Comparing SignalWire vs

LiveKit

Plivo

Telnyx

Twilio

—— Platform comparison

SignalWire vs.

LiveKit

LiveKit gives you a WebRTC media server and an agent framework, with carrier reach assembled from partners. SignalWire owns the telecom underneath: SIP and PSTN it runs itself, transfers that keep context, and the AI kernel inside the media engine.

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SignalWire positioning

A different philosophy: own the interaction, don't just transport it.

Communications has never had a control plane: a layer that owns interaction state, lifecycle, routing, and outcomes. CPaaS gave developers APIs but pushed state management, transfer logic, and compliance logging back onto every customer. SignalWire is defining Programmable Unified Communications: the missing layer.

One carrier-grade orchestrator holds call state and AI-engine state in sync, with the AI kernel embedded inside the media engine. Built by the FreeSWITCH team, the same technology powering major UCaaS and CCaaS platforms for two decades. Most voice AI is "prompt and pray," behavior governed by prompts alone. SignalWire's System-Directed AI constrains the model with code: scoped tools, step machines, and validation before execution. The AI can't leak what it doesn't know or break rules it doesn't enforce. Trusted across 2,700+ companies and 2.7 billion minutes and messages annually.

Where the architecture differs

What LiveKit does well and where the architecture differs.

What LiveKit does well

LiveKit is a strong WebRTC media server with an open-source agents framework. For browser- and app-based real-time audio and video, it is well-built, well-documented, and fast to prototype on.

The structural difference

LiveKit reaches the phone network through partners and bridges: SIP bridged on top, PSTN via carrier partnerships, agent state in infrastructure you run yourself. SignalWire is telecom-native: SIP, PSTN, and WebRTC are first-class in the same media engine, and transfers carry context because the platform owns the call state.

Side by side

SignalWire vs. LiveKit, category by category.

The scannable verdict, with the receipts. Every claim traces to a source.

Category

LiveKit

Telephony (SIP + PSTN)

SIP rides on top of a WebRTC core rather than owning the call; PSTN runs through carrier partnerships.

Native SIP and PSTN in the same media engine. No bridge, no external CPaaS.

Latency (measured)

Calls route through Rooms and a SIP bridge; each network hop adds latency, as their own engineering blog notes.

~1200ms typical conversational turn, measured full round-trip by open-source latency_checker; 800ms on an optimized stack, 600ms with speech-to-speech models.

Transfers & multi-agent handoff

Handoff state is yours to carry across the bridge; SIP rides on top of a WebRTC core rather than owning the call.

Context passes declaratively through the call flow: transfers, escalations, and recovery across SIP, WebRTC, and AI agents.

State management

Long-lived sessions typically backed by Redis, load balancers, and sticky connections you operate.

Stateless and serverless by design. Every agent is a self-contained HTTP endpoint, and transfers happen by URL.

Developer tooling

Agents framework; prefabs, retrieval, and a test harness are yours to assemble around it.

Agents SDK with prefab templates, multi-agent orchestration, built-in RAG, real-time logging, and a testing framework.

Model flexibility

Bring your own models; you own the integration glue.

Model-agnostic kernel: cascaded pipelines and speech-to-speech through the same interfaces. Swap models as config, not code.

Operational surface

LiveKit, plus a CPaaS for PSTN, plus the state infrastructure you run.

One platform, one bill, one event stream.

AI voice cost

LiveKit, plus separately billed telephony from a CPaaS, plus your own STT/LLM/TTS vendors.

$0.16/min runtime (STT + LLM + TTS + orchestration); $0.163–$0.168/min all-in typical with transport.

LiveKit

Telephony (SIP + PSTN)

SIP rides on top of a WebRTC core rather than owning the call; PSTN runs through carrier partnerships.

Latency (measured)

Calls route through Rooms and a SIP bridge; each network hop adds latency, as their own engineering blog notes.

Transfers & multi-agent handoff

Handoff state is yours to carry across the bridge; SIP rides on top of a WebRTC core rather than owning the call.

State management

Long-lived sessions typically backed by Redis, load balancers, and sticky connections you operate.

Developer tooling

Agents framework; prefabs, retrieval, and a test harness are yours to assemble around it.

Model flexibility

Bring your own models; you own the integration glue.

Operational surface

LiveKit, plus a CPaaS for PSTN, plus the state infrastructure you run.

AI voice cost

LiveKit, plus separately billed telephony from a CPaaS, plus your own STT/LLM/TTS vendors.

