Vajra Cast vs Wowza: Streaming Server Comparison 2026

Why Compare Vajra Cast and Wowza?

Wowza Streaming Engine has been a dominant player in the streaming server market for over a decade. It is a mature, Java-based platform with a large feature set and wide adoption. If you are evaluating streaming server software in 2026, Wowza is likely on your shortlist.

Vajra Cast is a newer entrant, purpose-built for SRT-first workflows with a focus on live video routing, failover, and operational simplicity. This comparison aims to give you an honest, feature-by-feature view of both platforms so you can make an informed decision.

Feature Comparison

Architecture Differences

Wowza: The General-Purpose Server

Wowza Streaming Engine is a monolithic Java application that handles ingest, transcoding, recording, DRM, and delivery in a single process. It is designed as a general-purpose media server that can handle many different streaming scenarios.

This generality is both a strength and a weakness. Wowza can do a lot, but its configuration can be complex. Many features require Java modules, custom server-side scripting, or third-party plugins. SRT support, for example, was added later and does not have the same depth of integration as RTMP or RTSP.

Vajra Cast: The Routing-First Gateway

Vajra Cast is built around a specific workflow: receive streams, route them, and distribute them reliably. Every feature (failover, hot management, zero-copy distribution, monitoring) is designed to serve this routing-first architecture.

This means Vajra Cast does not try to be everything. It does not include DRM, VOD packaging, or WebRTC output. What it does, it does with focused depth: SRT is a first-class citizen, failover is a core feature (not a plugin), and live route modification is a fundamental capability.

SRT Support Depth

This is where the difference is most significant. Vajra Cast was designed around SRT from day one:

• Full SRT modes: listener, caller, and rendezvous
• SRTLA bonding: native support for multi-link aggregation, compatible with BELABOX and mobile encoders
• Per-stream encryption: AES-128/256 with independent passphrase per ingest
• Per-stream latency: configurable independently on each input and output
• Real-time SRT statistics: RTT, jitter, packet loss, retransmission rate, all visible in the dashboard and exported to Prometheus
• Stream ID support: for multiplexing multiple streams on a single port

Wowza added SRT support as an enhancement to its existing architecture. It handles basic SRT ingest and output, but advanced features like SRTLA bonding, per-stream latency tuning, and deep SRT statistics integration are limited or require custom development.

Failover Capabilities

Vajra Cast

Failover is a core feature. Each route can have up to 8 redundant inputs with automatic switching:

• Detection based on packet loss, bitrate drop, or connection loss
• Switchover in under 50ms on SRT inputs
• Automatic recovery to primary when it comes back
• Mixed protocol failover (SRT primary, RTMP backup)
• Hot-add backup inputs without interrupting live streams

For a deeper look at failover architecture, see our video failover best practices guide.

Wowza

Wowza does not include built-in failover switching between inputs in the same way. Achieving input failover typically requires:

• Custom Java modules or server-side scripting
• External failover logic with SMIL files
• Wowza Streaming Cloud (the hosted service, not the on-premise engine) has some origin redundancy features
• Manual switching between streams via the API

This is not a failing of Wowza. It was designed as a media server, not a routing gateway. But if your primary requirement is reliable stream routing with automatic failover, the architectural difference matters.

Hot Management

Vajra Cast’s hot management allows you to modify any aspect of a live route without interrupting the stream:

• Add or remove outputs while the route is active
• Enable or disable individual outputs
• Change output destinations
• All other outputs continue uninterrupted

In Wowza, many configuration changes require restarting the application or, in some cases, the entire server. This is manageable for pre-configured workflows but becomes a limitation for live production environments where you need to adapt in real-time.

Pricing and Licensing

Wowza Streaming Engine

Wowza uses a perpetual license model with annual maintenance fees. As of 2026:

• Perpetual license: one-time cost in the thousands of dollars
• Annual maintenance: required for updates and support
• Transcoder add-on: additional cost for transcoding features
• Per-server licensing: each server instance requires its own license

Vajra Cast

Vajra Cast uses a subscription model. All features are included. There are no feature-gated add-ons. Hardware transcoding, failover, monitoring, API access, and Docker/Kubernetes support are all part of the base product.

Deployment

Wowza

Wowza Streaming Engine runs as a Java application on Linux, Windows, or macOS. Docker images are available. Wowza also offers a fully managed cloud service (Wowza Video) for those who prefer not to manage infrastructure.

Vajra Cast

Vajra Cast runs on Linux and macOS with first-class Docker and Kubernetes support. Terraform modules are available for infrastructure-as-code deployment. PostgreSQL support enables multi-instance production deployments with shared state.

Migration Path: Wowza to Vajra Cast

If you are currently running Wowza and considering a move to Vajra Cast, here is a practical migration approach:

Phase 1: Parallel Deployment

Deploy Vajra Cast alongside your existing Wowza infrastructure. Use Vajra Cast for new routes and workflows while keeping Wowza for existing ones.

Phase 2: Bridge

Configure Vajra Cast to receive streams from Wowza (via SRT or RTMP output from Wowza) and handle downstream distribution. This lets you validate Vajra Cast’s routing and failover before cutting over fully.

Phase 3: Direct Ingest

Redirect encoders to send directly to Vajra Cast. Use Vajra Cast’s RTMP ingest for legacy encoders and SRT for modern ones. Remove Wowza from the signal chain.

Phase 4: Full Migration

Once all workflows are running through Vajra Cast, decommission the Wowza instances.

When to Choose Wowza

Wowza remains the better choice if you need:

• WebRTC output for real-time browser-based streaming
• Built-in DRM and content protection (Widevine, FairPlay)
• RTSP support for IP camera integration
• VOD packaging and recording workflows
• An established ecosystem with extensive third-party integrations

When to Choose Vajra Cast

Vajra Cast is the better choice if you need:

• SRT-first infrastructure with deep protocol support
• Automatic failover with sub-50ms switchover
• Hot management of live routes without interruption
• Zero-copy distribution to many outputs
• Hardware-accelerated transcoding without add-on costs
• Prometheus/Grafana monitoring with VMAF quality scoring
• Docker/Kubernetes-native deployment

Next Steps

• Explore the SRT Streaming Gateway Guide for Vajra Cast’s architecture
• See how Vajra Cast handles live broadcast workflows
• Compare with Nimble Streamer for another perspective