Amazon Interactive Video Service vs Shed

Amazon Interactive Video Service is a paid managed service for delivering live video through low-latency or real-time streams. AWS lists real-time latency below 300 milliseconds and low-latency delivery at 3–5 seconds. Real-time streaming accepts RTMPS and WHIP input with WebRTC output; low-latency streaming accepts RTMPS and SRT input with HLS output. Chat and timed-metadata APIs support features such as polls, graphics, and synchronized elements. A stage allows multiple hosts to exchange audio and video, then broadcast to an IVS channel. Standard and advanced channels can transcode video into multiple resolutions and bitrates. Streams can be recorded to customer-owned Amazon S3 for archiving and on-demand playback, with MediaConvert support. AWS says channels can serve millions of concurrent viewers. SDKs cover web, iOS, and Android. Listed input plans start at $0.20 a month, and a Free Tier is available for new AWS customers.

Shed, also called Muxshed, is a self-hosted live production studio that receives RTMP, SRT, or WebRTC video, mixes it in a browser, and sends the program to multiple destinations. It can stream simultaneously to YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Facebook, and custom RTMP or RTMPS endpoints. The browser switcher supports scenes, layered compositions, cuts, and frame-accurate stinger transitions. Guests can join through a browser invite link over WebRTC without an app or account. The compositor supports image overlays and lower thirds, while scheduled premieres, back-to-back playlists, and 24/7 loops cover programmed broadcasts. Each instance can provide an unlisted HLS watch page with custom branding and an optional viewer password. Stream Deck and Bitfocus Companion can control the switcher. Shed is an AGPL-3.0 Rust binary that runs with ffmpeg on Docker, Podman, Unraid, Proxmox, or Linux. Self-hosting costs nothing, with unlimited destinations and no per-channel fees. Source builds specify Rust 1.88+ and Node.js 20+.