7+ Best Streaming Software (For Twitch and YouTube) 2023

The world of video is changing. We’re transitioning from an era of static video content to interactive live streaming. 

As attention spans get shorter, fans want engaging content with interactive elements. 

Streaming software is the solution. These tools help you stream live video, chat with your fans, embed interactive content, collect payments, and more. 

With as much as 79% of total mobile use going towards live streaming by 2022 (and with the figure set to increase) understanding streaming software is key.

But there are a lot of options on the market. 

In this ultimate guide, I focused on streaming capabilities, video quality, integrations, video editing capabilities, pricing, support, and more to help me bring you the best software. 

Let’s get started. 

What is the Best Streaming Software?

Here’s my list for the best streaming software for YouTube, Twitch, and more.

1. Restream.

Best Overall Streaming Software (Free – $249/month).

Adam’s Take

Restream is my #1 pick for the best streaming software. Share your video feed to multiple destinations so you can reach the maximum number of viewers. The platform provides various features to help optimize your streams, including video transcoding and live chat support. You can also use Restream to schedule pre-recorded videos or create live events.

out of 10

Best For

Overall

Price

$0/mo-$41/mo

Annual Discount

Yes – Save 20%

Promotion

Start Free

Try Restream

Restream is a cloud-based streaming service that lets you simultaneously stream videos to over 30 platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, etc. They even provide native integration with prominent streaming software like XSplit, OBS Studio, Elgato, and more. 

It’s also one of the few streaming platforms that allow “Real-time Platform and Channel Toggling.” This means you can edit and add more channels while you’re “On Air” – without having to exit your broadcast or restart your encoder. 

On top of that, Restream also comes powered with plenty of additional tools to help you promote and analyze your live broadcasts. 

For instance, you can use the Restream Events feature to schedule and announce your upcoming stream in advance to build excitement. However, this feature is only available for Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn for now. 

They also allow you to measure your live stream’s success across numerous platforms – from a single dashboard. You can identify the most popular part of your stream, the peak time, the total number of viewers, watched minutes sorted by the platforms, and more. 

In addition, they have a built-in chat feature that you can display as an overlay during your live stream. There are even options to customize the look-and-feel of your chat box using over 20 pre-designed templates. 

Other Key Features: 

• Create multiple channels on a single platform. 
• A built-in amplifier to stream from whenever you want. 
• Track your frame drops, bitrate, and frames per second (FPS). 
• Update metadata of all streams from a single point. 
• Automatic alerts to notify viewers on Facebook, Discord, and Twitter.  
• Add a CTA button to your live stream. 
• Allow viewers from different platforms to chat with each other. 
• Hide nasty and rude words in the chat box. 

Pricing Plans: 

Restream comes with five plans (including one free plan and four paid plans). 

• Free – No pre-recorded video streaming, no video uploads, no video storage, no stream recording.
• Standard ($16 per month) – No pre-recorded video streaming, no video uploads, no video storage, six hours/stream max stream recording.
• Professional ($41 per month) – Pre-recorded video streaming, max 1 hour/2Gb video uploads, ability to store 10 videos, 10 hours/stream max stream recording.
• Premium ($83 per month) – Pre-recorded video streaming, max 2 hours/5Gb video uploads, ability to store 25 videos, 20 hours/stream max stream recording.
• Business ($249 per month) – Pre-recorded video streaming, max 4 hours/10Gb video uploads, ability to store 50 videos, 20 hours/stream max stream recording.

Try Restream risk free for 7 days.

2. OneStream.

Best Streaming Software (Free – $89/month)

Adam’s Take

If you want to share your content to several social media platforms at once, look no further than OneStream. This robust streaming and recording tool lets you quickly post your videos to over 40 social media sites, which is an excellent use of time and energy.

out of 10

Best For

Reach

Price

$0/mo-$74/mo

Annual Discount

Yes – Save 20%

Promotion

Start Free

Try OneStream

OneStream is the best overall streaming software, with the ability to stream and record live and pre-recorded videos, and publish them to over 40 social media platforms.

With pre-recorded streams, you can record and then schedule your broadcasts to social media platforms up to 60 days in advance.

With live streaming, you can couple OneStream with other streaming tools configure this tool, and start multicasting:

Scheduling pre-recorded videos is also super easy. You just upload your video file, pick a date and time, and select your streaming destinations like YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, Instagram, Periscope, and more.

