Wowza Alternative 2026: Why Teams Are Switching to Vajra Cast

Why This Comparison Exists

Wowza Streaming Engine has been a pillar of the live streaming industry for over a decade. It is powerful, mature, and battle-tested in thousands of production deployments worldwide. Many engineering teams know it inside and out.

But the streaming industry has changed dramatically since Wowza was architected. SRT has become the dominant contribution protocol. Hardware transcoding has made software-only encoding obsolete for most workloads. Container orchestration with Docker and Kubernetes has replaced manual server provisioning. And teams expect real-time observability, not log-file archaeology.

Vajra Cast was designed from scratch for this modern market. This comparison is honest: we will tell you where Wowza is still the stronger choice and where Vajra Cast offers a better solution.

Architecture

Wowza Streaming Engine

Wowza is a Java-based media server that runs as a monolithic application. Its architecture was designed in the late 2000s and has been extended over the years:

• Runtime: Java (JVM)
• Configuration: XML files + REST API (added later)
• Plugin system: Java-based modules for custom functionality
• Process model: Single JVM process handles all streams
• State management: In-process memory

This architecture has strengths. Java’s garbage collection handles memory management. The plugin ecosystem is extensive. A single Wowza instance can handle significant load.

But it also has weaknesses. JVM memory management introduces unpredictable latency spikes during garbage collection. The monolithic process model means a crash in one stream’s processing can affect all streams. And XML configuration files are not infrastructure-as-code friendly.

Vajra Cast

Vajra Cast uses a process-per-route architecture:

• Runtime: Native code (no JVM, no garbage collection)
• Configuration: Database-backed with REST API and web UI
• Process model: Each route runs in its own isolated process
• State management: PostgreSQL for persistent state, in-memory for real-time
• Crash recovery: automatic process adoption. If the manager restarts, it discovers and reconnects to running route processes in under 5 seconds

The process isolation is the key architectural difference. If a route crashes (bad input, codec error, resource exhaustion), only that route is affected. Every other route continues uninterrupted. The manager process detects the failure and restarts the affected route automatically.

This is not theoretical. It is the difference between “one bad stream took down 50 outputs” and “one bad stream recovered in 3 seconds while 50 other outputs kept running.”

Protocol Support

SRT: The Critical Gap

This is where the comparison gets decisive. SRT is the most important protocol in modern live streaming infrastructure, and the two products treat it very differently.

Vajra Cast SRT support:

• SRT listener and caller modes
• SRTLA bonding (multi-path aggregation)
• AES-128/256 encryption per stream
• Full SRT statistics (RTT, jitter, loss, bandwidth) in real-time dashboard
• SRT-to-SRT passthrough (zero CPU)
• SRT-to-RTMP conversion
• Configurable latency, overhead, max bandwidth per stream

Wowza SRT support:

• SRT ingest and output (added in later versions)
• Basic SRT statistics
• Limited SRTLA support
• Less granular per-stream SRT configuration

Wowza added SRT support over time, but it was layered onto an architecture originally designed for RTMP and HTTP streaming. Vajra Cast was designed with SRT as a first-class protocol from day one.

Full Protocol Comparison

Wowza has broader protocol coverage, particularly for WebRTC and DASH. If your workflow requires WebRTC output today, Wowza is the stronger choice. If your primary protocols are SRT and RTMP, Vajra Cast provides deeper support with better tooling.

Failover

Wowza Failover

Wowza supports input failover through its Stream Name Groups feature:

• Configure primary and backup streams
• Wowza switches when the primary drops
• Switch-back to primary when it recovers

This works, but the detection and switching logic is relatively basic. Failover decisions are primarily based on connection state (connected/disconnected), not on stream quality metrics.

Vajra Cast Failover

Vajra Cast was designed with failover as a core feature:

• Multi-input priority chains: not just primary/backup, but ordered priority lists
• Sub-50ms switching on SRT inputs: fast enough to be invisible (1-2 frames)
• Quality-based detection: switch on packet loss, bitrate degradation, or timeout, not just disconnection
• Configurable thresholds: set packet loss %, bitrate floor, and timeout values per route
• Automatic recovery: configurable hold-off timers prevent flapping
• Cross-protocol failover: primary SRT, backup RTMP, or any combination
• Full event logging: every failover event is timestamped and logged

The difference is between “it switches when the stream dies” and “it switches before viewers notice anything is wrong.” For mission-critical broadcasts, this distinction matters.

