What is the best software for live streaming?
In this age of high technology, it is not easy for a streamer to navigate through the variety of streaming software options. We decided to help you with this difficult choice by testing a lot of live streaming software. Perhaps each differs from the others in its advantages, and decide so only you. But we hope that by taking advantage of our experience, you will be able to find the best. Just give our brief overview a few minutes, comparing for yourself an acceptable price-quality ratio. This will help make your stream on Twitch more effective…
1. Twitch Studio (Beta)
This free streaming software is the best good start for beginners. Twitch Studio beta version is highly configurable, automatically determining the best bitrate for you. And a simple step-by-step setup will help you add any source to broadcast (Twitch Studio automatically detects your microphone or webcam).
The program also has a built-in alert system for subscribers/followers. Thanks to this, a beginner will be able to quickly set everything up for the live stream. But for experienced streamers, customization may not be enough.
2. OBS Project (Studio)
One of the best FOSS (free open source software) for streaming. OBS Studio is designed for advanced streamers who prefer to manually configure everything themselves. And open source allows any user to detect flaws or any security problems. This software has many built-in customization options and other features. For example, a streamer can add multiple scenes from different sources (game, browser, or webcam). There's also a Multiview feature that lets you simply switch between scenes for each segment. In Studio Mode, you can edit and preview scenes on the fly. It is possible to save different profiles with your own settings. This software is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux (Ubuntu). Of the minuses - alerts are not included in the software.
3. Streamlabs Desktop
This software outperforms OBS Studio on a more powerful PC. Pricing is free + premium $0 – 149/year. All basic features are free, but you can buy a Prime subscription and get access to premium apps or even your custom-named chatbot.
Of the pros - a built-in chatbot and alerts, Face Masks, a convenient layout (all in one window), and a library of free overlays. Depending on which game you're streaming, app-specific settings allow users to streamline coding. Thus, you will reduce the strain on the hardware. Of the cons - you can not enhance the sound above 100% and have no access to the Studio Mode.
4. XSplit Broadcaster
We think this is the best premium Twitch streaming software. Let's start with the price, there is also a Free + Premium scheme (free or premium $5/month - $199 one-time lifetime fee). If you choose the free version of this software, it has all the features, but only four scenes are available and you can't use this version for commercial streaming. Note that XSplit adds a watermark to your broadcast if the resolution is above 720p (or 30 FPS).
The main advantage of this software is priority 24/7 technical support for premium members. Plus, additional plugins, with a lot of settings.
Keep in mind that XSplit Broadcaster is Windows only. It's a disadvantage.
5. Lightstream
If you made talk show streams or podcasts, Lightstream is for you. Start with no software downloads, because streams directly from your browser. To handle a large amount of streaming encoding, the software uses cloud technology. This will reduce the strain on your hardware and use Lightstream while traveling.
Of the pros - is a guest mode (you can quickly inclusion a guest in the broadcast simply by giving him a link). And yet, the remote control feature (the streamer can control the broadcast from a smartphone). Note the premium has a headless mode (you can go live without running the software).
Of the minuses - in the free version, the duration of streams is no more than three hours and the limit is 720p and 30 FPS. The premium version costs up to $89/month (which also has a 720p and 60 FPS limit).
And in conclusion...
Our review is only a recommendation, so the choice of software is up to you. We will try to continue testing more streaming software and will update the information with our recommendations. In the meantime, read our review and draw your own conclusions. We hope that our experience will allow you to make your stream better...