Key Features:

• Stream to over 40 platforms and schedule posts up to 60 days in advance.
• Team management lets you multiple team members in one account.
• No software installation needed.
• Multiple upload options, including files, camera, and screen shares.
• Custom RTMP streaming using a server URL and stream key.

Pricing:

OneStream provides four pricing options:

• Free – unlimited streaming, no multi-casting, 5 minutes max per stream, 1 social account, 5 GB max file size.
• Basic ($10 per month) – unlimited streaming, pre-recorded multi-casting, 15 minutes max per stream, 5 GB max file size.
• Standard ($39 per month/Best Value) – unlimited streaming, pre-recorded and real-time multicasting, one-hour max/recorded stream, unlimited file size.
• Professional ($89 per month) – unlimited streaming, pre-recorded and real-time multicasting, 8 hours max/recorded stream, unlimited file size.

For the best streaming software, try out OneStream for free and upgrade to a paid plan when you’re ready.

3. Wirecast.

Best Professional Live Streaming Software (Starting at $599).

Adam’s Take

Want to have a professional-looking live show or broadcast? With the ability to create on-demand broadcasts and live stream productions, you can share your message with the world! Wirecast lets you capture video from multiple cameras, share your screen, and add graphics and titles.

out of 10

Best For

Professionals

Price

$599-$799

Annual Discount

No

Promotion

30 Day Trial

Try Wirecast

Wirecast is a live video streaming production platform developed by Telestream. It helps you create TV-like live stream production and on-demand broadcasts for the web.

You can leverage its flexible and intuitive UI to customize your live feed easily. All you have to do is just plug in your mic and camera. It automatically handles all the encoding to deliver your live stream to any geography at scale.

It covers every type of live stream event, including live sports, worship services, television, radio & news broadcasts, etc.

To help you capture your video content on the go, Wirecast also offers a free iOS camera app. You can stream to more than one destination, including ANY RTMP destination. It also lets you embed live captions to make your videos more accessible for differently-abled viewers.

Key Features:

• ISO Recording – It archives all the live video inputs without any modification. These video clips are separate from your composite program recording.
• Multiviewer – Send single sources to up to 17 source grids to easily monitor and get a quick look at each source.
• Stock Media Library – It offers free access to more than 500,000 media assets, including videos, music, backgrounds, lower thirds, etc.

Pros:

• It provides multi-channel audio ingestion, and support for WASAPI, ASIO, and CoreAudio compatible devices.
• Use features like replay, clocks, scoreboards, and timers for your live sporting events.
• Get access to over 100 built-in titles and graphics.
• Use QR Codes, Chroma Key, and Playlists to present your live stream professionally.
• Easily record videos in MP4 or MOV files.
• Efficiently mix up to 8 audio tracks. You can also add FX and processing.

Pricing:

Wirecast provides two versions:

• Wirecast Studio: $599 for enhanced live production and streaming
• Wirecast Pro: $799 for advanced live production and streaming

It’s a pricier tool, but the best professional live streaming software out there.

Get started with Wirecast.

4. Dacast.

Best Video Monetization Platform ($39.99 per month; 30-Day Free Trial).

Adam’s Take

If you want to make money from your videos, or need a reliable and professional streaming solution for your business, then Dacast is the platform I recommend. With their easy-to-use tools and features, you can quickly get your videos online and start generating revenue. Their state-of-the-art security and streaming infrastructure ensure that your broadcasts are always available and of the highest quality.

out of 10

Best For

Monetization

Price

$39/mo-$188/mo

Annual Discount

Yes – Save 25%

Promotion

14-Day Trial

Try Dacast

Dacast is a video monetization platform and VOD streaming platform made for hosting, live streaming, and managing professional broadcasts.

First, they offer powerful and secure video hosting, with a content management system to store all of your recorded and live video content.

Dacast is best known as an OTT platform with great video monetization features. They automatically convert currency behind paywalls to reflect the cost of streaming to the viewer, incluging subscription models, pay-per-view, and advertisting.

Key Features:

• API-Based Video Platform: For customization, they are an API-based online video platform, where you can build your own mobile apps and OTT platforms from scratch with APIs and SDKs.
• Advanced Analytics: You can track the performance of your videos with their reporting dashboards and custom reports.
• HTML 5 Video Player: Stream to any device anywhere with the ultra-compatible HTML 5 format that includes mobile streaming.
• 24/7 Technical Support: Plus a pretty comprehensive knowledgebase and large online community.

