Embedded video communication is changing how products deliver value in 2026. The video conferencing market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 9 to 12 per cent worldwide through the early 2030s, with several analysts putting Europe's growth rate even higher. Whatever the exact figure, the direction is clear: scalable video conferencing integration matters more than it did a few years ago.
This guide covers what to look for in a video API, whether you're comparing ready-made embedded solutions or fully programmable raw APIs for your website or app. As demand for virtual interaction grows across healthcare, education, and SaaS, choosing the right one has become a strategic decision, not just a technical one. We'll work through real use cases, performance benchmarks, and the questions worth asking any vendor before you sign a contract.
In short: a video conferencing API lets you embed live video, audio, and chat into your own product instead of building the streaming stack yourself. The main choice is between embedded solutions (faster to ship, less control) and raw programmable APIs (full control, more engineering). If EU data residency and GDPR are hard requirements, weigh where a provider hosts your data and which certifications its infrastructure holds more heavily than headline feature counts.
Table of contents
A video API is a set of tools that lets you add real-time video and audio calling directly into your own application or website, without building the underlying streaming infrastructure yourself. These APIs handle capturing, encoding, transmitting, and decoding video and audio data for you, so you don't have to build any of it from scratch using complex streaming protocols. The result is a smooth, low-latency experience without the engineering overhead.
A good API eliminates the cost and complexity of building in-house video infrastructure, saving time and resources. You get a secure, well-maintained system and can focus on your core product.
Many APIs also offer collaboration features such as screen sharing, virtual whiteboards, recordings, and integrated chat, useful for telehealth appointments, virtual classrooms, global team meetings, or customer support.
With a capable video conferencing API, you can deliver the face-to-face interactions users now expect. This shortens your time to market and improves user satisfaction.
Consider a video API when:
When choosing a video API, one of the first decisions is whether to use an open-source framework or a managed service.
Open-source options like Jitsi or BigBlueButton give you full control over hosting and deployment, but typically limit what you can do with the UI and feature set. You'll also be responsible for ongoing maintenance, scaling, and compliance management, which usually means a longer time to market and more development effort overall.
Managed APIs like Digital Samba, Vonage, or Agora handle infrastructure, scalability, security, and uptime, so your team can focus on product features rather than server maintenance or regulatory compliance.
If your priority is speed, security, and scalability, a managed API reduces risk and gives you a level of performance and support that's hard to build in-house.
That's one decision: who hosts and maintains the service. A separate decision is how much of the video experience you build yourself, which comes down to choosing between an embedded solution and a raw, programmable API.
These are pre-packaged, production-ready modules designed to be integrated quickly into your application. They handle the video backend, UI, user roles, and most common features out of the box.
Best for:
Trade-offs:
Examples: Digital Samba Embedded, Daily.co, CometChat, Whereby Embedded, Eyeson, Infobip.
These offer full control over the video stack, including call flow, UI, roles, and logic. They suit teams who want to deeply integrate and fine-tune video into complex products.
Best for:
Trade-offs:
Examples: Twilio Video, Agora, Vonage, MirrorFly, Cloudflare RealtimeKit (formerly Dyte, custom mode), Sinch.
The factors that matter most when choosing a video API are its feature set, AI capabilities, developer experience, security and privacy, scalability, and pricing transparency. We cover security, scalability, and pricing in more detail later in this guide, so here's a quick look at the other three.
Feature set. From screen sharing to whiteboards and chat, the right features turn a simple call into a real collaborative experience.
AI features. In 2026, capabilities such as real-time captions, meeting transcription and summaries, noise suppression, auto-framing, and live translation are worth comparing closely across providers.
Developer experience. Choose an API that's easy to integrate, with clear documentation and SDKs. This saves time and makes for a smoother rollout.
Real-world performance is one of the clearest differentiators across video conferencing APIs. Users expect clear, reliable communication, whether it's a quick check-in or a high-stakes telehealth session. Here are the benchmarks worth checking:
For example, Digital Samba benchmarks at:
These are Digital Samba's own figures. We can't independently verify the same level of detail for every provider in this guide, but they're a useful example of the kind of numbers worth asking any vendor for.
Running load tests that reflect your actual use case, such as high-concurrency rooms or mobile-heavy sessions, is the best way to validate any vendor's claims. Ask for test credentials or an invite-only beta environment so you can measure performance under realistic conditions.
