The Developer Friendly Alternative to Agora
When it comes to choosing a provider of video conferencing services, Agora is one of the top choices. With a wealth of experience in the industry, Agora has the knowledge and expertise to provide your business with the best possible conferencing solution. However, the world of programming is ever-changing and there are many new advancements popping up all the time.
Developers need a gigantic number of features, but that means they will face more complexity while scaling their business! Therefore, you need Dyte, an Agora alternative, to avoid your project being outgrown before it has even begun. Whether you are a small business or a large enterprise, Dyte has a conferencing solution that suits your needs. But what else is there? What are the benefits of Dyte over Agora? We've got all the answers you need in this blog.
What Services Do Agora Offer?
Agora provides a number of different services that allow people to communicate with each other in real time.
1. Voice Calling
Agora offers voice calling services that can be integrated into apps to improve social interaction, gaming experiences, and work efficiency. The quality of the voice calls is ensured by the use of a 48 kHz sampling rate and full-sound bandwidth capture. Additionally, the HD audio up to 192 kbps supported by the in-house SOLO and NOVA audio codecs provides natural audio reproduction for clear sound during voice calls.
2. Video Calling
Agora offers video calling services for businesses of all sizes. Its Video Calling SDK and API is both flexible and cross-platform, giving you full control over the experience you create. They are also equipped with the world's largest global real-time network, which provides ultra-low latency and intelligent routing to deliver the best streaming quality for your users.
3. Interactive Live Streaming
Agora offers Interactive Live Streaming services that allow app developers to create real-time exchanges between users. This can help create deeper connections and drive revenue opportunities.
The SDKs are easy to use, making it easy for developers to add interactive streaming features to their apps. It also offers a wide range of features, including live audio and video streaming, chat, and collaboration tools for developers to create apps that meet the specific needs of their users.
4. Real-Time Messaging
Agora offers real-time messaging services that use its intelligent SD-RTN network to transmit messages to as many as one million channels simultaneously and reliably. This makes it an ideal platform for businesses that need to communicate with their customers in real time.
The Agora SDK makes it easy to add real-time chat or in-app notifications to your app. It's fast, reliable, and secure, and it integrates well with a variety of programming languages.
What Real-Time Features Does Agora Have?
Agora provides a set of powerful, real-time features that can be used to build engaging applications.
1. Interactive Whiteboard
Agorà includes the Interactive Whiteboard feature that can be used in online education and business collaboration. It allows users to share content and ideas in a more interactive way while helping to close the gap between virtual and in-person collaboration.
The Interactive Whiteboard is a branded, digital whiteboard that can be added to applications to keep users better engaged with data and each other. It supports signaling for one-to-one, real-time messaging or group chatting and allows messages to be sent with low latency, making it ideal for real-time collaboration.
2. Agora Analytics
The Agora analytics is an extension for Agora's voice, video, and live streaming SDKs that provides tools to track quality, performance, and streaming usage. Its dashboard lets you quickly see trends, monitor issues, and solve problems in real-time to ensure that you have the best possible experience when streaming.
From concurrent users and channels to network latency and more, Agora analytics analyze the quality of experience data from more than 300 million user event logs from our customers and internal systems. This data allows them to quickly identify and solve any issues that may arise during your broadcast.
3. Cloud Recording
Agora offers cloud recording as a Real-Time Feature, which allows users to capture and record streaming audio and video. The recording can be done in separate audio and video streams, multiple streams, or even uploaded files within the stream.
The feature also allows users to export the recorded audio or video streams, add watermarks, or use snapshots from them in real-time for content moderation. This feature is beneficial for businesses who wish to keep track of customer interactions or review class sessions.
Is Agora The Right Choice For Your Business?
Agora is a popular development platform that helps businesses quickly develop and launch their products. It has many features that make it appealing to businesses, but it also has some limitations that lead users to seek out an Agora competitor. Find out if it's right for your business by asking yourself these questions.
1. Business Objective
The first thing you need to consider when choosing a software development platform is your business objective. What are you trying to achieve with your app? Are you looking to increase sales, improve customer service, or streamline operations? Once you know your business objective, you can select the features that are most important to achieving that goal.
2. Development Objectives
The second question you need to ask yourself is what your development objectives are. What do you need to include in your product in order for it to meet your business objective?
If you're not sure, that's okay. Take some time to think about it and consult with a mentor or coach if needed. Once you have a clear understanding of your development objectives, you can start evaluating whether or not Agora can help you meet them.
3. Development Limitations
Agora has some limitations that you should be aware of before deciding to use it for your project.
- First, it doesn't support every programming language. So if you're using a language that isn't supported, you'll need to find another platform or rewrite your code in a supported language.
- Second, Agora doesn't allow for unlimited scalability. This means that if your project grows too large, you'll need to find another platform that can support it.
- Finally, Agora has a limited number of features and integrations compared to other platforms. This means that if your project requires a lot of customized functionality, you may want to consider Agora competitor.
