When building voice AI applications, choosing the right platform is critical. LiveKit and VAPI are two leading options, but they serve different use cases. Here's how to choose.
LiveKit: The Infrastructure Layer
LiveKit is a WebRTC infrastructure platform. Think of it as the foundation for real-time communication:
- What it does: Handles WebRTC connections, media routing, and real-time communication
- Best for: Teams who want full control and custom voice AI implementations
- Requires: Building your own AI integration layer (LLM, TTS, STT)
- Deployment: Self-hosted or cloud
VAPI: The Complete Solution
VAPI is a managed platform that combines everything you need:
- What it does: WebRTC + LLM integration + TTS/STT + phone numbers, all managed
- Best for: Teams who want to launch quickly without infrastructure management
- Includes: Built-in LLM integration, voice models, phone system
- Deployment: Fully managed cloud
Key Differences
Feature | LiveKit | VAPI | WebRTC Infrastructure | ✓ | ✓ | LLM Integration | ✗ (build yourself) | ✓ (built-in) | TTS/STT | ✗ (integrate yourself) | ✓ (included) | Phone Numbers | ✗ | ✓ | Customization | High | Medium | Time to Launch | Weeks to months | Days
When to Choose Each
Choose LiveKit if:
- You need maximum customization
- You have engineering resources to build AI integration
- You want to self-host or have specific compliance needs
- You're building a platform, not just an application
Choose VAPI if:
- You want to launch quickly
- You prefer managed infrastructure
- You need phone numbers and phone calling
- You want built-in LLM, TTS, and STT without integration work
Our Recommendation
For most enterprise voice AI use cases, we recommend starting with VAPI for speed to market, then potentially moving to LiveKit if you hit customization limits. You can also use both: LiveKit for custom implementations, VAPI for standard voice agents.
Need Help Choosing?
We've built voice AI systems on both platforms. Let's discuss which fits your needs.