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Creative & Media

Live Streaming

Software for broadcasting live: scenes and sources mixed as it happens, sent to one platform or several at once. Every tool below is measured against the same criteria, in the same order. Tools that record a video for later, rather than broadcasting it now, sit under Video Editing instead.

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15tools

  • StreamYard

    Price Free; Essential from $14.99 / month

    Not rated yet

    Live streaming and recording studio in the browser, with guests who join from a link.

    Strengths

    • Nothing to install for the host or the guests
    • Free plan with up to 6 participants on screen
    • On-Air webinars for 100 viewers on the Advanced plan

    Limitations

    • The free plan shows the StreamYard logo and streams in standard definition
    • Essential, Core and Advanced plans are for individual use only
    • No public API to automate the studio
    Visit site

  • Restream

    Price Free; Standard from $19 / month

    Not rated yet

    Multistreaming service and browser studio for going live on several platforms at once.

    Strengths

    • Works with an existing encoder or its own browser studio
    • Unified chat across every destination
    • Documented REST and WebSocket APIs

    Limitations

    • The free plan carries Restream branding
    • Full HD streaming starts on the Professional plan
    • Clips and webinars are paid add-ons on top of the plan
    Visit site

  • Castr

    Price From $19.99 / month

    Not rated yet

    Cloud live streaming platform for multistreaming, browser-based switching, hosting and pay-per-view.

    Strengths

    • Multistreaming, hosting, recording, playout and a paywall in every plan
    • 24/7 human support on every plan
    • Works with any RTMP or SRT encoder, plus RTSP from IP cameras

    Limitations

    • Adaptive bitrate, transcoding and API access start on Premium at $199.99 a month
    • Failover ingest and low-latency playback start on Ultra
    • Cloud Production access is set up by the vendor on request
    Visit site

  • Lightstream

    Price Free; Premium $12 / month

    Not rated yet

    Browser-based live streaming studio mixed in the cloud, built for console streams without a capture card.

    Strengths

    • Streams Xbox and PlayStation games without a capture card
    • Simulcasting to 5 destinations on the free tier
    • Nothing to install, the studio runs in the browser

    Limitations

    • Broadcasts are not recorded by Lightstream itself
    • The free tier is limited to 720p, 10 hours per stream and a Lightstream Studio logo
    • Guests are a Premium feature
    • Phone cameras cannot be added as a source without an experimental workaround
    Visit site

  • Wirecast

    Price From $34 / month

    Not rated yet

    Live production and streaming software from Telestream for Mac and Windows, with layered scenes, browser guests and ISO recording.

    Strengths

    • Runs on both Mac and Windows
    • Browser-based remote guests with no download for the guest
    • ISO recording of every camera feed on Pro
    • A trial with no time limit and no credit card

    Limitations

    • Sold as a subscription, with no free plan
    • Cloud multistreaming, NDI output and the sports tools require Pro
    • Studio allows only 2 remote guests
    Visit site

  • ManyCam

    Price From $59 / year

    Not rated yet

    Virtual camera and live streaming software that mixes webcams, screens, phones and media into one feed for calls and broadcasts.

    Strengths

    • Works as a webcam in any video call app as well as a streaming tool
    • A phone becomes an extra camera angle through the mobile app
    • NDI input and output and IP camera support on every plan
    • Unlimited RTMP streams from the Studio plan up

    Limitations

    • Subscription only, billed yearly, with no monthly option shown
    • Standard is limited to 4 sources, Full HD and one stream at a time
    • Free use carries the ManyCam watermark
    Visit site

  • Streamlabs

    Price Free; Ultra from $15.75 / month

    Not rated yet

    Free desktop streaming software built on the OBS engine, with themes, alerts and widgets for creators.

    Strengths

    • The desktop app is free, with local recordings free of watermarks and time limits
    • Alerts, widgets and hundreds of overlays included without plugins
    • Streams in vertical and horizontal format at the same time

    Limitations

    • Multistreaming and the full theme and app library require Ultra
    • Only one Collab Cam guest or extra camera on the free plan
    • No Linux version
    Visit site

  • vMix

    Price From $60 one-time

    Not rated yet

    Windows software for live production and streaming, mixing cameras, NDI and SRT feeds, remote callers and titles on one computer.

