We may earn a commission if you buy through links on this page. It never changes a score or a ranking. How we make money
Most buyers should pick OBS Studio.
Pick OBS Studio if you want free, open-source recording and streaming with no paid tiers and are willing to configure scenes and plugins. Choose Streamlabs if you want a bundled creator toolkit: widgets, guest feeds, clip editing and monetization, with a free Starter plan and paid Ultra for multistreaming and more storage. The published review rates Streamlabs easier (8/10) than OBS (6/10). Ultra costs $27 monthly or $15.75/month billed annually; its annual total is reported inconsistently as $179 or $189.
01Side by side
| OBS Studio | Streamlabs | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $0; no paid tiers | $0 Starter; Ultra $27 monthly |
| Free plan | Free and open-source; no account required | Free Starter plan with 1GB cloud storage |
| Best for | Free recording and configurable live streams | Creators wanting bundled streaming and monetization tools |
| Core strength | Scenes, audio controls, plugins and scripts | Widgets, guest feeds, clips and monetization |
| Learning curve | Review ease score: 6/10 | Review ease score: 8/10 |
| Integrations/data | Plugins and scripts; seat and usage limits unpublished | Widgets and 1GB free cloud storage |
| Team/seat costs | No subscription; seat limits not published | Seat pricing and limits not published |
| Support | Review support score: 5/10 | Review support score: 5/10 |
OBS Studio Choose OBS Studio if
- Choose OBS Studio if you want zero-cost software without paid tiers.
- Choose OBS Studio if you need scenes, audio filters and Studio Mode.
- Choose OBS Studio if you want plugins, scripts and open-source software.
Streamlabs Choose Streamlabs if
- Choose Streamlabs if you want widgets, tipping and creator tools together.
- Choose Streamlabs if you prefer a browser-based option with remote guests.
- Choose Streamlabs if you need multistreaming through a paid Ultra plan.
02Pricing compared
OBS Studio costs $0: its pricing details list no paid tiers, billing cycle, account requirement or subscription. Streamlabs also has a free Starter plan, but its paid Ultra tier costs $27 per month or $15.75 per month when billed annually. The annual total is reported inconsistently as $179 or $189, so confirm the checkout price before switching. Starter includes 1GB of cloud storage, up to five stream automations and one Collab Cam guest or camera. Ultra raises those limits to 10GB, 10 automations and up to 11 guests or cameras. Streamlabs also lists Ultra+ at $79 monthly or $53.75 per month billed annually. Talk Studio Standard ($9 monthly or $90 yearly) and Cross Clip Pro ($4.99 monthly or $49.99 yearly) are separate add-ons. Ultra has a free trial, but its duration is not published.
03Features and depth
OBS focuses on capture, scene control and customization. It supports combining windows, images, text, webcams and capture cards; no scene limit is listed. Its mixer offers per-source noise gate, suppression and gain filters, plus VST support. Studio Mode lets you preview before going live, and its dock layout, plugin API and Lua or Python scripting let users tailor the setup. Streamlabs bundles more creator tools: its OBS-based Desktop app includes Dual Output, selective recording and Collab Cam, while widgets cover alerts, chat, goals, polls and Cloudbot. Talk Studio adds browser-based streaming and remote guests; Cross Clip converts highlights into vertical clips. Free Starter caps Dual Output at one vertical and one horizontal destination, five automations and 1GB of cloud storage. Ultra adds multistreaming, premium overlays and more storage, with listed limits of 10 automations and 10GB.
04Ease of use and learning curve
Streamlabs is the easier starting point in the published reviews: it scores 8/10 for ease of use, compared with OBS Studio’s 6/10. That fits the product split: Streamlabs bundles widgets, guest feeds and creator tools, while OBS offers more control through scenes, docks, plugins and scripts. The trade-off is that OBS can take setup for straightforward recording. Streamlabs has a free Starter plan, but some capabilities and higher limits sit behind paid plans. The review scores are assessments, not a guarantee that one interface will suit every workflow.
Questions people ask
Is OBS the best streaming software?
There is no universal best choice in the published information. OBS offers free, open-source recording and streaming, extensive scene controls and plugin support. Streamlabs bundles more creator tools and is rated easier to use in the published review. The better fit depends on whether you value customization or an integrated toolkit.
Is OBS Studio 100% free?
Yes. OBS Studio’s pricing details list it at $0, with no paid tiers, billing cycle, account requirement or subscription. It is open-source software under the GPLv2 license. The published pricing details do not publish seat or usage limits.
What do most streamers use to stream?
The published information does not say which streaming software most streamers use, so we can’t name a leader. It does describe OBS Studio and Streamlabs: OBS is free and customizable, while Streamlabs offers a free plan and bundled creator tools, with some features on paid tiers.
Is OBS Streamlabs free?
OBS Studio is free, and Streamlabs has a free Starter plan. Streamlabs also sells Ultra for $27 monthly or $15.75 per month billed annually; the reported annual total is inconsistent. So basic use of either is free, but some Streamlabs features and higher limits require payment.