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Comparison · Meetings
Element Call vs Ant Media Server
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Element Call and Ant Media Server — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Element Call vs Ant Media Server: at a glance
What is Element Call?
Element Call publishes an experimental React component that renders in the host page, not an iframe.
Element Call ships release candidates every few weeks, and the 0.28.1 line moved fast this week. rc.3 starts publishing @element-hq/element-call-component to npm, an experimental way to render calls in a host page instead of an iframe. rc.2 backports fixes for media from one participant being lost after another joins. rc.1 added remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit transport migration.
What is Ant Media Server?
Ant Media Server 3.2 adds WHEP playback, Prometheus metrics and plugin installs from the dashboard.
Ant Media Server is a self-hosted streaming server spanning WebRTC, RTMP, SRT, HLS and LL-HLS. 3.2.0 on November 13, two months after 3.1.0, adds WHEP signalling, a Prometheus metrics endpoint with a matching Grafana dashboard, app and plugin installation from the dashboard, SRT passphrases and a new stream-source ingest manager. Its 43 bug fixes are mostly about SRT, RTSP and LL-HLS stability, plus restoring plugin files after an upgrade.
Element Call vs Ant Media Server: editorial side-by-side
Element Call
5.0MEETINGS
Element Call publishes an experimental React component that renders in the host page, not an iframe.
◆ Current state
Element Call ships release candidates every few weeks, and the 0.28.1 line moved fast this week. rc.3 starts publishing @element-hq/element-call-component to npm, an experimental way to render calls in a host page instead of an iframe. rc.2 backports fixes for media from one participant being lost after another joins. rc.1 added remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit transport migration.
◆ Where it's heading
After finishing the MatrixRTC protocol cutover in August, the team is working on the transport layer and on how Element Call gets embedded. A React component alongside the widget, Android and SwiftPM packages, plus the MatrixRTC SDK from rc.1, suggests the calling stack is meant to be reused in other apps.
◆ Prediction
Expect a 0.28.1 final soon after these quick candidates; how long the React component stays experimental isn't clear from the entries.
Ant Media Server
2.5MEETINGS
Ant Media Server 3.2 adds WHEP playback, Prometheus metrics and plugin installs from the dashboard.
◆ Current state
Ant Media Server is a self-hosted streaming server spanning WebRTC, RTMP, SRT, HLS and LL-HLS. 3.2.0 on November 13, two months after 3.1.0, adds WHEP signalling, a Prometheus metrics endpoint with a matching Grafana dashboard, app and plugin installation from the dashboard, SRT passphrases and a new stream-source ingest manager. Its 43 bug fixes are mostly about SRT, RTSP and LL-HLS stability, plus restoring plugin files after an upgrade.
◆ Where it's heading
The 2026 releases moved from adding protocols and codecs (SRT restreaming, AV1, RTSP output) toward running the server as operated infrastructure: monitoring, plugin management from the panel and upgrade-safe plugins. WHEP joins standard WebRTC signalling, and the MoQ library update shows the team tracking the next streaming transport, though only as a library and CDN test so far.
◆ Prediction
Expect 3.2.x patches for the SRT and plugin fixes that ship in volume with each minor; whether MoQ becomes a usable output is not clear from these notes.
Alternatives to Element Call and Ant Media Server
Other Meetings products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either Element Call or Ant Media Server.
Eventcombo
Eventcombo adds webinar demo checklists to its 2027 buyer guides.
Fourwaves
Fourwaves doubles Free plan submissions to 50 and reworks reviewer assignment.
JW Player
JW Player's Android SDK 4.28 adds live Chromecast and new background audio controls.
Nextcloud Talk
Nextcloud Talk v23.0.14 fixes Firefox video and keeps v25 waiting at RC3.
Kurento
Kurento's JavaScript client gets a 7.3.1 point release with no notes.
See all Element Call alternatives → · See all Ant Media Server alternatives →
Recent activity from Element Call and Ant Media Server
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1d agoAnt Media Server3.2.0: WHEP, Prometheus metrics and dashboard plugin installs
- 14d agoElement Callv0.28.1-rc.3: experimental React component published to npm
- 15d agoElement Callv0.28.1-rc.2 backports fix for lost participant media
- 18d agoElement CallElement Call 0.28.1 rc adds remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit migration
- 1mo agoElement CallQuick audio menu, bell reaction sound and redacted analytics IDs
- 1mo agoElement Callv0.26.1-rc.1
- 2mo agoAnt Media ServerNew management panel, RTSP output and multi-audio SRT ingest
- 2mo agoElement Callv0.26.0-rc.2
- 6mo agoAnt Media Server3.0.3 maintenance build with no listed changes
- 6mo agoAnt Media Server3.0.2 code quality and stability build
- 6mo agoAnt Media Server3.0.1 adds AV1 and removes deprecated APIs
- 9mo agoAnt Media ServerRestream to SRT, local license server, on-demand playlists
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Element Call and Ant Media Server?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Element Call is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is Element Call better than Ant Media Server?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Element Call is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 2.5), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to Element Call?
Top Element Call alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Element Call alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/element-call for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Ant Media Server?
Top Ant Media Server alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Ant Media Server alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/ant-media-server for the full list with editorial commentary on each.