Editorial take
Why it stands out
Daily is easiest to recommend when the team values cost transparency and managed WebRTC simplicity more than the broadest platform surface.
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Tool profile
Realtime voice and video API platform with 10,000 free monthly minutes, transparent per-participant-minute pricing, and optional AI add-ons.
Embedded realtime voice and video in web and mobile applications
Daily is one of the clearest realtime communications products to buy because its pricing and product shape are unusually straightforward. The company focuses heavily on video and audio infrastructure, and it publishes a transparent participant-minute pricing model for Daily Video rather than forcing every buyer into a vague enterprise motion. That makes it especially attractive to product teams who want to model costs early.
The product has also expanded into AI and Pipecat Cloud, but its clearest fit remains human-to-human realtime video and audio. Compared with Agora, Daily is narrower but easier to understand. Compared with LiveKit, Daily is less open-source centered and more directly optimized for teams that want managed WebRTC infrastructure with very legible pricing.
Quick fit
Editorial take
Daily is easiest to recommend when the team values cost transparency and managed WebRTC simplicity more than the broadest platform surface.
What it does well
Primary use cases
Fit notes
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Pricing snapshot
Daily Video includes 10,000 free participant minutes per month, then charges $0.004 per participant-minute for video and audio calls, with automatic discounts down to $0.0015 at very high volume. Audio-only starts at $0.00099 per participant-minute, cloud recording is $0.01349 per recorded minute plus $0.003/min storage, and premium support starts at $1,500/month.
Agora
Free planRealtime voice, video, and livestreaming in customer-facing applications
Realtime engagement platform for voice, video, chat, signaling, and AI conversation features with broad usage-based pricing.
Choose Agora when platform breadth across realtime products matters more than open-source control.
