Video SDK for Video SDK

Posted on Aug 28, 2023 • Originally published at videosdk.live on Jul 7, 2023

Top 10 Twilio Video Alternatives in (2023)

Seeking the finest alternatives to Twilio video? This article presents a carefully curated list of 10 video API platforms that can replace Twilio's features in your apps. These alternatives have been meticulously chosen for their compatibility and functionality.

Now, let's turn our attention to the key factors of pricing and features to enhance your in-app conversations. Without any delay, let's jump straight into the specifics.

Need of Twilio Video Alternative

While Twilio offers a range of services such as video communication, voice calling, SMS and MMS messaging, and email, There are certain areas where it may fall short. These include limited coverage in certain countries, not providing analytical data, and the need for more comprehensive customer service and support. Moreover, Twilio's pricing may not be suitable for smaller startups, making it worthwhile to consider alternative vendors.

1. Video SDK

Video SDK provides an API that allows developers to easily add powerful, extensible, scalable, and resilient audio-video features to their apps with just a few lines of code. Add live audio and video experiences to any platform in minutes.

The key advantage of using Video SDK is it’s quite easy and quick to integrate, allowing you to focus more on building innovative features to enhance user retention.

With Video SDK, you can expect the following

High scalability

Video SDK’s high scalability with infinite room and zero maintenance ensures uninterrupted availability, and that too with <99ms latency. It supports up to 300 attendees, including 50 presenters that empowers large-scale collaborations. This advanced infrastructure enables global reach and success in the digital landscape.

High adaptive bitrate

Video SDK offers high adaptive bitrate technology for an immersive audio-video experience. It auto-adjusts stream quality under bandwidth constraints and adapts to varying network conditions. With a global infrastructure and secure usage in restricted network environments, Video SDK delivers optimal performance and seamless streaming.

End-to-end customized SDK

With their end-to-end customized SDK, you have the power to fully customize the UI to meet your unique needs. Their code samples help accelerate your time-to-market, while template layouts can be easily customized in any orientation. Leveraging their PubSub feature, you can build engaging and interactive features, enhancing the overall user experience.

Quality Recordings

Experience high-quality recordings on any connection with Video SDK. Their solution supports 1080p video recording capability, ensuring crystal-clear and detailed footage. With programmable layouts and custom templates, you can tailor the recording experience to your specific requirements. Easily store your recordings in Video SDK cloud or popular cloud storage providers such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Access your recordings conveniently from the dashboard itself, providing seamless management and retrieval of your valuable content.

Detailed analytics

Gain access to in-depth analytics on video call metrics, including participant interactions and duration, allowing you to analyze participant interest throughout the session.

Cross-platform streaming

Stream live events to millions of viewers across platforms such as YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, and more with built-in RTMP support.

Seamless scaling

Effortlessly scale live audio/video within your web app, accommodating from just a few users to over 10,000 and reach millions of viewers through RTMP output.

Platform support

Build your live video app for a specific platform and seamlessly run it across browsers, devices, and operating systems with minimal development efforts.

Mobile

Flutter, Android (Java/Kotlin), iOS (Objective-C/Swift), React Native

Web

JavaScript Core SDK + UI Kit for React JS, Angular, Web Components for other frameworks

Desktop

Flutter Desktop

Video SDK Pricing

Video SDK offers 10,000 free minutes that renew monthly. You only start paying once you exhaust the free minutes. The best thing is, pricing for video and audio calls are considered separately. Pricing for video calls begins at $0.003 per participant per minute and for audio calls, it begins at $0.0006 per participant per minute. The additional cost for cloud recordings is $0.015 per minute and RTMP output is $0.030 per minute. You can estimate your costs using their pricing calculator.

Video SDK provides free 24/7 support to all customers. Their dedicated team is available to assist you through your preferred communication channel whenever you need help with basic queries, upcoming events, or technical requirements.

2. Zoom Video SDK

The Zoom Video SDK enables developers to create customized live video applications with access to Zoom's underlying technology. It offers video, audio, screen sharing, chat, and data streams, with the flexibility to choose specific features. The SDK also provides server-side APIs and webhooks.

Here's an overview of the Zoom Video SDK

The Zoom Video SDK allows for customizable video compositions with support for up to 1,000 participants. It enhances collaboration with features like screen sharing, live streaming, and in-session chat while providing layout control. Zoom supports multiple languages and offers support plans for faster assistance. However, role limitations and bandwidth management may have some limitations.

