Daily vs LiveKit: Which Platform Suits You Best? - Video SDK - VideoSDK
Daily vs LiveKit
How do Daily and LiveKit compare? And what does Video SDK offer?
Daily allows developers to create real-time video and audio calls that operate directly in the web browser. The SDK simplifies the process of handling common backend video call functionalities across various platforms, providing sensible defaults for a smoother development experience.
LiveKit is a collection of SDKs that enables the integration of live video and audio into your native applications. It offers various notable features, including live streaming, in-game communication, video calls, and more. LiveKit utilizes a modern, end-to-end WebRTC stack to deliver seamless and high-quality real-time communication experiences.
How Video SDK make a difference
If you're searching for a reliable live video conference SDK, you may have heard about LiveKit and Daily. Both platforms are open-source, offering SDKs for embedding live video calling and relevant features into your application.
LiveKit and Daily can deliver somewhat reliable audio/video conferencing performance. However, achieving this often requires writing lengthy blocks of code. Moreover, using separate SDKs might mean not having all the features you need in one place.
But with Video SDK, the game changes. It provides excellent audio/video performance and all the collaborative features you need in a single SDK. Additionally, Video SDK requires minimal coding, allowing you to get your application up and running in just a few minutes.
This page compares LiveKit vs Daily and explains why you should consider Video SDK as an alternative for your live video communication needs.
Features comparison : Daily vs LiveKit vs Video SDK
| features | Daily |
LiveKit |
VideoSDK |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. of Participants (Including Hosts) | ✕ Up to 100,000 real-time active participants |
✕ LiveKit supports limited participants. |
✓ VideoSDK supports upto Million Participants |
| Ease of SDK Integration | ✕ Easy integration |
✕ Development is moderately tough |
✓ VideoSDK requires less than 2 weeks for SDK integration |
| Adaptive Audio/Video Quality | ✓ Yes |
✕ LiveKit does not offer adaptive audio/video quality. |
✓ VideoSDK provides best adaptive audio/video quality. |
| Works behind the Firewall/Private-Network | ✓ Yes |
✕ No |
✓ Yes |
| Role Management, Permissions, Policy and Templates | ✕ Custom roles available |
✕ Limited to host & participant roles |
✓ VideoSDK offers Role management, Permissions, Policy and Templates |
| Automatic video and audio track degrade due to bandwidth inconsistency | ✓ Yes |
✓ Available |
✓ Available |
| Dynamic Layout for Studio and RTMP Live Streaming | ✕ Inbuilt Compositing Toolkit |
✕ Not Available |
✓ Available ( No need for manual config.) |
| Build collaborative features like chat, poll, Q & A, whiteboard etc. | ✓ Available |
✕ In LiveKit collaborative features is not available. |
✓ VideoSDK offers a range of collaborative features |
| Virtual Background, Live Transcription & ML Middleware | ✓ Available |
✕ Not Available |
✓ Easy Integration |
| Webhooks | ✓ Available |
✕ Not Available |
✓ Available |
| Pricing Model | ✓ Usage-based |
✕ Subscription based |
✓ Pay-as-You-Go Plan |
| Interactive Live Streaming | ✓ Supported |
✓ LiveKit supports interactive live streaming. |
✓ VideoSDK supports Interactive Live Streaming |
| Cloud Recording | ✓ Available |
✓ LiveKit offers cloud recording capabilities. |
✓ VideoSDK offers Cloud Recording Capabilities |
| Interactive Whiteboard | ✓ Available |
✕ LiveKit not provides an interactive whiteboard feature. |
✓ VideoSDK provides Interactive Whiteboard Feature |
| Multi-platform | ✕ Yes |
✕ LiveKit does not support multiple platforms for a wider reach. |
✓ VideoSDK compatible with Multi-Platforms for greater reach |
| Interactive Participant Support | ✕ Limited support |
✕ LiveKit provides limited support for interactive participants. |
✓ Upto 5,000 |
| Mobile Browser Support | ✕ Limited (84% Browsers Supported) |
✕ LiveKit offers limited support for mobile browsers. |
✓ Video support 91% mobile browsers |
| Automatic Audio/Video Degrade, Re-connectivity | ✕ 720p only |
✓ LiveKit supports automatic audio/video quality adjustments. |
✓ VideoSDK supports Reconnectivity with Audio/Video Quality adjustments. |
| Audio & Video powered by AI | ✕ No |
✕ No |
✓ Yes |
| Independent of Open Source Dependency | ✕ No |
✓ LiveKit is not dependent on open source. |
✕ VideoSDK is not dependent on open source. |
| Customised RTMP, Cloud Recording, HLS | ✕ Available |
✕ No |
✓ Yes |
| API for Specific Features (Collaborative Games, Polls, etc.) | ✕ Limited |
✕ No |
