The Best Video APIs in 2026
We researched video APIs using official pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings reflect how well each product supports embedded real-time or recorded video, its value for money, and verified features relevant to developers building video into applications.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
api.video#1 of 369.4/10A broad video infrastructure API with a free sandbox and usage-based pricing.
Free plan
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Runner-up
Mux Video#2 of 369.2/10A production-focused video API with analytics, protection, and live streaming.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
Daily#3 of 369.0/10A broad video API platform for building real-time calls, recording, and streaming.
Free plan
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
The full ranking 36 tools, best first
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Best forVideo hosting and delivery APIs
A broad video infrastructure API with a free sandbox and usage-based pricing.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
9.4/10★★★★★Visit api.video -
Best forProduction video platforms with analytics
A production-focused video API with analytics, protection, and live streaming.
9.2/10★★★★★Visit Mux Video -
Best forLarge-scale real-time video applications
A broad video API platform for building real-time calls, recording, and streaming.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit Daily -
Best forFlexible embedded video and live streaming
A flexible video API with conferencing, streaming, recording, SDKs, and usage-based pricing.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.9/10★★★★☆Visit 100ms -
Best forFeature-rich calls and livestreaming
A broad video API stack for teams building calls, livestreams, recordings, and moderation.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Stream Video -
Best forReal-time video with AI meeting features
A broad video API for teams building calls, streaming, recordings, and AI meeting workflows.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit VideoSDK -
Best forHigh-scale embedded meetings
A broad video toolkit for developers building high-scale embedded meetings.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit Zoom Video SDK -
Best forEnterprise-scale interactive video
A broad video API for building interactive sessions, broadcasts, and recorded experiences.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Vonage -
Best forManaged video hosting with delivery controls
A developer-focused video platform with broad delivery, access, and analytics controls.
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forMature enterprise video infrastructure
Mature video infrastructure with broad capabilities and tiered usage-based pricing.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit Agora -
Best forTeams embedding branded video meetings
A flexible video API with prebuilt UI, SDKs, recording, and usage-based plans.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit Whereby -
Best forSelf-hosted multi-protocol streaming
A broad video engine for teams that need protocol flexibility and deployment control.
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit Ant Media -
Best forCommercial low-latency streaming deployments
A protocol-rich video server for commercial low-latency deployments.
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit Red5 Pro -
Best forEnterprise live encoding and ad workflows
An enterprise-focused live encoder for complex streaming, advertising, and delivery workflows.
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit Bitmovin -
Best forAWS-native live video streaming
A flexible AWS service for low-latency streaming, live interaction, and recorded video workflows.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit Amazon IVS -
Best forOpen video streaming and simulcasting
An open video stack for developers building streaming, VOD, simulcast, and AI video applications.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit Livepeer -
Best forEmbeddable meetings with mobile SDKs
A broad video API suite for embeddable meetings, mobile apps, and communications features.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit JaaS -
Best forSpecialized multiparty video and device workflows
A specialized video API for multiparty rooms, synchronized media, and device feeds.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Eyeson -
Best forOpen-source protocol conversion and streaming
A flexible self-hosted foundation for protocol conversion, streaming, and WebRTC.
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit SRS -
Best forSelf-hosted multi-protocol media servers
A flexible self-hosted media server for teams managing multi-protocol video infrastructure.
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit MediaMTX -
Best forDevelopers building custom WebRTC infrastructure
A flexible, low-level foundation for developers assembling custom WebRTC systems.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit mediasoup -
Best forLow-level Go WebRTC applications
A broad, low-level WebRTC toolkit for building real-time Go applications.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit Pion WebRTC -
Best forCustom WebRTC media server development
A flexible self-hosted foundation for custom WebRTC media infrastructure.
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
7.0/10★★★★☆Visit Janus Gateway -
Best forSelf-hosted WebRTC SFU infrastructure
A focused, open-source SFU backend for developers building real-time video applications.
- Real-time video
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Jitsi -
Best forEmbedded small-group calling
A focused SDK for embedded calls, with recording and developer controls for rooms of up to 10.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Sendbird -
Best forSmall-room video APIs with trial access
A usage-based video API for small rooms with broad platform support.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit EnableX -
Best forBroad-platform real-time communications
A broad real-time communications toolkit with usage-based pricing and extensive media features.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit BytePlus -
Best forSmall embedded video calls
A focused video API for small calls, with larger conferencing available as an add-on.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit QuickBlox -
Best forStraightforward programmable video rooms
A usage-priced video API for building customizable rooms across web and mobile.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Twilio -
Best forEmbedding third-party video content
A focused toolkit for embedding third-party video and rich media across web and iOS.
