Prompt
I'm building a product with group calls and screen share, what video SDKs fit best?
Latest observation
Oct 1, 2026
OpenAI APIWeb search: off
For group calls + screen sharing, the best SDK depends mostly on your priorities: speed to market, call quality, customization, global scale, and price.
Strong options to consider
1) Agora
Best if you want:
- Reliable real-time audio/video
- Good global performance
- Easy screen sharing
- Support for larger group calls
Why it fits:
- Mature WebRTC-based SDKs
- Strong low-latency performance
- Good docs and broad platform support
Tradeoffs:
- Can get expensive at scale
- More “SDK/platform” than “fully opinionated product UI”
2) Twilio Video
Best if you want:
- Solid developer experience
- Flexible integration
- A trusted vendor with strong ecosystem
Why it fits:
- Good for custom app builds
- Screen sharing is supported
- Works well for moderate-size group calls
Tradeoffs:
- Pricing can become a concern
- Some teams find it less cost-effective for high volume
3) Daily
Best if you want:
- Fast implementation
- Excellent developer experience
- Easy screen sharing and call controls
Why it fits:
- Very good SDK ergonomics
- Great for building custom video features quickly
- Often chosen by startups and product teams
Tradeoffs:
- Less “enterprise legacy” than Twilio, though still strong
- You’ll want to validate scaling/pricing for your exact use case
4) Vonage Video API (TokBox)
Best if you want:
- Mature video infrastructure
- Group calls and screen sharing
- Broad feature set
Why it fits:
- Long-standing video API
- Supports common conferencing patterns
- Good for custom applications
Tradeoffs:
- Developer experience can feel less modern than some newer options
- Pricing and product fit vary by use case
5) LiveKit
Best if you want:
- More control and flexibility
- Open-source core
- Self-hosting or cloud-managed options
Why it fits:
- Great if you want to customize deeply
- Strong WebRTC-based architecture
- Supports screen sharing, rooms, recordings, and more
Tradeoffs:
- More engineering responsibility
- If self-hosted, ops complexity is higher
Quick recommendations by scenario
If you want the fastest MVP
- Daily or Agora
If you want maximum control / open source
- LiveKit
If you want an enterprise-proven vendor
- Twilio or Agora
If you expect many participants
- Agora, LiveKit, or Vonage
- Also check whether you need mesh, SFU, or broadcast-style architecture
What to evaluate before choosing
For group calls + screen share, compare each SDK on:
- Max participants per room
- Screen share support on web/mobile
- Latency and call stability
- Recording support
- Active speaker / layout control
- Mobile SDK quality
- Pricing at your expected usage
- Geo coverage / TURN infrastructure
- Authentication and access control
- Moderation features like mute, kick, waitlists, etc.
My practical shortlist
If I were narrowing it down fast:
- Daily if you want the easiest developer experience
- Agora if quality + scale matter most
- LiveKit if you want flexibility and can handle more infrastructure
- Twilio if you want a well-known, general-purpose platform
If you want, I can also give you:
- a side-by-side comparison table, or
- a recommendation based on your exact needs like web/mobile, expected room size, and budget.