What is the best live streaming software in 2026?
The one that matches where your bottleneck is. Before comparing features, decide whether your computer or a cloud relay will carry your multistream.
Live streaming software comes in two kinds. Production apps run on your computer and build the picture: OBS Studio, vMix, Streamlabs, Meld, Wirecast, XSplit. Cloud relays and browser studios take one stream and push it everywhere: Restream, StreamYard. Most setups end up using one of each.
The short answer: OBS Studio is the best free software, with multistreaming through a free plugin. Restream is the best way to reach many platforms without killing your upload. StreamYard is the easiest for shows with guests. vMix wins for pro production on Windows, Streamlabs for gaming creators, Meld Studio for a free app with multistream built in. Wirecast and XSplit round out the list. Mac-only creators should also look at Ecamm Live, from $16 a month billed yearly.
The ranking is editorial: a sponsored placement is always labeled on its card, and no affiliate link changes a score.
The best live streaming software for you
Free, multistream via plugin
You stream to 3+ platformsOne upload, up to 8 channels
You host guestsBrowser studio, guests join by link
You run multi-camera eventsLifetime from $60, Windows
You stream gamesAlerts, overlays, Dual Output
You want free with multistream built inNo plugins needed
8 live streaming apps compared
The "Where multistream happens" column matters most: on your computer, every extra destination costs upload; on a relay, you send one stream. Prices are as listed by each vendor, in US dollars.
| Best for | Where multistream happens | Free plan | Team size | Visit | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | OBS Studio | Best free | Your computer (Aitum plugin) | 4.3/5 | Free | ✓ | Creators, churches, SMBs | Visit → |
| 2 | Restream | Best relay | Restream servers | 4.2/5 | Free, then $19/mo | ✓ | Creators, marketing teams | Visit → |
| 3 | StreamYard | Best for guests | StreamYard servers | 4.0/5 | Essential $18.99/mo | ✓ | Podcasters, coaches | Visit → |
| 4 | vMix | Best pro switcher | Your PC, up to 5 | 3.9/5 | $60 to $1,200 lifetime | — | Event crews, churches | Visit → |
| 5 | Streamlabs | Best for gaming | Streamlabs servers (Ultra) | 3.8/5 | Free, Ultra $27/mo or $189/yr | ✓ | Streamers | Visit → |
| 6 | Meld Studio | Best free with multistream | Your computer or Meld cloud | 3.8/5 | Free | ✓ | Creators | Visit → |
| 7 | Wirecast | Best broadcast on Mac | Cloud (Pro) | 3.5/5 | $59/mo, $34/mo yearly | — | AV teams | Visit → |
| 8 | XSplit Broadcaster | Best cheap license | Through a relay | 3.4/5 | Free, $59.99/year | ✓ | Windows streamers | Visit → |
Is your tool missing from this page? Email us: hello@hackceleration.com
How we compared and scored
The top results for this search are vendor homepages, two Reddit threads and a handful of listicles. The listicles mix production apps, relays and video hosting platforms, and rarely show the monthly and yearly price side by side. None explains the decision that matters most: where your multistream is encoded and what it costs in upload.
We read each vendor's pricing page in 2026, separating monthly and yearly billing and noting destinations per tier, then read user feedback on Reddit, the OBS forum and public review sites. The core criterion: stream live and reach at least two platforms, natively or with a free plugin or relay.
All five criteria weigh the same, the grid used on every review page on this site. Restream keeps the score of our full Restream review.
- Ease of useTime to a clean first stream on two platforms.20%
- Value for moneyMonthly and yearly price, destinations per tier, free plan.20%
- Features and depthScenes, guests, vertical, recording, scheduling.20%
- Customer support and assistanceHelp, docs and user feedback.20%
- Available integrationsDestinations, RTMP and SRT, external encoders.20%
No affiliate link changes a score or a rank.
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is the default answer for a reason. It is free, open source, and runs on Windows 10 and 11, macOS 13 or newer, and Linux. You build scenes from sources (camera, screen capture, images, browser windows), switch between them live, and record while you stream.
Out of the box, OBS sends one stream to one destination. To go live on several platforms at once, most people add Aitum Multistream, a free plugin listed on the official OBS forum: it adds extra outputs and also drives the vertical outputs of Aitum Vertical. Every extra output is another encode and another upload from your machine.
That is the trade-off streamers keep coming back to on forums. In a 2025 thread, one user put it plainly: with Aitum your limit becomes upload bandwidth, while a relay like Restream takes a single stream. In the same thread, another said his fans ran "like a jet engine" once he encoded several streams. Forum reviews of the plugin are mixed, with reports of Kick and Twitch clashing.