For a detailed discussion of failover architectures, see our Video Failover Best Practices guide.

Hardware Transcoding

Wowza Transcoding

Wowza Streaming Engine includes transcoding capabilities:

• CPU-based transcoding (software)
• GPU transcoding available through add-on modules
• ABR ladder creation
• Established quality tuning options

Wowza’s transcoding has been refined over years of production use. It is reliable and well-documented.

Vajra Cast Transcoding

Vajra Cast takes a hardware-first approach:

• Intel QSV as the primary engine: hardware transcoding by default, not as an add-on
• VAAPI fallback: automatic fallback if QSV is not available
• Software as last resort: libx264/libx265 when no hardware is detected
• Auto-detection: no configuration needed. Vajra Cast discovers available hardware at startup
• HEVC (H.265) encode and decode: hardware-accelerated on supported Intel hardware
• VMAF quality scoring: automated quality assessment on every transcoded route

The key advantage is simplicity. You do not need to install transcoding plugins, configure GPU access manually, or select encoding engines. Vajra Cast detects Intel QSV, enables it, and reports the results.

For benchmarks and setup details, see our Hardware Transcoding with Intel QSV guide.

Monitoring and Observability

Wowza Monitoring

Wowza provides:

• Built-in web manager interface
• REST API for stream status
• Log files for historical analysis
• Wowza Streaming Cloud for hosted monitoring (separate product)

Monitoring in Wowza typically involves parsing log files or polling the REST API. Real-time observability requires building custom integrations.

Vajra Cast Monitoring

Vajra Cast provides:

• Real-time web dashboard with per-stream metrics
• Prometheus /metrics endpoint: 50+ metrics including per-route bitrate, CPU, RAM, GPU load, SRT statistics
• Pre-built Grafana dashboards: plug-and-play monitoring visualization
• VMAF quality scores: continuous automated quality assessment
• Interactive diagram view: React Flow-based route visualization showing inputs, outputs, and real-time statistics
• REST API: full CRUD with JWT authentication and OpenAPI documentation

The Prometheus integration is particularly significant. It means Vajra Cast slots into existing monitoring infrastructure (Prometheus + Grafana, Datadog, New Relic, PagerDuty) without custom integration work. SRT-specific metrics (RTT, jitter, packet loss, retransmission rate) are exposed per stream, enabling alerts on stream health degradation before viewers are affected.

Deployment and Operations

Wowza Deployment

• Platforms: Linux, macOS, Windows
• Containerization: Docker images available but not the primary deployment model
• Configuration: XML files, modified through REST API or Wowza manager
• Scaling: Wowza Streaming Engine is per-server; scaling requires manual load distribution or Wowza Streaming Cloud
• Updates: Traditional software updates (stop, install, restart)

Vajra Cast Deployment

• Platforms: Linux, macOS
• Containerization: Docker and Kubernetes as first-class deployment targets
• Configuration: Database-backed (SQLite for single instance, PostgreSQL for production clusters)
• Infrastructure as Code: Terraform support for automated provisioning
• Scaling: Horizontal scaling via Kubernetes with shared PostgreSQL state
• Updates: Rolling updates in Kubernetes; hot management means routes survive restarts

The containerization and Kubernetes support is where modern operational practices diverge from Wowza’s traditional model. Teams running Kubernetes clusters can deploy Vajra Cast alongside their other services using the same CI/CD pipelines, the same monitoring stack, and the same scaling policies.

Hot Management

Vajra Cast’s “hot management” feature deserves specific attention. You can add, remove, enable, disable, and reconfigure outputs on a running route without interrupting the stream or any other outputs on that route. No restart required.

In Wowza, many configuration changes require restarting the application or at minimum restarting the specific application instance. For 24/7 operations, this means scheduling maintenance windows for routine changes. With Vajra Cast, there is no maintenance window. Changes are live.

Pricing

Wowza Streaming Engine Pricing

Wowza uses a perpetual license model with annual maintenance:

• Per-server license: each server running Wowza requires its own license
• Annual maintenance fee: required for updates and support
• Add-on costs: GPU transcoding, advanced features may require additional licensing
• Wowza Streaming Cloud: separate subscription pricing for hosted service

The total cost depends on your deployment size. A small deployment (1-2 servers) is affordable. Scaling to 10+ servers increases costs linearly.

