Compare · list prices of 2026-10-24
LiveKit alternative: managed rooms with no bandwidth meter or plan fee
LiveKit Cloud is priced by plan, by minute and by gigabyte of downstream bandwidth. VoltKit RTC is a hosted service that meters one thing: participant-minutes at the rate of the media each participant uses, with no bandwidth line and no plan fee.
Every LiveKit figure is the list price read on 2026-10-24, with its URL; VoltKit's rates are read live from its price list. The other vendors are on the comparison of every video API.
VoltKit RTC: ₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutes for Full HD video at the list prices published on 2026-10-24 by the vendors compared.
- Different units. LiveKit Cloud's minute-only overage, $0.40 to $0.50 per 1,000 minutes, is lower than VoltKit's video rate. Downstream bandwidth ($0.10 to $0.12 per GB) and the plan fee are separate meters, so the two are not the same unit; the estimate below adds them up under printed assumptions.livekit.comread 2026-10-24
LiveKit Cloud
LiveKit Cloud's plans and meters
LiveKit Cloud sells plans that include minutes and downstream bandwidth, then bills overage on both. Recording is a separate line and is not compared.
| Vendor | Product line | List price (US$) | Unit | Note | Source, read 2026-10-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveKit Cloud | Build planNot compared | $0 | per month: 5,000 WebRTC minutes, 50 GB downstream, 100 concurrent connections | Overage not published. | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 |
| LiveKit Cloud | Ship planNot compared | $50Published as “starting at” $50 a month | per month (starting price), with 150,000 minutes and 250 GB included | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Ship overage, minutes | $0.50Different unitPublished as $0.0005 per minute | per 1,000 minutes | Minutes only: downstream bandwidth ($0.12 per GB) and the plan fee are separate meters. | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 |
| LiveKit Cloud | Ship overage, downstream bandwidthNot compared | $0.12 | per GB | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Scale planNot compared | $500Published as “starting at” $500 a month | per month (starting price), with 1.5M minutes and 3 TB included | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Scale overage, minutes | $0.40Different unitPublished as $0.0004 per minute | per 1,000 minutes | Minutes only: downstream bandwidth ($0.10 per GB) and the plan fee are separate meters. | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 |
| LiveKit Cloud | Scale overage, downstream bandwidthNot compared | $0.10 | per GB | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Recording, videoNot compared | $0.02 | per minute | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Recording, audio-onlyNot compared | $0.005 | per minute | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Enterprise planNot compared | Not published | custom | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 | |
| LiveKit Cloud | Ship, one 720p30 stream received (estimate)Not compared | $3.30Derived | per 1,000 participant-minutes | An estimate using VoltKit's bitrate table, not LiveKit's: about 1.40 GB per hour at 720p30 (VoltKit's video-quality guide) is about 23 GB per 1,000 participant-minutes, so about $2.80 of bandwidth at $0.12 per GB plus $0.50 of minutes, before the included allowance and the plan fee. | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 |
List prices as published on 2026-10-24, each at the URL beside it.
- Allowance: Build: 5,000 WebRTC minutes, 50 GB downstream and 1,000 agent-session minutes a month. Minimum: Ship from $50 a month, Scale from $500 a month; no annual commitment stated.livekit.comread 2026-10-24
- livekit.io/pricing redirected (HTTP 308) to livekit.com/pricing on 2026-10-24.livekit.comread 2026-10-24
Estimate
One participant on LiveKit Ship: an estimate, with the assumptions printed
Bandwidth depends on what each participant receives, so any per-minute total for LiveKit Cloud is an estimate. This one uses VoltKit's own bitrate table, not LiveKit's, and stops before the included allowance and the plan fee.
