LiveKit vs Janus

A head-to-head comparison of LiveKit and Janus, And what features does Video SDK offer?

LiveKit

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.

Janus

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.

How Video SDK make a difference?

Livekit and Janus are both real-time communication platforms, each with its unique strengths and applications. Livekit is a platform designed for building real-time video and audio applications, while Janus is a WebRTC server designed for building real-time multimedia communication applications. 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 LiveKit vs Janus, and understand why Video SDK emerges as a much better choice for all your requirements.

Features comparison : LiveKit vs Janus vs Video SDK

LiveKit
Janus
Video SDK

No. of participants (Including hosts)

Limited

2 Participant Only

Up to millions of viewers

Ease of SDK Integration

Development is moderately tough

Very Complex Integration takes 6+ months

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

Limited to host & participant roles

Not available

Available

Automatic video and audio track degrade due to bandwidth in-consistency

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

Not Available

Separate integration

Available

Webhooks

Not Available

Not Provide

Available

Pricing Model

Subscription based

Usage Based

Usage based

Interactive Live Streaming

Yes

Yes

Yes

Cloud Recording

Yes

Yes

Yes

Interactive Whiteboard

No

No

Yes

Multi-platform

No

No

Yes

Interactive Participant Support

Limited

No Support

Up to 5,000

Mobile browser support

Limited

Limited (iOS not supported)

90%

Automatic audio / video degrade, re-connectivity

Yes

Yes

Yes

Audio & Video powered by AI

No

No

Yes

Independent of Open Source Dependency

No

Yes

Yes

Customised RTMP, Cloud Recording, HLS

No

No

Yes

API for building specific features such as collaborative games, polls etc

No

No

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

No

Yes

Yes

Full Custom roles

Limited

No

Yes

HLS Streaming

Yes

No

Yes

Cost-effective

No

No

Yes

Prebuilt SDK

No

No

Yes

Fully customizable UI

No

Low Customization

Yes

Metaverse platform support

No

No

Yes

Session analytics

No

Not Comprehensive

Yes

Data Tracks

No

Not Documented

Yes

Price Comparison : LiveKit vs Janus vs Video SDK

LiveKit
Janus
Video SDK

Volume Discount

No

No

Yes

Video Conferencing

  • $20 per 1,000 minutes

Yes

  • Video SD: $2.00
  • Video HD: $3.00
  • Video Full HD: $7.00
  • Video 2K: $7.00
  • Video 2K+: $7.00

Analytics

Free

No

Free

Separate pricing for video and audio

Yes

Yes

Yes

Free 10,000 minutes every month

No

No

Yes

Minimum price for video calls

$0.02 per participant minute

Separate Charge

$0.002 per participant minute

Minimum price for audio-only calls

$0.005 per participant minute

Not Available

$0.0006 per participant min

Advanced Firewall Control

No

No

Free

Cloud recording pricing

No accurate data available

Not Include

  • Video SD: $15.00 1,000 minutes, No limit on participants
  • Video HD: $15.00 1,000 minutes,No limit on participants

RTMP pricing

No accurate data available

Not Included

  • $15 per 1,000 minutes

ILS pricing

  • $69 per hour (upto 500 viewers only and doesn't support Full HD)

Aggregated resolution based per participant pricing

  • $0.001 per participant minute (Also supports Full HD)

Storage pricing

No accurate data available

High Cost

  • $3 per 1000 minutes per month

Support Comparison : LiveKit vs Janus vs Video SDK

LiveKit
Janus
Video SDK

Support

Yes

Community Support

Yes

Cost

Only accounts having Standard or Enterprise plan

Not Available

Free

Access to Testing

No

Yes

All paid accounts get access to testing support from Video SDK.

Access to TAM / CS Engineer

No

Yes

Dedicated CS & Solution Engineers

SLAs

Only accounts having Enterprise plan

Yes

Inexpensive SLA with 99.9% uptime

SUCCESS STORY

How MomentoStream increased user engagement into their live streaming platform with Video SDK

Discover why Video SDK is the top choice for customers

Ankur Chandra-Engineering Manager at Fynd
Company Logo

“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

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