Vajra Cast Pricing

Vajra Cast is currently in early access:

• 30-day free trial with no limitations
• No per-server licensing: pricing is not per-instance
• All features included: no add-ons for transcoding, failover, or monitoring
• Direct access to the development team during early access

The pricing model is still being finalized. The intent is to be significantly more accessible than Wowza’s per-server licensing, particularly for multi-server deployments.

Where Wowza Wins

Being honest about where Wowza is the better choice today:

1. Protocol Breadth

If you need WebRTC output, MPEG-DASH, CMAF, or niche protocols, Wowza’s protocol coverage is broader. Vajra Cast focuses on SRT, RTMP, and HLS. Additional protocols are on the roadmap but not yet available.

2. Ecosystem Maturity

Wowza has been in production for over a decade. The plugin ecosystem is extensive. The documentation is thorough. The community is large. Edge cases have been discovered and resolved over thousands of deployments.

Vajra Cast is newer. While it is production-ready and used in live environments, it does not have Wowza’s depth of battle-testing across every conceivable scenario.

3. Custom Business Logic

Wowza’s Java plugin system allows deep customization. If you need custom authentication, DRM integration, or proprietary protocol support, Wowza’s plugin architecture provides hooks into nearly every stage of stream processing.

Vajra Cast provides a REST API for automation and integration, but does not offer the same level of in-process customization.

4. Windows Support

Vajra Cast does not support Windows. If Windows servers are a requirement, Wowza runs on Windows.

Where Vajra Cast Wins

1. SRT-First Architecture

SRT is not an afterthought in Vajra Cast. Every SRT feature (listener/caller modes, SRTLA bonding, per-stream encryption, full SRT statistics, latency tuning) is deeply integrated. If SRT is your primary contribution protocol (and it should be), Vajra Cast provides a fundamentally better experience.

2. Process Isolation and Crash Recovery

Vajra Cast’s process-per-route architecture means a problem with one stream never affects another. Combined with automatic crash recovery (under 5 seconds), this provides resilience that a monolithic JVM process cannot match.

3. Modern Operations

Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Prometheus, Grafana. Vajra Cast integrates with the tools modern engineering teams already use. No custom monitoring integrations, no manual server provisioning, no XML configuration files.

4. Hardware Transcoding as Default

Intel QSV transcoding works out of the box. No plugins, no additional licensing, no configuration. Plug in Intel hardware and transcoding is hardware-accelerated automatically.

5. Hot Management

Zero-downtime configuration changes. Add and remove outputs while streams are running. No restarts, no maintenance windows, no downtime.

6. Failover Depth

Sub-50ms SRT failover with quality-based detection, configurable thresholds, priority chains, and automatic recovery. Failover is a core feature, not a secondary capability.

7. Cost Efficiency

No per-server licensing. All features included. For teams running multiple gateway instances, the cost difference compounds.

Migration Path

If you are considering moving from Wowza to Vajra Cast, the migration is straightforward because both products speak the same protocols:

1. Run Vajra Cast alongside Wowza: they can coexist on different servers or even the same server on different ports
2. Mirror one route: set up the same ingest and outputs in Vajra Cast as a parallel path
3. Compare: run both for a week and compare metrics, quality, and operational experience
4. Migrate routes incrementally: move routes one at a time, validating each
5. Decommission Wowza when all routes are migrated

The parallel-run approach means zero risk. You are never in a position where you have committed to Vajra Cast without validating it against your specific workload.

Making the Decision

Choose Wowza if:

• You need WebRTC output or MPEG-DASH today
• You have deep Java plugin customizations that cannot be replicated via REST API
• You need Windows server support
• You have an existing Wowza deployment that works well and does not need SRT

Choose Vajra Cast if:

• SRT is your primary contribution protocol
• You need reliable failover with sub-50ms switching
• You run Docker/Kubernetes infrastructure
• You want Prometheus/Grafana monitoring without custom integration
• Hardware transcoding (Intel QSV) is important to your workflow
• You want zero-downtime configuration management
• You are building a new streaming infrastructure and want a modern foundation

For many teams, the answer is not an immediate wholesale replacement. It is adding Vajra Cast for the SRT contribution and routing layer while keeping Wowza (or another tool) for protocol conversion to WebRTC or DASH on the delivery side.

The streaming infrastructure world is not one-size-fits-all. The best architecture often combines specialized tools for their strengths rather than forcing a single product to do everything.

Ready to evaluate Vajra Cast alongside your current setup? The early access program gives you 30 days to test with no limitations.