In short
- No server to run: with StreamLink you paste the camera's RTSP link and get a live link and embed code. With Wowza Streaming Engine you install the software on your own machine or a cloud server, configure each camera stream, build or choose a player, and keep it all running.
- Price for a few cameras: StreamLink is ₹499 per camera a month (₹400 from 11 cameras), plus GST, with one camera free. Wowza Streaming Engine's monthly licence is US$195 per server, before the cost of the server and its bandwidth.
- Built-in viewer controls: StreamLink includes a viewer password, working hours, website restriction and viewer statistics. On Wowza you set up access control yourself.
- Scale and control: Wowza gives engineers full control, transcoding and many output formats for large events and platforms.
Side by side
Checked on 26 October 2026 from Wowza's pricing page, its RTSP-to-WebRTC guide and our pricing. Prices exclude taxes.
| StreamLink | Wowza Streaming Engine | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A hosted service: nothing to install | Server software you install and run (your hardware or a cloud VM) |
| Price | 1 camera free; ₹499 per camera a month (2–5), ₹449 (6–10), ₹400 (11+), plus GST | US$195 a month per server (US$295 for a single month), plus the server and bandwidth |
| Currency and invoices | Indian rupees, GST invoices | US dollars |
| Adding a camera | Paste the RTSP link, press Test | Create a stream file per camera and configure the application |
| Player for your website | Included: a link and one line of embed code | Bring or build your own player |
| Low-delay playback in browsers | WebRTC, with HLS as backup, ready out of the box (AAC sound isn't played over WebRTC) | WebRTC supported once set up (sound needs the audio converted to Opus) |
| Viewer password, working hours, allowed websites | Included, set per camera in the dashboard | Set up yourself (tokens, modules or your own code) |
| Camera without port forwarding | Push mode from a PC or Raspberry Pi on site | Cameras or encoders push to your server |
| Transcoding, recording, many outputs | No: plays what the camera sends (H.264), live only | Yes |
| Who runs and updates it | We do | You do |
Wowza and Wowza Streaming Engine are trademarks of Wowza Media Systems. StreamLink isn't connected with Wowza.
When Wowza is the better choice
Choose Wowza if you have engineers and need your own streaming infrastructure: transcoding into several qualities, recording, very large audiences through a CDN, custom workflows, or running everything on your own servers or offline.
Choose StreamLink if what you need is cameras live on your website or in a shareable link, with passwords and hours, without setting up or maintaining a server, and paid in rupees.
Questions
Is there a simpler alternative to Wowza for IP cameras?
Yes. StreamLink is a hosted service: you paste the camera's RTSP link and get a live link and an embed code that play in every browser with under a second of delay. There's no server to install or maintain.
How much does Wowza Streaming Engine cost?
On 26 October 2026, Wowza listed its Streaming Engine Basic Monthly plan at US$195 a month per server instance, or US$295 for a single month, before the cost of the server and bandwidth.
Can StreamLink handle many cameras?
Yes. Add cameras one by one or a whole NVR at once, manage them in a grid, and change hours or passwords for many cameras together. The price per camera drops to ₹400 a month from 11 cameras.
Other comparisons: IPCamLive · RTSP.me · all services side by side