- Unlimited scenes, sources and transitions
- Free local multistreaming with Aitum Multistream
- Vertical output with Aitum Vertical
- Works as the encoder for any cloud relay over RTMP
- ✓Free, no watermark, no time limit
- ✓Most tutorials and platform guides start from it
- ✓Pairs with Restream when your upload runs out
- ✗Takes an evening to get a clean first stream
- ✗Multistream relies on a third-party plugin with mixed reviews
- ✗Each extra destination eats upload and GPU
The best starting point if your connection can take it. OBS plus Aitum handles two or three destinations on good fiber. Past that, keep OBS for production and hand distribution to a relay.
Restream
Restream takes one incoming stream and fans it out from its own servers. You can produce in its browser studio (guests, banners, logos) or point OBS, vMix or Zoom at it as an external encoder. Your connection uploads once, no matter how many channels you add.
Plans map to simultaneous channels: 2 on Free, 3 on Standard at $19 a month, 5 on Professional at $49, 8 on Business at $239. Free carries Restream branding; Standard removes it. Annual billing is advertised at 20% off. Clips are a paid add-on from $19 a month.
The catch is the gap between Professional and Business: going from 5 to 8 channels costs almost five times as much. Support gets strong marks from users, but one customer reported in 2026 being charged $239 a month after cancelling, so keep your cancellation confirmation.
- Browser studio with guests and branding
- External encoders: OBS, vMix, Zoom
- Unified chat across platforms
- 30+ platforms plus custom RTMP
- ✓One upload from your connection
- ✓A Free plan you can actually use on 2 channels
- ✓Responsive, well-rated support
- ✗Restream branding on Free
- ✗$49 to $239 jump to go from 5 to 8 channels
- ✗Clips and webinars billed as add-ons
The cleanest dedicated multistreaming tool. Start on Free, move to Standard at $19 when the logo bothers you or you need a third channel.
StreamYard
StreamYard is the fastest way to run a talk show live. You send a link, your guest joins backstage from a browser, and you pick the on-screen layout. Logos, banners, backgrounds and on-screen comments are point and click.
Read the pricing grid carefully. Free shows the StreamYard logo and caps local recordings at 2 hours a month. Multistreaming starts on Essential (2 destinations, $18.99 monthly or $14.99 a month billed yearly). The logo only goes away on Core ($44.99 monthly, $35.99 yearly, 3 destinations). These three plans are for individuals; teams have separate Business plans.
Users praise the simplicity and push back on price, with few options between entry and Core. In a 2025 thread, one creator said you can spot free-plan streams by their watermark.
- Guests join from a link, up to 10 on screen on Core
- Custom RTMP destinations from Core
- Pre-recorded streams
- Local recordings per participant
- ✓Quickest setup in this list
- ✓Nothing to install for you or your guests
- ✓22% off on yearly billing
- ✗StreamYard logo through Essential
- ✗Paid multistreaming, only 2 destinations on Essential
- ✗Less visual control than OBS
The pick for shows with several voices. If your streams are interviews or panels, nothing is simpler. Go for Core if branding matters: it is the first plan without the logo.
vMix
vMix is the software switcher serious productions run on: NDI and SDI cameras, remote guests through vMix Call, titles, Instant Replay and multitrack recording. It is Windows only and sold mainly as a lifetime license, which changes the math against subscriptions.
The HD license at $350 covers most churches and small studios; Basic HD at $60 caps you at 4 inputs. Updates are free for the first 12 months. vMix can stream to several destinations straight from its streaming settings, and its own knowledge base recommends a restreaming service past 5 destinations.
The limit: it is an operator's tool. The interface is dense, it needs a strong PC, and there is no Mac version.
- Lifetime license, 60-day trial
- vMix Call for browser-based remote guests
- Instant Replay and MultiCorder on higher editions
- Up to 5 live destinations from the app
- ✓Pay once on most editions
- ✓Broadcast-level control
- ✓Two months to validate your setup
- ✗Windows only
- ✗Real learning curve
- ✗Paid updates after 12 months
The pro's switcher. For multi-camera events on a PC, vMix HD at $350 pays for itself against a year of subscriptions.
Streamlabs
Streamlabs Desktop is built on OBS with a friendlier interface and streamer tools baked in: alerts, chat box, overlay themes and tipping. It is free on Windows and Mac. Dual Output sends a horizontal and a vertical version of the same stream; on the free plan, that means one portrait and one landscape platform.