- Ship, one 720p30 stream received (estimate)about $3.30 per 1,000 participant-minutesAn estimate using VoltKit's bitrate table, not LiveKit's: about 1.40 GB per hour at 720p30 (VoltKit's video-quality guide) is about 23 GB per 1,000 participant-minutes, so about $2.80 of bandwidth at $0.12 per GB plus $0.50 of minutes, before the included allowance and the plan fee.livekit.comread 2026-10-24
- The same participant on VoltKit RTC₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutesOne rate for video up to 1080p at 30 fps, HD audio included, whatever the bandwidth; no plan fee, no included allowance to run past.
Self-hosting
Running the open-source server yourself: the shape of the bill
LiveKit's media server is open source (github.com/livekit/livekit), so you can run it on your own machines. The bill then has a different shape, and none of it is a vendor price: servers for the media routing, downstream egress for every participant who receives media, a TURN relay for people behind strict networks, and the people who keep it all running.
Egress is usually the line that grows with an audience. A first estimate: participants × hours × GB per hour of the streams each one receives. VoltKit's own figures for one full-size stream are below.
| Quality | Viewer data per hour at 30 fps | Viewer data per hour at 60 fps |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p | about 2.75 GB | about 4.10 GB |
| 720p | about 1.40 GB | about 2.07 GB |
| 480p | about 0.59 GB | about 0.86 GB |
From Video quality: the estimates add 0.1 Mbps for sound and rounding, use decimal GB and assume one full-size stream received throughout; adaptive video, silence and additional streams change actual use.
Metering
What VoltKit RTC meters instead
- One rate per participant-minute, by the media used: standard voice, HD voice, or video with HD audio included.
- Viewers are participants, billed at the rate of what they receive; there is no bandwidth line and no plan fee.
- Usage is recorded in seconds and billed per participant-second, from a prepaid wallet recharged in rupees; nothing renews.
502 people × 30 minutes = 15,060 participant-minutes
15,060 participant-minutes × 99 ÷ 1,000 = 1,490.94 credits, ₹1,490.94 (≈ $15.7) at today's rate
Full HD Video + HD Audio: 99 credits per 1,000 participant-minutes. Billed per second, so a 7½-minute call costs 7½ minutes.
205 people × 60 minutes = 12,300 participant-minutes
12,300 participant-minutes × 39 ÷ 1,000 = 479.7 credits, ₹479.70 (≈ $5.05) at today's rate
Standard Voice: 39 credits per 1,000 participant-minutes. Billed per second, so a 7½-minute call costs 7½ minutes.
VoltKit's rate for the same thing
One video rate covers 480p, 720p and 1080p at 30 fps with HD audio included; voice has a standard and an HD rate; 60 fps upgrades are charged only while delivered. The same list is on the pricing page, and pricing in India adds a participant-minute calculator and paying by UPI, card or net banking.
Each participant is billed one rate at a time: the highest of what they send and what they receive, recorded every 5 seconds and charged per second.
Voice
Standard Voice
Up to 64 kbps
39 credits
per 1,000 participant-minutes
0.039 credits per participant-minute · ₹39 (≈ $0.41) per 1,000 participant-minutes
HD Voice
Up to 128 kbps
49 credits
per 1,000 participant-minutes
0.049 credits per participant-minute · ₹49 (≈ $0.52) per 1,000 participant-minutes
Full HD Video + HD Audio
HD audio includedUp to 1080p/30, HD audio included
99 credits
per 1,000 participant-minutes
HD audio included in video — no separate audio charge.
Video with HD audio is 99 credits per 1,000 participant-minutes in total, never 99 + 49. A participant is billed one rate at a time: the highest media they actually send or receive.
0.099 credits per participant-minute · ₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutes
Optional 60 fps upgrades
The premium is added to the video rate; at 30 fps the video rate applies. Totals include HD audio.
| Mode | Premium | Total | Per participant-minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 1080p/30 | 0 | 99 | 0.099 |
| 480p/60 | +10 | 109 | 0.109 |
| 720p/60 | +25 | 124 | 0.124 |
| 1080p/60 | +50 | 149 | 0.149 |
Charged only while 60 fps is actually delivered. It needs a 60 fps camera or source.
