OBS Studio vs. StreamYard

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
OBS Studio
Score 8.9 out of 10
N/A
OBS Studio is free and open source software for video recording and live streaming, featuring real time video/audio capturing and mixing. Users can create scenes made up of multiple sources including window captures, images, text, browser windows, webcams, and capture cards.N/A
StreamYard
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
StreamYard is a live streaming studio in a browser. Users can interview guests, share a screen, and simulcast to platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn.N/A
Pricing
OBS StudioStreamYard
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
OBS StudioStreamYard
Free Trial
NoNo
Free/Freemium Version
YesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
OBS StudioStreamYard
Considered Both Products
OBS Studio
Chose OBS Studio
Only one reason which is that OBS studio is free and open source and we had team members capable of using it effectively. Other softwares have great prebuilt features which make it super easy to go live for small streams and individual streamers.
Chose OBS Studio
I've tried both Meld and Bandicam in the past. But OBS seems like the best to me. I've been using OBS for a few years now, it's nice that it's free :) not opposed to paying for good software, but OBS seems to be the best of the bunch and it's free, so I've stuck with it …
Chose OBS Studio
I've used Zoom to capture my screen on video. Although the tool is obviously not primarily built to fulfill that function. To capture basic tasks on video, zoom could do the trick but as soon as it gets a bit complex or lengthy, or you need to use multiple video inputs, I would …
Chose OBS Studio
OBS is far more customizable and user-friendly than any other broadcasting software I have found. It keeps things simple while allowing you to customize your layout exactly how you want it - there are more user-friendly options, but none with the customizability of OBS. I would …
Chose OBS Studio
I have also used TinyTake by Mango Apps and I prefer OBS studio because the video quality results are better and OBS allows you to record an unlimited length of the video. OBS also lets you record an entire screen instead of manually having to draw your parameters, which can …
Chose OBS Studio
I first was recommended beta version of mmhmm but it was not available for Windows OS. I tried it when it became available but it was too late for me to switch and I stayed with OBS. OBS did everything I needed and it is free
Chose OBS Studio
I have never use anything like OBS Studio. This is very easy to use. I just saw some reviews online and downloaded OBS Studio. This is free for download, easy to run, no virus and no watermark.OBS Studio is a great programme for advanced users and there are no time limits.
Chose OBS Studio
OBS is the only robust screen capture with a stable graphical user interface that works on Linux (that I could find). That's why I originally chose it. Since the program is cross-platform, I have been able to keep using it. I could switch back to Panopto, now that I am on …
Chose OBS Studio
We checked out a lot of alternatives, which were simply too expensive for us when we are just in the startup stage of livestreaming.
Chose OBS Studio
The fact that it's free is helpful and it is so unique with the level of technology it provides for such a low cost that it is worth trying. Now that we use it every day, why know that there is a paid professional version that offers even more features.

I didn't do a hard …
Chose OBS Studio
Webex has its uses, particularly when meeting viewers need to participate, but we always use OBS Studio when they don't need to interact (just view).
