Agora vs Twilio
How do Agora and Twilio compare? And what does Video SDK offer?
Agora Live Video SDK aims to add live video calls live streams inside applications easier. The SDK is very low-level that allows enterprise development teams to control every aspect of the live video experience.
Twilio originally started by helping developers automate traditional phone calls and SMS text messages. But today, developers can use it to build business communication ( in-app and otherwise) across the customer journey.
How Video SDK make a difference
Agora and Twilio Video are feasible SDKs for seamlessly integrating real-time video experiences into applications, providing different packages, features, and benefits. However, they are legacy video SDK providers and take months to completely integrate into your app, Without providing critical features like smart bandwidth switching or limitless interactive features.
And here comes Video SDK. It’s quite easy and quick SDK that helps you deal with multiple features, such as chat, polls, breakout rooms, streaming capability, and RTMP out — all in a single SDK.
Let’s compare Video SDK along with Agora and Twilio, and understand why Video SDK is a much better choice for all your needs.
Features comparison : Agora vs Twilio vs Video SDK
features | Agora | Twilio | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
No. of participants (Including hosts) | ✕ 55 participants only | ✕ 50 participants only | ✓ Up to millions of viewers |
Ease of SDK Integration | ✕ Avg. integration takes 3+ months | ✕ Requires high coding effort | ✓ Avg. integration takes only 2 weeks |
Adpative audio/video quality | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available | ✓ Available |
Works behind the Firewall, Private Network | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Role Management, Permissions, Policy and Templates | ✕ Not available | ✕ Limited | ✓ Available |
Automatic video and audio track degrade due to bandwidth in-consistency | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available | ✓ Available |
Dynamic Layout for Studio and RTMP Live Streaming | ✕ Not available | ✕ Manual configuration needed | ✓ Available |
Build collaborative features like chat, poll, Q & A, whiteboard etc. | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available or Separate SDK | ✓ Available |
Virtual Background, Live Transcription & ML Middleware | ✕ Complex integration | ✕ Complex integration | ✓ Available |
Webhooks | ✕ Only for cloud recording use-cases | ✕ Only for recording states | ✓ Available |
Pricing Model | ✓ Usage based | ✓ Usage based | ✓ Usage based |
Interactive Live Streaming | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Cloud Recording | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Interactive Whiteboard | ✓ Yes | ✕ Not available or Separate SDK | ✓ Yes |
Multi-platform | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Interactive Participant Support | ✕ Limited support | ✕ Limited support | ✓ Up to 5,000 |
Mobile browser support | ✕ Limited | ✕ Limited | ✓ 90% |
Automatic audio / video degrade, re-connectivity | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Audio & Video powered by AI | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Independent of Open Source Dependency | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Customised RTMP, Cloud Recording, HLS | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
API for building specific features such as collaborative games, polls etc | ✕ No | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
API to build social features such as merging rooms, battles, coins, gifts sending etc | ✕ No | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
Full HD recording | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Open source templates | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Full Custom roles | ✕ Limited | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
HLS Streaming | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Prebuilt SDK | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Fully customizable UI | ✓ Yes | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
Metaverse platform support | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Session analytics | ✓ Yes | ✕ Separate charges | ✓ Yes |
Data Tracks | ✕ No | ✕ Separate charges | ✓ Yes |
features | Agora | Twilio | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
No. of participants (Including hosts) | ✕ 55 participants only | ✕ 50 participants only | ✓ Up to millions of viewers |
Ease of SDK Integration | ✕ Avg. integration takes 3+ months | ✕ Requires high coding effort | ✓ Avg. integration takes only 2 weeks |
Adpative audio/video quality | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available | ✓ Available |
Works behind the Firewall, Private Network | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Role Management, Permissions, Policy and Templates | ✕ Not available | ✕ Limited | ✓ Available |
Automatic video and audio track degrade due to bandwidth in-consistency | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available | ✓ Available |
