Where orb-ui fits
Choose a stack for the work you need to do
Start with the voice AI platform guide to compare managed platforms, agent frameworks, and direct realtime APIs. If you are replacing an existing Vapi integration, the Vapi alternatives guide covers migration tradeoffs. For managed browser and phone agents, start with a concrete platform comparison: Vapi vs Retell covers pricing components, browser SDKs, custom models, transfers, and capacity. Budget for the configured model and carrier as well as the platform fee. If you want to own a browser voice application directly, the OpenAI Realtime API tutorial walks through a React client, server-side credentials, WebRTC, interruptions, and function calling. You own authentication, tool execution, and application operations; a model API alone does not supply a complete telephone workflow. For more control over the agent and media stack, evaluate LiveKit or Pipecat and decide which parts you will host. Their frontend adapters connect your UI to the agent deployment; they do not deploy that backend for you.Keep the layers distinct
When comparing tools, keep the distinction clear:- Vapi is a voice agent platform.
- LiveKit Agents can provide realtime media infrastructure for voice agents.
- ElevenLabs can provide voice and conversational agent capabilities.
- OpenAI Live, OpenAI Realtime, and Gemini Live API are lower-level realtime model APIs.
- orb-ui is the frontend component layer.