Best SRT Gateway Software in 2026: Open Source and Commercial Options

What Is an SRT Gateway?

An SRT gateway is software that receives, routes, and distributes live video streams using the SRT protocol. It sits between your encoders and your destinations — taking streams in, optionally transcoding or multiplexing them, and pushing them out to CDNs, platforms, or other servers.

The core workflow:

Encoders ──SRT/RTMP/RTSP──> SRT Gateway ──SRT/RTMP/HLS──> Destinations

A good SRT gateway handles protocol conversion (SRT in, RTMP out to YouTube), failover (switch to backup if primary drops), and multi-destination routing (one input to many outputs).

Here is an honest look at the options available in 2026, from commercial products to open-source tools.

Quick Comparison

Commercial SRT Gateways

Haivision SRT Gateway

The enterprise standard. Haivision invented SRT, and their gateway is the reference implementation for broadcast and telco environments.

Strengths:

• Created by the SRT inventors — deepest protocol expertise
• Cloud deployment via AWS and Azure marketplace
• Integrates with Haivision ecosystem (Makito encoders, SRT Hub, Path)
• Enterprise support with SLA guarantees
• Network visualization through Haivision Path

Limitations:

• Enterprise pricing (not publicly listed)
• No SRTLA bonding support
• Best value within the Haivision ecosystem
• Kubernetes/IaC support is limited compared to cloud-native tools

Best for: Enterprise broadcasters and telcos already invested in Haivision hardware and cloud services.

Vajra Cast

The self-hosted SRT gateway. Built around a routing-first architecture with native SRTLA bonding, multi-input failover, and Docker/Kubernetes deployment.

Strengths:

• SRTLA bonding — native receiver for BELABOX, Moblin, and other bonding clients
• Multi-input failover — up to 8 redundant inputs per route, <50ms switchover
• Mixed-protocol routing — SRT, RTMP, RTSP, HTTP/TS, UDP, HLS in any combination
• Hot management — add/remove outputs on live routes without interrupting other outputs
• Zero-copy distribution — 0% CPU per additional output
• Hardware transcoding — Intel QSV and VAAPI, included (no add-on)
• Prometheus/Grafana monitoring with VMAF quality scoring
• Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform deployment

Limitations:

• No cloud marketplace deployment (self-deploy or managed plan)
• No WebRTC output
• No DRM/content protection
• Newer product, smaller install base than Haivision or Wowza

Best for: Self-hosted production environments that need SRTLA, failover, and operational flexibility at a predictable price. Full comparison with Haivision.

Nimble Streamer

The lightweight media server. Nimble Streamer by Softvelum is a free (with paid features) media server that handles SRT alongside RTMP, RTSP, and MPEG-DASH.

Strengths:

• Free tier for basic usage
• Multi-protocol support including SRT, RTMP, RTSP, WebRTC
• Live transcoding and ABR packaging
• WMSPanel cloud management

Limitations:

• SRT support is less mature than dedicated SRT gateways
• Failover requires external configuration
• No SRTLA bonding
• Advanced features require WMSPanel subscription

Best for: Small-to-medium deployments that need a general-purpose media server with SRT capability. Full comparison with Nimble Streamer.

Wowza Streaming Engine

The general-purpose media server. Wowza has been in the streaming market for over a decade. SRT support was added as an enhancement to its existing RTMP/RTSP architecture.

Strengths:

• Mature, battle-tested platform with large community
• WebRTC output for browser-based real-time streaming
• Built-in DRM (Widevine, FairPlay)
• VOD recording and packaging
• Extensive third-party plugin ecosystem

Limitations:

• SRT is not a first-class citizen (added later, basic support)
• No SRTLA bonding
• Failover requires custom Java modules
• Per-server licensing with separate transcoding add-on
• Configuration changes often require application restart

Best for: Organizations that need a full media server with DRM, VOD, and WebRTC alongside SRT. Full comparison with Wowza.

SRT MiniServer (GaraninApps)

The Windows desktop SRT gateway. SRT MiniServer receives up to 16 simultaneous SRT streams and converts them to NDI, SDI, RTMP, UDP Multicast, or HLS. Part gateway, part decoder — it bridges field SRT sources into studio production environments.

Strengths:

• 16 simultaneous SRT inputs (listener and caller, with Stream ID support)
• Wide output: NDI, SDI (addon), RTMP, UDP Multicast, HLS, OMT (open-source NDI alternative)
• Transcode (resize, deinterlace, FPS conversion) or passthrough without re-encoding
• SRTLA bonding via separate Bonding Agent (available on Linux, Raspberry Pi, Docker)
• RIST input support
• Web monitoring interface + REST API
• SRT Caller Redundancy for basic failover (added v2.6.2)
• Supports H.264, HEVC, MPEG-2 decode and up to 32 audio channels
• $900 permanent license or $30 for 30-day events

Limitations:

• Windows only (no Linux, no Docker for the main application)
• 16 inputs maximum — hard limit
• Desktop application, not a headless server
• REST API is limited (5 endpoints — monitoring and basic control, no provisioning)
• No ABR packaging for HLS output
• Single-host license (no floating or multi-server)
• No WebRTC output

Best for: Studio environments that need to receive SRT streams from the field and convert them to NDI or SDI for local production. Strong as a bridge from field encoders to Windows-based production tools.

