The LiveKit Agents Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about LiveKit Agents in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
LiveKit Agents
The Insider’s Guide
Open source framework and cloud for voice and video AI agents
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI agents, read from LiveKit Agents’s own pages.
Made by LiveKit · checked Nov 13, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from LiveKit Agents’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on LiveKit Agents’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 13, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.2
GPA, above 81 of the 178 other AI agents we grade
LiveKit Agents is an open source framework for building voice, video and physical AI agents, paired with LiveKit Cloud for deploying, scaling and observing them. The cloud includes an inference gateway for speech and language models, phone numbers and session analytics. Plans start free and add usage-based charges.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about LiveKit Agents, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is built with code and the command line, and there is no store rating.
- 1
Best for developers building real-time voice agents
LiveKit Agents is a framework and cloud for building voice agents, with a free Build plan of 1,000 session minutes and paid plans from $50 a month.
- 2
Paid plans start at $50 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $50 per month.
- 3
There is a free plan
Build plan: $0, no card; 1,000 agent session minutes, 5 concurrent sessions, 1 free phone number and community support.
- 4
It runs on Web
Web.
- 5
Agents framework
An open source framework for building and testing voice agents in Python or Node.js.
- 6
LiveKit Inference
One API key for speech-to-text, language and text-to-speech models, billed by model per minute.
- 7
Agent deployment
Hosts agents on LiveKit Cloud with rollback, deployment metrics and a global network.
- 8
A 2.2 GPA, above 81 of 178
That is against the other AI agents we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace LiveKit Agents you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
LiveKit Agents at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $50 per month
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web
- Made by
- LiveKit
- Category
- AI Agents
- Our grade
- 2.2 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for developers building real-time voice agents
LiveKit Agents is a framework and cloud for building voice agents, with a free Build plan of 1,000 session minutes and paid plans from $50 a month. Prices are starting amounts that add per-minute charges for sessions, phone lines and models, and HIPAA reports start at $500.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Ship is $50 a month, the top of the category's usual range, and it is only a starting price with per-minute charges added. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Build is free with no card, but 1,000 session minutes and 5 concurrent sessions run out quickly once real callers appear. |
| Features | B | Framework, hosted inference, deployment, phone numbers, observability and simulations. Nothing in the listing is missing from the job of getting a voice agent live. |
| Ease of use | D | It is built with code and the command line, and there is no store rating. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, with six integrations listed. Developer tools, not apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who LiveKit Agents is for
- Fits if you are a developer who wants to build and ship a voice agent in one place
- Works for teams that start on the free plan and add phone lines later
Who it is not for
- Not for you if you want no-code: you build agents in code
- Tight if you leave the free plan: 1,000 minutes, 5 concurrent sessions
- Pricey if you add it up: sessions, phone lines and models are billed per minute on top of the plan
- Watch out: private links, role-based access and HIPAA reports start at Scale, $500 a month
Good to know
Good for
- Developers building production voice agents who want hosting and models in one bill
- Teams that need phone calls plus web and mobile clients
Worth knowing
- The plan prices are 'starting at' and add per-minute charges for agent sessions, telephony and model use.
- An estimator on the pricing page gives about $0.0479 a minute for one sample phone-call setup; model choice changes it.
- Private links, role-based access and HIPAA reports start at the Scale plan.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$50
A month to start. There is a free plan too
LiveKit Agents has a free plan. Paid plans start at $50 per month.
Build
$0
1,000 agent session minutes, 5 concurrent sessions, $2.50 of inference credits, community support.
Ship
$50
per month, starting at
5,000 session minutes then $0.01 a minute, 20 concurrent sessions, team access and email support.
Scale
$500
per month, starting at
50,000 session minutes, up to 600 concurrent sessions, roles, region pinning and HIPAA reports.
Enterprise
Custom
Volume pricing, SSO, a support SLA and a shared Slack channel.
The free plan
Build plan: $0, no card; 1,000 agent session minutes, 5 concurrent sessions, 1 free phone number and community support.
Read from livekit.com on Nov 13, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
1
Place it runs: Web
Open source framework and cloud for voice and video AI agents. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, public API, AI agents.
Framework, hosted inference, deployment, phone numbers, observability and simulations.
- Agents framework
- An open source framework for building and testing voice agents in Python or Node.js.
- LiveKit Inference
- One API key for speech-to-text, language and text-to-speech models, billed by model per minute.
- Agent deployment
- Hosts agents on LiveKit Cloud with rollback, deployment metrics and a global network.
- Telephony
- Phone numbers and SIP integrations so an agent can take or place calls.
- Observability and simulations
- Session recordings, event logs and text simulations for testing agents.