Telephony (SIP + PSTN)

Native SIP and PSTN in the same media engine. No bridge, no external CPaaS.

Latency (measured)

~1200ms typical conversational turn, measured full round-trip by open-source latency_checker; 800ms on an optimized stack, 600ms with speech-to-speech models.

Transfers & multi-agent handoff

Context passes declaratively through the call flow: transfers, escalations, and recovery across SIP, WebRTC, and AI agents.

State management

Stateless and serverless by design. Every agent is a self-contained HTTP endpoint, and transfers happen by URL.

Developer tooling

Agents SDK with prefab templates, multi-agent orchestration, built-in RAG, real-time logging, and a testing framework.

Model flexibility

Model-agnostic kernel: cascaded pipelines and speech-to-speech through the same interfaces. Swap models as config, not code.

Operational surface

One platform, one bill, one event stream.

AI voice cost

$0.16/min runtime (STT + LLM + TTS + orchestration); $0.163–$0.168/min all-in typical with transport.

Migration

Migrating from LiveKit

Most LiveKit migrations are about deleting infrastructure, not rewriting agents.

Bring your numbers and SIP trunks in-house

PSTN numbers and SIP trunks are native. Retire the external CPaaS and the SIP bridge you maintain today to reach the phone network. Number porting is supported and both platforms can run in parallel during cutover.

Rebuild agents on the Agents SDK

Prefab agents ship with structured prompts, guardrails, instructions, and goals already implemented. Subclass a prefab, override anything, or plug in your own logic. Most teams end up with less code than they had.

Delete your state infrastructure

Agents run serverless: no Redis, no load balancers, no Docker, no sticky sessions, no manual state orchestration. Each agent is a self-contained HTTP endpoint, and transfers happen by URL with context attached.

Get migration help

Professional Services for assisted migration, Support Plans for ongoing coverage, and the docs site for the self-serve path.

Talk to a migration specialist

Not sure what your migration looks like? Get a validated estimate for your exact setup, with architecture reviewed by an engineer.

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Bring your numbers and SIP trunks in-house

Rebuild agents on the Agents SDK

Delete your state infrastructure

Get migration help

Professional Services for assisted migration, Support Plans for ongoing coverage, and the docs site for the self-serve path.

Talk to a migration specialist

Not sure what your migration looks like? Get a validated estimate for your exact setup, with architecture reviewed by an engineer.

Talk to an expert

Bring your numbers and SIP trunks in-house

Rebuild agents on the Agents SDK

Delete your state infrastructure

Get migration help

Professional Services for assisted migration, Support Plans for ongoing coverage, and the docs site for the self-serve path.

Talk to a migration specialist

Not sure what your migration looks like? Get a validated estimate for your exact setup, with architecture reviewed by an engineer.

Talk to an expert

Migration from LiveKit

copy

```from signalwire_agents.prefabs import InfoGathererAgent


# The prefab already implements the prompt logic, turn-taking, and
# validation. You supply configuration, not conversation code.
agent = InfoGathererAgent(
    # Each field is one thing the agent collects. Add a `validation`
    # regex to any field and the agent enforces it before moving on.
    fields=[
        {"name": "full_name", "prompt": "What is your full name?"},
        {"name": "reason", "prompt": "How can I help you today?"}
    ],
    # Read back the collected values before the agent ends or transfers.
    confirmation_template="Thanks {full_name}, I'll help you with {reason}.",
    name="info-gatherer",
    route="/info-gatherer"          # the agent's own HTTP endpoint
)


# The agent is a self-contained web service. No Redis, no session store.
agent.serve(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000)

Migration from LiveKit

copy

```from signalwire_agents.prefabs import InfoGathererAgent


# The prefab already implements the prompt logic, turn-taking, and
# validation. You supply configuration, not conversation code.
agent = InfoGathererAgent(
    # Each field is one thing the agent collects. Add a `validation`
    # regex to any field and the agent enforces it before moving on.
    fields=[
        {"name": "full_name", "prompt": "What is your full name?"},
        {"name": "reason", "prompt": "How can I help you today?"}
    ],
    # Read back the collected values before the agent ends or transfers.
    confirmation_template="Thanks {full_name}, I'll help you with {reason}.",
    name="info-gatherer",
    route="/info-gatherer"          # the agent's own HTTP endpoint
)


# The agent is a self-contained web service. No Redis, no session store.
agent.serve(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000)

