Introduction
With the increasing demand for live video in education, e-commerce, and social media applications, the need for quick app development has also risen. For this purpose, developers rely on live video streaming APIs and SDKs, significantly reducing development time. So, if you are looking for reliable live-streaming video APIs and SDKs, read this guide and find the best ten options.
Integrate Live Streaming Features in Your Apps via the 10 Best APIs and SDKs
Live streaming APIs and SDKs ensure high-quality, adaptive bitrate and advanced functions like low-latency streaming. Besides, they are cross-compatible and offer scalability to handle large audiences on an application. Therefore, you must learn about some top-tier platforms that provide live stream APIs and SDKs for mobile app development.
1. ZEGOCLOUD
To accelerate the integration of live streaming features in mobile apps, the first choice of the majority of developers is ZEGOCLOUD. Its APIs and SDKs are developer-friendly and fully customizable to let you add an interactive live-streaming video feature to the app. Additionally, it offers more than 20 pre-built UIKits and components to make an engaging app in no time.
Surprisingly, ZEGOCLOUD live streaming APIs will make your app capable of supporting 10 million concurrent viewers in one live. Moreover, it will facilitate 99% smooth and stutter-free live streaming, covering 21 territories globally. Through these APIs and SDKs, you can build a next-generation app that supports single-host, multi-host, and cross-room live interactions.
Key Features
- Share the entire or particular screen with other members
- Allow text messages to be sent in the live-stream session
- Enables face beautification for face retouching and smoothing
- Let the host work with ultra-low latency of 300ms.
- Capture live streaming for recording and circulation
Pricing Plans
- Video HD: $3.99 per 1000 minutes
- Video Full HD: $8.99 per 1000 minutes
- Video 2K: $15.99 per 1000 minutes
- Video 4K: $35.99 per 1000 minutes
Website: https://www.zegocloud.com/
2. GetStream
The second most reliable free live streaming platform is GetStream, which aims to build ultra-low latency live streaming in apps. In this regard, it facilitates WebRTC-based live-streaming technology with less than 500ms latency. Moreover, it claims to support millions of participants in live sessions with its global edge network coverage.
Key Features
- Host secure and HIPAA-compliant interactions
- Permit users to chat throughout live video streaming
- Let users host alone or with moderators or participants
Pricing Plans
- HD: $1/1000 minutes
- Full HD: $2/1000 minutes
- 2K: $4/1000 minutes
- 4K: $8/1000 minutes
Website: https://getstream.io/
3. api.video
To simplify live streaming integration in apps, api.video is another considerable choice because of its customizable APIs. Developers can get everything from player to encoding and analytics in one place rather than using five different tools. Additionally, it provides detailed documentation and mobile components for Android and iOS apps.
Key Features
- Broadcast live stream on multiple platforms
- Save and rewind your live stream feed by 1 hour
- Choose viewership of live stream for security
Pricing Plans
- Video Hosting: $0.00285/ per minute of video stored
- Video Delivery: $0.0017/per minute of video delivered
Website: https://api.video/
4. Dyte
After api.video, you can explore Dyte live streaming APIs and SDKs, which are scalable, customizable, and fast. In addition, Dyte delivers APIs that support 10,000 viewers in your live-streaming mobile app with high quality. Through this live-streaming API, developers can customize layouts, add controls, use call-to-action buttons, adjust video resolutions, and set app permissions.
Key Features
- Synchronize video playback with components
- Record and share the live streams on the cloud
- Get in-depth live analytics and user activity
Pricing Plans
- Live streaming: $0.002/ per user per minute
- Live streaming: $0.04 per minute for ingestion
- Add Recording: $0.010 per minute
- Add RTMP Out: $0.015 per minute
- Add Live Transcription: $0.015 per minute
Website: https://dyte.io/
5. 100ms
Regarding an easy-to-integrate API, 100ms has a separate usage base because of its intuitive and easy-to-embed live stream APIs. It has well-built media systems CDNs, sample projects, public documentation, and a bundle of features. Furthermore, it lets professionals stream from anywhere, customize their app’s streaming layout, and engage the audience.
