is a low-cost option that grows with your needs but requires more technical know-how.