Zoom has long been a reliable choice for video meetings and online events, but as companies grow, their streaming requirements also change. A significant number of businesses are now switching to Ant Media Server, a versatile and scalable self-hosted option that provides greater control, reduced latency, and enhanced customization.
In this article, we will examine the main factors driving this transition and how your team can gain advantages by making the switch.
Top Reasons to Choose Ant Media Server Over Zoom
1. Customize Your Hosting
Ant Media Server offers flexibility in deployment, allowing you to host on-site, in the cloud, or through hybrid setups. This grants you full authority over your data, performance, and infrastructure.
2. Support for Multiple Protocols
Ant Media Server is a robust & more powerful streaming engine that supports real-time streaming with ultra-low latency using WebRTC, & other protocols RTMP, SRT, HLS, CMAF, LL-HLS, ONVIF — and transition effortlessly among them. Ant Media accommodates a broad range of protocols, ensuring your content functions on various devices, platforms, and networks.
3. Effortless Expansion
Regardless of whether your audience consists of hundreds or tens of thousands, Ant Media Server supports resource based scaling expands both vertically & horizontally with load balancing to accommodate large viewership without compromising on quality.
4. Complete Personalization & API Availability
Looking to incorporate it into your application, modify the user interface, or enhance features? Ant Media Server provides robust REST APIs, server-side extensions, Webhooks, and open SDKs, enabling developers to adapt the solution to particular requirements.
5. Extensive Plugin Support
Ant Media Server supports plugin architecture and 3rd party application deployment to make your streaming server more powerful. Visit our marketplace to find extensions that you can install for your project and find ready solutions for your needs.
Lastly, for your custom needs, there is a community of users/developers that you can hire to develop applications or plugins according to your requirements.
Real Benefits for Tech Teams & Businesses
Switching from a proprietary platform like Zoom to Ant Media Server (AMS) isn’t just about cutting costs—it’s about unlocking a new level of freedom, performance, and scalability for your development and operations teams.
1. Full Deployment Control
Ant Media Server can be deployed on-premises, in your private cloud, or a hybrid setup, as well as in offline environment. This means your team is no longer limited by third-party infrastructure. Whether you need strict data privacy, regional hosting, or custom firewalls, you’re in control.
2. Developer-Friendly & Highly Extensible
AMS gives your team direct access to REST APIs, server-side modules, and plug-in architecture, making it easy to integrate live streaming into your current apps or workflows. Your developers can build and customize exactly what your users need—no workarounds, no API limitations.
3. Built for Scale
From one-to-one calls to events with tens of thousands of concurrent viewers, Ant Media Server is engineered for scale. Your infrastructure can grow with your audience without compromising video quality or latency.
4. Flexible Protocol Support
Unlike many platforms that lock you into a single format, AMS supports WebRTC, RTMP, SRT, HLS, LL-HLS, CMAF, and more. Whether you’re building a broadcasting platform, an auction platform, online classroom, or a gaming stream, AMS has the versatility you need.
5. Better Security & Compliance
Self-hosting means you get to choose how data is stored and transferred. With token-based access, HTTPS REST APIs, and custom authentication, AMS helps you build a more secure and compliant streaming solution.
6. Analytics & Monitoring Built In
Keep track of every stream, session, and viewer with AMS’s built-in dashboards. You’ll get real-time visibility into performance, user activity, and server health—all critical for ensuring quality of service.
A Simple Migration Path
Transitioning from Zoom’s Video SDK to Ant Media Server is simpler than you think. Ant Media’s WebRTCAdaptor lets developers publish and play streams using just a few lines of code. You can replicate — and often enhance — key Zoom functionalities like stream publishing, remote playback, and token-based access control.
Whether you’re building your video app or replacing the backend of an existing one, Ant Media offers all the tools you need to succeed.
Stay tuned for or a detailed step-by-step technical guide in which we will show how you can migrate your Web and Mobile applications from Zoom to the Ant Media Server 🙂
Final Thoughts
As your business grows and your streaming needs become more complex, it’s important to have a platform that grows with you. Ant Media Server delivers on performance, scalability, and flexibility while giving your team the freedom to build exactly what they need.
Try it today and experience the difference: Start your free self-hosted trial