4. Your Targeted Time-To-Live
If you only need it to be live for a short period of time (a few days or weeks), then Agora may be a good choice for you because it's quick and easy to launch a product on the platform. However, if you need your product to live for an extended period of time (months or years), then Agora may not be the best choice because it doesn't allow for unlimited scalability.
5. Your Intended Scale Of Use
If you only expect a few people to use it (less than 10), then Agora may be a good choice because it doesn't require a lot of resources to run. However, if you expect a lot of people to use your product (more than 100), then Agora may not be the best choice because it doesn't allow for unlimited scalability.
Common Reasons Why Customers Look For Agora Alternatives
As Agora continues to grow in popularity, more and more businesses are looking for alternatives that can offer the same level of quality and reliability. However, there are a few common reasons why customers may look for an alternative to Agora.
1. Multiple SDK Overhead
There has been an increase in the number of customers looking for Agora alternatives due to the multiple SDK overhead. The main reason for this is that the Agora SDK uses multiple dk libraries which can increase the size of an app by as much as 7 MB.
Additionally, the SDK is not compatible with all devices, meaning that some customers may not be able to use it. It is difficult to integrate into existing apps. This can be a major problem for developers who want to quickly add video chat functionality to their app without having to spend a lot of time on integration.
2. Participant Limit
Another common reason why customers look for Agora competitors is the participant limit. While Agora does allow for up to 17 users to participate in group video calls and 1 million viewers and 17 hosts, this can be a limiting factor for some businesses as some businesses may need to support more than what Agora offers.
3. Expensive At Scale
As Agora's usage grows, the cost of using the service can also increase. Agora charges per minute of use. For businesses that make a lot of calls, this can become expensive quickly. Alternatives to Agora often have pricing plans that are more affordable at scale. This can be a major advantage for businesses that need to make a lot of calls or have a large number of users.
4. Vulnerable Video Quality
While Agora offers high-quality audio and video calls, there have been some complaints about the quality of the video calls. Some customers have reported that the video quality is poor and that the call often cuts out. This can be a major problem for businesses that rely on video calls for customer support or sales purposes.
5. Edge-Case Handling
While Agora offers a lot of features, it can be difficult to use for edge cases. For instance, if you want to use Agora for live streaming, you need to use a third-party service such as Wowza or Nimble Streamer. This can be difficult and expensive to set up. Agora alternatives often offer better edge-case handling, which can give businesses the peace of mind knowing that their calls will always be of high quality.
Why Is Dyte The Perfect Developer Friendly Alternative To Agora?
As a developer, you have a lot of choices to make regarding the tools you use. That's why we've put together some reasons why Dyte is the perfect developer friendly Agora alternative.
1. Easy to Use
Dyte is the perfect developer friendly alternative to Agora because it is simple to use, efficient, and very reliable. With Dyte, you can create high quality audio and video applications in a matter of minutes without any hassle.
The best part is that you don't need any coding skills to get started. You can simply follow the step-by-step tutorials on the website and start building your own application right away. And if you run into any problems, you can always reach out to the customer support. They are always happy to help.
2. Reduced Development Effort
Dyte requires much less development effort than Agora. Dyte's Developer Portal has everything you need to get started, including detailed guides, API references, and SDKs. You can also find helpful code samples that show you how to use Dyte's features in your own projects.
3. Customizable UI Kit
Dyte's UI kit is fully customizable, so you can match it to your branding with just a few clicks. You can also set custom colors and various other styling to make it unique and one of a kind.
4. Detailed Call Analytics
Dyte provides detailed call analytics, so you can see how your audio and video applications are performing. You can track things like call quality, dropped calls, and more. This information can be used to improve the quality of your applications.
5. Match Your Branding In A Few Clicks
Dyte's UI kit is fully customizable, so you can match it to your branding with just a few clicks. Also, all the assets are vector-based, so they can be easily scaled to any size.
6. Set Permissions Via No-Code
With Dyte, you can easily restrict access to specific parts of your app without having to code anything. This is perfect for businesses who want to control who can see certain information, or for developers who want to keep certain areas of their app private.
7. One Config Across All Platforms
Dyte's one config feature allows you to use the same settings across all platforms. This makes it easy to manage your audio and video applications from one place.
8. Interactive Meetings With One-Click Plugins
Dyte offers developer-friendly video SDK for adding 1:1 calls and webinars seamlessly while Dyte's one-click plugins make it easy to add interactive features to your meetings.
9. In-Built Chat & Polls
Dyte comes with built-in chat and poll features, so you can add interactivity to your meetings with just a few clicks. It helps you engage with other users and assist you in making decisions. It is also great for getting quick feedback from a large group of people.
10. Multiple Screenshare
Dyte's multiple screenshare feature allows you to share your screen with multiple participants, making it easy to collaborate on projects. You can also add interactive features to your meetings, such as polls and chat.
11. Middleware For ML Processing
Dyte's middleware for ML processing allows you to add interactive features to your meetings, such as polls and chat.
12. Auto Bandwidth Switching
Dyte's auto bandwidth switching feature ensures that your audio and video applications always run smoothly, even on slow internet connections.