Choose a video API that meets high standards for data privacy, security, and hosting transparency. Depending on your industry or region, that may include:
GDPR doesn't require EU data to stay in the EU. International transfers are permitted under adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). The DPF is actually the third framework of its kind: its two predecessors, Safe Harbor and Privacy Shield, were both struck down by the Court of Justice of the EU, and the DPF itself is currently facing a legal challenge. That history is a good reason EU hosting appeals to cautious buyers, since it removes a dependency that's proven fragile twice before. Still, non-EU infrastructure isn't automatically non-compliant if the right safeguards are in place. Your users still expect privacy by design and by default, and your API should deliver it.
Each industry has its own requirements when integrating video communication. Here's what to prioritise by use case:
One trade-off worth planning for: with true end-to-end encryption, the server never sees decrypted media, so server-side features like live transcription and captions typically can't run on the same call. If you need both encryption and AI features, ask the vendor exactly which ones survive once E2EE is switched on.
Before committing to a video conferencing API provider, ask these questions:
Data residency and sovereignty rules vary widely. Ask if your provider stores data within the EU, and whether any part of the service relies on US-based infrastructure that might affect your compliance requirements.
Even if a vendor claims compliance, check where their infrastructure is hosted. Ask specifically whether they rely on US cloud providers such as AWS or Google Cloud, and whether that involves data transfer outside your jurisdiction.
Request a copy of the vendor's DPA and review their list of sub-processors, especially if the provider is based outside your region. This helps confirm their data handling practices meet your legal and contractual obligations.
Find out whether encryption is enabled by default, and whether it covers group calls, one-to-one sessions, and recordings. E2EE matters for healthcare, legal, and financial use cases. One catch worth raising upfront: full encryption blocks the server from reading call content, which knocks out server-side extras like live transcription. Get a straight answer on what still works once it's on.
Some APIs only allow basic styling, while others offer full white-labelling and UI component control. Clarify how much frontend freedom you have and whether branding elements can be removed.
Development and prototyping shouldn't be paywalled. Confirm there's a no-commitment sandbox or free tier so your dev team can evaluate the SDK and API before buying.
Get a realistic implementation timeline from the vendor, including SDK setup, documentation quality, and support availability. Providers with well-structured onboarding tools can get you live in under a week.
To make this repeatable, we've turned the security checklist and these vendor questions into a scorecard you can fill in for every provider you shortlist.
Free tool
A weighted spreadsheet built from the checklist above. Score up to four vendors on data residency, security, compliance, performance, and developer experience, and get an instant fit rating. Two tabs: a quick Lite shortlist and a full RFP-style Pro evaluation.
Get the scorecardOnce you've scored your shortlist, here's what to check on the developer side before you commit:
These reduce the time it takes your team to get from sign-up to first working call.
If you're deciding between a pre-built embedded experience and a full video API, ask yourself:
If you answered yes to the first question and have in-house dev capacity to spare, a raw API gives you the flexibility to build exactly what you want. If speed, compliance, and predictable maintenance matter more than full control, an embedded solution will usually get you there faster.
The video conferencing market has no shortage of providers to choose from, each with different strengths, drawbacks, and pricing models. Below are 10 worth evaluating. This isn't an exhaustive list: other options worth putting on your radar include LiveKit, Zoom Video SDK, Amazon Chime SDK, and 100ms. We've focused here on 10 providers that come up most often in EU-facing evaluations.
The providers are grouped by type: embedded solutions (pre-built, faster to deploy, less dev effort) and raw/programmable APIs (full control, more dev effort). Some offer both. See the 'Type' column to identify which model each provider follows.
Disclaimer: feature sets, pricing, and plan structures may change over time. For the most current information, refer to each vendor's official website.
