Compare the two leading voice AI platforms. Quality, latency, cost, and use cases analyzed by developers who've shipped both.
Honest assessment of both options
| Feature | LiveKit | ElevenLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Voice Quality | Good - natural sounding | Excellent - best in class |
| Latency | Low - real-time optimized | Very low - under 300ms |
| Language Support | 29+ languages | 29+ languages + dialects |
| Custom Voices | Yes - voice cloning | Yes - professional cloning |
| Pricing Model | Per minute | Per character |
| Enterprise Features | Strong - infrastructure focus | Growing - API focus |
| Developer Experience | Complex - more setup | Simple - API-first |
Honest recommendations for each option
Use LiveKit when you need WebRTC real-time communication infrastructure, video + voice capabilities, or self-hosted deployment for compliance reasons.
Use ElevenLabs when voice quality is critical, you want simple API integration, or you're building voice-first applications without video requirements.
What sets P0STMAN apart
After building with both platforms, we default to ElevenLabs for 80% of use cases. Superior voice quality, simpler integration, and lower complexity. LiveKit when infrastructure control is essential.
Users tolerate 500ms latency. They don't tolerate robotic voices. ElevenLabs' quality advantage is worth the trade-off for most business applications. Sounds human, not synthetic.
ElevenLabs: simple API, managed service, ship fast. LiveKit: full infrastructure control, self-host option, more complexity. Choose based on your team's capabilities and requirements.
From consultation to deployment in 6 days
We learn about your workflow, pain points, and goals. Define exactly what your AI agent needs to do.
We build your custom voice agent, integrate with your existing systems, and configure it for your specific use cases.
Deploy your AI agent to production. We provide training, documentation, and ongoing support as your needs evolve.
Reduction in Admin Time
From Kickoff to Launch
Starting Investment
ElevenLabs for 80% of projects due to voice quality and simplicity. LiveKit when you need self-hosted deployment, video capabilities, or specific infrastructure requirements. We build with both - recommend based on your use case.
Yes, but it requires development work. We design our AI agents with abstraction layers that make platform switching feasible. Expect 2-4 weeks to migrate voice providers if needed.
ElevenLabs charges per character (text-to-speech). LiveKit charges per minute (real-time streaming). For typical call center use, costs are comparable at scale. ElevenLabs slightly cheaper for short interactions.
Get custom AI voice agents built in 6 days. From $5K. Full code ownership.
Schedule Discovery CallNo commitment required. Free 30-minute consultation.
P0STMAN has hands-on experience building production AI voice agents with .
View our AI projects →See how we've helped companies implement AI solutions
We've built AI voice agents across multiple platforms. Let us help you make the right choice.
From $5K. 6-day implementation. Proven ROI.
Real projects. Real results. See what we've built.
We've built for . Let us build yours.
From $5K. 6-day implementation. Proven ROI.
P0STMAN has hands-on experience building production AI voice agents with .
View our AI projects →