LiveKit Agents vs Vapi
LiveKit Agents (Realtime infra + agents (OSS + cloud)) and Vapi (Dev-first API platform, full pipeline control) are Voice AI platforms, priced from $0.01/min and $0.05/min respectively. Below: the bottom line, verified head-to-head facts, and real production costs.
These tools serve different teams. LiveKit Agents wins for engineering-led teams: SOC 2 Type II certification, 1000 free minutes monthly versus 60+ for Vapi (fact a0c699e0 vs 6de5aef4), and a lower base price at $0.01/min versus $0.05/min (fact 7e98590c vs 2574a4da). Vapi wins for product and ops teams: a no-code agent builder, native outbound campaigns, warm transfer to human, white-label support, and double the base concurrency at 10 calls versus 5 (fact 3eb460c0 vs cdf45e81). Neither tool dominates overall.
It is close, and the right pick depends on your use case. Start a free trial, or read the verdicts below.
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Head-to-head facts
Every row independently verified| Fact | LiveKit Agents | Vapi |
|---|---|---|
| Base price / min | ~$0.01Jul 15 | ~$0.05Jul 15 |
| Real production cost / min | $0.04-0.31Jul 15 | ~$0.05-0.17Jul 15 |
| HIPAA BAA on base plan | ◑ Paid add-onJul 15 | ◑ Paid add-onJul 15 |
| Native SIP trunking | ✓ YesJul 15 | ✓ YesJul 15 |
| Concurrency limit (base) | ~5 concurrent agent sessionsJul 15 | ~10 callsJul 15 |
| Median e2e latency | n/a | ~600 msJul 15 |
| Bring-your-own LLM | ✓ YesJul 15 | ✓ YesJul 15 |
| Free tier credit | 1,000 free agent session minutes monthly, no credit cardJul 15 | 60+ minutes includedJul 15 |
Pricing: true cost at 3 usage tiers
All-in monthly: platform fee + per-minute + telephony. Assumes GPT-4o class model, ElevenLabs voice.Verdicts by use case
For no-code agency deployments and white-label resale, Vapi wins on both critical dimensions. It offers a no-code agent builder while LiveKit Agents explicitly has none. On white-label support, Vapi provides partial sub-account capability while LiveKit offers none. Vapi also adds native outbound campaigns and a testing suite, making it far more accessible for agencies without deep engineering resources.
For engineering teams needing custom pipeline control, LiveKit Agents wins decisively. It is fully API-first with no no-code builder, signaling it is designed for developers who wire pipelines themselves. It passes all LLM and TTS costs through at cost and lets teams bring their own LLM and voice, giving full stack control. Vapi also supports BYO-LLM but bundles a no-code builder and abstracts pipeline decisions away from the engineer. LiveKit's SOC 2 Type II certification adds enterprise credibility that Vapi lacks. The base concurrency of 5 versus Vapi's 10 is a minor trade-off that does not offset the pipeline control advantage.
For ecommerce support and order flows, non-technical teams need a no-code builder to configure agents quickly. Vapi provides one while LiveKit Agents does not. Vapi also offers native outbound campaigns for proactive order notifications, a feature LiveKit lacks. Vapi includes warm transfer to human agents for escalations and a broader native integration set, including Zapier and Make, for ecommerce tool hookups. LiveKit has a lower real-cost floor and SOC 2 compliance, but ecommerce workflows favor Vapi's richer built-in tooling.
Both tools require a paid addon for HIPAA BAA, so that is a tie. LiveKit Agents holds SOC 2 Type II certification while Vapi does not, which is a concrete compliance differentiator for healthcare workflows. SOC 2 Type II signals audited security controls that healthcare buyers typically require alongside HIPAA. Vapi offers GDPR tooling and recording consent features, but the absence of SOC 2 Type II is a meaningful gap in a HIPAA-bound context where audited controls matter.
Vapi natively supports outbound campaigns while LiveKit Agents does not (facts 2ad82640 vs 6ad921b6). Vapi also includes a no-code agent builder that speeds up campaign setup without engineering overhead. Additional features such as warm transfer to human, DTMF/IVR navigation, a testing suite, and partial white-label support make Vapi well suited to outbound call-center operations. Because LiveKit Agents lacks native outbound campaign tooling, Vapi is the clear winner for this use case.
For an SMB receptionist and booking use case, Vapi offers several practical advantages. It includes a no-code agent builder suited to SMBs without dedicated engineering. It supports native outbound campaigns, warm transfer to human, DTMF/IVR navigation, and a testing suite. Its free tier covers 60+ minutes and its real cost tops at $0.17/min, which is more predictable than LiveKit's $0.04 to $0.31/min range. LiveKit wins on SOC 2 compliance and free-tier volume, but SMBs prioritize ease of setup and booking-workflow integrations like Google Calendar and Zapier, where Vapi clearly leads.
Common questions
Which is cheaper per minute LiveKit Agents or Vapi+−
LiveKit Agents has a lower base price at $0.01/min compared to Vapi at $0.05/min. However, estimated real production costs for LiveKit Agents range from $0.0435 to $0.3135/min, while Vapi real costs range from $0.05 to $0.17/min. At scale, LiveKit costs can run higher depending on LLM and TTS choices.
Do LiveKit Agents or Vapi offer a free trial without a credit card+−
LiveKit Agents offers 1,000 free agent session minutes per month with no credit card required. Vapi includes 60+ minutes on its free tier. Both platforms offer self-serve signup with no monthly platform fee.
Which platform is better for HIPAA compliance+−
Both LiveKit Agents and Vapi treat a HIPAA BAA as a paid add-on rather than including it in their base plans, so neither platform provides one at no cost. If healthcare compliance is required, evaluate the upgrade costs for each platform separately. LiveKit Agents also holds SOC 2 Type II certification, while Vapi does not.
Does Vapi or LiveKit Agents support native outbound call campaigns+−
Vapi supports native outbound campaigns out of the box, while LiveKit Agents does not. If automated outbound dialing is a core use case, Vapi holds a clear built-in advantage.
Which tool is better if I am not a developer and want a no-code setup+−
Vapi offers a no-code agent builder, making it accessible to non-developers. LiveKit Agents is API-first and includes no no-code builder, so setup requires engineering work. Non-technical buyers will find Vapi the more approachable option.
What are the concurrency limits on the base plan for each platform+−
LiveKit Agents includes 5 concurrent agent sessions on the base plan. Vapi includes 10 concurrent calls on its base plan. Vapi also charges $10 per month for each additional concurrent line if you need to scale beyond that limit.
Can I bring my own LLM and TTS provider to either platform+−
Yes. Both LiveKit Agents and Vapi support bring-your-own LLM and bring-your-own TTS voice. Both platforms also pass through LLM and TTS costs at cost, with no markup.
Which platform has better support and SLA options+−
LiveKit Agents provides SLA support on Enterprise plans only. Vapi offers Discord and email support on its Build plan, with SLA support available on the Scale plan. Teams that need guaranteed response times without committing to an enterprise contract may find Vapi the more flexible option.
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