livego vs SRS
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A simple Go server that receives live video over RTMP and plays it back as FLV or HLS.
Open source · MIT
A real-time media server that receives and delivers live video over many streaming protocols.
The short answer
Choose livego if you need…
- Developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint
- Hobbyists testing RTMP push and HLS playback locally
- Teams that need a small Go-based server they can read and modify
- People who want to keep streams on their own machines instead of a hosted service
Choose SRS if you need…
- Developers building live streaming backends that need several delivery protocols
- Teams that want to convert between RTMP and WebRTC streams
- People hosting their own low-latency live video service
- Users who can run a server with Docker and follow a getting-started guide
Side-by-side
| livego | SRS | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.2k | 29.4k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Run with Docker | Run with Docker |
| Main language | Go | C++ |
| Last code update | 11 months ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
livego
livego is a live streaming server written in Go. You send it a live video feed using the RTMP protocol, often from broadcasting software or ffmpeg, and viewers can then watch it over RTMP, HTTP-FLV, or HLS. The README describes it as simple to install and cross-platform, with pre-built binaries and a Docker image available.
SRS
SRS is a server that receives live video and audio streams and sends them out to viewers in the formats they need. It supports protocols such as RTMP, WebRTC, HLS, HTTP-FLV, and SRT, so a broadcaster can publish one stream and many kinds of players can watch it. The README describes it as open source under the MIT license.
Best for
livego
- Developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint
- Hobbyists testing RTMP push and HLS playback locally
- Teams that need a small Go-based server they can read and modify
- People who want to keep streams on their own machines instead of a hosted service
SRS
- Developers building live streaming backends that need several delivery protocols
- Teams that want to convert between RTMP and WebRTC streams
- People hosting their own low-latency live video service
- Users who can run a server with Docker and follow a getting-started guide
Strengths
livego
- The README describes it as simple to install: download a binary or run one Docker command
- Supports common protocols (RTMP, HTTP-FLV, HLS) and codecs (H264, AAC, MP3)
- Written in Go and released under the MIT license, so it is free to use and modify
SRS
- The README lists support for many streaming protocols and codecs in one server
- Docker quick start is provided, which makes a first test relatively simple
- Released under the MIT license with a regularly updated release history
Not ideal for
livego
- Large public broadcasts that need a managed CDN, since the README describes no scaling or distribution features
- Non-technical users who want a point-and-click broadcasting tool, since setup and use happen on the command line
- Projects needing built-in authentication or recording beyond the options listed, since the README does not describe them
SRS
- People who only want to watch or stream casually with no server setup, since a server must be run and configured
- Beginners looking for a point-and-click tool, because the README is aimed at operators comfortable with the command line and networking
Trade-offs
livego
- The README is short and does not document production deployment, security, or scaling
- Stream keys are obtained from a local HTTP management endpoint, so you must secure that port yourself
- The README is truncated, so some details may be missing
SRS
- Configuration and production deployment details are in external docs, not fully covered in the README
- The README mixes version references (v5, v6, v7, v8), so users should confirm which version to use
- Some features and integrations depend on the wiki and external documentation rather than this README
Getting started
livego
Run with Docker
docker run -p 1935:1935 -p 7001:7001 -p 7002:7002 -p 8090:8090 -d gwuhaolin/livegoClone the source
git clone https://github.com/gwuhaolin/livego.gitSRS
Run SRS with Docker
docker run --rm -it -p 1935:1935 -p 1985:1985 -p 8080:8080 -p 8000:8000/udp -p 10080:10080/udp ossrs/srs:6Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between livego and SRS?
livego: A simple Go server that receives live video over RTMP and plays it back as FLV or HLS. SRS: A real-time media server that receives and delivers live video over many streaming protocols. livego suits developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint, while SRS suits developers building live streaming backends that need several delivery protocols.
Are livego and SRS free?
livego: Free and open source. SRS: Free and open source.
Is livego or SRS more popular?
SRS has more GitHub stars (29.4k) than livego (10.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to livego and SRS?
Other options people compare them with include MediaMTX, Owncast, go2rtc, WebTorrent Desktop.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.