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OBS Studio vs StreamYard
Short answer: Pick OBS Studio if you want live streaming and screen recording; pick StreamYard if you want browser-based multistream live broadcasting. OBS Studio is free; StreamYard has a free plan.
OBS StudioFree open-source screen recording and live streaming
StreamYardLive streaming and recording studio in the browserWhich to pick
Pick OBS Studio if you want…
- Live streaming and screen recording
- Free desktop live streaming
- A free, open-source tool
- Integrations with Linux (on OBS Studio's list, not StreamYard's)
Pick StreamYard if you want…
- Browser-based multistream live broadcasting
- Integrations with Facebook, YouTube or Instagram (on StreamYard's list, not OBS Studio's)
Side by side
- What it is
- OBS Studio:OBS Studio is free open-source software for high-quality video recording and live streaming.
- StreamYard:StreamYard is a browser-based live streaming and recording studio for creators.
- Best for
- OBS Studio:Live streaming and screen recording
- StreamYard:Browser-based multistream live broadcasting
- Who it’s for
- OBS Studio:Content creators, streamers, and developers needing video capture and broadcast.
- StreamYard:Content creators, podcasters, marketers and teams needing easy live video.
- Pricing
- OBS Studio:Free
- StreamYard:Freemium
- Starting price
- OBS Studio:Free
- StreamYard:—
- Free plan or trial
- OBS Studio:Free to use
- StreamYard:Free plan (Free) · Free trial
- Plans
- OBS Studio:—
- StreamYard:Free $0
- Open source
- OBS Studio:Yes, 77,098 GitHub stars
- StreamYard:—
- Works with
- OBS Studio:Linux
- StreamYard:Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Twitch, Custom RTMP destinations
OBS Studio features
- Real-time capture & mixing. Capture video/audio from multiple sources and mix them live with high-performance H264/AAC encoding.
- Unlimited scenes & transitions. Create and switch between unlimited scenes with custom transitions and stinger videos.
- Audio mixer with filters. Per-source audio controls, noise gate/suppression, gain, and VST plugin support.
- Studio Mode & Multiview. Preview scenes before going live and monitor up to 8 scenes simultaneously.
- Modular dock UI. Rearrange, pop out, and customize the interface layout to fit your workflow.
- Extensible API & scripting. Add plugins or Lua/Python scripts for custom functionality via a powerful API.
StreamYard features
- Multistream to multiple platforms. Stream simultaneously to Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Twitch and more.
- Local recordings per participant. Each guest’s video and audio are saved locally for high-quality playback.
- Brand customization. Add logos, colors, overlays, intro/outro videos and custom layouts without design skills.
- Remote guest participation. Guests join from a browser or phone with no software download required.
- On-Air webinars. Host stable, white-label webinars that can be embedded on your website.
- AI tools and clips. Generate AI clips, backgrounds and transcripts in higher-tier plans.
OBS Studio vs StreamYard FAQ
What is the difference between OBS Studio and StreamYard?+
OBS Studio is a free open-source desktop app; StreamYard runs fully in the browser with built-in multistream and guest management.
Should I use OBS Studio or StreamYard?+
Pick OBS Studio if you want live streaming and screen recording, free desktop live streaming or a free, open-source tool. Pick StreamYard if you want browser-based multistream live broadcasting or integrations with Facebook, YouTube or Instagram (on StreamYard's list, not OBS Studio's).
Is OBS Studio or StreamYard free?+
OBS Studio is free. StreamYard has a free plan and paid plans.
Is OBS Studio or StreamYard open source?+
OBS Studio is open source (obsproject/obs-studio on GitHub, GPL-2.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for StreamYard.
Do OBS Studio and StreamYard integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: OBS Studio lists Linux; StreamYard lists Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and 3 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.