    Strengths

    • Lifetime licences from $60, so most editions are paid once rather than monthly
    • NDI and SRT inputs and outputs for network-based productions
    • Up to 1,000 inputs from the HD edition upward
    • A 60-day trial, long enough to rehearse a real event

    Limitations

    • Windows only, with no macOS version
    • Basic HD is capped at 4 inputs and 1080p
    • Free updates on lifetime licences stop after the first 12 months
    Visit site

  • mimoLive

    MCP-ready

    Price Free

    Not rated yet

    Boinx's live video production and streaming app for the Mac, with layered broadcast graphics, browser guests and ISO recording.

    Strengths

    • The free plan includes the full feature set, only with a watermark
    • ISO recording of every input alongside the program output
    • Remote guests join through mimoCall from a link, without an account
    • Scriptable through an HTTP API and controllable by AI agents over MCP

    Limitations

    • Runs on macOS only
    • The free plan adds a watermark to the output
    • A licence covers one person's Macs; every Mac operated by someone else needs its own licence
    Visit site

  • PRISM Live Studio

    Price Free

    Not rated yet

    Free live streaming app from NAVER for desktop and mobile, with scenes, widgets and multistreaming to several platforms.

    Strengths

    • Free to use, with no purchase needed to start streaming
    • One Plus subscription covers the desktop, mobile and Lens apps
    • Native support for Korean platforms such as CHZZK, SOOP and NAVER Shopping LIVE
    • Can act as a virtual camera in Zoom and other programs

    Limitations

    • The free version shows ads and streams to only 1 channel
    • The Mac version needs Apple Silicon
    • OBS plugins load only on the Windows version
    Visit site

  • Meld Studio

    AI features

    Price Free

    Not rated yet

    Free streaming and recording app for Windows and macOS, with built-in multistreaming, portrait layouts and multitrack recording.

    Strengths

    • Free, with multistreaming to five platforms and 4K recording included
    • Imports existing OBS scenes with one click
    • Separate main and portrait layouts for each platform
    • Up to eight separate audio tracks in a recording

    Limitations

    • Spark requests are limited on the free plan and reset each billing period
    • Desktop only, with no browser studio and no Linux version
    • Prices for Pro and Max vary by region and are only final at checkout
    Visit site

  • OBS Studio

    Price Free

    Not rated yet

    Free, open-source software for live streaming and video recording, built from scenes and sources you switch between in real time.

    Strengths

    • Free and open source under the GPLv2, with no watermarks
    • Unlimited scenes and sources, switched live with custom transitions
    • Studio Mode and an 8-scene Multiview for checking a scene before it goes out
    • Remote control through a built-in, password-protected WebSocket server

    Limitations

    • No editing timeline, so recordings need a separate editor
    • Help comes from volunteers in the forums and on Discord rather than a vendor helpdesk
    • The macOS release needs macOS 13.0 or newer
    Visit site

  • Ecamm Live

    Price From $16 / month

    Not rated yet

    Live streaming and video production studio built for the Mac, with scenes, browser-based guests and multistreaming.

    Strengths

    • Browser-based guests, up to ten on screen at once
    • Multistreaming to up to 10 destinations on the Standard plan
    • Every broadcast is recorded locally without extra setup
    • A 14-day trial with no credit card

    Limitations

    • Mac only, with no Windows version
    • Subscription only, with no free plan
    • 4K streaming and isolated recordings require Pro
    Visit site

  • Switcher Studio

    Price From $45 / month

    Not rated yet

    Multicamera live streaming from iPhones, iPads and Macs, with remote guests, graphics and video hosting.

    Strengths

    • Uses phones and tablets the team already owns as cameras
    • Director Mode records every angle for editing afterwards
    • Ticketed events, pay-to-view and subscriptions on Suite
    • A one-time 7-Day Pass for a single event

    Limitations

    • No Windows app
    • Only 2 multistreaming destinations on Studio
    • Suite monetization carries a $0.99 per transaction fee
    Visit site

  • XSplit Broadcaster

    AI features

    Price Free; Premium from $59.99 / year

    Not rated yet

    Windows streaming and recording software with drag-and-drop scenes, a preview editor and landscape and portrait output at once.

    Strengths

    • A lifetime Premium licence is available as a one-time purchase
    • Landscape and portrait layouts streamed at the same time
    • Preview Editor for checking a scene before it goes out

    Limitations

    • Windows only, with no macOS version
    • The free version watermarks above 720p and is for personal use only
    • No built-in browser room for remote guests
    Visit site

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