The LiveU series of live video transmission and video streaming solutions are very popular within the live streaming industry. Whether we're talking about video professionals, event companies or media outlets, LiveU is almost always on the comparison matrix when choosing such a service, along with Teradek, Peplink, Mushroom Networks, etc.

If you have the money and resources, you can definitely go for a LiveU hardware unit  plus the subscription for live video. You can also rent one for your event or live broadcast. However, there is a more cost-effective software application alternative to LiveU that can help you get the fastest, most reliable and secure Internet for your live streaming broadcasts: Speedify. Learn more about it in this article.

Looking for a software alternative to LiveU? Here's how Speedify compares from the point of view of fast, reliable and secure Internet:

Both solutions work very well for use cases such as:

• IRL live streaming
• remote learning
• online and hybrid events - including wedding videography, concerts, etc.
• reporting from the field
• entertainment
• houses of worship

As you can see above, there are three main differentiators when it comes to LiveU vs. Speedify:

• hardware vs. software-only - LiveU claims at least some of their solutions are "one touch, wireless live streaming", given you get that preconfigured dedicated hardware.  Speedify's solution defaults prioritize live streaming while running on any supported device. Being a software-only service, Speedify is much more versatile and portable. It's not limited to specific bandwidths and you don't need additional power or equipment to get great results when live streaming or transferring files.
• Cost - LiveU has an initial investment of at least $995 for their Solo, as well as a monthly or yearly subscription cost for their LRT technology. With Speedify, you only pay for the monthly or yearly subscription, which is more affordable on its own than the one from LiveU.
• Flexibility - with LiveU you are commited to their dedicated bonding hardware. Speedify allows you to turn any supported device, including OpenWrt routers, into a bonded streaming machine. If you want, you can even create your own bonded Internet router and use it in a similar way to a LiveU hardware device.

Looking for a real world use case? Read about Doug Piper's decision to live stream beer tasting using Speedify after considering a LiveU setup.