✓ Yes |
| API for Social Features (Merging Rooms, Battles, Coins, Gifts Sending etc.) | ✕ No |
✕ No |
✓ Yes |
| Full HD Recording | ✓ Available |
✕ LiveKit does not support full HD recording. |
✓ VideoSDK supports full HD recording |
| Open Source Templates | ✕ Limited use |
✕ LiveKit does not heavily rely on open source templates. |
✓ VideoSDK rely on open source templates |
| Full Custom roles | ✕ Supported |
✕ LiveKit offer limited support for custom roles. |
✓ VideoSDK offer support for full custom roles |
| HLS Streaming | ✓ Yes |
✓ LiveKit supports HLS streaming. |
✓ VideoSDK supports HLS streaming |
| Cost-effective | ✕ Yes |
✕ LiveKit is not cost-effective. |
✓ VideoSDK is Cost Effective |
| Prebuilt SDK | ✕ Available |
✕ LiveKit does not provide prebuilt SDKs for easier integration. |
✓ VideoSDK provides Prebuilt SDKs for easier integration |
| Fully Customizable UI | ✕ Yes |
✕ LiveKit does not allow for a customizable UI. |
✓ VideoSDK allows for Limited customizable UI |
| Metaverse Platform Support | ✕ No |
✕ LiveKit does not support Metaverse platform. |
✓ VideoSDK supports Metaverse platform |
| Session Analytics | ✓ Available |
✕ LiveKit does not offer session analytics option. |
✓ VideoSDK offers session analytics option |
| Data Tracks | ✓ Yes |
✕ LiveKit does not offer data tracks option. |
✓ VideoSDK offers track data option |
Cost comparison : Daily vs LiveKit vs Video SDK
| features | Daily |
LiveKit |
VideoSDK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volume Discount | ✓ Available |
✕ LiveKit does not offer the volume discount. |
✓ VideoSDK offers the Volume Discount |
| Video Conferencing | - $4 per 1,000 minutes | - $20 per 1,000 minutes | - Video HD: $4.00 - Video Full HD: $8.00 - Video 2K: $16.00 - Video 2K+: $36.00 |
| Analytics | ✕ $500/month for 5 seats |
✓ Free |
✓ VideoSDK offers Free Analytics with Dashboard |
| Separate Pricing for Video and Audio | ✓ Yes |
✓ Yes |
✓ Yes |
| Free 10,000 Minutes Every Month | ✓ Yes |
✕ No |
✓ Yes |
| Minimum Price for Video Calls | $4 per 1,000 participant minutes | $0.02 per participant minute | $0.004 per participant minutes |
| Minimum Price for Audio-only Calls | $1 per 1,000 participant minutes | $0.005 per participant minute | $0.001 per participant minutes |
| Advanced Firewall Control | ✕ $500/month |
✕ No |
✓ VideoSDK offers Free Firewall Control |
| Compliance & Privacy | ✕ Daily provides robust support for Only HIPAA compliance, although it comes with associated charges. |
✕ LiveKit does not provide compliance & privacy support. |
✓ Provides Compliance Standards and Privacy Regulations: - HIPAA Complaint - GDPR Complaint - Data Localization - SOC2 : Type 2 - ISO:27001 - VAPT (Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing) - CERT-in (Indian Computer Emergency Response Team) |
| Cloud Recording Pricing | - $13.49 per 1,000 recorded minute. | No accurate data available | - Video SD: $15.00 1,000 minutes (No limit on participants) - Video HD: $15.00 1,000 minutes (No limit on participants) |
| RTMP Pricing | - $15 per 1,000 encoded minute | No accurate data available | - $30 per 1,000 minutes |
| ILS Pricing | $30 per 1,000 HLS duration minute | - $69 per hour (up to 500 viewers only and doesn't support Full HD) |
- $0.002 per participant minute (Support Full HD) |
| Storage Pricing | - $3 per 1000 minutes per month | No accurate data available | - $3 per 1000 minutes per month |
Support comparison : Daily vs LiveKit vs Video SDK
| features | Daily |
LiveKit |
VideoSDK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support | ✕ Paid |
✓ Yes |
✓ Yes |
| Cost | - Advanced support: $500 or 5% monthly bill - Premium support: $1,500 or 6% monthly bill - Enterprise : $5,000 or 8% monthly bill |
Only accounts having Standard or Enterprise plan | Free |
| Access to Testing | ✓ Available |
✕ No |
✓ All paid accounts get access to testing support from Video SDK |
| Access to TAM / CS Engineer | ✕ In Paid Plans Only |
✕ No |
✓ Dedicated CS & Solution Engineers |
| SLAs | ✓ Yes |
✕ Only accounts having Enterprise plan |
✓ Affordable SLA with 99.9% Uptime |
SUCCESS STORY
How ForagerOne built interactive learning platform with Video SDK
See why customers love Video SDK
“I still remember when I was trying out the product and connected over discord with Arjun Kava, and he immediately responded. It is one of the things that we found less often. The team is super enthusiastic to make the product as next big thing. Easy integration is the beauty of it. Few lines of code and it's done.”
Ankur Chandra ,
Engineering Manager at Fynd
FAQ
Which platform is better suited for embedded real-time communication into applications?+
Can I use both Daily and LiveKit together in my application?+