Pricing:

Dacast has four main pricing plans, including:

• Starter: $39 per month
• Event: $63 per month
• Scale: $188 per month
• Custom: Enterprise options for large brands

To test out their live streaming and video monetization features, you can try Dacast for free with a 30-day trial.

5. XSplit Broadcaster.

Best For Live Streaming & Recording Console Gameplay ($2.50 per month).

Adam’s Take

When it comes to gamers and game casters, XSplit Broadcaster is one of the most popular streaming applications around. It’s known for its ease of use and wide range of features, which in my opinion, makes it the best live streaming software for those who want to get started in live game streaming.

out of 10

Best For

Gamers

Price

$30/mo-$70/mo

Annual Discount

Yes-Save 70%

Promotion

Start For $30

Try XSplit Broadcaster

XSplit Broadcaster is a live streaming application used for capturing gameplay for live streaming or recording. It helps you start your live stream or recording within a few seconds.

You also get an in-game stream control HUD that helps you:

• Interact with the chat
• Stop and start broadcast
• Keep an eye on recent events
• Monitor stats to increase the engagement

There’s also one Projector Mode that enables you to display multiple scenes to devices connected to your computer’s GPU.

XSplit also handles all your required encoding settings. What’s more, it guides you to make the right setup and stream in the best possible quality of up to 4k60fps. And the best part is that you can handle all the controls of the stream from a single screen.

It also provides a high-end sub-product called XSplit Gamecaster for free and easy streaming for gamers.

Key Features:

• Scene Preview Editor – Edit video scenes before live broadcasting them.
• NVIDIA NVENC – Use NVENC options to customize your settings for optimal quality and performance.
• Intuitive Editor – Easily add subscriber goals, donation trains, events lists, followers alerts, tips cups, etc. to make your live stream stand out.

Pros:

• You can stream and record in 4k at 60fps.
• Broadcast simultaneously to multiple streaming devices.
• XSplit supports Twitch Chat, Facebook Chat, and YouTube Chat Widgets.
• Add custom stinger transitions or use multiple preloaded transition styles.
• Use Whiteboard and Stream Annotations for illustrations and live analysis.
• Use the live status display to gauge the number of subscribers, new followers, bits, super chats, cheers, and more.

Pricing:

The pro version starts at $2.50 per month. There’s also a free plan for limited features.

Get started with XSplit Broadcaster.

6. Streamlabs OBS.

Best for live streamers and businesses looking for an open-source solution (Free).

Streamlabs OBS is a cloud-based streaming platform for Twitch, YouTube, & Facebook. It offers hundreds of stream overlays, templates, and assets to customize your live streams professionally. For instance, you can use “Be Right Back” and “Starting Soon” screens for your live stream event.

It also comes with an app store that offers 46 apps to help you with:

• Achieve more automation
• Powerful and in-depth analytics
• Multiple ways of interactions with viewers
• Stream to multiple platforms simultaneously
• And more

You can also easily embed multiple elements, including your goals, alert box, and others directly from the Streamlabs website. It also offers noise gain and suppression features to easily weed out unwanted/ background noise from the live stream.

Key Features:

• Streamlabs Dashboard – You can use the dashboard to make adjustments through a few clicks to the alert box. You can manage all the elements without having to open the browser.
• Widget Themes – Choose specific widgets for different broadcasts. Also, each theme’s settings get saved separately to help you easily switch from one theme to another.
• Themed Visual Layouts – It provides themes for specific games and genres. Themes also help you deliver a more immersive experience through effects, animations, and graphics.

Pros:

• Available for free.
• Instantly live stream or record through “Go Live” and “Record” buttons.
• Easily split, merge, or stream with multi-screen.
• It provides powerful monetization tools to help you earn passive income.
• You can use speed adjustment and video stabilization to control the quality of your broadcast.
• Monitor the performance of your live streams through key performance metrics like viewer count and new subscribers.

Pricing:

Streamlabs OBS is a free and open-source streaming solution. However, it provides a premium toolkit for professionals for $12 per month (billed annually).

Premium features include free apps, professionally designed themes & widgets, mobile streaming, custom domain, and more.

7. OBS Studio.

Best free, open-source option (Free).

(Open Broadcaster Software) OBS Studio is another open-source, cross-platform streaming and recording platform. It helps you execute high-quality video or audio editing, capturing, and mixing in real-time.

You can create highly customized scenes through multiple sources, including text, window captures, images, webcams, capture cards, and browser windows.