Prices are in VoltKit Credits. New recharges: ₹1 = 1.0000 credits (≈ $0.01), so video with HD audio costs ₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutes at today's conversion. Price list version 1.
Prices are in Indian rupees; dollar figures are approximate, at ₹95 per US dollar on 24 October 2026, for orientation only. You are billed in rupees.
Prices are in credits per 1,000 participant-minutes. One participant connected for one minute = one participant-minute.
- Rates measured per participant-minute.
- HD audio included with video.
- Actual media mode determines applicable rate.
- Enabling services does not itself generate metered charges.
- Quality depends on supported device, codec, and network.
- Billing uses authenticated server-side measurements.
- Wallet offers and conversion are displayed before payment.
- Taxes, where applicable, are shown separately or clearly included.
- Premium frame rates depend on availability and compatibility.
Side by side
LiveKit Cloud and VoltKit RTC, row by row
LiveKit's figures keep its own labels and units, with the minute-only lines flagged; VoltKit's column is read live.
| What is compared | LiveKit Cloud list price (US$) | VoltKit (₹, ≈ US$ for orientation) |
|---|---|---|
| Voice | Not published | Standard Voice: ₹39 (≈ $0.41)HD Voice: ₹49 (≈ $0.52) per 1,000 participant-minutes |
| HD video (720p) |
| ₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutesOne rate at every resolution: Up to 1080p/30, HD audio included |
| Full HD video (1080p) |
| ₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutesOne rate at every resolution: Up to 1080p/30, HD audio included |
| 2K and above | No separate tier: one rate for any video | Not offered: VoltKit video goes up to 1080p/60 |
| In-app chat | Not compared | Included with every room; chat-only connections are not metered as participants |
| Free allowance | Build: 5,000 WebRTC minutes, 50 GB downstream and 1,000 agent-session minutes a monthlivekit.comread 2026-10-24 | A one-time testing trial: 2,500 participant-minutes on your first project, at any quality; up to 25 people per room until the first paid recharge |
| Rounding | Not compared | Recorded in seconds and billed per participant-second; nothing is rounded up to a minute |
| Billing currency and payment | List prices in US dollars | Indian rupees: UPI, card and net banking through Razorpay |
List prices as published on 2026-10-24, each at the URL beside it. VoltKit's rates and trial are read live.
| Vendor | Free allowance | How it is counted | Minimum commitment or plan floor | Source, read 2026-10-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveKit Cloud | Build: 5,000 WebRTC minutes, 50 GB downstream and 1,000 agent-session minutes a month | Minutes and GB | Ship from $50 a month, Scale from $500 a month; no annual commitment stated | livekit.comread 2026-10-24 |
| VoltKit RTC | A one-time testing trial: 2,500 participant-minutes on your first project, at any quality; up to 25 people per room until the first paid recharge | Participant-minutes, at any quality | None: a prepaid wallet you recharge in rupees; no subscription, nothing renews | Usage and billingread live |
List prices as published on 2026-10-24, each at the URL beside it. VoltKit's trial is read live and changes for campaigns.
What you build
Voice rooms, live rooms and PK on managed rooms
Rooms come with four roles signed into each token (host, cohost, moderator, viewer), a stage with raise-hand and promote, seats as named slots, server-side moderation and chat. Interactive live rooms: hosts and seated guests on air, the audience in the same room; not CDN broadcast.
5-seater, 9-seater, 12-seater or 20-seater: the seat count is your app's layout. The service sets no limit on how many people publish in a room, so your app decides how many seats it shows.
- Voice roomsSpeakers on stage, listeners who receive audio only and raise a hand to speak, with seats your app draws.Group audio rooms
- Interactive live roomsHosts and co-hosts on video, the audience in the same room, and chat beside them.Rooms
- PK battles1v1 PK, 1-vs-N PK, 2v2 team PK and family PK are app logic built on rooms, chat and the promote-and-reconnect recipe; VoltKit has no PK module.Chat for scores
Your backend mints the tokens (Issue tokens from your backend, with server SDKs for Node.js, Python, Go, PHP and Java); the app joins with one StreamClient. More on the product at VoltKit RTC.
