Best Software for streaming
What puts you on the platform. On a PC this is also your encoder.
Below about 6000 kbps a clean 720p60 stream looks better in motion than a starved 1080p60 one, so the honest move on a weak connection is to drop resolution rather than send a smeared bigger picture.
Why this ruleOrdered by first-year running cost, cheapest first. How we compare
Buy links are affiliate links: we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices are tracked estimates, not live prices. Full disclosure
- 1
OBS Studio
FreeFree, open-source broadcast software. On a PC it is also your encoder, up to 4K with a decent GPU.
- Runs on
- Desktop
- Price
- Free
- 2
Streamlabs
Free + UltraOBS-based suite with built-in themes, alerts, and a companion app.
The catch: Heavier on resources; best widgets are behind Ultra.
- Runs on
- Desktop
- Price
- Free + Ultra
- 3
Restream
Free + paidCloud multistreaming: one upload, fanned out to several platforms server-side. Browser Studio included, with a portrait mode.
The catch: Free tier is 2 channels with a watermark; more channels cost monthly.
- Runs on
- Browser
- Price
- Free, $19+/mo for more channels
- 4
StreamElements SE.Live
FreeFree OBS plugin: multistream to unlimited platforms, a vertical 9:16 canvas alongside your main one, and merged multi-platform chat.
The catch: Windows only, and local multistreaming multiplies your upload bandwidth.
- Runs on
- Windows (OBS plugin)
- Price
- Free
- 5
Meld Studio
FreeFree, modern OBS alternative that outputs landscape and portrait at the same time, with built-in multistreaming. The best-performing option on Apple Silicon Macs.
The catch: Smaller plugin ecosystem than OBS, and it is built by a small team.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS
- Price
- Free (paid AI extras)
- 6
PRISM Live Studio
Free + PlusOBS-derived desktop + mobile app with built-in effects and multistream. One account covers PC and phone.
The catch: Free tier now streams to a single channel; 6-channel multistream needs Plus at $9.99/mo.
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
- Price
- Free, Plus $9.99/mo
- 7
XSplit Broadcaster
Free + PremiumThe long-running commercial OBS rival: polished UX, multi-output, and paid support.
The catch: Windows only, and the free tier watermarks above 720p30.
- Runs on
- Windows
- Price
- Free (watermark), ~$60/yr Premium
- 8
vMix
$60-$1,200 perpetualPro production suite: NDI and SRT I/O, instant replay, remote guests via vMix Call, scoreboards. What event productions run.
The catch: Windows only, priced like the pro tool it is, and overkill for a solo stream.
- Runs on
- Windows
- Price
- $60 Basic HD to $1,200 Pro (perpetual)
- 9
ManyCam
Free (watermark), from ~$39/yrVirtual camera and simple broadcaster that pipes one scene into Zoom, Teams and a stream at once. The teacher and coach favourite.
The catch: Watermark on the free tier and fewer streaming controls than OBS.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS
- Price
- Free (watermark), from ~$39/yr
- 10
NVIDIA Broadcast
Free (RTX GPU)Free AI noise removal, background blur and eye contact that any RTX card runs in real time, feeding OBS as a virtual mic and camera.
The catch: Requires an RTX GPU and costs a few frames of game performance while it runs.
- Runs on
- Windows (RTX)
- Price
- Free
- 11
VoiceMeeter Banana
DonationwareThe virtual mixer that routes game, Discord, music and mic into separate OBS tracks without a hardware mixer.
The catch: Notoriously confusing to set up, and a wrong route means a silent stream you cannot hear is silent.
- Runs on
- Windows
- Price
- Donationware
- 12
Streamer.bot
FreeFree automation engine that turns chat commands, channel points and Stream Deck presses into OBS actions, sound alerts and API calls.
The catch: Powerful because it is bare: expect to build your own triggers rather than install presets.
- Runs on
- Windows
- Price
- Free
- 13
Touch Portal
Free, Pro one-timeTurns a phone or tablet into a Stream Deck: buttons on the screen fire OBS scenes, sounds and macros on the PC.
The catch: Free tier is limited to a small button grid; the full version is a one-time in-app purchase.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS, iOS + Android app
- Price
- Free, Pro one-time
- 14
Mix It Up
FreeFree desktop chat bot for Twitch, YouTube and Trovo with commands, timers, giveaways and overlay widgets, all local.
The catch: Runs on your PC, so the bot is offline whenever the PC is.
