Agora is a real-time voice, video and interactive live-streaming platform — low-latency calls and streams via SDK without running your own media servers. Billing is per 1,000 minutes, tiered by stream resolution, with a standing free block. Here's the cost, the free minutes, and how to get a key.
| Stream type | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First 10,000 min/mo free | $0 | aggregate voice + video, every month |
| Audio | ~$0.99 / 1,000 min | voice-only channels |
| Video HD (≤720p) | ~$3.99 / 1,000 min | per subscribed video stream |
| Video Full HD (≤1080p) | ~$8.99 / 1,000 min | higher aggregate resolution |
| Video 2K+ | ~$15.99+ / 1,000 min | 2K and above |
Agora includes the first 10,000 minutes every month free — pooled across voice and video, and recurring for the life of the project, not a one-time trial. For a small app or a feature still finding users, that can mean a genuinely $0 bill month after month. The catch is the per-stream billing model: a 1:1 HD video call uses 2 subscribed video-minutes per real minute (each side subscribes to the other), and a 4-person HD call uses far more, so group video eats the free block much faster than audio or 1:1. Estimate minutes as participants × subscribed streams × real minutes, not just wall-clock call length.
1. Sign up at the Agora Console (console.agora.io) and create a project.
2. Copy the project's App ID — clients use it to join a channel.
3. Enable the App Certificate and generate a token (server-side, per channel/user) for secure joins.
4. Pass App ID + token into the Video/Voice SDK when a user joins a channel.
Generate a temporary token for testing (or mint server-side):
For real-time media, the main managed options are Agora, Twilio Video and LiveKit. Agora's edge is a large free block and a mature global low-latency network, strong for live streaming and interactive audio (drop-in rooms, voice chat). LiveKit is open-source-friendly and can be self-hosted to cut per-minute cost at scale, while its cloud is usage-based. Twilio Video suits teams already on Twilio. Because all three bill per participant-minute of video, the deciding factor is usually group size and resolution, not the headline per-minute rate. Model your real participant×stream minutes with the API alternatives finder, and if you're comparing full chat platforms see Sendbird.
Yes — the first 10,000 minutes each month are free, pooled across voice and video, recurring for the life of the project (not a one-time trial). Beyond that you pay per 1,000 minutes by stream type.
By aggregate subscribed resolution per participant-minute: roughly $0.99/1,000 min audio, ~$3.99 HD (≤720p), ~$8.99 Full HD (≤1080p), more above 2K. Each subscribed video stream in a group call counts separately.
Because billing is per subscribed stream, not per call. A 1:1 HD call uses 2 video-minutes per real minute; a 4-person HD call uses many more. Estimate participants × subscribed streams × minutes rather than wall-clock time.
For small apps, Agora's 10,000 free minutes/month often make it the cheapest. At large scale, self-hosting LiveKit can undercut any per-minute cloud rate if you can run the infrastructure. Compare on your real group size and resolution, which drive cost more than the headline rate.
Not affiliated with Agora. Prices are reference estimates — always verify on the official pricing page.