Where it runs
- Web
What it works with
- OpenAI
- Deepgram
- AssemblyAI
- Cartesia
- Google Gemini
- xAI
LiveKit Agents is made by LiveKit.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
81/178
Other AI agents it is graded above
LiveKit Agents's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 81 of the 178 other AI agents we grade, and level with 41.
It stands best on features (B, above 133 of 178) and worst on ease of use (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $50 a month, against a middle price of $25 for the category: 73 of the 98 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 31 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 179 AI agents we grade, cut by the letter each got. LiveKit Agents’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 28 of 178
- CFree plan and trialAbove 64 of 178
- BFeaturesAbove 133 of 178
- DEase of useAbove 0 of 178
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 47 of 178
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 109 AI agents. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. LiveKit Agents is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace LiveKit Agents you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $600 a year. LiveKit Agents is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- It plugs into other products, OpenAI, Deepgram and AssemblyAI among them, and has an API.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. LiveKit Agents’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Pipecat, Vapi, Retell AI, Ultravox and Bland AI
The 5 tools LiveKit Agents is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.2GPA
Pipecat
Free plan
Open source framework for building voice and multimodal AI agents.
- Pipecat is self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.2GPA
Vapi
Free trial · from $29/mo
Developer platform for building and running voice AI agents.
- LiveKit Agents has a free plan. Vapi does not, though it has a free trial.
- LiveKit Agents is open source, according to its own site.
- 2.4GPA
Retell AI
Free trial · from $0
Pay-per-minute platform for AI phone and chat agents.
- LiveKit Agents has a free plan. Retell AI does not, though it has a free trial.
- LiveKit Agents is open source, according to its own site.
- Retell AI also covers chatbots.
- 1.6GPA
Ultravox
Free trial · from $100/mo
Speech-native voice AI platform and API for building voice agents.
- LiveKit Agents has a free plan. Ultravox does not, though it has a free trial.
- LiveKit Agents is open source, according to its own site.
- Ultravox also covers voice cloning.
- 2.2GPA
Bland AI
Free trial · from $0
AI phone agents with one all-in per-minute rate.
- LiveKit Agents has a free plan. Bland AI does not, though it has a free trial.
- LiveKit Agents is open source, according to its own site.
- Bland AI also covers chatbots.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
13
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is LiveKit Agents free?
LiveKit Agents has a free plan. Build plan: $0, no card; 1,000 agent session minutes, 5 concurrent sessions, 1 free phone number and community support.
How much does LiveKit Agents cost?
LiveKit Agents lists 4 plans. Build: $0.
What platforms does LiveKit Agents work on?
LiveKit Agents is available on Web.
Does LiveKit Agents have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. LiveKit Agents is listed for Web.
Does LiveKit Agents have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. LiveKit Agents is listed for Web.
Is LiveKit Agents open source?
Yes. LiveKit Agents is open source, according to its own site.
Does LiveKit Agents have an API?
Yes. LiveKit Agents offers a public API, according to its own site.
What does LiveKit Agents integrate with?
LiveKit Agents's listing names OpenAI, Deepgram, AssemblyAI, Cartesia, Google Gemini and xAI.
Who makes LiveKit Agents?
LiveKit Agents is made by LiveKit.
What are the alternatives to LiveKit Agents?
The closest alternatives to LiveKit Agents in our directory are Pipecat, Vapi, Retell AI, Ultravox and Bland AI.
How does LiveKit Agents compare with other AI agents?
LiveKit Agents's GPA of 2.2 is higher than 81 of the 178 other AI agents we grade, and level with 41.
Is LiveKit Agents good value for money?
ToolGPA grades LiveKit Agents C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $50 a month, against a middle price of $25 for the category: 73 of the 98 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of LiveKit Agents?
To replace LiveKit Agents you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from LiveKit Agents’s own pages on Nov 13, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 13, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from LiveKit's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by LiveKit. Prices change, so check livekit.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- LiveKit Agents, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/livekit-agents
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "LiveKit Agents: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 13, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/livekit-agents
Know someone choosing between AI agents?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/livekit-agents/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI agents after LiveKit Agents, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Agents Insider's GuideEvery one of the 179 AI agents we grade, compared
- Genspark Insider's GuideAI workspace with an agent for research, slides, sheets and docs3.2 GPA
- Manus Insider's GuideGeneral AI agent for research, slides, websites and browser tasks3.2 GPA
- OpenClaw Insider's GuideOpen-source personal AI agent you run yourself and message in chat3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what LiveKit Agents’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. LiveKit Agents is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by LiveKit. Prices and plans change: check livekit.com before you buy.