A Quick Comparison of Live Streaming Protocols

Written by BoxCast Team | April 29, 2025

Not all live streaming protocols are equal. While they may look similar on paper, real-world performance separates the best from the rest. Streaming protocols need to be evaluated based on how they handle network adversity like sudden drops, disconnection, and prolonged packet loss.

This blog breaks down three of the most widely used live streaming protocols and ranks them based on how well they handle these challenges.

	RTMP	SRT	BoxCast Flow
Healthy Network Does this protocol produce an optimal live stream with a strong and consistent network?	✅	✅	✅
Network Drop Will this protocol perform with a network that experiences unexpected drops in upload speed?	❌	✅	✅
Auto Adjustment to Network Can this protocol dynamically and smoothly adjust its bitrate when network speed fluctuates up and down?	❌	❌	✅
Disconnected Network Does this protocol weather a total loss of network for a brief period of time?	❌	❌	✅
Missing Data Retransmission Will this protocol retransmit missing video and audio data if it doesn’t arrive as expected?	✅	✅	✅
IP Protocol Diversity What transport layer protocol(s) does this protocol use when data doesn’t arrive as expected?	❌ TCP Only	❌ UDP Only	✅ TCP + UDP
Packet Loss Can this protocol perform well when its network experiences a prolonged period of high packet loss?	❌	✅	✅

3 Streaming Challenges
3 Protocols, Ranked
Final Thoughts + Further Reading

3 Streaming Challenges

The competitors: BoxCast Flow, SRT, and RTMP Let’s see how they perform when networks get unreliable.

1. Severe Network Drop

What happens when upload speed plummets from 8 Mbps to 2 Mbps?

RTMP: Buffers heavily and often cuts out entire sections of the broadcast.
SRT: Increases latency to 8 seconds to recover data, but severe drops still cause buffering or stream loss.
BoxCast Flow: Uses Link Quality Adjustment to dynamically adapt and maintain smooth playback with minimal quality reduction.

2. Complete Network Disconnection

When the internet cuts out temporarily, does your stream survive?

RTMP: Completely shuts down, requiring manual restart.
SRT: Buffers heavily and drops after 8 seconds without connection.
BoxCast Flow: Uses Flow Control to extend latency, which provides more time for smart retransmission during a temporary outage, and when times are good, proactively sends extra packets in the event that packet loss occurs.

3. Prolonged Packet Loss

Can a protocol handle persistent packet loss throughout a stream?

RTMP: TCP retransmission causes constant buffering, disrupting playback.
SRT: Can often buffer for ~10 seconds at the start and end of packet loss, making for a choppy experience.
BoxCast Flow: Uses a hybrid of UDP and TCP with Forward Error Correction to recover lost data while keeping playback smooth.

3 Protocols, Ranked by Performance

3rd Place: RTMP

Buffers endlessly and often disconnects, making it unreliable for inconsistent networks.

2nd Place: SRT

Handles some adversity but struggles with major fluctuations, disconnects, and sustained packet loss.

1st Place: BoxCast Flow

Adapts dynamically to network issues, keeping streams stable, watchable, and professional—even under challenging conditions.

Final Thoughts + Further Reading

Streaming is easy when everything’s perfect. But when network issues strike (and they will), your protocol can determine whether your stream stays online or falls apart. Though most options consistently struggle when any type of inconvenience arrives, BoxCast Flow is built for real-world resilience—delivering smooth live streams no matter what.

For a deep dive into the research and testing behind these rankings, check out our full breakdown.

Thanks for reading — happy streaming, even when your network isn’t!

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