# LiveKit Agents vs Pipecat
_Voice Agents · independent comparison_

> LiveKit Agents and Pipecat are both open-source voice agents you can self-host for free. Licensing differs: LiveKit Agents is Apache-2.0, Pipecat is BSD-2-Clause. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

## Side by side

**LiveKit Agents**
- Open source · Framework · 14k★ · Python · Apache-2.0 · active today
- Best for: Developers building custom voice or multimodal agents around LiveKit rooms and their own application logic.
- Avoid if: You need a finished phone-support product without building and testing agent behavior. This entry covers the framework, not every LiveKit Cloud product.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/livekit-agents) · [official](https://docs.livekit.io/agents)

**Pipecat**
- Open source · Framework · 16k★ · Python · BSD-2-Clause · active today
- Best for: Python developers who want to choose the services and processing stages in a custom voice or multimodal application.
- Avoid if: You need a ready-made call-center product without implementing and operating an application.
- [listing](https://agentsearchengine.app/agents/pipecat) · [official](https://pipecat.ai)

## Key differences

- Licensing differs: LiveKit Agents is Apache-2.0, Pipecat is BSD-2-Clause.

## Which to choose

**Choose LiveKit Agents if:** Developers building custom voice or multimodal agents around LiveKit rooms and their own application logic.

**Choose Pipecat if:** Python developers who want to choose the services and processing stages in a custom voice or multimodal application.

## FAQ

**What's the main difference between LiveKit Agents and Pipecat?**
Licensing differs: LiveKit Agents is Apache-2.0, Pipecat is BSD-2-Clause.

**Is LiveKit Agents or Pipecat better?**
Neither is universally better. LiveKit Agents is the stronger fit for Developers building custom voice or multimodal agents around LiveKit rooms and their own application logic; Pipecat for Python developers who want to choose the services and processing stages in a custom voice or multimodal application. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.

**Is LiveKit Agents or Pipecat free?**
LiveKit Agents is free to run and self-host; Pipecat is free to run and self-host. Both are free to self-host — you only pay for the infrastructure and any model or API usage.

**Which is more popular, LiveKit Agents or Pipecat?**
By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — Pipecat is ahead (16k vs 14k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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Source: [Agent Search Engine](https://agentsearchengine.app) — https://agentsearchengine.app/compare/livekit-agents-vs-pipecat