LiveKit vs OpenVidu
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video conferencing options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | LiveKit | OpenVidu |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 96 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Video Conferencing | Video Conferencing |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Go | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes, binary | docker, kubernetes, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 21,052 | ★ 2,131 |
| First released | 2021 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Twilio, Agora | Twilio Video, Agora |
What are LiveKit and OpenVidu?
LiveKit
LiveKit is an open-source WebRTC stack providing scalable real-time audio, video, and data infrastructure. It powers self-hosted conferencing and live streaming applications.
- Scalable SFU architecture
- Client SDKs for many platforms
- Server-side recording and egress
- Used by Element Call and others
OpenVidu
OpenVidu is a platform for adding real-time video calls and conferencing to applications, built on top of WebRTC and mediasoup. It provides server components and client SDKs for building custom video products.
- WebRTC video infrastructure
- Recording and broadcasting
- Client SDKs for web and mobile
- Scalable media routing
LiveKit vs OpenVidu: key differences
LiveKit is written in Go, while OpenVidu is built with TypeScript. LiveKit is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for OpenVidu. OpenVidu is the more established project (first released 2017), while LiveKit arrived in 2021. LiveKit has the considerably larger community, at 21,052 GitHub stars versus 2,131.
Why pick each one
Choose LiveKit if…
- Production-grade real-time media
- Excellent SDKs
Watch out for
- Complex to operate at scale
- Infrastructure-focused
Choose OpenVidu if…
- Released under the Apache-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Active community (2.1k GitHub stars)
Frequently asked questions
Is LiveKit or OpenVidu better?
Neither is universally better. LiveKit has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are LiveKit and OpenVidu free and open-source?
Yes. LiveKit is licensed under Apache-2.0 and OpenVidu under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run LiveKit and OpenVidu with Docker?
LiveKit: yes. OpenVidu: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, LiveKit or OpenVidu?
LiveKit has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for OpenVidu. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.