livego vs Owncast
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
Self-hosted live video streaming and chat server you run on your own machine.
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 Owncast if you need…
- Streamers who want control over their content, interface and moderation
- People who already use OBS or similar RTMP-based broadcasting software
- Hobbyists who want a single self-hosted service that works out of the box
- Developers who want to read or modify a Go and React streaming server
Side-by-side
| livego | Owncast | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 10.2k | 11.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Run with Docker | Download the app |
| Main language | Go | Go |
| Last code update | 11 months ago | 10 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.
Owncast
Owncast is a free, open source server that lets you run your own live video streams with a built-in chat, instead of using a mainstream streaming platform. You point your existing broadcasting software (such as OBS) at your Owncast server, and viewers watch through a web page that Owncast hosts. The README says it offers ownership over your content, interface, moderation and audience.
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
Owncast
- Streamers who want control over their content, interface and moderation
- People who already use OBS or similar RTMP-based broadcasting software
- Hobbyists who want a single self-hosted service that works out of the box
- Developers who want to read or modify a Go and React streaming server
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
Owncast
- Self-hosted, so you control your content, interface, moderation and audience
- Streaming and chat are included together in one service
- Uses RTMP, so it works with widely used broadcasting software
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
Owncast
- People who want a hosted service with no server to run, since you must host it yourself
- Users on native Windows servers, because the README says Owncast does not natively support Windows servers and recommends WSL2
- Anyone needing multi-user or multi-channel platform features, since the README describes it as a single user server
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
Owncast
- You must host and maintain the server yourself, including its networking and bandwidth
- The README notes no native Windows server support; WSL2 is the suggested path
- Building from source needs a C compiler, ffmpeg and Go 1.24 or above
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.gitOwncast
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/owncast/owncastRun from source (backend)
go run main.goFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between livego and Owncast?
livego: A simple Go server that receives live video over RTMP and plays it back as FLV or HLS. Owncast: Self-hosted live video streaming and chat server you run on your own machine. livego suits developers who want to self-host a basic live streaming endpoint, while Owncast suits streamers who want control over their content, interface and moderation.
Are livego and Owncast free?
livego: Free and open source. Owncast: Free and open source.
Is livego or Owncast more popular?
Owncast has more GitHub stars (11.6k) 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 Owncast?
Other options people compare them with include SRS, MediaMTX, 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.