Pricing for Zoom Video SDK

Regarding pricing, Zoom offers 10,000 free minutes per month, with charges applying only once you exceed this limit. Pricing starts at $0.31 per user minute, and recordings are available for $100 per month for 1 TB of storage. Telephony services are priced at $100 per month.

3. Agora

Agora is a platform renowned for its powerful video conferencing capabilities, allowing users to seamlessly connect and communicate in real time. However, it is important to consider a few drawbacks that may impact the overall experience.

Key points about Agora

Agora's customization options may be limited, and occasional performance issues can impact the quality of communication. Users are dependent on Agora's servers, which may affect accessibility. Advanced features may come with additional costs. Consider these factors when evaluating Agora's suitability for your needs.

Pricing for Agora

Some advanced features in Agora may require additional costs, such as recording, transcription, or specialized capabilities. Users should consider these potential expenses when assessing the affordability and suitability of Agora for their specific needs.

• Pricing for video calling starts at $3.99/1,000 minutes.

• Pricing for voice calling starts at $0.99 /1,000 minutes.

4. Jitsi

Jitsi is an open-source collection for building video conferencing solutions. Jitsi Meet is a JavaScript client for video chatting with screen sharing and collaboration features. It's accessible through web browsers and mobile apps. Jitsi Videobridge is an XMPP server (Prosody) for large-scale video chats with WebRTC compatibility and default encryption.

Key Points about Jitsi

Jitsi is free, open-source, and offers end-to-end encryption. It provides a live experience with features like active speakers, text chatting (web only), screen sharing, and more. Additional features require Jibri configuration.

Jitsi requires extra steps for call recording, either by live streaming to YouTube or setting up Jibri. Support response time may exceed 48 hours. The tool doesn't handle user bandwidth in case of network issues, leading to potential screen blankness.

Pricing for Jitsi

Jitsi is 100% open source and available for free usage and development. However, you are responsible for setting up your own servers and creating the UI from scratch. Product support comes at an additional cost.

5. AWS Chime

AWS Chime is a video conferencing tool for business users, offering VoIP calling, video messaging, and virtual meetings for remote collaboration.

Here's a concise overview of AWS Chime

AWS Chime offers high-quality online meetings with crisp video and audio, collaborative capabilities including screen sharing and text chats, and meeting management for up to 250 participants. Enhanced security is provided through AWS Identity and Access Management, and recording and analytics features are available. Basic bandwidth management is included, but edge case management is the user's responsibility.

AWS Chime Pricing

Basic Tier : Free of charge, offering one-on-one audio and video calls along with group chat functionality.
Plus Tier : Available at $2.50 per user per month, this tier includes all basic features, screen sharing, remote desktop control, 1 GB message history per user, and Active Directory integration.
Pro Tier : Priced at $15 per user per month, the Pro Tier encompasses all Plus features. It allows scheduling and hosting meetings for three or more participants (up to 100 attendees), meeting recording, Outlook integration, and more.

6. EnableX

EnableX offers a complete suite of SDKs for live video, voice, and messaging. Designed for service providers, ISVs, SIs, and developers, EnableX provides essential building blocks for creating engaging live video solutions.

Key points about EnableX

The SDK enables customized video solutions with UI customization, hosting, and billing integration. It provides live analytics, reporting, and supports various programming languages. Users can stream live content from their app, website, or popular platforms like YouTube and Facebook. Support responses may take up to 72 hours, and integration may take weeks. Video optimization for device and network issues requires separate handling.

EnableX Pricing

Participant-Based Pricing : The SDK is priced at $0.004 per participant minute for up to 50 participants per room. For pricing involving over 50 participants, it is necessary to contact their sales team.
Additional Costs : Recording is charged at $0.10 per participant per minute, transcoding at $0.10 per minute, and storage at $0.05 per GB per month. RTMP streaming incurs a cost of $0.10 per minute.

7. TokBox OpenTok (Vonage Video API)

TokBox OpenTok (Vonage Video API) enables customized video experiences in mobile, web, and desktop apps. Originally founded in 2008, it transitioned from a consumer product to a technology provider for embedding video conference components on websites.

Key points about OpenTok (Vonage Video API)

The API offers live video, voice, messaging, and screen-sharing capabilities with client libraries for multiple platforms. It enables customized audio/video streams with effects and supports collaboration features. Performance analysis is available, and the SDK ensures security and compliance. It scales to accommodate participants and provides chat-based support. Edge case management is the user's responsibility.

