A simpler alternative to Twilio Video

At a glance

Twilio's figures are from its public Twilio Video pricing page and may change, so check the current terms before deciding. Twilio Video pricing · RTCExpress pricing

When RTCExpress is the better fit

• You want a predictable bill. A flat monthly plan is easier to budget than participant-minute math, especially for group calls, where every participant's minutes count.
• You're a developer or small team. Your email reaches the engineer who built and runs the platform, not a ticket queue.
• You already have a UI. The SDK handles signaling, media, reconnects, and TURN relays. Your app keeps its own design and user accounts.
• You want to start free. Chat and 1:1 voice calls are on the Free plan; group voice starts on Starter and video on Pro.

When Twilio Video is the better fit

Choose Twilio Video if you need phone numbers, phone (PSTN) calling and SMS in the same account, a native iOS SDK, global infrastructure, enterprise compliance, and SLAs. RTCExpress is a newer, independently operated platform and doesn't claim to match that scale.

What switching looks like

Most real-time SDKs follow the same pattern, so moving to RTCExpress is mostly a matter of mapping concepts:

// Your backend: request a short-lived token (App Secret stays on the server)
POST /v1/token  { appId, appSecret, userId, roomId }

// Your app: connect, join a room, and call
const rtc = new RTCExpress();
await rtc.init({ serverUrl, appId, userId, token });
rtc.joinRoom("room-42");
await rtc.callUser("bob", { callType: "video" });

Twilio Video channels or rooms map to RTCExpress rooms, and your existing token server only needs a new endpoint. Read the quickstart and API reference, or follow the voice calling tutorial to get a working call first.

Try it before you decide

Open the live demo on two devices, or create a free account and test chat in your own app. Questions about migrating? Talk to us.