Is LiveKit Agents or xiaozhi-esp32-server free?

LiveKit Agents is free to run and self-host; xiaozhi-esp32-server 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 xiaozhi-esp32-server?

By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — LiveKit Agents is ahead (14k vs 11k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

Voice Agents · Head-to-head

LiveKit Agents vs xiaozhi-esp32-server

LiveKit Agents and xiaozhi-esp32-server are both voice agents. LiveKit Agents is Build voice and multimodal agents that participate in LiveKit rooms, while xiaozhi-esp32-server is backend service for xiaozhi-esp32 -- helps you quickly build an ESP32 device control server. Here's an independent, side-by-side look at how they compare — and which fits.

LiveKit Agents

Framework· Open source

Build voice and multimodal agents that participate in LiveKit rooms.

Visit LiveKit Agents →

xiaozhi-esp32-server

Infrastructure· Open source

Backend service for xiaozhi-esp32 -- helps you quickly build an ESP32 device control server.

Visit xiaozhi-esp32-server →

Bottom line

LiveKit Agents and xiaozhi-esp32-server are both open-source voice agents you can self-host for free. LiveKit Agents is written primarily in Python; xiaozhi-esp32-server in JavaScript. Neither is universally better — pick by fit.

Building one yourself? Choose and evaluate a voice agent stack →

Side by side

Spec	LiveKit Agents	xiaozhi-esp32-server
Type	Framework	Infrastructure
Model	Open source	Open source
Pricing	Open source	Open source
GitHub stars	14,178	10,568
Language	Python	JavaScript
License	Apache-2.0	MIT
Last activity	Sep 2026	Sep 2026

Key differences

LiveKit Agents is written primarily in Python; xiaozhi-esp32-server in JavaScript.
Licensing differs: LiveKit Agents is Apache-2.0, xiaozhi-esp32-server is MIT.

Choose LiveKit Agents if

Developers building custom voice or multimodal agents around LiveKit rooms and their own application logic.

Choose xiaozhi-esp32-server if

your team works primarily in JavaScript.

About LiveKit Agents

LiveKit Agents is an open-source framework for connecting agent code to real-time voice, video and text sessions. The Python repository provides model integrations, turn handling and agent dispatch. A separate Node.js SDK is also available. Agents can run in LiveKit Cloud or a custom environment; model, transport and hosting costs depend on the deployment.

Full LiveKit Agents profile →

About xiaozhi-esp32-server

Backend service for xiaozhi-esp32 -- helps you quickly build an ESP32 device control server.

Full xiaozhi-esp32-server profile →

Frequently asked

What's the main difference between LiveKit Agents and xiaozhi-esp32-server?: LiveKit Agents is written primarily in Python; xiaozhi-esp32-server in JavaScript.
Is LiveKit Agents or xiaozhi-esp32-server 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; xiaozhi-esp32-server for teams working primarily in JavaScript. Use the side-by-side specs to decide by your own constraints.
Is LiveKit Agents or xiaozhi-esp32-server free?: LiveKit Agents is free to run and self-host; xiaozhi-esp32-server 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 xiaozhi-esp32-server?: By GitHub stars — a proxy for open-source adoption — LiveKit Agents is ahead (14k vs 11k). Stars measure attention, not necessarily the better fit for you.

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