The open-source software also lets you switch between an unlimited number of scenes during the broadcast while using custom transitions. On top of that, you can use its capable audio mixer that comes with pre-source filters like noise suppression, noise gate, and gain. It also offers VST plugin support to ensure you have total control over your audio.

Key Features:

• Modular ‘Dock’ UI – Easily rearrange the layout to align with your branding requirements. You can even pop out all the individual Dock windows for greater customization.
• Hotkeys – Set up hotkeys for almost every action like starting/stopping streams or recordings, switching between scenes, muting audio sources, etc.
• Studio Mode – Instantly preview your scenes and sources for last-minute adjustments. You can even create a new scene right before making your content live.

Pros:

• Use the ‘Multiview’ feature to monitor 8 different scenes simultaneously. You can even transition or give cues to them through a single or double click.
• It offers a powerful API for integration with numerous plugins and scripts. It also ensures high customization and functionality.
• Use customizable transitions to switch between different scenes swiftly. You can also embed your stinger video.
• It’s compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux.
• You get a resource section to explore an unlimited number of additional features.
• Automatically changes the streaming Video Bitrate based on your upload speed.

Pricing:

OBS Studio is a free streaming platform.

8. Twitch Studio.

Best for gamers who want to live stream on Twitch (Free).

Twitch Studio is a free streaming app that lets you live stream directly on Twitch. Twitch developed it to help its fans live stream video games from the same platform. Here is my step-by-step guide about how to stream on Twitch.

It offers a streamlined setup to help you broadcast live streams even if you’re using complex setups. Plus, you get access to step-by-step onboarding, automatic hardware detection, and recommended settings to make your streams look professional with minimal efforts.

You can also personalize your streams to meet your personal branding requirements.

Twitch Studio lets you personalize everything you want, including:

• Starter layouts
• Overlays
• Support for multiple audio sources
• And more

Additionally, you can use its built-in ‘desktop audio capture’ feature to share the audio from your computer to the stream.

Key Features:

• Extensive Personalization – You can customize your video stream from all aspects to reflect your business or personality.
• Content Mixing – Easily connect your iPhone or iPad to mix up your content and share the screen instantly to your live feed.
• Extensive Integration – Twitch provides built-in activity feeds, chat, alerts, and more. This saves you from the hassle of installing an extra plugin.

Pros:

• It offers multiple stream layouts.
• Dedicated activity feeds and chat-widgets to gauge reactions and reply to comments on your live stream.
• You can adjust the sound of your mic.
• It provides a large list of FAQs to help you figure out any issue on your own.
• It’s compatible with both Mac and Windows.

Pricing:

Twitch Studio is a free streaming software by Twitch.

9. vMix.

Best for a big-budget live production ($60 / one-time payment).

vMix is a vision mixing software that lets you live stream videos, audio, cameras, and more. It helps you execute high-quality live HD video mixing and broadcast live videos directly to the internet.

You can also switch, record, and LIVE stream videos in SD, Full HD, and 4K. The good news is you can do it using multiple sources like cameras, DVDs, images, video files, Powerpoint, and more.

Here’s a list of some of the prominent features:

• It supports all formats, including AVI, MP4, H264, MPEG-2, WMV, MOV, and MXF.
• You can use vMix for simultaneous recording, streaming, and output.
• It provides 13 attractive transition effects, including Cut, Fade, Zoom, Wipe, Slide, Fly, CrossZoom, FlyRotate, Cube, CubeZoom, etc.
• vMix comes with full 3D acceleration, allowing you to create professional HD videos even on a simple PC.
• You get over 100 in-built animated titles, stickers, and other graphics.
• It allows you to add up to 8 remote guests to your live show.
• And more

What’s more, it assists you with the hardware to help you produce a big-budget live concert production or sporting events. You can also use vMix ‘Reference Systems’ to instantly build a vMix PC with required specifications cost-efficiently.

Key Features:

• vMix Social – Easily integrate YouTube Live, Twitch, Facebook, and Twitter content into your live stream production.
• Live Chat – View and reply to comments on your live stream from social media accounts like YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook.
• vMix Replay – It enables you to show instant replays in HD slow motion using up to 4 cameras set up. You can also display the replay in 2 angles simultaneously to increase engagement.