JavaScript (browser)
JavaScript SDK guide$ npm install @voltkit-rtc/clientReact (browser)
React SDK guide$ npm install @voltkit-rtc/react @voltkit-rtc/clientFlutter (iOS and Android apps)
Flutter SDK guide$ flutter pub add voltkit_rtcAndroid (Kotlin apps)
Android SDK guideimplementation("in.voltkit:voltkit-rtc:0.9.10")Native iOS (Swift)
In preview, not released yet. The Flutter SDK covers iOS apps today; for early access, email contact@voltkit.in.
iOS preview notes
Limits
What VoltKit RTC does not offer
- Self-hosting. VoltKit RTC is a hosted service; your backend and apps use its REST API and SDKs.
- Video above 1080p: VoltKit video goes up to 1080p, at 30 fps or with a 60 fps upgrade.
- A released native iOS (Swift) SDK: it is in preview. The Flutter SDK builds iOS apps today.
- A published maximum room size. Each project's limits on concurrent rooms and viewers per room are shown on its Settings tab, and support can raise them.
Frequently asked questions
Is LiveKit cheaper than VoltKit per minute?
Per minute alone, yes: LiveKit Cloud's overage is $0.0005 per minute on Ship and $0.0004 per minute on Scale ($0.50 and $0.40 per 1,000), below VoltKit's video rate of ₹99 (≈ $1.04) per 1,000 participant-minutes. It also bills downstream bandwidth ($0.12 or $0.10 per GB) and a monthly plan fee, so the units differ. Under the assumptions printed on this page (one 720p stream at 30 fps received, VoltKit's bitrate table), Ship comes to about $3.30 per 1,000 participant-minutes before the included allowance and the plan fee (livekit.com, read 2026-10-24).
What is LiveKit Cloud's free tier?
The Build plan costs $0 per month: 5,000 WebRTC minutes, 50 GB downstream, 100 concurrent connections (livekit.com, read 2026-10-24). Overage not published. VoltKit gives new accounts a one-time testing trial: 2,500 participant-minutes on your first project, at any quality; up to 25 people per room until the first paid recharge.
Does VoltKit charge for bandwidth?
No. VoltKit charges one rate per participant-minute by the media used: there is no bandwidth charge and no plan fee. Viewers are participants, billed at the rate of what they receive; chat, chat-only connections, API calls, tokens and webhooks are not billed.
Can I self-host VoltKit like LiveKit's open-source server?
No. VoltKit RTC is a hosted service: VoltKit runs the media service, and your backend and apps use its REST API and its nine SDKs. LiveKit's server is open source and can run on your own machines.
How much data does a 720p or 1080p call use?
VoltKit's video-quality guide estimates, for a viewer receiving one full-size stream, about 1.40 GB an hour at 720p and 2.75 GB at 1080p at 30 fps, and about 2.07 GB and 4.10 GB at 60 fps. Adaptive video, silence and additional streams change actual use.
What is a participant-minute?
One participant connected for one minute = one participant-minute. Ten people in a room for six minutes use 60 participant-minutes, viewers included. VoltKit records usage in seconds and bills per participant-second, so nothing is rounded up to the next minute.
Are these prices current?
Each vendor figure is the list price published on 2026-10-24 at the URL beside it; the figures are re-checked monthly and the check date is printed on the page. VoltKit's rates are read live from its price list, so they are today's.
Build your live rooms on VoltKit RTC
Voice rooms, video calls and interactive live rooms with chat, from one prepaid wallet in rupees. Your backend mints the tokens; the browser, React, Flutter and Android SDKs join the room.
Questions about a migration?contact@voltkit.inWhatsApp