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What is the difference between VoIP and WebRTC?

If you’re not sure what the difference is between WebRTC and VoIP, you’re in the right place. We get this question quite a lot.

First, let’s define WebRTC and VOIP

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the process of transmitting “bundled” voice data over an IP network. VoIP was created to help businesses bypass the publicly switched telephone network (PSTN) when sending and receiving voice calls. VoIP, it should be noted, now falls under the umbrella of “Communications over Internet Protocol” or (CoIP). This can include voice, video, text, and other types of data. VoIP is most frequently used when making voice calls from a desktop phone or via virtual phones running on a PC.

Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) is an open-source standard that enables browsers and mobile applications to transmit data in real-time using simple application programming interfaces (APIs) and communications protocols. This widely used technology

Sounds similar, What’s the Difference 

The most significant difference between the two technologies is the infrastructure and client access.

WebRTC takes place almost entirely within the browser or mobile application itself using native APIs or extended APIs made available by SDKs like those provided by Temasys’ Skylink. This means that for most users there is no need to install or configure anything to use the technology. WebRTC capabilities are most often used over the open internet, the same connections you are using to browse the web.

In contrast, VoIP takes place over the company’s network. It requires a network to function. It also necessitates a well-functioning system of routers, switches, servers, and cables with provisions for VoIP traffic specifically designed into it, as well as specialized hardware or software for access. To allow access over carrier networks, VoIP is frequently bridged with the Phone networks.

So, how do VoIP and WebRTC relate to one another?

Consider WebRTC to be a VoIP spinoff. A company can use WebRTC to let people have live interactions on their website or mobile apps.

This is frequently utilized for client support. The same transport protocols are often used by WebRTC and VoIP. With the right settings, it’s feasible to utilize WebRTC with a VoIP endpoint. However, you’ll need to transform the signaling language into a format that the VoIP end point can understand, as well as possibly media transcoding if their is a mismatch. To do this, you’ll need to establish a gateway between the media and signaling pathways.

Keep in mind that VoIP is just one of the many different things you can do with WebRTC. So, while businesses primarily use VoIP for two-way or multi-party conferencing, they use WebRTC for:

Both of these systems may be outsourced to third-party service providers. Sure, you can create your own solutions with either one, but a third-party platform maintained by experts is significantly easier and less costly, ensures high-quality and grants access to worldwide reach and painless scalability.

When it comes to choosing between VoIP and WebRTC, the decision usually boils down to two factors:

  1. A business case for real-time communications.
  2. Technical feasibility of using WebRTC or VoIP.

If you’re just starting out, we recommend going with WebRTC. It’s more user-friendly and doesn’t require any prior VoIP knowledge or experience. Plus, it integrates easily with other web and mobile technologies. If you have an existing VoIP system in place, then use WebRTC to add video calling and other multimedia capabilities.

Use WebRTC for customer engagement applications and then expand from there. The beauty of WebRTC is that it’s easy to use and can be integrated into nearly any existing system. Both VoIP and WebRTC have their pros and cons, but ultimately, the decision comes down to what the business needs. Our experts can help you understand your options and if our solutions fit your needs, if not we can point you in the direction of those that will.

Temasys’ Skylink Platform makes it easy to add a real-time communications solution to your website or mobile app. You don’t have to worry about the complexity that comes with implementing this type of solution. Plus, our platform is based on WebRTC technology, finely tuned, optimized and extended by our team of experts, so you can be sure that it will work with all the major browsers and mobile devices in any environment.

Temasys offers solutions for both non-developers and developers with Skylink Cube read-to-use no-code embeddable components as well as our Skylink SDK family for those with more complex integration needs.

The Temasys Platform also provides benefits like low-cost infrastructure, guaranteed performance, around-the-clock support, and easy scalability.

For more information about the Temasys Platform, click here.

About the Author:

Nathaniel Currier
Chief Technology and Marketing Officer at Temasys Communications, a leading real-time virtual communications company with headquarters in Singapore.He has over twenty-eight years of experience in software engineering, design, consumer product development, and cloud computing.Nat resides in Singapore with his family.

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