Around vs Daily.co
Around is lightweight video calling tool with floating bubbles, noise cancellation, and minimal screen space, while Daily.co is video calling API and SDK for building custom video experiences in web and mobile apps. Around is built for remote teams wanting lightweight, always-on video, whereas Daily.co targets developers wanting to embed video calls in their app.
At a glance
| Around |
Daily.co
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Remote teams wanting lightweight, always-on video | Developers wanting to embed video calls in their app |
| Starting price | Free | Free |
| Free tier | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Free tier available | ✓ | ✓ |
| Open source | — | — |
| Custom UI | — | ✓ |
| Floating UI | ✓ | — |
| Lightweight | ✓ | — |
| Noise Cancellation | ✓ | — |
| Recording | — | ✓ |
| Screen Sharing | ✓ | — |
| Transcription | — | ✓ |
| Video API | — | ✓ |
Around
Strengths
- Includes Floating UI as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
- Includes Noise Cancellation as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
- The core product is free with no paywalled essentials
- Includes screen sharing alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
Weaknesses
- May lack some advanced features
- Some advanced features require upgrading to a paid plan
- Fewer built-in features means you may need additional tools to cover gaps
- Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections
Daily.co
Strengths
- Includes Video API as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
- Includes Recording as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
- Free for 2K min/day — generous enough for most small teams to get real work done
- Includes transcription alongside the core feature set — fewer separate tools needed
Weaknesses
- Free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade
- Developer-oriented tooling may not suit non-technical team members
- Call quality depends heavily on participants' internet connections
- Limited team/admin features if your organization eventually scales up
The bottom line
Pricing: Both Around and Daily.co are free. You can try both without spending a dollar.
Feature gaps: Around offers Floating UI, Lightweight and Noise Cancellation that Daily.co lacks. Daily.co brings Custom UI, Recording and Transcription that Around does not have.
Team fit: Both tools target small teams teams, so the decision hinges on features and workflow fit rather than scale.
Where each tool shines: Around's biggest strengths are: includes floating ui as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. includes noise cancellation as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. Daily.co's biggest strengths are: includes video api as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows. includes recording as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows.
Watch out for: With Around, users commonly note that may lack some advanced features. With Daily.co, the main complaint is that free plan exists but key features are locked behind the paid upgrade.
Choose Around if...
- You need a tool built for remote teams wanting lightweight, always-on video
- You specifically need Floating UI and Lightweight
- You care about includes noise cancellation as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
Choose Daily.co if...
- Your profile matches its sweet spot: developers wanting to embed video calls in their app
- You specifically need Custom UI and Recording
- You care about includes recording as a core feature, purpose-built for video conferencing workflows
- The free tier works for you: free for 2k min/day
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