| API provider | Type of API | Key features | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Samba | Embedded | Embeddable conferencing, screen sharing, whiteboard, recording, customisable UI, optional E2EE, GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted on ISO 27001-certified infrastructure, well-documented SDKs | Embedded-first by design, so teams wanting raw, low-level control of the media stack will be better served by a programmable API |
| Twilio Video | Raw | Programmable video for one-to-one and small group calls, analytics, Krisp noise cancellation integration; Twilio reversed its planned 2024 end-of-life and continues to actively maintain Programmable Video for customer-engagement use cases such as telehealth, sales, and support | Requires significant development; video is one product within a much broader customer-engagement platform |
| Sinch | Raw | Voice/video calls, messaging, push notifications, reliable infrastructure | Video is a smaller piece of a broad CPaaS portfolio, with less focus on video customisation; EU-only data handling isn't guaranteed unless explicitly configured |
| Agora | Both | Real-time audio/video, screen sharing, whiteboard, recording, global network, SOC 2 certified, ISO 27001-aligned, HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) | Can be complex for simple use cases; usage-based pricing across many product SKUs takes work to forecast |
| CometChat | Both | Video/audio, text chat, file sharing, whiteboard, pre-built UIs | Chat-first product with video calling added on; limited to 100 users on free plan |
| MirrorFly | Both | Highly customisable, source code ownership, in-app messaging, analytics | Requires more development effort; self-hosted and source-code licensing is aimed at larger projects |
| Daily.co | Both | Easy integration, HD video, recording, live streaming, SOC 2 Type 2 certified, ISO 27001-certified data centres, HIPAA-compliant with BAA available | Usage-based pricing adds up at sustained high volume |
| EnableX | Both | Low latency, whiteboard, recording, moderation, live streaming | Fewer pre-built UI components than embedded-first providers |
| Cloudflare RealtimeKit (formerly Dyte) | Both | Fully customisable UI, real-time collaboration, whiteboard, AI-powered chat, interactive live streaming | Acquired by Cloudflare in 2025 and now part of Cloudflare Realtime; check current plan details, as cloud recording, RTMP output, live transcription, and HIPAA BAA were previously add-on services under Dyte |
| Vonage | Both | High-quality video, recording, session monitoring, cross-platform support, SOC 2 Type 2 certified, HIPAA BAA available, Regional Media Zones (including EU) | Can be complex to set up; documentation still spans the legacy TokBox/OpenTok naming |
Choosing a European video conferencing API matters most for companies operating under GDPR or with strict data residency requirements. Here's how leading European providers compare on compliance, features, support, and developer experience.
Disclaimer: feature sets, pricing, and plan structures may change over time. For the most current information, refer to each vendor's official website.
| Provider | Type of API | Key features | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital Samba | Embedded | Embeddable conferencing, screen sharing, whiteboard, recording, customisable UI, optional E2EE, GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted on ISO 27001-certified infrastructure, ISMS aligned to ISO 27001:2022 (SoA available for enterprise diligence), well-documented SDKs | Embedded-first by design, so teams wanting raw, low-level control of the media stack will be better served by a programmable API |
| Infobip | Raw | Recording, background noise removal, background blurring, virtual backgrounds, DTMF (touch-tone) recognition | Uses global cloud providers by default; EU-only hosting and sub-processor limitations apply only with enterprise configuration |
| Sinch | Raw | Voice/video calls, messaging, push notifications, text-to-speech | Global infrastructure by default; EU-only data handling isn't guaranteed unless explicitly configured |
| Whereby | Both/Embedded | WebRTC-based API, customisable UI, session transcriptions, live captions, EU-based routing for EU users | Free plan limited to 2,000 participant minutes per month; additional features cost extra; not EU-only by default |
| Eyeson | Both | Single-stream technology, API access, customisable branding | Single-stream architecture limits individual video layout control; evaluation typically requires a sales conversation |
Digital Samba, Infobip, Sinch, Whereby, and Eyeson each take a different approach to hosting, pricing, and customisation. If EU-only hosting is a hard requirement rather than a configurable option, check exactly how (and whether) each provider guarantees it for your specific plan.
Timing varies depending on whether you choose an embedded solution or a raw programmable API, plus feature scope, backend complexity, compliance needs, and team size. Here's a general guide for both tracks.
Digital Samba offers a GDPR-compliant, EU-hosted environment, a developer sandbox, and a free plan to speed up prototyping. Teams can typically go from concept to production within a few days for common SaaS or healthcare use cases.
When comparing video conferencing APIs, treat pricing models and ROI as key parts of your evaluation.
Be wary of vendors who look cheap upfront but charge extra for core services like developer support, encryption, or API stability.
Use this formula:
ROI = (total value generated - total API cost) ÷ total API cost × 100
For example, if switching to a managed API saves you £40,000 a year in developer time and infrastructure costs, and the API itself costs £10,000 a year, your ROI is (40,000 - 10,000) ÷ 10,000 × 100 = 300 per cent.
Once you've run the numbers, here's what else to check before you commit:
The best video conferencing API for you is the one that delivers long-term value for your specific use case, not the lowest price on the pricing page.
One honest caveat: turn on full end-to-end encryption and features that need the server to read the media, such as AI transcription, stop working. That's true of any vendor, not just us, so put the same question to everyone on your shortlist.
If you're choosing between a dozen providers with overlapping feature lists, the practical differences usually come down to hosting, compliance fit, and how much support you get while building. Digital Samba is built for teams that need EU-hosted infrastructure and GDPR compliance without giving up UI control.
Create a free account and explore Digital Samba's developer sandbox, a safe, isolated environment where you can build and test your video conferencing integration without affecting live users.