Top 8 Twilio Video Alternatives in 2024
With Twilio announcing that they will sunset their programmable video product, customers need to find a new solution to support their real-time communication needs.
With Twilio announcing that they will sunset their programmable video product, customers need to find a new solution to support their real-time communication needs. It can be confusing to decipher the differences between all the solutions out there, so we’re unpacking some of the top options when choosing who to migrate to.
Keep reading to discover eight alternatives to consider:
1. Whereby
Whereby offers a web-first, fully customizable solution with their SDK. Providing integrated video solutions is Whereby’s core focus and they are constantly developing new features and capabilities. The pre-built solution allows for a quick and easy way to get started. Developers can customize features via the web component or have full control of the UI using the Browser SDK with React Hooks. There are also SDKs for iOS and Android available. Built in features such as chat and screen sharing which can easily be configured alongside video conferencing capabilities. Insights are available on all plan types and there is no extra charge for support.
Pricing
Free plan- 2000 participant minutes/month
Build plan- $9.99/month base fee, 2000 participant minutes included then $0.004/ participant minute.
Cloud recording & live streaming- $0.01/minute
Storage- 30GB days included then $0.0015 per GB day
Grow plan- Custom pricing with volume discounts starting at $0.0037/participant minute (see pricing calculator)
Cloud recording & live streaming- $0.01/minute (volume discounts available)
Storage- 300+GB days included then $0.0015 per GB day
Customer success manager & technical onboarding included
HIPAA compliance included
2. Zoom SDK
The Zoom Video SDK allows users to create customized video applications by providing access to Zoom's technology. Offering a range of services such as video, audio, screen sharing, chat, and data streams, the SDK allows users to choose and integrate specific features. With server-side APIs and webhooks, it provides complete control for designing personalized video layouts for sessions with up to 1,000 participants or co-hosts.
Zoom’s web client is not their core focus and it is questionable how much time and effort they will dedicate to developing their solution further. There is also no support for Android Webview and some basic features rely on the SharedArrayBuffer API, which brings along a lot of additional complexity. As a large company, receiving personalized support could be challenging. Developers could benefit from choosing a WebRTC-first solution.
See how Zoom compares to Whereby here.
Pricing
PAYG- 10,000 participant minutes free, then $0.0035/participant minute.
Recording- $100/month plus $0.015/minute
Storage- $0.5/GB
Developer support- $675-2900
Credit bundles- $100/month for 100 credits (removes some add-on fees)
3. Daily
Daily is a platform crafted for developers seeking to incorporate real-time video and audio calls directly into web applications. The platform provides a set of SDKs and APIs designed to manage diverse backend video call scenarios across various platforms.
They present two approaches for implementing real-time video and audio calls: Daily Client SDKs, providing core APIs for custom user interface creation, and Daily Prebuilt, a ready-made, embeddable video chat widget easily incorporable into any web application with minimal code.
Pricing
PAYG- 10,000 participant minutes free, then $0.004/ participant minute (video & audio)
Audio only- $0.00099/participant minute
Cloud recording- $0.014/minute
Live streaming- $0.015/RTMP encoded minute OR $0.03/HLS duration minute
Support- $500-5000/month
HIPAA- $500/month
4. Vonage
Vonage's Video API, (previously known as TokBox), offers solutions for organizations heavily reliant on video for their business operations. They offer a low-code solution as well as a full API.
Despite Vonage providing fully customizable video solutions for direct embedding into applications or websites, there are notable drawbacks. The dashboard is deemed challenging to navigate, lacking real-time usage details.
Users frequently express the need for Vonage to streamline written documentation. Additionally, it has been reported that the tool cannot autonomously manage network changes, necessitating manual intervention from users.
Pricing
PAYG- $9.99/month base fee, 2000 participant minutes included then $0.004/ participant minute.
HD recording- $0.045/minute
Live streaming-$0.003/minute
HIPAA Compliance- Additional fee, not advertised
No volume discounts
Enhanced support packages- from $750
5. Jitsi
Jitsi offer a suite of open-source initiatives designed for the development and integration of video conferencing solutions into applications. Jitsi Meet, their client-side JavaScript application, enables live video conversations, collaboration, and screen sharing. “Jitsi as a service” is their developer API and SDK offering.
While Jitsi operates under a fully open-source model and is freely available for unrestricted use and development, users are responsible for acquiring their own servers and constructing their user interface from scratch. This results in extensive development and maintenance requirements. Product support is available but requires an additional fee.
Pricing
Unlike most solutions which charge based on usage via participant minutes, Jitsi charge based on “monthly active users”.
Free- 25 monthly active users
Basic- $99/month, 300 monthly active users
Standard- $499/month, 1500 monthly active users
Business- $999/month, 3000 monthly active users
Custom- for over 3000 monthly active users
Add ons-
Recording- $0.01/minute
RTMP streaming- $0.01/minute
6. Video SDK
Video SDK is a real-time audio and video software development kit, offering various features for application development. Its primary function is to facilitate real-time video communication within applications, compatible with most platforms. Developers can customize the interface to align with their brand or application design.
However, it comes with considerations. Full use of Video SDK requires a certain level of technical expertise in software development. They do not offer a pre-built or low code solution. Video communication quality may vary based on the user's internet connection, impacting performance. Despite being designed for cross-platform use, some users claim occasional compatibility issues with specific operating systems or devices.
Pricing
PAYG- 10,000 free participant minutes, then $0.003/participant minute for video and $0.0006/participant minute for audio-only calls.
Cloud recording- $0.015/minute
Live streaming-$0.003/speaker minute, $0.0015/viewer minute
Storage- 300 minutes included then $0.003 per minute stored/month
7. Amazon Chime SDK
AWS Chime, part of Amazon Web Services, is a video conferencing tool tailored for business users. Their SDK allows integration of real-time audio, video, screen sharing, and messaging capabilities into applications. Due to a reliance on AWS solutions, implementation can be complex and time consuming, for example end-user authentication relies on AWS IAM or AWS STS.
Pricing
PAYG (Standard)- $0.0017/participant minute
PAYG (high definition)- $0.0034/participant minute
Recording- $0.01 per minute for HD, $0.0125 per minute for FHD
Live streaming- $0.09 per minute for HD, $0.125 per minute for FHD
8. Agora
The Agora video SDK facilitates the integration of video calls and live streams into websites and iOS/Android applications, offering APIs and development tools for seamless incorporation into applications and web services through customization.
However, it is claimed that the tool lacks automatic management of user bandwidth in case of network issues, resulting in a blank screen. There have also been concerns around their privacy and data security history. Finally, many developers find Agora’s solution complex to implement, and it requires significant ongoing maintenance.
Pricing
PAYG- 10,000 free participant minutes, then $3.99 (HD) or $8.99 (Full HD) per 1000 participant minutes.
Audio only- $0.99/1000 minutes
Recording- $0.99/1000 minutes
Live streaming- $3.99/1000 minutes
Analytics- From $499/month
Support packages- $1200-4900
Get started for Free with Whereby and test if our solution is a good fit for your Twilio migration or take a look at our migration guide.
Want to learn more? Speak to our team.
