Project Comparisons
Go-Live occupies a specific niche in the WebRTC SFU landscape: a single-binary, Go-native server with built-in recording, authentication, and observability. This page compares Go-Live with similar projects to clarify its positioning and trade-offs.
SFU Implementations Comparison
| Feature | Go-Live | Pion SFU Example | Janus Gateway | mediasoup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go | C | C++ / Node.js |
| Deployment | Single binary | Source build | Package/build | npm + native |
| Protocol | WHIP/WHEP | Custom HTTP | Plugin-based | Custom JS API |
| Recording | Built-in (IVF/OGG) | Manual capture | Plugin | External |
| Authentication | Token + JWT | None built-in | Plugin | External |
| Observability | Prometheus + OTel | Basic logs | Plugin | External |
| Room management | In-memory, automatic | Manual | Plugin | Manual |
| Complexity | Low | Low | High | Medium |
| Best for | Live streaming, events | Learning, PoC | Conferencing, SIP | Production conferencing |
Design Trade-offs
Why Go-Live Chose Simplicity
Go-Live makes explicit trade-offs that favor operational simplicity:
Single publisher per room
- Eliminates simulcast layer selection complexity
- Removes stream arbitration logic
- Natural fit for live events, webinars, surveillance
- Trade-off: No multi-party conferencing support
In-memory room state
- Zero external dependencies (no Redis, no database)
- Fast room creation and cleanup
- Trade-off: Room state lost on server restart
RTP pass-through (no transcoding)
- Predictable CPU usage
- No codec licensing
- Trade-off: No server-side mixing, bitrate adaptation, or MP4 recording
WHIP/WHEP only
- Standards-based, works with OBS and browsers
- Simple HTTP signaling (no WebSocket)
- Trade-off: No custom signaling for advanced features
When to Choose Alternatives
| Use Case | Recommended Solution |
|---|---|
| Multi-party video conferencing | Janus, mediasoup, LiveKit |
| SIP/PSTN gateway | Janus |
| Large-scale broadcast (10k+ viewers) | Cloud CDN + SFU cluster |
| Server-side mixing/composition | Kurento, custom MCU |
| Simple live streaming with recording | Go-Live |
| Learning WebRTC internals | Go-Live or Pion examples |
Similar Go Projects
| Project | Focus | Difference from Go-Live |
|---|---|---|
| pion/webrtc | WebRTC library | Go-Live is built on Pion; Pion is the engine, Go-Live is the application |
| ion-sfu | Full SFU library | More features (simulcast, data channels), more complex API |
| LiveKit | Production SFU platform | Full-featured (recording, egress, SIP), requires more infrastructure |
Go-Live is intentionally simpler than these alternatives. It serves as a reference implementation and a practical tool for straightforward live streaming scenarios.