Open-Source SRT Gateways

OpenSRTHub

The open-source SRT server with a web UI. OpenSRTHub provides a graphical interface for managing SRT streams, making it more accessible than raw FFmpeg or srt-live-server.

Strengths:

• Free and open source (GitHub)
• Web-based management interface
• SRT listener and caller modes
• Basic stream routing and multiplexing

Limitations:

• Limited development activity
• No SRTLA support
• Basic failover at best
• No hardware transcoding
• No production monitoring (Prometheus, alerts)
• Documentation is minimal

Best for: Hobbyists and small setups that want a free SRT routing tool with a GUI.

srt-live-server

Minimal SRT relay. A lightweight SRT server that accepts incoming SRT streams and redistributes them. No frills.

Strengths:

• Extremely lightweight
• Simple to deploy
• Does one thing well — SRT relay

Limitations:

• No GUI
• No failover
• No protocol conversion (SRT only)
• No monitoring
• Limited configuration options
• Community-maintained

Best for: Simple SRT relay scenarios where you just need to redistribute a single stream.

FFmpeg with SRT

The Swiss Army knife. FFmpeg supports SRT input and output. You can build an SRT gateway pipeline entirely with FFmpeg commands.

Example — receive SRT and push to YouTube:

ffmpeg -i "srt://0.0.0.0:9000?mode=listener" \
  -c copy -f flv rtmp://a.rtmp.youtube.com/live2/YOUR_KEY

Strengths:

• Free, ubiquitous, extremely well-documented
• Supports every codec and protocol
• Can be scripted into any workflow
• Available on every platform

Limitations:

• No GUI — everything is command-line
• No built-in failover between inputs
• No hot management (restart the pipeline to change anything)
• No monitoring dashboard
• Each pipeline is a separate process
• Error recovery requires external scripting (systemd, supervisord)
• SRTLA not supported

Best for: One-off pipelines, scripted workflows, and teams comfortable with command-line tools. For persistent, multi-stream routing with failover, a dedicated gateway is more appropriate.

Production Software with SRT

These are not gateways — they are live production tools that happen to support SRT. They come up often in gateway conversations because people use them as SRT sources or destinations.

OBS Studio

Free, open-source production software. OBS can output SRT streams and is often the first tool people use for SRT streaming.

Strengths:

• Free, massive community
• SRT output built-in (caller mode)
• SRT input via Media Source
• Scenes, overlays, transitions for production
• Available on Windows, macOS, Linux

Limitations:

• Desktop application (requires a display)
• Not designed for headless 24/7 operation
• One output at a time (plugins can add more, but unreliably)
• No automatic failover
• No SRTLA bonding
• Cannot function as a gateway/relay

Best for: Live production with a human operator. Not suitable as an SRT gateway for automated routing.

vMix

Windows live production software with native SRT. vMix was the first live production software to add SRT support (v23, December 2019). It handles SRT input and output alongside NDI, RTMP, and RTSP.

Strengths:

• SRT caller, listener, and rendezvous modes
• H.264 and HEVC decode on input (GPU-accelerated)
• H.264, HEVC, and AV1 encode on output (NVENC)
• Up to 4 simultaneous SRT outputs (4K/Pro/Max editions)
• Up to 8 audio channels (AAC-LC, configurable in stereo pairs)
• Integrates SRT sources directly into multi-camera production (transitions, overlays, replay)
• Permanent license ($60–$1,200 depending on edition)

Limitations:

• Windows only (no macOS native, no Linux)
• No interlaced video over SRT (progressive only — deinterlace at the encoder)
• Audio limited to AAC-LC (no MP2, no PCM)
• Encoding limited to H.264 Baseline/Main profiles in the UI (no High 4:2:2)
• Output is 4:2:0 only (no native 4:2:2 encoding)
• HEVC/AV1 encoding requires NVIDIA GPU with NVENC
• No SRTLA bonding, no RIST
• Not a gateway — cannot relay or route streams without full decode/encode

Best for: Windows-based multi-camera live production that uses SRT as one of several input/output protocols. Strong where you need to mix SRT sources with local cameras, NDI, and graphics.

How to Choose

You need enterprise SRT routing with vendor support

Haivision SRT Gateway. If you are in a broadcast or telco environment with Haivision hardware, this is the natural choice.

You need SRTLA bonding, failover, and self-hosted deployment

Vajra Cast. The only commercial gateway with native SRTLA, multi-input failover, and Docker/Kubernetes support at a published price.

You need a general-purpose media server

Wowza if you need DRM and WebRTC. Nimble Streamer if you want a lighter footprint with a free tier.

You want free and open source

OpenSRTHub if you want a GUI. FFmpeg if you want maximum flexibility. srt-live-server for simple relay.

You need to receive SRT in a Windows studio

SRT MiniServer for SRT-to-NDI/SDI conversion with up to 16 inputs. vMix if you also need multi-camera production, mixing, and graphics.

You are one person streaming to one platform

OBS Studio. It handles SRT output well for single-operator production.

The Self-Hosted Advantage

A recurring theme: most SRT gateway needs can be solved with self-hosted software on a $20-50/month Linux server. You get full control over your streams, no per-viewer costs, and no dependency on a third-party cloud service.

The trade-off is operational responsibility — you manage updates, monitoring, and server health. Products like Vajra Cast reduce this burden with Docker deployment, automatic crash recovery, and built-in monitoring, but you still own the infrastructure.

For teams that value control and predictable costs over managed convenience, self-hosted SRT gateways are the strongest option in 2026.