Do you want to start your streaming career? Do you want to keep a business showcase on LinkedIn? A cooking broadcast or a talk show on Twitch? In every case, you need to have a tool, a platform, or software, which gives you the opportunity to stream to the platforms. These pieces of software nowadays are easy to use, and you can set up without any headache, be any of the above-mentioned categories.
In this comparison, you will find the best streaming software, which helps you to start streaming. Some broadcast software and platform are available for free, but for the more detailed settings, and features you need to have a subscription. The review shows you the advantages, and you gain a little insight into them.
Some of them are capable of recording, therefore you can reuse the records later on. But don’t waste our time, let’s get into it.
1. OBS Studio
The streamer world’s well-known software is the OBS Studio. The program has been on the market since 2021, fully open-source and you can use it for free. You’ll find much support for the usage, as like on HelpTechYou. Among others, like the setup guide, but if you’re facing a problem we got you covered.
The software is mostly built for live streaming, but because of the low resource requirements, you can use it for recording. And it’s really recommended for low-end PCs too. You can record the screen, along with software or game capture. You can create different scenes and inside them, you can add more sources as well. Sources could be anything, like pictures, videos, backgrounds, texts, stream overlays, and external animations as well, which are made with streamlabs.
Between the scenes, you can set up transitions, add different filters for audio, and video too, or use a green screen. In the settings with only two clicks you can start streaming to Twitch, Facebook, or YouTube, and LinkedIn. With a little knowledge, you can create transitions as well, with the help of Python.
Advantages
- Absolutely free, there’s no subscription, no purchase,
- Along the user-friendly interface, there’re detailed settings and control,
- With the help of scenes, you can create specific pictures, easily switch between them,
- Usable at any operation system, Windows, Mac, Ubuntu (Linux),
- Automatic integration with the streaming platforms, but you can set up manully to, then you can use your maximum hardware performance, (and you can use it for multistreaming too.)
2. Streamlabs OBS
The Streamlabs OBS is built upon the OBS Studio, which gives you integrated solutions for their services and functions. By Twitch, is the chat, the different displays, transitions, and with some click, you can add their extensions. Mostly used by gamers.
Because of the mentioned functions, the many instantly usable template, and the animations, you may find this a better software than the OBS Studio. There’s a cleaner interface, with easier settings, and a design that meets the current trends. But because of that, you lost some of the function.
You can find many guides and tutorials, like set up, or the usage of the platform.
Advantages
- The program is basically free, but for the extensions, templates and for the multistreaming is only available in the subscription,
- Functions that you can find in OBS Studio, but cleaner interface,
- Many addons, and the Streamlabs functions is integrated into the software.
3. Restream.io
One of the well-known multistreaming platform, which helps you to stream to Facebook Live, Twitch, YouTube, and LinkedIn, at the same time. You don’t need any tweaking and different settings, or bypass solutions, to stream to multiple platforms, because this app gives you the opportunity. You can start with their app, called Studio, without download, but you can connect to their servers, with OBS Studio, or Streamlabs OBS too.
The connection is self-evident, you just need to login through their platform and you’re ready to go. Switch between the different platforms, at the time you streaming. The statistics are included too, which comes from the different platforms, therefore you can see in one place, all of them.
But the free version only gives you 720p resolution and Restream branding, on the screen or in the description. So if you want more professional broadcasting, you need to purchase their subscription.
Advantage
- You can stream to 4 platform at the same time, into Facebook groups too,
- All statistics from the different streaming platforms are in one place,
- You can store the recordings in the cloud, for 30 days (only available after subscription).
4. Twitch Studio
Twitch Studio, is the Twitch.tv individual software. Because of the platform size, there is a place for this program. The developers created this app with a user-friendly interface and easy usage in mind. A guide leads you along in the setup phase. As you can set up the webcam, the microphone, and the filters in this guide. It determines the best settings for your hardware performance. But you probably going to fine-tune the settings later on.
You got direct feedback on how your computer doing, through streaming, so from Twitch chat, and from the current scene. The possibility to add different scenes and sources is here, as well as pre-defined versions. The pre-defined variants are easily changeable and you can modify them to your branding or to a game overlay.
