livego vs MediaMTX
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A simple Go server that receives live video over RTMP and plays it back as FLV or HLS.
Open source · MIT
A single-file server that receives, converts, and relays live video and audio streams.
The short answer
Choose livego if you need…
- Developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint
- Hobbyists testing RTMP push and HLS playback locally
- Teams that need a small Go-based server they can read and modify
- People who want to keep streams on their own machines instead of a hosted service
Choose MediaMTX if you need…
- People routing IP camera streams to viewers in a browser or media player
- Streamers who want to send one stream to several protocols or destinations
- Developers who need a local test server for RTSP, RTMP or WebRTC streams
- Users who want to record live streams to disk in fMP4 or MPEG-TS
Side-by-side
| livego | MediaMTX | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.2k | 20.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Run with Docker | Download the app |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 11 months ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
livego
livego is a live streaming server written in Go. You send it a live video feed using the RTMP protocol, often from broadcasting software or ffmpeg, and viewers can then watch it over RTMP, HTTP-FLV, or HLS. The README describes it as simple to install and cross-platform, with pre-built binaries and a Docker image available.
MediaMTX
MediaMTX is a live media server and proxy that accepts video and audio streams over many protocols, such as RTSP, RTMP, WebRTC, SRT and HLS, and passes them on in other formats. It can also record streams to disk and play them back. It is described as a single executable with no dependencies, which is why people use it as a simple hub between cameras, encoders and viewers.
Best for
livego
- Developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint
- Hobbyists testing RTMP push and HLS playback locally
- Teams that need a small Go-based server they can read and modify
- People who want to keep streams on their own machines instead of a hosted service
MediaMTX
- People routing IP camera streams to viewers in a browser or media player
- Streamers who want to send one stream to several protocols or destinations
- Developers who need a local test server for RTSP, RTMP or WebRTC streams
- Users who want to record live streams to disk in fMP4 or MPEG-TS
Strengths
livego
- The README describes it as simple to install: download a binary or run one Docker command
- Supports common protocols (RTMP, HTTP-FLV, HLS) and codecs (H264, AAC, MP3)
- Written in Go and released under the MIT license, so it is free to use and modify
MediaMTX
- Supports many streaming protocols in one program, with automatic conversion between them
- Ships as a single executable for Linux, Windows and macOS with no required dependencies
- Offers configuration reload without disconnecting existing clients
Not ideal for
livego
- Large public broadcasts that need a managed CDN, since the README describes no scaling or distribution features
- Non-technical users who want a point-and-click broadcasting tool, since setup and use happen on the command line
- Projects needing built-in authentication or recording beyond the options listed, since the README does not describe them
MediaMTX
- Users who want a hosted service with no server to run, since this is self-hosted software
- Anyone needing a full-featured video editing or transcoding pipeline, as the README describes routing and proxying rather than editing
- Beginners with no interest in network ports, configuration files or protocols, because setup assumes familiarity with streaming concepts
Trade-offs
livego
- The README is short and does not document production deployment, security, or scaling
- Stream keys are obtained from a local HTTP management endpoint, so you must secure that port yourself
- The README is truncated, so some details may be missing
MediaMTX
- Configuration covers many protocols and options, so the learning curve can be steep for newcomers
- The README is truncated here, so detailed limits and performance figures are not confirmed in this entry
- Being a media server, it needs network access and appropriate firewall or port setup to be useful
Getting started
livego
Run with Docker
docker run -p 1935:1935 -p 7001:7001 -p 7002:7002 -p 8090:8090 -d gwuhaolin/livegoClone the source
git clone https://github.com/gwuhaolin/livego.gitMediaMTX
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/bluenviron/mediamtxFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between livego and MediaMTX?
livego: A simple Go server that receives live video over RTMP and plays it back as FLV or HLS. MediaMTX: A single-file server that receives, converts, and relays live video and audio streams. livego suits developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint, while MediaMTX suits people routing ip camera streams to viewers in a browser or media player.
Are livego and MediaMTX free?
livego: Free and open source. MediaMTX: Free and open source.
Is livego or MediaMTX more popular?
MediaMTX has more GitHub stars (20.6k) than livego (10.2k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to livego and MediaMTX?
Other options people compare them with include SRS, Owncast, go2rtc.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.