- Mobile SDKs
- Recorded video
6.3/10★★★☆☆Visit Embedly -
Best forManaged live and on-demand video publishing
A managed video platform covering publishing, playback, analytics, monetization, and security.
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit Wowza Video -
Best forTencent ecosystem video applications
A broad real-time video API suite for applications built around Tencent Cloud.
- Mobile SDKs
- Real-time video
- Recorded video
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit Tencent RTC -
Best forVoice and multimodal AI agent sessions
A strong fit for realtime voice agents, telephony, and multimodal workflows—not general video APIs.
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit LiveKit -
Best forProgrammable PSTN and SIP calling
A focused AWS toolkit for programmable inbound, outbound, and SIP telephony.
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit AWS -
Best forIn-app messaging with media messages
A media-rich chat API with cross-platform SDKs, moderation, and offline delivery.
5.8/10★★★☆☆Visit ZEGOCLOUD -
Best forEnterprise in-app messaging
A broad, enterprise-ready chat platform for messaging inside web and mobile apps.
5.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Stream Chat
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Real-time video | Recorded video | Mobile SDKs | Recording storage | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | api.video | Yes | $0.0017/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Vendor | 9.4 |
| 2 | Mux Video | Yes | $20/mo | 9.2 | ||||
| 3 | Daily | Yes | $0.004/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 9.0 |
| 4 | 100ms | Yes | $0.0012/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.9 |
| 5 | Stream Video | Yes | $0.30/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.8 |
| 6 | VideoSDK | Yes | $0.004/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.7 |
| 7 | Zoom Video SDK | No | $0.0035/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.6 |
| 8 | Vonage Video API | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.5 | |
| 9 | Cloudflare Stream | No | $5/unit/mo | 8.4 | ||||
| 10 | Agora Video Calling | Yes | $45.99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.3 |
| 11 | Whereby Embedded | Yes | $9.99/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 8.2 |
| 12 | Ant Media Server | Yes | $89/device/mo | 8.1 | ||||
| 13 | Red5 Pro | No | $29.99/mo | 8.0 | ||||
| 14 | Bitmovin Live Encoder | No | 7.9 | |||||
| 15 | Amazon Interactive Video Service | No | $0.07/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Customer | 7.8 |
| 16 | Livepeer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 7.7 | |
| 17 | Jitsi as a Service | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 7.6 | |
| 18 | Eyeson | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 7.5 | |
| 19 | SRS | Yes | Free | 7.4 | ||||
| 20 | MediaMTX | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Customer | 7.3 | |
| 21 | mediasoup | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | 7.2 | |
| 22 | Pion WebRTC | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | Customer | 7.1 |
| 23 | Janus Gateway | Free | Yes | Yes | No | Customer | 7.0 | |
| 24 | Jitsi Videobridge | Free | Yes | No | 6.9 | |||
| 25 | Sendbird Calls | No | $0.0014/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 6.8 |
| 26 | EnableX Video API | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 6.7 | |
| 27 | BytePlus RTC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 6.6 | ||
| 28 | QuickBlox Video Calling | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 6.5 | ||
| 29 | Twilio Programmable Video | No | $0.004/unit usage-based | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 6.4 |
| 30 | Embedly | Yes | $19/mo | Yes | Yes | 6.3 | ||
| 31 | Wowza Video | No | $2,000/yr | 6.2 | ||||
| 32 | Tencent RTC | No | $49.50/mo | Yes | Yes | Yes | Both | 6.1 |
| 33 | LiveKit Agents | Yes | $50/mo | 6.0 | ||||
| 34 | Amazon Chime SDK PSTN Audio | No | $0.002/unit usage-based | 5.9 | ||||
| 35 | ZEGOCLOUD In-app Chat | Yes | $99/mo | 5.8 | ||||
| 36 | Stream Chat | Yes | 5.7 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- api.video vs Mux Video
- api.video vs Daily
- api.video vs 100ms
- api.video vs Stream Video
- api.video vs VideoSDK
- api.video vs Zoom Video SDK
- api.video vs Vonage Video API
- Mux Video vs Daily
- Mux Video vs 100ms
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How we rank video APIs
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update