Chose OBS Studio
OBS takes a lot more work to get started with than Google Hangouts, but you get a much more high quality output from it. It even works better with YouTube than Hangout, which is odd since it is also owned by Google. You can not set a poser image on a YouTube live stream when …
Chose OBS Studio
Adobe Flash Media Live Encoder (obsolete, clunky and not always clear what's wrong when it was giving us issues)
Wirecast (too pricey for what we needed)
StreamYard
Chose StreamYard
The StreamYard interface is more functional and easy to understand for participants, speakers, and team members. StreamYard also allows managing live streams in the app without the need to go to social media for checking comments, replying to them, etc. Simultaneously, …
Chose StreamYard
OBS is tricky to use and run. My laptop refused to install some components, and I've never been able to solve that. On the other hand, StreamYard is cloud-based, and you only need your browser to go live. It is easy to manage your guests. Maybe it would be great with co-hosting …
Chose StreamYard
There are other options we have tried that are not here, but the strength of StreamYard is its ease of use and the ability to easily connect to multiple social media channels and stream to all of them at the same time. Some other software has other strengths that StreamYard …
Best Alternatives
OBS StudioStreamYard
Small Businesses
Zoom Events & Webinars
Zoom Events & Webinars
Score 8.5 out of 10
OBS Studio
OBS Studio
Score 8.9 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
Zoom Events & Webinars
Zoom Events & Webinars
Score 8.5 out of 10
Zoom Events & Webinars
Zoom Events & Webinars
Score 8.5 out of 10
Enterprises
Zoom Events & Webinars
Zoom Events & Webinars
Score 8.5 out of 10
Zoom Events & Webinars
Zoom Events & Webinars
Score 8.5 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
OBS StudioStreamYard
Likelihood to Recommend
9.0
(0 ratings)
9.4
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Usability
7.9
(0 ratings)
10.0
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
OBS StudioStreamYard
Likelihood to Recommend
From simple streaming to bigger events, OBS has been able to handle all of it with full confidence from us. Have never questioned if it was going to be unreliable in a specific situation, even with minimal training. Software identified the external input source easily and had no issues setting that up (Blackmagic Mini Recorder), and great for pulling in separate audio from the computer input.
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We usually recommend it to those that want to start streaming their podcasts LIVE and don't have much bandwidth for learning new software. Its simplicity is perfect for beginners. That being said, if the person we are talking to wants to be able to download high-quality video and audio files after the stream is over -for post-production reasons- we usually refer them to different software.
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Pros
  • Free software for live telecast
  • Open source project for video recording
  • Powerful video recording
  • Written in C and C++
  • Totally virus free and free download
  • Collaborates with Facebook live and YouTube live streaming.
  • Computer screen recording
  • A hub for collectting source and broadcast
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  • Easy access to stream to multiple locations at the same time
  • Simple and intuitive user interface.
  • Self-explanatory. Small learning curve to be able to master it.
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Cons
  • OBS can be a little clunky sometimes, the lots of features can be a bit overwhelming
  • I can multitask with it, but can't run heavy software like Premiere alongside it
  • No way to make adjustments to file after it's done, have to use After Effects or Premiere for that
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  • I would like to be able to change default layout via admin in some instances because for example, it’s a cropped layout for 2+ speakers by default.
  • I would like the opportunity to copy comments from the comments section (even if we need to paste it to private chat).
  • I would like the opportunity to share the link to download video with guest speakers.
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Usability
Very usable because it is free and has had a lot of people helping to suggest improvements and sponsors have allowed the product to grow in sophistication and suitability across a variety of situations and use needs. It is very logical to use once you get started, although the dashboard can seem intimidating at first.
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You don't need to be an expert and you don't have anything to install.
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Support Rating
For a free product, a range of support is available. There are plenty of ways to find out answers to questions, because there are probably thousands of people using the product who are willing to share what they have learned. It usually works as designed, so needs for support are limited.
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Only one reason which is that OBS studio is free and open source and we had team members capable of using it effectively. Other softwares have great prebuilt features which make it super easy to go live for small streams and individual streamers.
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The StreamYard interface is more functional and easy to understand for participants, speakers, and team members. StreamYard also allows managing live streams in the app without the need to go to social media for checking comments, replying to them, etc. Simultaneously, StreamYard has many more options compared to other similar tools. For example, it allows sharing slides from different PowerPoints and screens, adding videos, visuals, and live comments with one click. Due to these options, we save time on managing live sessions and our broadcasts look much more professional and engaging.
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Return on Investment
  • It was great to have a platform that is free that I can experiment with without having to use our business capital on.
  • It took time to learn, but it helped me understand a lot of things, so it was a great learning experience.
  • It was a great balance of cost and time with the high-quality product we got from it.
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  • It has increased the reach rate and the number of followers on social media pages, for example, on our Youtube page, the number of followers increased by 2 times the original amount.
  • It has reduced the amount of time our communications team spends on editing videos.
  • More team members are able to use StreamYard by themselves, which has allowed us to reduce the time our communications team spends on managing live sessions before.
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ScreenShots