WebSockets vs WebRTC for Voice AI Applications

• By StaffAgent Team

When building voice AI applications, choosing the right real-time communication protocol is crucial for performance and user experience.

Understanding WebSockets

WebSockets provide full-duplex communication channels over a single TCP connection, ideal for bi-directional data flow.

Advantages

  • Simple implementation and broad browser support
  • Lower latency than HTTP polling
  • Works well with existing infrastructure

Limitations

  • No built-in media handling
  • Requires additional encoding/decoding

Understanding WebRTC

WebRTC enables peer-to-peer audio, video, and data communication directly between browsers.

Advantages

  • Native audio/video support
  • Ultra-low latency
  • Built-in echo cancellation and noise suppression

Limitations

  • Complex implementation
  • NAT traversal challenges

Our Recommendation

For most voice AI applications, WebSockets provide the right balance of simplicity and performance, especially when paired with modern audio processing libraries.

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