Key Features
- Offer live streams to external platforms
- Blur or replace background during live
- Raise hands and send emojis in live videos
Pricing Plans
- HD Streaming: $0.0012/min per viewer
- Encoding: $0.08/min
- Live Transcription: $0.017/min
Website: https://www.100ms.live/
6. Mux
Mux is helping developers ship communication capabilities faster in apps through its APIs, SDKs, and UI components. Through clean documentation, this platform minimizes the need for expert developers and lets newcomers build live video streaming mobile and web apps. Besides, it facilitates low latency for gaming and auction apps, while standard latency for conference and support apps.
Key Features
- Provide auto-generated subtitles and captions
- Enables watermarks and playback policies
- Monitor the health and performance of live streams
Pricing Plans
- Streaming: $00096/min
- Encoding: $0.032 per minute
- Storage: $0.0024 per min
- Delivery: $0.00096 per min
Website: https://www.mux.com/
7. Agora
Agora is another leading platform that facilitates interactive live streaming APIs and SDKs with real-time video, chat, and voice support. It allows app users to stream at the lowest latency levels and track the performance to resolve the issues if found. Notably, it requires a few lines of code to integrate live stream features in Android, iOS, and Web apps.
Key Features
- Screen sharing and recording with flexibility
- Let you share streams among four channels
- Support AI-powered audio enhancements
Pricing Plans
- Audio only: $0.99 /1,000 minutes
- Video HD: $3.99 /1,000 minutes
- Video Full HD: $8.99 /1,000 minutes
Website: https://www.agora.io/en/
8. VideoSDK
If you want to embed two-way interaction in your Android or iOS application, you must discover the VideoSDK platform. It provides four to eight seconds of low latency for free live-stream infrastructure for developers. Apart from that, it can scale to an audience of 100,000 with multiple co-streamers and adaptive bitrate for better video experiences.
Key Features
- Smooth playback with a customizable player
- Offer customizable visuals to match your brand theme
- Livestream to more than 20 platforms
Pricing Plans
- Livestream (Speaker): $0.003/per speaker min
- Livestream (Viewer): $0.0015/per viewer min
- Encoding: $0.04/per encoded min
Website: https://www.videosdk.live/
9. Vonage
Towards the end, let’s shed some light on Vonage, known for its communication APIs that engage customers. Besides, its specialty is interactive broadcasting APIs, which allow unlimited participants to join video live streaming. It also provides full HD WebRTC and HLS support for browsers and Android and iOS mobile applications.
Key Features
- Adaptive layouts and clear presentation quality
- Encrypted recording of streaming sessions is available
- Use AAC codec at 128kbps for high-quality sound
Pricing Plans
- SD content composition: $0.07/ per session minute
- HD content composition: $0.10/ per session minute
- Full HD content composition: $0.125/per session minute
- HLS streaming, up to HD: $0.0015/per viewer minute
- HLS streaming, full HD: $0.003/ per viewer minute
Website: https://www.vonage.com/?bypassgeoloc=true
10. LiveAPI
LiveAPI has complete APIs and SDKs to quickly build and launch live-stream features in your Android or iOS mobile application. Developers can integrate this API/SDK through straightforward documentation and attain 24/7 support services. Despite that, it provides pre-recorded streams, HLS support, instant encoding, and livestream protection.
Key Features
- Provides livestream analytics and event logs
- Offers an audio-only stream and an embeddable player
- Support RTMP, SRT, and IP cameras
Pricing Plans
- Contact sales team
Website: https://liveapi.com/
Conclusion
Let’s wrap up the discussion as we have explored the industry-leading live video streaming APIs and SDK providers. After learning their detailed descriptions, choosing a platform that fits your budget and needs becomes easier. Yet, if you need an expert suggestion, try ZEGOCLOUD APIs and SDKs, which stand out among all communication API providers.