OpenTok Pricing

Usage-Based Model : OpenTok follows a usage-based pricing model, dynamically calculated per minute based on the number of participants in a video session. Plans start at $9.99 per month, including free 2,000 minutes per month across all plans. Once the free minutes are exhausted, pricing is set at $0.00395 per participant minute. Recording starts at $0.10 per minute, and HLS streaming is priced at $0.15 per minute.

8. Whereby

Whereby is a browser-based meeting solution with permanent rooms for easy access. Guests can join meetings effortlessly, without downloads or registrations. It also offers a hybrid meeting solution that eliminates echo and the need for expensive hardware, ideal for distributed teams.

Key points about Whereby

Whereby offers limited video interface customization, seamless in-app video calls, GDPR-compliant data privacy, basic collaborative features (screen sharing, recording, picture-in-picture, text chat), and requires manual implementation for user-host publish-subscribe logic.

Whereby Pricing:

Pricing Plans : Whereby offers various pricing plans starting at $9.99 per month. The base plan includes up to 2,000 user minutes that renew monthly. Additional minutes are charged at a rate of $0.004 per minute. Cloud recording and live streaming features are available at a cost of $0.01 per minute.
Support Options : Email and chat support are provided for free to all accounts. Additionally, technical onboarding, customer success manager, and HIPAA compliance options are available for enterprise plans, offering additional support and specialized features.

9. Daily

Daily is a powerful platform designed to enable developers to create real-time video and audio calls directly within the browser. It provides a range of SDKs and APIs to handle various backend video call use cases across different platforms.

Here's an overview of Daily

Daily provides two approaches: the Daily Client SDKs for custom UI development and the Daily Prebuilt widget for easy integration. It offers collaborative features like HD screen sharing, breakout rooms, raise hand, live transcription, whiteboard, and text chat. Daily supports scalability, real-time call data for debugging, and optimization. Please be aware that the mobile SDKs are in beta development. Support is available through email and chat, with a response time of up to 72 hours. Users are responsible for their own publish-subscribe logic, and edge case management is not built-in.

Daily Pricing

Daily's pricing is based on a per-participant minute model, with a rate of $0.004 per minute. Each month, you receive 10,000 free participant minutes that are refreshed monthly. Additional charges apply for audio ($0.00099 per user minute), streaming ($0.0012 per minute), RTMP output ($0.015 per minute), and recording ($0.01349 per GB).
Email and chat support are available for free for all accounts. Advanced support features can be accessed through add-on packages, starting from $250 per month. ## 10. SignalWire

SignalWire is an API-driven platform designed to enable developers to integrate live and on-demand video experiences into their applications. It aims to simplify video encoding, delivery, and renditions, providing a seamless video streaming experience for users.

Here's an overview of SignalWire

SignalWire offers an SDK for integrating real-time video and live streams into web, iOS, and Android applications. Each video call can support up to 100 participants in a real-time webRTC environment. However, the SDK doesn't provide built-in support for managing disruptions or user publish-subscribe logic, requiring separate implementation by developers.

SignalWire Pricing

SignalWire follows a pricing model based on per-minute usage. The pricing includes $0.0060 per minute for HD video calls and $0.012 for Full HD video calls. The cost may vary depending on the video quality required for your application.
Additional features such as recording are available at a rate of $0.0045 per minute, allowing you to capture and store video content. Streaming is another feature provided by SignalWire, priced at $0.10 per minute.  * * * ## Certainly!

While all the video conferencing SDKs mentioned offer various features and capabilities, Video SDK stands out as an SDK that prioritizes a fast and seamless integration experience.

Video SDK offers a low-code solution that allows developers to quickly build live video experiences in their applications. With Video SDK, it is possible to create and deploy custom video conferencing solutions in under 10 minutes, significantly reducing the time and effort required for integration.

Unlike other SDKs that may have longer integration times or limited customization options, Video SDK aims to provide a streamlined process. By leveraging Video SDK, developers can create and embed live video experiences with ease, allowing users to connect, communicate, and collaborate in real time.

Still skeptical?

Take a deep dive into Video SDK's comprehensive Quickstart guide and immerse yourself in the possibilities with our powerful sample app, built exclusively for Video SDK.

Sign up and embark on your integration journey today and seize the opportunity to claim your complimentary 10,000 minutes, allowing you to unleash the full potential of Video SDK. And if you ever need assistance along the way, our dedicated team is just a click away, ready to support you.

Get ready to witness the remarkable experiences you can create using the extraordinary capabilities of Video SDK. Unleash your creativity and let the world see what you can build!