---
title: "LiveKit Pricing, Features & Alternatives (2026)"
description: "LiveKit review: AI Voice Agents tool — Free tier, plans, pros & cons, and the best LiveKit alternatives compared for startups in 2026."
source: https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/livekit
retrieved: 2026-10-14
---

![LiveKit logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=livekit.io&sz=128)

[AI Voice Agents](https://appstackbuilder.com/categories/voice-agents)Free tier

# LiveKit: Pricing, Features & Alternatives

LiveKit is the open-source option in voice AI. Its WebRTC media server and Agents framework let you build voice agents in code with any speech, LLM and voice provider, and you can self-host the whole stack. LiveKit Cloud runs it for you: Build is free with 1,000 agent minutes and 5 concurrent sessions, Ship is $50/month (5,000 minutes, 20 concurrent) and Scale is $500/month (50,000 minutes). Agent sessions beyond the allowance cost about $0.01 per minute, and you still pay your STT, LLM and TTS providers separately (prices as of August 2026).

Category

AI Voice Agents

Pricing

Free tier available

Free tier

Yes

Best for

AI Voice Agents — voice-ai, webrtc

[Visit LiveKit official site](https://livekit.io)

## LiveKit Pricing Plans (2026)

| Plan        | Price            | Highlights                                                                          |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Open Source | $0 (self-hosted) | Media server and Agents framework · Any model provider · You run the infrastructure |
| Build       | $0               | 1,000 agent minutes / month · 5 concurrent sessions                                 |
| ShipPopular | $50 / month      | 5,000 agent minutes · 20 concurrent sessions                                        |
| Scale       | $500 / month     | 50,000 agent minutes · Up to 600 concurrent                                         |

Pricing summary: Free · paid from $50/mo. Always confirm current pricing on the official site.

## Key LiveKit Features

* ✓5,000 agent minutes
* ✓20 concurrent sessions

### ✓ Pros

* +Open source and self-hostable
* +Full control over the media pipeline
* +Free cloud tier with 1,000 minutes

### ✗ Cons

* −You write the agent in code
* −Model providers billed separately
* −Self-hosting real-time media is real ops work

## Best LiveKit Alternatives

[Compare all ](https://appstackbuilder.com/tool-alternatives/livekit)

[![Retell AI logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=retellai.com&sz=128)Retell AIUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/retell-ai)[![Vapi logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=vapi.ai&sz=128)VapiUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/vapi)[![Bland AI logo](https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain=bland.ai&sz=128)Bland AIUsage-based](https://appstackbuilder.com/tools/bland-ai)

## LiveKit Compared

[LiveKit vs Retell AI](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/livekit-vs-retell-ai)[LiveKit vs Vapi](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/livekit-vs-vapi)[LiveKit vs Bland AI](https://appstackbuilder.com/compare/bland-ai-vs-livekit)

[In-depth guideBest AI Voice Agent Platforms 2026: Vapi vs Retell vs LiveKit vs ElevenLabs vs BlandEvery voice platform advertises a per-minute price that isn't what you actually pay. True all-in cost, real-world latency, self-hosting, and compliance compared across the five that matter.](https://appstackbuilder.com/blog/best-ai-voice-agent-platforms-2026)

## LiveKit FAQ

What is LiveKit used for?⌄

LiveKit is a ai voice agents tool. Open-source real-time media server and Agents framework for building voice AI. Self-host free, or use LiveKit Cloud.

Is LiveKit free?⌄

Yes — LiveKit has a free tier you can start with, and paid plans for more usage and features.

How much does LiveKit cost?⌄

LiveKit offers a free tier, with paid plans starting at $50/month.

What are the best LiveKit alternatives?⌄

Popular LiveKit alternatives include Retell AI, Vapi, Bland AI. Compare pricing and features on our LiveKit alternatives page.

## Not sure if LiveKit fits your stack?

Get a free, AI-powered tech stack tailored to your budget, app type, and team size — including the best ai voice agents pick for you.

[Build my stack free ](https://appstackbuilder.com/)