LiveKit vs Daily vs 100ms: Best Real-Time Video SDK (2026)

Adding real-time video to your app used to require a WebRTC PhD. In 2026, LiveKit, Daily, and 100ms handle the infrastructure so you can focus on the product. But they target different use cases. Here's how to choose.

Quick Comparison

Feature	LiveKit	Daily	100ms
Type	Open-source + Cloud	Managed SaaS	Managed SaaS
Self-host	Yes (free)	No	No
Video	✅	✅	✅
Audio	✅	✅	✅
Screen share	✅	✅	✅
Recording	✅	✅	✅
AI integration	Excellent (Agents)	Good	Good
Max participants	1000+ (SFU)	1000+	10,000+
Client SDKs	React, JS, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, Unity, Rust	JS, React, iOS, Android	JS, React, iOS, Android, Flutter
Server SDKs	Node, Go, Python, Ruby, Rust	REST API	Node, Python
Free tier	Unlimited (self-host)	10K mins/mo	10K mins/mo
Cloud pricing	$0.004/min/participant	$0.004/min/participant	$0.004/min/participant

LiveKit: Open-Source Real-Time Infrastructure

LiveKit is the open-source WebRTC platform. Self-host for free or use their cloud. It's become the default choice for developers building AI voice/video applications.

Strengths

Open-source (Apache 2.0). Full source code. Self-host on your own infrastructure with zero licensing costs. No vendor lock-in.

LiveKit Agents. The killer feature: a framework for building AI-powered voice and video agents. Build AI assistants that see, hear, and respond in real-time. Integrates with OpenAI, Anthropic, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, and more.

Performance. Rust-based SFU (Selective Forwarding Unit) with exceptional performance. Sub-100ms latency is typical.

Comprehensive SDK coverage. React, JavaScript, Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, Unity, Rust, Go, Python — the widest SDK coverage of the three.

Egress (recording/streaming). Built-in recording, RTMP streaming, and composite recording with layout customization.

Data channels. Send arbitrary data alongside audio/video — useful for real-time collaboration features.

Weaknesses

• Self-hosting complexity. Running LiveKit in production requires infrastructure knowledge (TURN servers, scaling, monitoring).
• Steeper learning curve. More low-level than Daily. You have more control but more to configure.
• Cloud pricing at scale can be similar to competitors despite open-source option.
• Less polished pre-built UI compared to Daily's embedded experience.

Best For

AI voice/video applications, teams that want to self-host, developers who need maximum flexibility, and any project where open-source matters.

Daily: The Simplest Video API

Daily focuses on making real-time video as simple as possible. Embed a video call in your app with minimal code.

Strengths

Simplest integration. Daily's pre-built UI (Daily Prebuilt) can be embedded with a single <iframe>. For custom UI, their call object API is clean and well-documented.

Reliability. Daily has been in production since 2016. Extremely battle-tested with excellent uptime.

Pre-built UI. Daily Prebuilt gives you a complete video call experience (controls, participant grid, screen share, chat) without building any UI.

Excellent documentation. The best docs of the three. Clear guides, comprehensive API reference, and working examples.

Transcription and AI. Built-in transcription and integration with AI services for real-time analysis.

HIPAA compliance. Available on enterprise plans, making Daily suitable for healthcare applications.

Weaknesses

• No self-hosting. Cloud-only. You're fully dependent on Daily's infrastructure.
• Less flexible than LiveKit for custom use cases.
• AI agent support less developed than LiveKit's Agents framework.
• Fewer SDKs. No Flutter, Unity, or Rust SDKs.
• Customization limits. Daily Prebuilt is convenient but customizing beyond themes requires switching to the call object API.

Best For

Teams that want video working quickly, telehealth applications (HIPAA), and projects where reliability matters more than customization.

100ms: Built for Scale

100ms was founded by former Disney+ and Facebook video infrastructure engineers. It's designed for large-scale interactive experiences.

Strengths

Scale. Handles 10,000+ participants in a single session. Built for large events, webinars, and live streaming with interaction.

Role-based architecture. Define roles (host, guest, viewer, moderator) with specific permissions for each. Clean abstraction for complex use cases.

Live streaming. Native HLS streaming for broadcasting to thousands of passive viewers alongside interactive WebRTC participants.

Pre-built components. Roomkit provides pre-built React components for common video UI patterns.

Noise cancellation. AI-powered noise cancellation built into the SDK.

Virtual backgrounds. Built-in virtual and blurred backgrounds without external libraries.

Weaknesses

• No self-hosting. Cloud-only, like Daily.
• Less community than LiveKit.
• AI agent framework less mature than LiveKit's.
• Documentation good but not as polished as Daily's.
• Pricing opacity for enterprise features.

Best For

Large-scale interactive events, webinars, live streaming with audience interaction, and Ed-tech platforms.

AI Integration Comparison

This is where the platforms diverge most significantly in 2026.

LiveKit Agents

LiveKit's Agents framework is purpose-built for AI voice/video applications:

• Build AI assistants that join video calls
• Real-time speech-to-text → LLM → text-to-speech pipelines
• Vision capabilities (AI can see video feeds)
• Integrations: OpenAI, Anthropic, Deepgram, ElevenLabs, Azure, Google
• Open-source agent framework

Daily Bots

Daily's AI integration through Daily Bots:

• AI-powered voice bots that join calls
• Speech-to-text and text-to-speech integration
• Partnership with Pipecat (open-source voice AI framework)
• Simpler setup but less flexible than LiveKit Agents

100ms AI

100ms offers:

• Real-time transcription
• AI noise cancellation
• Basic AI integrations via webhooks
• Less native AI agent support compared to LiveKit

Winner for AI: LiveKit. The Agents framework is significantly ahead for building AI voice/video applications.

Pricing Deep Dive

All three have similar per-minute pricing for basic video:

LiveKit Cloud

• Free: 50K participant-minutes/month
• Growth: $0.004/participant-minute (video), $0.0008/participant-minute (audio)
• Self-host: Free (your infrastructure costs)

Daily

• Free: 10K participant-minutes/month
• Scale: $0.004/participant-minute (video)
• Enterprise: Custom (includes HIPAA, SLAs)

100ms

• Free: 10K participant-minutes/month
• Growth: $0.004/participant-minute (video)
• Enterprise: Custom

For self-hosting cost efficiency at scale, LiveKit is the clear winner.

FAQ

Which is easiest to integrate?

Daily (pre-built UI in minutes). LiveKit and 100ms require more setup but offer more control.

Can I build a Zoom clone with these?

Yes, all three support the features needed: multi-party video, screen share, recording, chat. LiveKit and 100ms are better for large meetings.

Which is best for a healthcare app?

Daily (HIPAA compliance available) or LiveKit (self-host for full data control). 100ms offers HIPAA on enterprise plans.

Can I record calls?

All three support recording. LiveKit and Daily support composite recording (all participants in one video). 100ms supports individual and composite recording.

Which is best for AI voice assistants?

LiveKit Agents, by a significant margin. Purpose-built for this use case with the best framework and integrations.

The Verdict

• Choose LiveKit if you want open-source, need AI voice/video agents, or want to self-host. The most flexible and future-proof option.
• Choose Daily if you want the simplest integration, need HIPAA compliance, or value battle-tested reliability above all.
• Choose 100ms if you're building for large-scale events (10K+ participants) or need native live streaming.

For most developers in 2026, LiveKit offers the best combination of flexibility, AI capabilities, and cost (especially self-hosted). Daily wins for teams that prioritize simplicity and just want video calls to work.