The transitions between the two scenes are hidden in the settings. But for unique transitions, there’s no space.
Advantage
- Direct connection to Twitch, but no other platforms allowed,
- Easy and quick setup, by the wizard,
- User-friendly modifiable scenes, add new elements.
5. Dacast
Dacast is a very unique platform, where you can “rent” a site, a platform, and you can stream through it. Accordingly, in this situation, you don’t need any streaming platform, because you are the streaming platform. But the monetization and the ads are in your hand as well. Basically in the Dacast hand, but you are in full control, and you can set up anything.
Cloud space is included in the platform, then you can store it there, and you can create a whole stream with it. You can find a Paywall option too, where you can create subscription-based broadcasts too. Integrate the stream to your website, or modify the video player design. And yes, you can create streams, without any advertisement, if this is your choice.
You have a full statistics page, about watch time, and etc., you can add Google Analytics too.
Advantage
- Completely unique solution, where the broadcasts in our hands, the brand building is guaranteed,
- No ads, but you will not gain any early income,
- For businesses, companies this is one of the best choice,
- Own mobile application,
- Full control over the streaming.
6. Wirecast
In this program, there are many input options, from different mixer’s signals too. 4K resolution streaming, with unique transitions, texts, and complex audio mixer. Besides the main options, this apps is capable of multistreaming after a one-time purchase, at the same time. But for that, you need to have the hardware specs, the internet speed, and bitrate.
The Wirecast is built for professional production. For those who want to broadcast events, matches, theater plays, and complex shows this is a good solution. Also from the point of view, the starting $599 price tag.
The Pro version gives functions which mainly used at sports events, like instant replay, snapshots, or ISO recording. On live, you can add immediate texts to the screen. Besides, there’s a feature for external devices, like an iPhone, that can participate in streaming as an angle, with their dedicated app.
Advantages
- Professional software, primarly for events,
- The settings and the options are endless,
- ISO recording option (independent recording of various incoming signals),
- Included, texts, transitions and animations,
- Instant replay and snapshot recording.
7. OneStream
Like Restream.io, OneStream is also focusing on the stream to multiple platforms, where you can connect to more than 40 stream platforms (Instagram, Facebook group, Vimeo or Twitter). One of the main functions is that you can stream pre-recorded content.
You can connect to this platform with streaming software, like OBS Studio, but you can use Zoom for that purpose too. In this situation, you can place the streaming player on your website. Direct integration is a feature, which gives you the option to import videos from, Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. Not least, you can follow the various chat in one place.
Advantages
- More than 40+ social media platform, where live stream exist,
- Create stream playlist, with pre-recorded videos, then go live,
- Import videos directly from external cloud storage.
8. XSplit Broadcaster
The XSplit is destined to pick up the fight with OBS. Besides the OBS, the current program is only available after subscription ($15 monthly). The functionality of the software is the same as the free version. You can connect to many platforms, follow the chat, the current scene and there are many detailed settings for settings and recordings.
The software has an application, which you can download to your smartphone, and use as a webcam. It’s available for Android and Apple. Addons and extensions are a plus, where you can add a whiteboard, playback, or you can record the joystick movement on the screen.
Advantages
- Follow the different platform’s chat in one place,
- Windows, full screen, pictures, videos or Zoom calls are the source options,
- Different view options,
- Integrated addons.
How to choose the best streaming software for yourself?
Every streaming software is built for one thing, which is to do a live stream, however, they approach this from different angles. The best decision is to try out all of them at the beginning of your streaming career, and consider your content and marketing strategy, then choose the final piece.
For example, if you would like to stream gaming, or IRL, talk show, then OBS Studio, or Streamlabs OBS is will be one of your choices. These programs are free, and if you click on the links you instantly go to their setup guides.
The other question is may come up, that which streaming platform suits you. There are many options, mainly, YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Instagram, LinkedIn, and we can go on. This is another decision, which you need to experience when you start your streaming career. That your category is best for this platform, and find out whether your niche is on that platform or not.
The start of the broadcast, nowadays is only about one or two clicks, and you can register any platform within minutes, but if you rush it, you will suffer later on. You need to have a clear goal in mind, with a well-written brand identity, marketing, and content strategy, to start some view, probably after one or so months.