Migration from LiveKit

copy

```from signalwire_agents.prefabs import InfoGathererAgent


# The prefab already implements the prompt logic, turn-taking, and
# validation. You supply configuration, not conversation code.
agent = InfoGathererAgent(
    # Each field is one thing the agent collects. Add a `validation`
    # regex to any field and the agent enforces it before moving on.
    fields=[
        {"name": "full_name", "prompt": "What is your full name?"},
        {"name": "reason", "prompt": "How can I help you today?"}
    ],
    # Read back the collected values before the agent ends or transfers.
    confirmation_template="Thanks {full_name}, I'll help you with {reason}.",
    name="info-gatherer",
    route="/info-gatherer"          # the agent's own HTTP endpoint
)


# The agent is a self-contained web service. No Redis, no session store.
agent.serve(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000)

Migration from LiveKit

copy

```from signalwire_agents.prefabs import InfoGathererAgent


# The prefab already implements the prompt logic, turn-taking, and
# validation. You supply configuration, not conversation code.
agent = InfoGathererAgent(
    # Each field is one thing the agent collects. Add a `validation`
    # regex to any field and the agent enforces it before moving on.
    fields=[
        {"name": "full_name", "prompt": "What is your full name?"},
        {"name": "reason", "prompt": "How can I help you today?"}
    ],
    # Read back the collected values before the agent ends or transfers.
    confirmation_template="Thanks {full_name}, I'll help you with {reason}.",
    name="info-gatherer",
    route="/info-gatherer"          # the agent's own HTTP endpoint
)


# The agent is a self-contained web service. No Redis, no session store.
agent.serve(host="0.0.0.0", port=8000)

Customer proof

2,000+ companies build on SignalWire

“We're able to meet our customers' requests in hours. Not even days. Our development time is so short because SignalWire has so many of the capabilities built in.”

Justin Massey

Founder and CEO at RelayHawk

“We're able to meet our customers' requests in hours. Not even days. Our development time is so short because SignalWire has so many of the capabilities built in.”

Justin Massey

Founder and CEO at RelayHawk

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about migrating from LiveKit to SignalWire.

Does SignalWire support SIP and PSTN natively?

Yes. SIP, PSTN, and WebRTC are first-class protocols in the same media engine, with production-grade support for transfers, DTMF, and recording. LiveKit's SIP is bridged on top of a WebRTC core and its PSTN runs through carrier partnerships; SignalWire owns the substrate, so there is nothing to bridge.

Do I need Redis or load balancers to run agents on SignalWire?

No. SignalWire agents are stateless and serverless. Each agent is a self-contained web app and HTTP endpoint. Transfers happen by URL and carry context, so there are no long-lived sessions, sticky connections, or memory leaks to manage.

What does SignalWire's Agents SDK include out of the box?

Prefab agent templates with structured prompts, guardrails, and goals; built-in retrieval; multi-agent orchestration; real-time logging; and a testing framework. Prefabs deploy in minutes and can be subclassed or overridden entirely.

Can I run LiveKit and SignalWire in parallel during migration?

Yes. Number porting is supported, and both platforms can run side by side during cutover. Most teams move traffic gradually, starting with a single number or queue, so there is no flag-day risk.

How does SignalWire's pricing compare to LiveKit?

SignalWire bills one transparent rate: about $0.16/min for the AI runtime, roughly $0.163 to $0.168 all-in once transport is included. A LiveKit stack adds telephony billed separately through carrier partners, on top of your own STT, LLM, and TTS vendors, so the all-in number is usually higher than the headline.

How does SignalWire measure its latency claims?

With the open-source latency_checker, which measures the full conversational round-trip on stereo recordings, not a single model hop. Typical turns land around 1200ms, 800ms on an optimized stack, and 600ms with speech-to-speech models. Be skeptical of sub-500ms claims that measure only part of the path.

Moving off LiveKit? See the difference on your own stack.

Spin up test credentials in minutes, or walk your migration through with an engineer. No SIP bridge required.

Start building

Talk through your migration

Moving off LiveKit? See the difference on your own stack.

Spin up test credentials in minutes, or walk your migration through with an engineer. No SIP bridge required.

Start building

Talk through your migration

Moving off LiveKit? See the difference on your own stack.

Spin up test credentials in minutes, or walk your migration through with an engineer. No SIP bridge required.

Start building

Talk through your migration

Moving off LiveKit? See the difference on your own stack.

Spin up test credentials in minutes, or walk your migration through with an engineer. No SIP bridge required.

Start building

Talk through your migration