Asterisk
Asterisk 24 is at rc4, and the latest round is repairing regressions left by 22.11.
A side-by-side editorial comparison of Element Call and Kaltura — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.
Element Call publishes an experimental React component that renders in the host page, not an iframe.
Element Call ships release candidates every few weeks, and the 0.28.1 line moved fast this week. rc.3 starts publishing @element-hq/element-call-component to npm, an experimental way to render calls in a host page instead of an iframe. rc.2 backports fixes for media from one participant being lost after another joins. rc.1 added remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit transport migration.
Kaltura's feed turned to awards and telecom deals after its agentic spring.
Recent entries are press headlines: a Digiday award, a Gartner citation, a Bouygues Telecom cloud TV deployment with Aurora Networks, an IBC showcase, a Verimatrix security partnership and an agentic digital experience manifesto. None of them gives product detail in the tracked text. The nearest product item, just outside the latest six, is real-time emotional intelligence for agentic avatars.
Element Call ships release candidates every few weeks, and the 0.28.1 line moved fast this week. rc.3 starts publishing @element-hq/element-call-component to npm, an experimental way to render calls in a host page instead of an iframe. rc.2 backports fixes for media from one participant being lost after another joins. rc.1 added remote-SFU fallback and LiveKit transport migration.
After finishing the MatrixRTC protocol cutover in August, the team is working on the transport layer and on how Element Call gets embedded. A React component alongside the widget, Android and SwiftPM packages, plus the MatrixRTC SDK from rc.1, suggests the calling stack is meant to be reused in other apps.
Expect a 0.28.1 final soon after these quick candidates; how long the React component stays experimental isn't clear from the entries.
Recent entries are press headlines: a Digiday award, a Gartner citation, a Bouygues Telecom cloud TV deployment with Aurora Networks, an IBC showcase, a Verimatrix security partnership and an agentic digital experience manifesto. None of them gives product detail in the tracked text. The nearest product item, just outside the latest six, is real-time emotional intelligence for agentic avatars.
Two messages run together: telecom and streaming deals on one side, and agentic avatars and experiences on the other. The IBC framing of customer care avatars and sports discovery suggests Kaltura wants those stories merged. The feed cannot verify how far the agentic products have shipped.
Expect more analyst recognition and media partner announcements. Product-level direction is unclear because the tracked entries are headlines only.
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 Element Call or Kaltura.
Asterisk 24 is at rc4, and the latest round is repairing regressions left by 22.11.
Eventcombo's feed is buyer guides for 2027, from RFP templates to hybrid platform rankings.
3CX is retiring its own cloud transcription and pushing customers to bring their own AI.
Telegram's agent platform adds AI group admins, Communities and a rich text editor.
Wildix pairs security certifications with Wilma AI handling front-line partner support.
Demio's tracked feed is still pulling Banzai's financial education blog, not Demio.
See all Element Call alternatives → · See all Kaltura alternatives →
Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.
They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. Element Call 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.
Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. Element Call 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.
Top Element Call alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Element Call alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/element-call for the full list with editorial commentary on each.
Top Kaltura alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "Kaltura alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/kaltura for the full list with editorial commentary on each.