What is LiveKit and what can you build with it?
LiveKit is an Apache 2.0 open-source WebRTC Selective Forwarding Unit with official Flutter, React Native, iOS, Android, and Web SDKs. CelloIP builds video calling apps, voice AI agents, live streaming platforms, and SIP-integrated conferencing on LiveKit — self-hosted or via LiveKit Cloud.
Should I self-host LiveKit or use LiveKit Cloud?
Start on LiveKit Cloud to validate your product with minimal operations overhead, then migrate to self-hosted LiveKit once usage crosses roughly 5,000 monthly active users. Self-hosting on a $60/month server handles around 200 concurrent users with no per-minute fee, saving 30–50% versus Agora or Twilio at scale.
LiveKit App Development
CelloIP builds custom video, voice, and AI agent apps on LiveKit — the leading open-source WebRTC SFU with official Flutter and React Native SDKs. Self-hosted or LiveKit Cloud, you own the app and never pay a mandatory per-minute fee.
What We Build on LiveKit
LiveKit Video Calling Apps
1:1 and group video calling apps on Flutter or React Native using LiveKit's official SDKs — the same integration code path whether self-hosted or on LiveKit Cloud.
LiveKit Voice AI Agents
Real-time voice AI agents using the LiveKit Agents SDK — STT → LLM → TTS pipelines with sub-500ms latency, integrated with GPT-4o, Deepgram, and ElevenLabs.
Live Streaming Apps
Low-latency one-to-many broadcast using LiveKit's WHIP/WHEP ingest — live events, webinars, and social live streaming with interactive chat overlays.
Self-Hosted LiveKit Deployment
Production LiveKit deployment on your own infrastructure — Docker/Kubernetes, TURN server integration, Redis, monitoring, and scaling guidance. No per-minute fees, full data ownership.
LiveKit SIP Integration
Bridge LiveKit rooms to SIP trunks and existing PBX infrastructure — inbound/outbound PSTN calling into a LiveKit-based voice AI agent or conferencing room.
Mobile-First LiveKit Apps
CelloIP's specialism: LiveKit apps built mobile-first on Flutter and React Native, with native CallKit/PushKit (iOS) and ConnectionService/FCM (Android) for real incoming-call behavior.
Self-Hosted vs LiveKit Cloud vs Agora vs Twilio
The infrastructure decision determines your cost structure for years, not just your launch timeline.
| Option | Cost | Scaling | Data Ownership | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted (200 CCU) | ~$60–200/mo flat | No per-minute fee | Full | You operate the infra |
| LiveKit Cloud | $0.004/audio track-min · $0.006–$0.024/video track-min | Scales with usage | Partial | Zero ops overhead |
| Agora | $3.99/1,000 HD min | Scales with usage | Vendor holds data | Fastest to integrate |
| Twilio Video | Similar per-minute model | Scales with usage | Vendor holds data | Broad platform ecosystem |
Why LiveKit Is CelloIP's Default Recommendation
LiveKit has become the leading open-source WebRTC infrastructure choice in 2026 for one practical reason: it is the only major SFU offering official, first-class SDKs for Flutter and React Native alongside iOS, Android, and Web — meaning a single codebase covers every major client platform with near-native call quality. For CelloIP, which builds the majority of new video and voice apps on Flutter, this eliminates an entire category of integration risk that raw WebRTC or Mediasoup would otherwise introduce.
The Self-Hosting Trade-Off, Honestly
Self-hosted LiveKit is genuinely 30–50% cheaper than Agora or Twilio at any meaningful scale, and a single $60/month server comfortably handles around 200 concurrent users. But the real cost of self-hosting isn't the EC2 bill — it's the 2am pager when a media node needs attention during a production incident. CelloIP's standard engagement model addresses this directly: we build the app and operate the LiveKit infrastructure, so clients get the cost advantage of self-hosting without needing to build an internal on-call rotation for infrastructure they've never operated before.
LiveKit for Voice AI Agents
Beyond video calling, LiveKit's Agents SDK has become a popular real-time transport layer for AI voice agents — pairing LiveKit's low-latency media pipeline with an STT → LLM → TTS pipeline for natural spoken conversation. This works well for browser and app-based voice agents; for phone-based voice agents that need to answer PSTN numbers, CelloIP bridges LiveKit rooms to SIP trunks via a LiveKit SIP integration, or alternatively bridges Asterisk/FreeSWITCH directly to a Pipecat pipeline — see our related guides below for both approaches.
LiveKit App Development FAQ
What is LiveKit and what can you build with it?
LiveKit is an Apache 2.0 open-source WebRTC Selective Forwarding Unit (SFU) with official SDKs for Flutter, React Native, iOS, Android, and Web. You can build video calling apps, group conferencing, live streaming, and real-time voice AI agents on it — either self-hosted or via LiveKit Cloud.
Is LiveKit free / open source?
Yes. The LiveKit server is Apache 2.0 open source and free to self-host with no per-minute fees. LiveKit Cloud is the managed, paid version of the same technology for teams that don't want to operate their own infrastructure.
How much does LiveKit cost — Cloud vs self-hosted?
Self-hosting on a single ~$60/month AWS EC2 instance handles roughly 200 concurrent users with no per-minute charge. LiveKit Cloud charges $0.004 per audio track-minute and $0.006–$0.024 per video track-minute — roughly $1.50–$2.00 for a 1-hour 1:1 video call.
Does LiveKit have Flutter and React Native SDKs?
Yes — official, first-class SDKs for both, alongside iOS, Android, and Web. This is one of the main reasons CelloIP recommends LiveKit as the default choice for new mobile video/voice apps.
Should I use LiveKit Cloud or self-host?
Start on LiveKit Cloud for the first 3–6 months to validate the product with minimal ops overhead, then migrate to self-hosted once usage crosses roughly 5,000 monthly active users — CelloIP typically completes that migration in 2–3 weeks, and the savings pay for it within the first month. The honest trade-off: self-hosting is cheaper, but the hidden cost is the 2am pager, not the EC2 bill — you need an experienced operations partner.
LiveKit vs Agora vs Twilio — which is better?
LiveKit is the better choice when you want to self-host, avoid per-minute fees at scale, and use official Flutter/React Native SDKs with full data ownership. Agora and Twilio are faster to integrate for a quick MVP but bill per-minute indefinitely, which becomes expensive well before an app reaches meaningful scale.
Related Services
LiveKit Development
Custom rooms, recording, SFU config
LiveKit Voice Agents
Agents SDK, STT/TTS/LLM orchestration
LiveKit SIP Integration
SIP trunk to LiveKit bridge, PSTN
Video Calling App Development
Flutter/React Native video apps
Pipecat + Asterisk/FreeSWITCH Guide
Alternative telephony-first voice AI path
Hire LiveKit Developers
From $25/hr, 48h onboarding
Start Your LiveKit App
Book a free technical assessment with a CelloIP LiveKit engineer — we'll help you choose self-hosted vs Cloud and scope the build.