13. Real-Time Webhooks
Dyte's real-time webhooks allow you to receive notifications when certain events occur, such as when a call is answered or ended. This information can be used to improve the quality of your applications.
14. Audio Transcription
Dyte's audio transcription feature allows you to transcribe your audio calls into text. This can be used to create meeting minutes or to generate transcriptions for customer support purposes.
15. Native Mobile SDKs
Dyte's native mobile SDKs allow you to build audio and video applications for iOS and Android devices. It allows your team to develop native mobile SDKs using a single codebase so that you can use all of the features of the native platform, without having to maintain separate codebases for each platform.
16. HLS Livestream
Dyte offers many advantages over its competitors, including its support for HLS (HTTP Live Streaming). This means that your live stream can be played on any device without the need for a special app or player.
17. RTMP Out
Dyte's RTMP out feature allows you to stream your live video to any RTMP-compatible platform, such as Facebook Live or Twitch. This makes it easy to reach a wider audience with your live video content.
18. Whiteboard Together
Dyte's whiteboard feature lets you collaborate with others in real-time, perfect for those times when a code review or planning session is needed. It allows sharing your screen conveniently with multiple participants, making it easy to work on projects together.
19. Watch Videos With Shared Control
Sometimes you just need to watch a video together and take control of it when needed. With Dyte's shared control feature, you can do just that! You can also control the playback of the video, so you can pause, rewind, or fast-forward as needed.
20. Browse The Web Together
Dyte is built on WebRTC protocol and lets you browse the web together to share websites with friends or colleagues. This is great for getting live help with coding problems or for doing research together.
21. Scale Within
Dyte's scale within feature allows you to easily scale your audio and video applications as your needs change. The Dyte platform was built from the ground up to be scalable, so as your user base grows, Dyte will be able to handle it without any issues.
22. 10,000 Free Mins Per Month
Dyte offers a generous 10,000 free minutes per month, so you can try out the service without incurring any costs. That's more than enough for most people and should cover even the biggest projects allowing you to test the features and see if Dyte is right for you.
Dyte Vs. Agora
Dyte | Agora | |
---|---|---|
Ease of Development | Publish-subscribe events are handled by the SDKs | Low-level publish-subscribe events makes it complicated and consumes the majority of developer time |
UI Support | Robust end-to-end UI Kit that is easy to use and customize | Provides a static UI kit with limited customization options |
Customizations | Customizations: Colors, fonts, borders, spacing, & more | Customizations: Only colors |
Multiple SDK Overhead | None. A single SDK that supports video, voice, streaming, chat, polls, and more | Yes. Separate SDKs for video calling, streaming, chat, and more just to create a simple live video solution |
Roles / Permissions | Create custom roles that are specific to your use-case | Limited to host & participant roles |
Concurrent Streams & Active Speaker | 200 and automatically switches to the people who are actively speaking | Limited to 17 streams, no inbuilt active speaker switching |
Auto Reconnect | Yes | Not available |
Support for Multiple Audio I/Os | In-built | Manual configuration needed |
HLS Streaming | In-built | Possible with a separate SDK |
RTMP Streaming | Out-of-the-box, Stream to YouTube, LinkedIn, Meta (Facebook), etc. | Needs complicated configuration |
Adaptive Bitrate | Auto | Manual configuration needed |
Plugins | One-click add ons or build your own, e.g. YouTube, Remote browser, Whiteboard, Code Editor, Quiz, etc. | Only Whiteboard |
Chat | In-built | Separate SDK for chat |
Polls | In-built | Not available |
Virtual Background, Live Transcription & ML Middleware | Single line integration | Complex integration |
Breakout Rooms | In-built | In a separate Classroom SDK |
Webhooks | Yes | Only for recording states |
Error Handling | In-built | Does not support in-built disconnection handling. Extra coding needed to set it up. |
Video Quality | High & optimized by default | Medium (To achieve resilient audio-video quality across network and device conditions, high coding effort is required) |
What’s Paid In Agora But Free In Dyte?
Dyte | Agora | |
---|---|---|
Chat | Free | $14.50/1000 monthly peak DAU |
Detailed Analytics | Free | Paid plans upto $1599/month |
Interactive Whiteboard | Free | First 10,000 mins free, $1.40/1000 participant minutes |
Dedicated Customer Support | Free dedicated 1:1 support directly via Slack or Live Chat | Paid dedicated support plans upto $4,900/month |
Get Started With Dyte!
Agora is a well-known provider of audio and video conferencing services, but Dyte is a developer friendly alternative that offers all the same great features and benefits. While both platforms provide excellent quality audio and video conferencing, Dyte goes a step further with its competitive pricing and a number of other features that make it a wise choice for businesses of all sizes.
Dyte has a team of experts available who can help you get started quickly and easily so you can start reaping the benefits of using this platform for your business. If you’re ready to take your business to the next level with live video and developer friendly features of Dyte, sign up now and claim your free 10000 minutes.