mediasoup 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 | mediasoup | OpenVidu |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 86 · Excellent |
| Category | Video Conferencing | Video Conferencing |
| License | ISC | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, kubernetes, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,375 | ★ 2,131 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Twilio Video | Twilio Video, Agora |
What are mediasoup and OpenVidu?
mediasoup
mediasoup is a WebRTC Selective Forwarding Unit implemented as a library for Node.js, Rust, and other languages. It powers many self-hosted video conferencing systems with low-latency media routing.
- WebRTC SFU engine
- Low-latency media routing
- Node and Rust APIs
- Building block for conferencing apps
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
mediasoup vs OpenVidu: key differences
Mediasoup is written in C++, while OpenVidu is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — ISC for mediasoup versus Apache-2.0 for OpenVidu. Mediasoup is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for OpenVidu. Mediasoup has the considerably larger community, at 7,375 GitHub stars versus 2,131. OpenVidu lists first-class Docker deployment; mediasoup does not.
Why pick each one
Choose mediasoup if…
- Released under the ISC license
- Mature project with 7.4k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
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 mediasoup or OpenVidu better?
Neither is universally better. mediasoup has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are mediasoup and OpenVidu free and open-source?
Yes. mediasoup is licensed under ISC and OpenVidu under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mediasoup and OpenVidu with Docker?
mediasoup: check the project docs for container support. OpenVidu: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, mediasoup or OpenVidu?
mediasoup 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.