Ant Media Server
Ant Media Server 3.1 rebuilds its management panel and adds multi-audio SRT.
Comparison · Meetings
CasparCG Server vs Fourwaves
A side-by-side editorial comparison of CasparCG Server and Fourwaves — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
CasparCG Server vs Fourwaves: at a glance
What is CasparCG Server?
CasparCG 2.5.1 drops the AVX2 floor it set in 2.5.0 and moves to FFmpeg 8.1.
CasparCG Server is an open-source broadcast playout server shipping one or two stable releases a year. 2.5.1 (September 16) removes the AVX2 requirement except for v210 Decklink output, updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2, and adds multi-device audio output, configurable audio and screen delays and an option to disable Decklink keying. 2.5.0 in December 2025 brought initial HDR, headless Linux and Ubuntu packaging.
What is Fourwaves?
Fourwaves adds reusable email templates for paid plans in a week of small fixes.
Fourwaves ships small dated updates most days. In the first week of November, Advanced and Pro organizers gained saved email templates, Australia/Sydney became a reference timezone, custom domains are trusted only when every address they resolve to serves the event site, and participant pages now show organizers what participants see.
CasparCG Server vs Fourwaves: editorial side-by-side
CasparCG Server
0.0MEETINGS
CasparCG 2.5.1 drops the AVX2 floor it set in 2.5.0 and moves to FFmpeg 8.1.
◆ Current state
CasparCG Server is an open-source broadcast playout server shipping one or two stable releases a year. 2.5.1 (September 16) removes the AVX2 requirement except for v210 Decklink output, updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2, and adds multi-device audio output, configurable audio and screen delays and an option to disable Decklink keying. 2.5.0 in December 2025 brought initial HDR, headless Linux and Ubuntu packaging.
◆ Where it's heading
After 2.5.0 set new baselines, 2.5.1 walks back the hardware one and spends the rest on stability: FFmpeg error handling, an AMCP BATCH race and Decklink av-sync recovery. The pattern is a feature-heavy .0 followed by fix-heavy point releases.
◆ Prediction
Expect further 2.5.x point releases before any 2.6 work appears; the entries show no 2.6 betas yet.
Fourwaves
5.0MEETINGS
Fourwaves adds reusable email templates for paid plans in a week of small fixes.
◆ Current state
Fourwaves ships small dated updates most days. In the first week of November, Advanced and Pro organizers gained saved email templates, Australia/Sydney became a reference timezone, custom domains are trusted only when every address they resolve to serves the event site, and participant pages now show organizers what participants see.
◆ Where it's heading
Updates stay in the organizer lane: communication tools, configuration options and security hardening carried over from the October audit. The event assistant work from late October has not been extended this week.
◆ Prediction
Expect more organizer-side conveniences around email and the event assistant, delivered as single-line updates.
Alternatives to CasparCG Server and Fourwaves
Other Meetings products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either CasparCG Server or Fourwaves.
Red5
Red5 2.2.0 makes JDK 25 the minimum after a run of thinly documented patches.
3CX
3CX is retiring its own cloud transcription and pushing customers to bring their own AI.
Wildix
Wildix pairs security certifications with Wilma AI handling front-line partner support.
Eventcombo
Eventcombo's feed stays on 2027 buyer guides, now for webinars and production.
JW Player
JW Player now writes captions automatically for every new upload.
See all CasparCG Server alternatives → · See all Fourwaves alternatives →
Recent activity from CasparCG Server and Fourwaves
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
- 1d agoFourwavesParticipant pages show the same data to organizers
- 5d agoFourwavesSaved email templates for Advanced and Pro organizers
- 6d agoFourwavesAustralia/Sydney added as a reference timezone
- 8d agoFourwavesCustom domains must point only at the event website
- 11d agoFourwavesLong-text submission search gets much faster
- 12d agoFourwavesEvent assistant recommendations link to where to fix them
- 1mo agoCasparCG Server2.5.1 drops the AVX2 requirement and updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2
- 11mo agoCasparCG Server2.5.0 brings initial HDR, headless Linux and an AVX2 baseline ⚡
- 1y agoCasparCG Server2.4.3 clears crashes across FFmpeg, Decklink and HTML producers
- 1y agoCasparCG Server2.4.2 restores Decklink driver 14.3 compatibility
- 2y agoCasparCG Server2.4.1 fixes Decklink subregions, EXIF rotation and NDI source listing
- 2y agoCasparCG Server2.4.0 adds 8K and 4K DCI frames plus AMCP command batching
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CasparCG Server and Fourwaves?
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Fourwaves is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.
Is CasparCG Server better than Fourwaves?
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Fourwaves is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.
What are the best alternatives to CasparCG Server?
Top CasparCG Server alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "CasparCG Server alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/casparcg-server for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
What are the best alternatives to Fourwaves?
Top Fourwaves alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Fourwaves alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/fourwaves for the full list with editorial commentary on each.