Pipecat
Open Source framework for voice and multimodal conversational AI
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What is Pipecat?
Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building voice and multimodal AI agents. It provides everything developers need to create, deploy, and scale real-time AI applications that can see, hear, and speak. The framework orchestrates 100+ AI services including speech recognition, LLMs, and speech synthesis into ultra-low latency pipelines that deliver natural conversation experiences with round-trip interactions happening between 500-800ms.
Key features include a pipeline architecture that processes audio, text, and video frames in real-time, support for both single and multi-agent systems with agent handoff capabilities, client SDKs for JavaScript, React, React Native, iOS, Android, and C++, Pipecat Flows for structured conversations with state management, and telephony integration for dial-in/dial-out via Daily WebRTC and Twilio. The framework supports noise cancellation with Krisp VIVA, function calling, metrics and monitoring, and multimodal capabilities including Gemini Multimodal Live and OpenAI Audio Models.
Pipecat is designed for developers building voice assistants, phone agents for customer support and intake, multimodal applications combining voice/video/images/text, storytelling experiences and social companions, voice-controlled games, and structured conversation flows. It targets teams creating personal coaches, meeting assistants, customer support bots, and snarky social companions who need production-ready infrastructure with ultra-low latency.
Pipecat pricing
Pricing model: Freemium
Open Source Pipecat framework is free with MIT license. Pipecat Cloud offers usage-based pricing: agent-1x (0.5 vCPU, 1GB RAM) at $0.01/min active or $0.0005/min reserved for voice agents; agent-2x (1 vCPU, 2GB RAM) at $0.02/min active or $0.0010/min reserved for voice & video agents; agent-3x (1.5 vCPU, 3GB RAM) at $0.03/min active or $0.0015/min reserved for voice & video plus processing. Transport: Daily WebRTC Voice is free for first 10,000 minutes (1:1 sessions), then $0.001/min; WebRTC Voice and Video at $0.004 per participant minute; Daily SIP Dial-in/Dial-out at $0.005/min; Daily PSTN Dial-in/Dial-out at $0.005/min. Krisp VIVA noise cancellation is free for 0-10k active session minutes/month, then $0.0015/min. Recording: audio only $0.005/min, audio & video $0.01349/min, storage $0.003/min. Pipecat Cloud supports unlimited concurrency.
Pipecat pros
- Open source with MIT license - completely free to use
- Ultra-low latency conversations (500-800ms round-trip)
- Orchestrates 100+ AI services in one pipeline
- Python framework with easy installation via PyPI
- Client SDKs for web, mobile, iOS, Android, and C++
- Built-in multi-agent system with agent handoff support
- Pipecat Cloud for one-command deployment and auto-scaling
- Unlimited concurrency on Pipecat Cloud
- Built-in WebRTC transport via Daily (no separate infrastructure needed)
- Supports telephony with Daily SIP/Twilio integration
- Pipecat Flows for structured conversations and better LLM accuracy
- Krisp VIVA noise cancellation included (10k minutes free)
- Multi-agent coordination with job dispatch and distributed agents
- Secrets management for secure API key storage
- Built-in logging and monitoring with Datadog integration support
- Global regions for lowest latency deployment
- Extensive example applications and GitHub repository
- Active Discord community for developer support
Pipecat cons
- Requires Python 3.11 or later - no older Python support
- Learning curve for pipeline architecture and FrameProcessor concepts
- Need to manage separate API keys for STT, LLM, and TTS services
- Pipecat Cloud pricing is usage-based - costs can scale with usage
- Self-hosting requires managing your own infrastructure and scaling
- Krisp noise cancellation costs $0.0015/min after 10k free minutes
- Recording costs extra ($0.005/min audio, $0.01349/min audio+video)
- SIP/PSTN telephony incurs additional per-minute charges
Frequently asked questions about Pipecat
What is Pipecat?
Pipecat is an open-source Python framework for building voice and multimodal AI agents. It orchestrates AI services, network transports, and audio processing to enable ultra-low latency conversations that feel natural and responsive. It provides everything needed to create, deploy, and scale real-time AI applications that can see, hear, and speak.
How does Pipecat work?
Pipecat orchestrates AI services in a pipeline, which is a series of processors that handle real-time audio, text, and video frames with ultra-low latency. In a typical voice conversation: Transport receives audio from the user (browser, phone), Speech Recognition converts speech to text in real-time, LLM generates intelligent responses based on context, Speech Synthesis converts responses back to natural speech, and Transport streams audio back to the user. The entire round-trip happens between 500-800ms.
What can I build with Pipecat?
You can build voice assistants for natural real-time conversations, phone agents for support/intake/customer service via phone, multimodal apps combining voice, video, images and text, storytelling experiences and social companions, voice-controlled interactive games, and structured conversation flows with Pipecat Flows to complete tasks and improve LLM accuracy.
Is Pipecat free to use?
Yes, the open-source Pipecat framework is free with MIT license and requires no credit card to start. You can build and run applications using the self-hosted framework without paying. Pipecat Cloud offers a free tier with 10,000 free minutes per month for Daily WebRTC Voice, and Krisp VIVA noise cancellation is free for up to 10k active session minutes per month.
What programming languages does Pipecat support?
Pipecat framework requires Python 3.11 or later and is published on PyPI as pipecat-ai. For clients, Pipecat provides SDKs for JavaScript, React, React Native, iOS, Android, and C++, allowing you to connect users to your agents via web and mobile applications.
How do I deploy Pipecat agents?
You have two options: Pipecat Cloud (managed hosting) or self-hosting. With Pipecat Cloud, use the CLI command 'pipecat cloud deploy' for one-command deployment with auto-scaling from zero to thousands of concurrent sessions. For self-hosting, you can deploy on Fly.io, Cerebrium, Modal, or your own infrastructure. Pipecat Cloud handles infrastructure, scaling, operations, secrets management, and provides built-in WebRTC transport.
What AI services does Pipecat integrate with?
Pipecat orchestrates 100+ AI services including Deepgram for speech recognition, OpenAI for LLMs and audio models, Cartesia and Silero for speech synthesis, Anthropic, Google, and Groq for LLMs, and Krisp for noise cancellation. Each service has optional extras for installation, and the complete list is available in the supported services documentation.
Can Pipecat handle phone calls?
Yes, Pipecat has built-in telephony support. You can implement dial-in using Daily's WebRTC, combine Twilio and Daily for advanced telephony, use WebSockets with Twilio for integration, and enable dialout capabilities with Daily. Daily SIP Dial-in/Dial-out costs $0.005/min and Daily PSTN Dial-in/Dial-out costs $0.018/min.
What is Pipecat Flows?
Pipecat Flows is a feature for building structured conversations with defined paths and state management. It breaks complex tasks into focused steps for better LLM accuracy and helps complete tasks more reliably. It allows you to create conversation flows rather than purely open-ended chatbot interactions.
How do I get help with Pipecat?
You can join the Discord community to connect with other developers, share projects, and get support. The GitHub repository (github.com/pipecat-ai/pipecat) has source code, open issues, and contribution opportunities. Comprehensive documentation is available at docs.pipecat.ai with getting started guides, learning resources, and API references.