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Jitter Budget Calculator

Work out jitter budget instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Jitter Budget Calculator

A jitter buffer converts variable arrival timing into a steady playout stream by delaying every packet, so it trades latency for smoothness. Sizing it at roughly 2.5 times the measured jitter covers the great majority of arrivals; anything later is discarded. That is why ITU-T G.114 caps one-way voice delay at 150 ms — the buffer consumes part of that budget.

Formula

Jitter buffer

required depth ~ 2.576 x measured jitter for 99% coverage; buffer packets = depth / packet interval; added latency = buffer depth

Worked example

With the default values below, Jitter Budget Calculator returns Jitter buffer required of 30.9. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Packet intervalminimum 0.1 ms
20 ms
Measured jitterminimum 0 ms
12 ms
Jitter buffer depthminimum 0.1 ms
40 ms
Acceptable late-packet lossaccepts 0.001–10 %
0.5 %

Results

Jitter buffer required
30.9 ms
Packets held in the configured buffer
2.0
Latency the buffer adds
40.0 ms
Assessment
Buffer absorbs the measured jitter at the target loss level

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Jitter buffer
  3. 3Jitter buffer required= 30.9 ms
  4. 4Packets held in the configured buffer= 2.0
  5. 5Latency the buffer adds= 40.0 ms
  6. 6Assessment= Buffer absorbs the measured jitter at the target loss level

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 4 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 1 decimal place, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What jitter is acceptable for voice?

Under 30 ms is generally fine, and under 10 ms is good. Above about 50 ms, no practical buffer keeps latency within the one-way delay budget.

Why not use a very large buffer?

It adds directly to mouth-to-ear delay. Beyond about 150 ms one way, conversation becomes awkward and participants start talking over each other.

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Jitter Budget Calculator – Calculate Jitter buffer required