We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Agora is positioned for apps adding real-time audio and video, teams needing chat and signaling APIs, and products exploring conversational AI. The pricing page shows a free plan but no starting price, so you’ll need to confirm costs and limits before committing. For a B2C product, one Reddit thread raises a serious volume-cost warning—but it discusses Agora alongside Daily and Twilio, not as a verified Agora quote. These alternatives cover RTC directly and broader communications needs.
01Why people leave Agora
High-volume costs may bite
A WebRTC Reddit thread reports an expected bill above $50,000 monthly at about 150,000 MAU, even with volume discounts across Agora, Daily and Twilio.
Pricing needs a quote
The published Agora listing shows a free plan but no starting price or usage caps. Get a volume quote before estimating production costs.
You want self-hosted options
A commenter in a WebRTC thread points to self-hosted LiveKit as an option; weigh that route if you want more control.
02The alternatives, ranked by fit
- Voice and video apps
DailyDailyDaily is the closest fit if you’re replacing Agora for calls or realtime voice features. Its listing covers audio and video calls, realtime voice AI agents, and an open-source agent framework. It starts at $0 with a free plan, but the published material doesn’t give the free-minute allowance or overage rates, so price your expected usage first.
Trade-off: Free-minute caps and overage rates aren’t specified in the published material.
7.0/10from
Freefree plan - Custom voice and video
LiveKitLiveKitLiveKit suits teams that want control over voice or video agents, including model and behavior choices. Its listing says projects should fit the included minute caps and price session minutes, models, and telephony before production. It has a free plan and starts at $50; confirm which plan and included limits match your workload.
Trade-off: Session minutes, models and telephony need pricing before production.
7.6/10from
$50/mofree plan - Custom communications workflows
TwilioTwilioTwilio is a practical switch if your product needs custom communications workflows or several messaging channels alongside its APIs. The listing shows a free plan and a starting price of $0.0001. That entry price isn’t a full cost estimate: usage and messaging registration can add friction, so model your actual traffic and channels.
Trade-off: Usage costs and messaging registration add budgeting and setup work.
7.6/10from
$0.00/mofree plan - Voice, video and messaging
Vonage Communications APIsVonage Communications APIsVonage is worth comparing when you need voice, video and messaging in one communications API offering, including for customers across countries. The listing starts at $13.99. That gives you a public entry point to investigate, but the published material doesn’t verify API pricing details or user sentiment, so request a quote against your usage.
Trade-off: API pricing details and user sentiment are unverified in the published material.
5.5/10from
$13.99/mo - Enterprise voice and messaging
Bandwidth Communications APIsBandwidth Communications APIsBandwidth may fit enterprise teams building voice and messaging products, especially those evaluating U.S. SMS, RCS or SIP trunking. Its listing describes usage-based pricing but gives no starting price. That makes it a comparison candidate rather than a predictable-cost replacement; ask for a quote based on your channels and expected volume.
Trade-off: No starting price is listed, and public service-quality signals are limited.
6.0/10from
Custom - Messaging and payments
CM.com Communications PlatformCM.com Communications PlatformCM.com is a broader option if your replacement needs to connect customer conversations with payments or support teams exploring AI agents across channels. Its listing starts at $58. That’s a concrete entry price, but the published material leaves plan limits unspecified, so check what the entry tier includes before comparing it with Agora.
Trade-off: The listing leaves important plan limits unspecified.
6.0/10from
$58/mo
03Side by side
| Tool | Score | From | Free plan | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Agora Agora (current) | 6.0 | Free | Yes | Apps adding real-time audio and video |
| Daily Daily | 7.0 | Free | Yes | Teams building realtime voice AI agents |
| LiveKit LiveKit | 7.6 | $50/mo | Yes | Teams building voice or video agents |
| Twilio Twilio | 7.6 | $0.00/mo | Yes | Teams building custom communications workflows |
| Vonage Communications APIs Vonage Communications APIs | 5.5 | $13.99/mo | No | Teams building multi-channel customer interactions |
| Bandwidth Communications APIs Bandwidth Communications APIs | 6.0 | Custom | No | Enterprises building voice and messaging products |
| CM.com Communications Platform CM.com Communications Platform | 6.0 | $58/mo | No | Teams wanting messaging and payments together |
Questions people ask
What is Agora software used for?
The pricing page positions Agora for apps adding real-time audio and video, teams that need chat and signaling APIs, and products exploring conversational AI features. That makes it a communications technology option for products building interactive experiences. The listing doesn’t provide detailed plan limits or a starting price.
What are some free alternatives to LiveKit?
Daily and Twilio both list free plans in our comparison. Daily starts at $0, while Twilio lists a $0.0001 starting price and a free plan. The free-tier caps and included usage aren’t specified here, so check each provider’s current pricing page before estimating whether a free tier covers your workload.
Is Agora free to use?
The published Agora listing says it has a free plan, but shows no starting price or included limits. That means we can’t establish from this material how much usage is free or what triggers paid charges. Confirm the current plan terms and get a volume quote before budgeting for production.