Dynamic Layout for Studio and RTMP Live Streaming | ✕ Not available | ✕ Manual configuration needed | ✓ Available |
Build collaborative features like chat, poll, Q & A, whiteboard etc. | ✕ Not available | ✕ Not available or Separate SDK | ✓ Available |
Virtual Background, Live Transcription & ML Middleware | ✕ Complex integration | ✕ Complex integration | ✓ Available |
Webhooks | ✕ Only for cloud recording use-cases | ✕ Only for recording states | ✓ Available |
Pricing Model | ✓ Usage based | ✓ Usage based | ✓ Usage based |
Interactive Live Streaming | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Cloud Recording | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Interactive Whiteboard | ✓ Yes | ✕ Not available or Separate SDK | ✓ Yes |
Multi-platform | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Interactive Participant Support | ✕ Limited support | ✕ Limited support | ✓ Up to 5,000 |
Mobile browser support | ✕ Limited | ✕ Limited | ✓ 90% |
Automatic audio / video degrade, re-connectivity | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Audio & Video powered by AI | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Independent of Open Source Dependency | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Customised RTMP, Cloud Recording, HLS | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
API for building specific features such as collaborative games, polls etc | ✕ No | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
API to build social features such as merging rooms, battles, coins, gifts sending etc | ✕ No | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
Full HD recording | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Open source templates | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Full Custom roles | ✕ Limited | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
HLS Streaming | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Prebuilt SDK | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Fully customizable UI | ✓ Yes | ✕ Limited | ✓ Yes |
Metaverse platform support | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Session analytics | ✓ Yes | ✕ Separate charges | ✓ Yes |
Data Tracks | ✕ No | ✕ Separate charges | ✓ Yes |
Cost comparison : Agora vs Twilio vs Video SDK
features | Agora | Twilio | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
Volume Discount | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Video Conferencing |
|
|
|
Analytics | ✕
| ✕ Separate charges | ✓ Free |
Separate pricing for video and audio | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Free 10,000 minutes every month | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Minimum price for video calls | $0.0039 per participant minute | $0.004 per participant minute | $0.002 per participant minute |
Minimum price for audio-only calls | $0.00099 per participant minute | $0.004 per participant per minute | $0.0006 per participant min |
Advanced Firewall Control | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Free |
Cloud recording pricing |
|
|
|
RTMP pricing |
| NA |
|
ILS pricing | Aggregated resolution based per participant pricing | NA |
|
Storage pricing | Extra cost |
|
|
features | Agora | Twilio | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
Volume Discount | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Video Conferencing |
|
|
|
Analytics | ✕
| ✕ Separate charges | ✓ Free |
Separate pricing for video and audio | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Free 10,000 minutes every month | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Minimum price for video calls | $0.0039 per participant minute | $0.004 per participant minute | $0.002 per participant minute |
Minimum price for audio-only calls | $0.00099 per participant minute | $0.004 per participant per minute | $0.0006 per participant min |
Advanced Firewall Control | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Free |
Cloud recording pricing |
|
|
|
RTMP pricing |
| NA |
|
ILS pricing | Aggregated resolution based per participant pricing | NA |
|
Storage pricing | Extra cost |
|
|
Support comparison : Agora vs Twilio vs Video SDK
features | Agora | Twilio | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
Support | ✕ Paid | ✕ Paid | ✓ Yes |
Cost |
|
| Free |
Access to Testing | ✕ No | ✕ No explicit support for testing, quality measurements and reports. | ✓ All paid accounts get access to testing support from Video SDK. |
Access to TAM / CS Engineer |
| ✕ No | ✓ Dedicated CS & Solution Engineers |
SLAs |
| ✕ No | ✓ Inexpensive SLA with 99.9% uptime |
features | Agora | Twilio | Video SDK |
|---|---|---|---|
Support | ✕ Paid | ✕ Paid | ✓ Yes |
Cost |
|
| Free |
Access to Testing | ✕ No | ✕ No explicit support for testing, quality measurements and reports. | ✓ All paid accounts get access to testing support from Video SDK. |
Access to TAM / CS Engineer |
| ✕ No | ✓ Dedicated CS & Solution Engineers |
SLAs |
| ✕ No | ✓ Inexpensive SLA with 99.9% uptime |
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
