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Building live video isn’t just “set up FFmpeg and hit go.” It means managing ingest, encoding, packaging, scaling, and playback, plus handling failures in real-time.
That’s a full-time job. For multiple people.
Live streaming APIs take care of the infrastructure so you can focus on your app, not your media server. They give you production-ready building blocks: just call the API, and you’re live.
Here’s what that means:
And that’s why we’ve put together 7 of the best live streaming APIs that can make your life or rather, your live a whole lot easier.
Note: This list isn’t ranked. It’s a curated set of live streaming API options, each suited to different needs, not a hierarchy.
FastPix is a full-stack video API platform built for the teams who are building live, on-demand, and everything in between.
Launched in 2023, FastPix gives you APIs to ingest, encode, stream, and analyze video at scale. It’s cloud-native, API-first, and designed to slot directly into your product stack without requiring a dedicated video infra team.
Unlike legacy platforms that hide complexity behind clunky dashboards, FastPix gives you full programmatic control. And pay as you go pricing, from livestreams and simulcast to live-to-VOD recording, live clipping and real-time playback analytics, it’s built to do more with less operational baggage. ( Check FastPix features section)
FastPix is made for builders, engineering teams working on apps where video isn’t just a feature, it is the product.
Whether you're launching an interactive fitness app, a live channel, or a social video platform, FastPix helps you move faster with fewer moving parts, better observability, and no DevOps overhead.
If you want to build, not babysit infrastructure FastPix is your stack.
Pros and cons
Wowza is a veteran in the live video space, founded in 2005 to support high-performance streaming across a wide range of deployment models. It offers both cloud APIs and on-premise software, making it a go-to choice for teams that need tight control over infrastructure or operate in hybrid environments.
Wowza’s strength lies in its flexibility. From transcoding and DVR to multicast streaming and ultra-low-latency delivery, it provides powerful tools for broadcast-level use cases but often requires deeper configuration and infrastructure know-how.
Wowza is built for teams with highly specific needs broadcasters, defense applications, government orgs, and enterprises with compliance, latency, or protocol-level constraints. If you're operating in a regulated environment or need full control over every step of the video pipeline, Wowza gives you the knobs to turn.
But with that control comes complexity so it’s best suited to teams with the in-house expertise to manage and maintain it.
Pros and cons
Vonage Video API is a WebRTC-based platform designed for real-time video communication not just streaming. Originally launched as TokBox and later acquired by Vonage, it’s built to power interactive experiences like live classrooms, virtual meetings, and remote collaboration.
Unlike traditional HLS-based streaming platforms, Vonage focuses on low-latency, multi-participant video that feels conversational, ideal for scenarios where back-and-forth interaction matters more than large-scale broadcast.
Vonage is built for developers working on real-time, interactive video not one-way broadcast. If you're building tools for telehealth, online tutoring, video interviews, or collaborative whiteboards, Vonage gives you the low-latency core and session management features to pull it off.
Just keep in mind: it’s less suited for large-scale live streaming or content delivery it shines in conversations, not broadcasts.
Pros and cons
Dacast is a cloud-based video streaming platform built for businesses that need branded live and on-demand video, without investing in custom development. Launched in 2008, it offers a white-label solution that handles hosting, delivery, and monetization out of the box.
Dacast focuses on ease of use: upload a video, set up a live stream, embed the player, and you’re ready to go. It’s less about deep customization and more about speed, branding, and simple control through its UI.
Dacast is a solid fit for teams that want to launch fast without touching code think event organizers, internal training teams, and small businesses offering paid content. It’s a plug-and-play option for organizations that prioritize branding and control over developer-level flexibility.
Just note: if you need API-first workflows, real-time interactivity, or advanced video logic, Dacast may feel limiting.
AWS IVS (Interactive Video Service) is Amazon’s fully managed live streaming service built on the same infrastructure that powers Twitch. Launched in 2020, it’s designed to deliver sub-second latency and high reliability with minimal setup.
You send a stream in, and AWS handles the rest: ingest, transcoding, ABR packaging, and playback delivery across devices. It’s optimized for interactivity and scale, especially for real-time use cases like chat-enabled streams and live Q&A sessions.
IVS is ideal for teams already inside the AWS ecosystem. If you want Twitch-grade streaming without building infrastructure, and you're comfortable with AWS IAM, billing, and service integration, IVS gets you production-ready fast.
But it’s not API-first in the same way modern developer platforms are. You’ll trade flexibility for speed, so if you need deep control, custom workflows, or cross-cloud portability, it may not be the perfect fit.
Pros and cons
Agora is a real-time engagement platform built for interactive video, voice, and live streaming. Founded in 2014, it offers ultra-low latency APIs that power everything from multiplayer games and live classrooms to social apps with real-time audience interaction.
Agora’s core strength is speed. With global infrastructure optimized for low-latency delivery, it’s built to keep conversations fluid, even at scale.
Agora is a strong fit for teams building interactive, audience-first experiences, especially where responsiveness matters more than deep video customization. Think live tutoring, social streaming, in-game comms, or community platforms.
If you care about latency, user engagement, and real-time interaction over fine-tuned encoding logic or playback pipelines, Agora checks a lot of boxes.
Pros and cons
MirrorFly is a communication API platform built for in-app engagement, combining live video, voice, chat, and moderation tools in one developer-friendly suite. Launched in 2018, it supports both SaaS and on-premise deployment, giving teams control over data, compliance, and infrastructure.
It’s not a pure streaming platform. MirrorFly is more about enabling interactive, user-generated communication inside your product, whether that's a livestream, a voice room, or a moderated group chat.
MirrorFly is a solid choice for teams building social, user-centric platforms where communication is the product. If you're working on a virtual event app, a dating platform, or a creator community, MirrorFly gives you the building blocks to launch fast, without stitching together multiple vendors.
Just note: it’s more of a communication SDK than a full video infrastructure stack, so if you need advanced playback, CDN logic, or live-to-VOD workflows, it may not cover all your bases.
Pros and cons
Live video shouldn’t slow you down. With FastPix, you get the flexibility of clean APIs, the power of a full video stack, and the freedom to build without wrestling infrastructure.
Sign up now and start streaming in minutes, with $25 free credits.
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