Going past those two platforms takes Ultra, at $27 a month or $15.75 a month billed yearly ($189): your destinations are relayed by Streamlabs servers, so you upload once. Ultra also unlocks premium themes and scene automations.
The limit: upsells are everywhere in the interface, which is busier than plain OBS. For a sober company stream, it carries too much gaming furniture.
- Built-in alerts, chat and overlays
- Dual Output, horizontal and vertical
- Server-side multistream in Ultra
- Mobile app and browser-based Talk Studio
- ✓Easier than OBS for a first gaming stream
- ✓Multistream without extra upload
- ✓Familiar OBS foundation
- ✗More than two platforms needs Ultra
- ✗Constant upsells
- ✗Busier interface than OBS
The streamer shortcut. If you want alerts and multistreaming from one install, Ultra does the job. For a company webinar, use StreamYard.
Meld Studio
Meld Studio is the newer name streamers bring up when OBS plugins wear them out: multistreaming is built into the app, with no plugin to install. The vendor sums it up as "Meld Studio is free: multistream everywhere at once, record in 4K, clip the good bits."
The paid layer, Meld Pro, is about Meld Spark overlays and alerts, $20 a month on monthly billing, or $17 a month billed yearly ($200). The streaming app itself stays free. If your upload is the bottleneck, Meld Multi, its cloud relay, takes a single stream from you and fans it out; Meld says it is free during its beta.
The limit: a younger product, so fewer tutorials, fewer integrations and a smaller support team than OBS or Streamlabs.
- Native multistreaming
- 4K recording and multitrack
- Clipping built in
- Cloud multistreaming option
- ✓Free with multistream included
- ✓Cleaner interface than OBS
- ✓No plugin juggling
- ✗Smaller community and fewer guides
- ✗Paid tier focused on overlays
- ✗Local multistream still costs upload
The modern free option. If OBS plugins wore you out, try Meld before paying for anything.
Wirecast
Wirecast, from Telestream, is a production suite in the vMix league that also runs on Mac. You get NDI and IP camera inputs, RTMP and SRT outputs, built-in destinations and remote guests (2 on Studio, 7 on Pro).
Pricing is a subscription: Studio is $59 a month or $34 a month billed yearly, Pro $79 or $42 yearly. Cloud Multistreaming comes with Pro, so multistreaming from the app itself costs the higher tier.
The limit: its $59 monthly entry is the highest monthly entry price here, and solo creators get similar output from free tools.
- Mac and Windows
- NDI, IP cameras and SRT
- Remote guests: 2 on Studio, 7 on Pro
- Cloud Multistreaming on Pro
- ✓Broadcast tools on Mac too
- ✓Vendor-backed support
- ✓Up to 47% off on yearly
- ✗Highest monthly entry price in this list
- ✗Multistreaming needs Pro
- ✗Overkill for solo creators
For AV teams that need Mac. If you run events on Macs, Wirecast Pro yearly is the safe buy. On Windows, vMix HD at $350 once costs less than a year of Wirecast Studio yearly ($408).
XSplit Broadcaster
XSplit Broadcaster runs on Windows 10 or 11 and offers a scene editor that many find easier than OBS. The free version streams up to 720p without a watermark; above that, or above 30 fps, a watermark appears.
Premium unlocks unlimited scenes and resolution for $14.99 monthly, $59.99 a year, or a $199.99 lifetime license with no subscription. For multistreaming, pair it with a relay like Restream.
The limit: Windows only, and the free tier is tight for anything beyond a casual stream.
- Scene editor simpler than OBS
- Lifetime license option
- AI background removal on Premium
- Works with any RTMP relay
- ✓$59.99 a year is cheap for paid streaming software
- ✓Lifetime option
- ✓Easy learning curve
- ✗Windows only
- ✗Free plan capped at 720p and 4 scenes
- ✗Multistreaming through a relay
The cheap paid upgrade. If OBS feels too raw and you are on Windows, XSplit yearly costs about $5 a month.
What you will really pay in a year
The big number on a pricing page is often the yearly rate. And the tier you need is set by destinations and branding, not by the entry price.
Three destinations, no branding
Buy once versus subscribe
Hidden costs
- Count your destinations before picking a tier.
- Check whether the plan shows the vendor logo.
- Compare monthly and yearly prices.
- Test your upload at the time you go live.
- Run an unlisted test stream first.