- Runs on
- Windows
- Price
- Free
- 15
Nightbot
FreeThe cloud chat bot every Twitch channel meets first: spam filters, commands, timers and song requests with nothing to install.
The catch: Cloud only, so no OBS control and no local hardware triggers.
- Runs on
- Cloud
- Price
- Free
- 16
VTube Studio
Free, one-time to remove watermarkThe standard Live2D VTuber app: a webcam or iPhone tracks the face and the model goes into OBS as a window or virtual camera.
The catch: Only useful with a Live2D model, which is the real cost.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS, iOS + Android
- Price
- Free, one-time to remove watermark
- 17
Elgato Wave Link
Free (with Wave hardware)Elgato virtual mixer: separate stream and monitor mixes for game, chat and mic, controlled from a Stream Deck.
The catch: Officially needs an Elgato Wave mic or XLR to unlock, and it is Windows and macOS only.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS
- Price
- Free (with Wave hardware)
- 18
Aitum Vertical (OBS plugin)
FreeFree OBS plugin that adds a second, portrait canvas so one PC streams landscape to Twitch and vertical to TikTok at the same time.
The catch: Doubles the encoding load, and a second RTMP output doubles the upload you need.
- Runs on
- OBS plugin
- Price
- Free
- 19
Firebot
FreeOpen-source Twitch bot with a visual effect builder: chat commands, channel point redemptions, OBS control and overlays without writing code.
The catch: Twitch first; YouTube and Kick support lag behind.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS + Linux
- Price
- Free
- 20
XSplit VCam
$5/mo$60 first yearBackground removal and blur for any webcam without a green screen, output as a virtual camera OBS can use.
The catch: Watermark on the free tier, and the edge quality never matches a real green screen.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS
- Price
- Free (watermark), from ~$5/mo
- 21
Lumia Stream
$5/mo$60 first yearLinks smart lights (Hue, Nanoleaf, Govee, Elgato) to chat and alerts, so the room reacts to a sub or a raid.
The catch: Subscription for the effects worth having, and it only matters on camera if the lights are in the shot.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS
- Price
- Free, from ~$5/mo
- 22
Lightstream Studio
$8/mo$96 first yearCloud studio in the browser: your console streams into it and overlays are added server-side. The way to stream PS5 or Xbox with no PC and no capture card.
The catch: Monthly cost, and cloud compositing tops out around 1080p30.
- Runs on
- Browser / cloud
- Price
- From $8/mo
- 23
mimoLive
$16/mo$192 first yearMac production software with live graphics, NDI, remote guests and a layer system that professional livestreams lean on.
The catch: macOS only, subscription, and a learning curve steeper than Ecamm or OBS.
- Runs on
- macOS
- Price
- From ~$16/mo
- 24
Melon (Streamlabs)
$19/mo$228 first yearStreamlabs browser studio: guests, overlays and multistream with nothing installed. The StreamYard alternative for Streamlabs Ultra subscribers.
The catch: Browser encoder limits and a paid tier for anything beyond one destination.
- Runs on
- Browser
- Price
- Free, Ultra $19/mo
- 25
Riverside
$19/mo$228 first yearRecords every guest locally in full quality while streaming the call live, which is why podcasters use it for live episodes.
The catch: Built for interviews and podcasts; a gaming or IRL streamer gets little from it.
- Runs on
- Browser
- Price
- Free, from ~$19/mo
- 26
Ecamm Live
$20/mo$240 first yearThe Mac-only broadcaster that treats an iPhone as a camera natively, with overlays and multi-guest calls built in.
The catch: macOS only and subscription priced; there is no Windows version to move to later.
- Runs on
- macOS
- Price
- From ~$20/mo
- 27
StreamYard
$25/mo$300 first yearBrowser studio for interview and panel streams: guests join by link, overlays are clicks, and it multistreams from the cloud.
The catch: Browser encoding tops out around 1080p, and the good stuff (more destinations, full HD, no branding) is on the paid plans.
- Runs on
- Browser
- Price
- Free, from ~$25/mo
- 28
Wirecast
$599The veteran production suite: multi-camera switching, ISO recording, NDI and SRT, on Windows and macOS.
The catch: Perpetual licence priced for producers, not hobby streamers, and the interface shows its age next to OBS.
- Runs on
- Windows + macOS
- Price
- From ~$599 perpetual
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Prices and plan terms are what the provider published when we last checked, not a live feed, and services change them. Nothing here is tested in a lab by us. How picks are chosen: editorial policy.