aiortc
An implementation of WebRTC and ORTC
Decision gist · record as of 2026-08-14
Yes. aiortc is actively maintained, permissively licensed, and widely used (top 5000 PyPI packages by downloads). It's the right choice if you need WebRTC in Python and can accept the dependency on compiled media libraries. Not suitable if you need a lightweight data-only solution or cannot install system packages for av and pylibsrtp.AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page — verify before relying
Before you install
- Requires Python 3.10 or later; av and pylibsrtp dependencies may need system libraries (libavformat, libsrtp) to compile.
- Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel; actively maintained with a recent release 32 days ago and active repository status.
- Depends on compiled libraries (av, cryptography, pylibsrtp) that may require system packages, but the package itself installs cleanly.
License · maintenance · safety
BSD-3-Clause (permissive) — Released under BSD-3-Clause (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.
last release 2026-07-13 (32 days) · last repo commit 2026-07-17 · 5,084 stars
0 known vulnerabilities (OSV.dev, 2026-08-14) · 2,218,401 downloads/mo, #3,202 on PyPI
Alternatives
Verify before relying
pip install aiortc
from aiortc import RTCPeerConnection
from pyee.asyncio import AsyncIOEventEmitter
pc = RTCPeerConnection()
# Configure audio/video tracks and data channels- Specific performance characteristics (latency, throughput) under typical workloads
- Production deployment patterns and known scaling limits
- Detailed comparison of feature completeness vs. browser-native WebRTC implementations
What it is and what it does
aiortc is a pure-Python implementation of WebRTC and ORTC protocols built on asyncio, enabling peer-to-peer real-time communication directly from Python applications. Unlike browser-native WebRTC or native libraries, it provides readable, modular code that can be extended with Python ecosystem tools—making it suitable for building signaling servers, applying computer vision to video streams, or experimenting with WebRTC internals.
The library handles the full WebRTC stack: SDP generation, ICE connectivity, DTLS encryption, SRTP keying, SCTP data channels, and codec support for Opus/PCMU/PCMA audio and VP8/H.264 video. It includes RTCP reporting and packet-loss recovery (NACK/PLI), with interoperability regularly tested against Chrome and Firefox. Runtime dependencies include aioice for connectivity, av for media codec access, cryptography and pyopenssl for encryption, and pylibsrtp for secure RTP.
Use it for
- Build a WebRTC signaling server that manages peer connections and relays SDP offers/answers
- Apply real-time computer vision or audio processing to incoming video/audio streams using Python libraries
- Create a peer-to-peer data channel application for low-latency messaging between Python clients
- Prototype or experiment with WebRTC protocol internals without diving into browser or native code
- Integrate live media streaming into a Python backend service with full control over codecs and routing
Worth the install?
AI-flagged interpretation of the facts on this page. Verify before relying on it.
Yes.
aiortc is actively maintained, permissively licensed, and widely used (top 5000 PyPI packages by downloads). It's the right choice if you need WebRTC in Python and can accept the dependency on compiled media libraries. Not suitable if you need a lightweight data-only solution or cannot install system packages for av and pylibsrtp.
Install
aiortc on PyPI
Before you install
Low install friction with a pure-Python wheel; actively maintained with a recent release 32 days ago and active repository status. Depends on compiled libraries (av, cryptography, pylibsrtp) that may require system packages, but the package itself installs cleanly.
Requires Python 3.10 or later; av and pylibsrtp dependencies may need system libraries (libavformat, libsrtp) to compile.
License in practice
Released under BSD-3-Clause (permissive), allowing commercial and private use with minimal restrictions—suitable for most projects.
Quickstart
pip install aiortc
from aiortc import RTCPeerConnection
from pyee.asyncio import AsyncIOEventEmitter
pc = RTCPeerConnection()
# Configure audio/video tracks and data channelsVerify before relying
- Specific performance characteristics (latency, throughput) under typical workloads
- Production deployment patterns and known scaling limits
- Detailed comparison of feature completeness vs. browser-native WebRTC implementations
Package facts
| License | BSD-3-Clause permissive |
| Python support | Supports the current Python release >=3.10 |
| Install friction | Low. Pure-Python wheel |
| Runtime dependencies | 7 packagesaioiceavcryptographygoogle-crc32cpyeepylibsrtppyopenssl |
| Maintenance | Actively maintained 32 days since the last release |
| Last repo commit | |
| First released | |
| Downloads | 2,218,401 / month, #3,202 on PyPI 30-day window, as of 2026-08-14 |
| Known vulnerabilities | None known OSV.dev, checked 2026-08-14 |
| Classifiers | Development Status :: 5 - Production/StableEnvironment :: Web EnvironmentIntended Audience :: DevelopersOperating System :: OS IndependentProgramming Language :: PythonProgramming Language :: Python :: 3Programming Language :: Python :: 3.10Programming Language :: Python :: 3.11Programming Language :: Python :: 3.12Programming Language :: Python :: 3.13Programming Language :: Python :: 3.14 |
Evidence: aiortc-1.15.0-py3-none-any.whl
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See also aioice · aiortsp · streamlit-webrtc · go2rtc-client · aiocoap · pipecat-ai-small-webrtc-prebuilt · daily-python · pipecat-ai · livekit · webrtcvad