Janus vs Red5
A head-to-head comparison of Janus and Red5, And what features does Video SDK offer?
Janus is a general-purpose WebRTC server that can be used to build a variety of real-time communication applications, including live video calls and live streams. It is a low-level SDK that gives developers full control over the live video experience.
Red5 is a free and open-source media server that enables real-time streaming of video and audio over the internet. It is a flexible platform that can be used to build a wide variety of streaming applications on demand. However, RED5 is expensive to run for large-scale streaming due to high computing resource requirements and lack of pre-built applications.
How Video SDK make a difference?
Janus and Red5 are both open-source media server software platforms used for real-time communication applications. Janus is a versatile WebRTC server that is designed for building applications like video conferencing and VoIP, while Red5 is a media server primarily designed for live streaming and multimedia delivery, including features for video and audio streaming. However, there are some key differences so it's essential to be aware of their limitations and constraints.
Presenting the Video SDK - a robust and user-friendly video conferencing SDK that offers an extensive array of features, including chat, polls, break-out rooms, streaming capabilities, and RTMP out. It's the perfect solution for businesses and organizations of any size that require creating top-notch and captivating real-time communication experiences.
Here is a comparison of Video SDK with Janus vs Red5, and understand why Video SDK emerges as a much better choice for all your requirements.
Features Comparison : Janus vs Red5 vs Video SDK
features | Janus | Red5 | Video SDK |
---|---|---|---|
No. of participants (Including hosts) | ✕ 2 Participant Only | ✕ Upto 250 Participants | ✓ Up to millions of viewers |
Ease of SDK Integration | ✕ Very Complex Integration takes 6+ months | ✕ Complex Integration | ✓ Avg. integration takes only 2 weeks |
Adpative audio/video quality | ✕ Not Available | ✓ Available | ✓ Available |
Works behind the Firewall, Private Network | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Role Management, Permissions, Policy and Templates | ✕ Not available | ✓ Yes | ✓ 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 | ✕ Not Available | ✓ Available |
Build collaborative features like chat, poll, Q & A, whiteboard etc. | ✕ Not Available | ✕ Not Available | ✓ Available |
Virtual Background, Live Transcription & ML Middleware | ✕ Separate integration | ✕ Not Available | ✓ Available |
Webhooks | ✕ Not Provide | ✓ Available | ✓ Available |
Pricing Model | ✓ Usage Based | Subscription Based | ✓ Usage based |
Interactive Live Streaming | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Cloud Recording | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Interactive Whiteboard | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Multi-platform | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Interactive Participant Support | ✕ No Support | ✕ Upto 1000 | ✓ Up to 5,000 |
Mobile browser support | ✕ Limited (iOS not supported) | Limited (25%) | ✓ 90% |
Automatic audio / video degrade, re-connectivity | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Audio & Video powered by AI | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Independent of Open Source Dependency | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Customised RTMP, Cloud Recording, HLS | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
API for building specific features such as collaborative games, polls etc | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
API to build social features such as merging rooms, battles, coins, gifts sending etc | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Full HD recording | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Open source templates | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Full Custom roles | ✕ No | No | ✓ Yes |
HLS Streaming | ✕ No | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Cost-effective | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Prebuilt SDK | ✕ No | Separate SDK | ✓ Yes |
Fully customizable UI | ✕ Low Customization | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Metaverse platform support | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Session analytics | ✕ Not Comprehensive | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Data Tracks | ✕ Not Documented | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Price Comparison : Janus vs Red5 vs Video SDK
features | Janus | Red5 | Video SDK |
---|---|---|---|
Volume Discount | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Video Conferencing | ✓ Yes | Developer Pro: $29.99 per month Small- to medium-sized companies: $7,500 per year Enterprise services: $57,000 High volume: Custom pricing Startup Pro: $109 |
|
Analytics | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Free |
Separate pricing for video and audio | ✓ Yes | ✓ No | ✓ Yes |
Free 10,000 minutes every month | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Yes |
Minimum price for video calls | ✕ Separate Charge | Not Available | $0.002 per participant minute |
Minimum price for audio-only calls | ✕ Not Available | Not Available | $0.0006 per participant min |
Advanced Firewall Control | ✕ No | ✕ No | ✓ Free |
Cloud recording pricing | ✕ Not Include | On $3,399 per month Plan |
|
RTMP pricing | ✕ Not Included | On $3,399 per month Plan |
|
ILS pricing | Aggregated resolution based per participant pricing | Basic live streaming: $29.99 per month Growth Pro: $89 per year or $99 per month Bulk discounts: Available for large enterprise installations" |
|
Storage pricing | High Cost | Developer Pro: $29.99 per month Small- to medium-sized companies: $7,500 per year Enterprise services: $57,000 High volume: Custom pricing Startup Pro: $109 |
|
Support Comparison : Janus vs Red5 vs Video SDK
features | Janus | Red5 | Video SDK |
---|---|---|---|
Support | ✕ Community Support | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Cost | Not Available | Basic live streaming: $29.99 per month Growth Pro: $89 per year or $99 per month Small- to medium-sized companies: $7,500 per year Enterprise services: $57,000 per year High volume: Custom pricing | Free |
Access to Testing | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ All paid accounts get access to testing support from Video SDK. |
Access to TAM / CS Engineer | ✓ Yes | ✕ No | ✓ Dedicated CS & Solution Engineers |
SLAs | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes | ✓ Inexpensive SLA with 99.9% uptime |
Discover why Video SDK is the top choice for customers

“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