Six settings for a multistream that holds up
What streamers who go live every week keep repeating on forums and in reviews. Valid whatever app you use.
Keep a third of your upload free
NetworkThree 1080p streams at 6 Mbps total 18 Mbps. With a one-third margin, you need about 24 Mbps of stable upload. Short of that, send one stream to a relay.
- Rule
- bitrate × destinations + 1/3
Plug in with a cable
ReliabilityWi-Fi upload swings minute to minute, and that is what drops streams. Ethernet fixes a large share of the disconnects people post about.
- Gain
- stable upload
Rehearse with an unlisted stream
MethodGo live unlisted on YouTube with your real destinations ten minutes before, check audio on each platform, then stop. That is where you catch an expired stream key.
- Time
- 10 minutes
Pull all chats into one window
AudienceReading five chat windows means missing questions. Restream, StreamYard and Streamlabs show a unified chat; in OBS, add one as a browser source.
- Tools
- Restream, StreamYard, Streamlabs
Build a separate vertical scene
TikTokCropping a horizontal stream for TikTok cuts the sides and your text. A dedicated vertical scene (Aitum Vertical, Streamlabs Dual Output) keeps face and text centered.
- Format
- 1080 × 1920
Record locally while you stream
ReplayPlatform replays are compressed. A clean local recording feeds clips and edits. OBS, vMix and Meld record during the stream.
- Use
- clips, replays
Your upload decides before your budget
Most dropped streams are not a software problem. They are an upload problem. Start there.
Multistream from your computer: OBS + Aitum, vMix, Meld
Multistream through a relay: Restream, Streamlabs Ultra, Wirecast Pro
Browser studio: StreamYard, Restream Studio
- Under 15 Mbps upload? Use a relay.
- Guests every week? StreamYard.
- Several cameras on a PC? vMix.
- Gaming with alerts? Streamlabs.
- Zero budget? OBS or Meld.
Picked your app? Go deeper
These pages take it further.
Strengths, limits, who it fits.
Comparing Restream with other relaysRestream alternativesThe ranked replacements.
StreamYard is getting expensiveSwitch from StreamYardWhere people go next.
OBS takes too much setupSwitch from OBS StudioSimpler production apps.
You shoot on iPhone or iPadRestream vs Switcher StudioRelay versus mobile switcher.
You mostly record podcastsSwitch from RiversideRemote recording studios.
Live streaming software · FAQ
What bitrate should I use to stream 1080p to YouTube?
For H.264, YouTube sets 5 Mbps as the minimum and 14 Mbps as the recommended bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps, and 6 and 17 Mbps at 60 fps. With H.265 or AV1 the recommended setting drops to 10 Mbps at 30 fps and 12 Mbps at 60 fps. When you multistream from your own computer, multiply that figure by the number of destinations.What streaming software do most streamers use?
OBS Studio and its variants, including Streamlabs Desktop, which is built on OBS. In a 2025 forum thread, the top answer was blunt: "Almost all streamers use OBS."How do I stream to YouTube, Twitch and Facebook at the same time?
Either your app sends one stream per platform (OBS with Aitum Multistream, vMix, Meld), or you send one stream to a relay like Restream that fans it out. The relay saves upload bandwidth; the local route is free.How much upload speed do I need to multistream?
Multiply your stream bitrate by the number of destinations, then add a third. Three 1080p streams at 6 Mbps need 18 Mbps, so plan for about 24 Mbps of stable upload. Below that, a relay is the safer route.Is Streamlabs better than OBS?
Easier, not better. Streamlabs adds alerts, overlays and a guided setup on top of OBS, but adds upsells and keeps multistreaming past one portrait and one landscape platform for Ultra. If you know OBS, stay with it.Can I multistream from my phone?
Yes, with an app built for it. The Streamlabs mobile app goes live from your phone, and its free plan covers one portrait and one landscape platform at once. PRISM Live Studio, free on mobile and desktop, also advertises streaming to several platforms simultaneously. Use the most stable Wi-Fi you can, or a USB Ethernet adapter: upload is what fails first on a phone.
Can I stream vertical to TikTok and horizontal to YouTube at once?
Yes. Use Streamlabs Dual Output or OBS with the Aitum Vertical plugin, driven from Aitum Multistream. Build a dedicated vertical scene so text stays centered.Do I need a graphics card to stream?
For one 1080p stream, the hardware encoder on a recent GPU or an Apple Silicon Mac is enough. The GPU becomes the bottleneck when you encode several streams locally; with a relay you encode once.