Pros:

• Capture events like goals through a single click. You can also add tags to events for better segregation.
• Create highlight reels of the event instantly to play between intervals.
• Leverage ‘Automatic Mix Minus’ function to eliminate echo from the audio.
• Enhance your production with multiple virtual sets, overlay channels, and templates.
• Start your live stream with just a webcam and browser.
• It offers a fully functional 60-days free trial.

Pricing:

vMix provides five editions:

• Basic: Free
• Basic HD: $60
• HD: $350
• 4K: $700
• Pro: $1200

All editions come at a one-time payment. All the versions include free version updates for one year. You also get a 60-day free trial to ensure that the software is fully compatible with your system.

10. Lightstream.

Best for users looking for a cloud-based solution ($99 per month).

Lightstream is a web-based live streaming studio that helps you create professional and impactful live streams within minutes.

It comes equipped with a drag-and-drop editor that provides unlimited creative controls, projects, and scenes. It also offers extensive third-party integration for motion graphics, on-stream alerts, and social media displays to help you drive engagement.

You can even invite guests to your live stream event. You can host a range of events like panel discussions, interviews, podcasts, product launches, and more. And even your guests can share their screens with their own audience, helping you increase your outreach.

It comes with a cloud-based architecture, which means that you don’t need to download the software. You can open your browser to design and produce your live stream easily.

Lightstream provides three sub-products:

• Lightstream Studio – It lets you live stream right from your browser. You can also personalize your live stream and invite multiple guests.
• Lightstream Arsenal – Monitor all the essential analytics to grow your channel.
• Lightstream Cloud – A cloud-native live streaming production API.

Key Features:

• Zero Setup – All you need is an internet connection and computer. You don’t need expensive hardware and go through a cumbersome download process to use Lightstream.
• Remote Control – Leverage your smartphone to start and stop your stream. You can also use it to switch scenes – a great feature when you are producing remotely.
• Live Support – It offers live one-on-one chat support to assist you with any issue.

Pros:

• Render live stream in multiple video qualities, including 720p30, 720p60, and 1080p30.
• Stream for an unlimited number of hours.
• It offers reliable integration with Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, and custom.
• Leverage the ‘Green Room’ feature to invite guests remotely by simply sharing a link.
• Privately chat with guests in the green room during the live stream.
• You don’t have to worry if you get disconnected. Lightstream keeps you live and informs your users until you get back live again.

Pricing:

Lightstream offers three versions:

• Free: $0
• IRL: $99 per month

The free plan provides a maximum streaming length of up to 3 hours and maximum output quality of 720p 30 fps. The premium plan comes with a streaming length of up to 12 hours and a maximum output quality of 720p 60 fps.

What is Live Streaming Software?

Live streaming software helps your broadcast live event feeds to your audience. You can also engage with your audience, allowing them to comment, react, and chat directly on your live stream.

Many of these live streaming platforms even let you share your live streams to your website, mobile app, and social media accounts.

Moreover, most live streaming software consists of a hardware encoder. It enables the conversion of RAW video input to digital format for playback on multiple devices.

You can also use streaming software to broadcast simultaneously on multiple platforms like social media, OTT platforms, mobile apps, and websites. On top of that, it enables you to edit, customize, and modify live streams as per your preferences.

What Features Should You Look For in Live Streaming Software?

Modern live streaming tools are more advanced than ever before. Most of them provide intuitive and user-friendly interfaces to meet the varied requirements of the virtual world.

Some of the options offer tons of features that you might not even need. However, there are some basic requirements that you need to take into consideration.

Here are a few features that you must look for in a streaming software:

• Live Chat – Live Chat is a great feature that helps in boosting the engagement of your live stream. Through the live chat feature, you can interact with the audience and answer their questions. Most importantly, you can also gauge the reaction of your viewers – all in real-time.
• Preview Editor – The Preview Editor will help you take a quick look at your video clips. You can also make last-minute edits or create a new clip altogether before making it live.
• Extensive Themes/Templates – Customizable themes can easily create a more personalized and immersive live streaming experience. For instance, adding a welcome screen and interval filler can make your live stream look more personalized.
• Multiview Feature – The multiview feature helps in keeping a close eye on all the cams. You can also switch/ transition between multiple cams through a couple of clicks.
• Real-Time Analytics – It’s crucial to have access to stats in real-time to gauge the success and engagement of your live stream. You can track all the metrics like the number of viewers, new subscribers, engagement based on geography and demographics to make your live stream user-centric.
• API and SDK – Developer-friendly mobile SDK and API infrastructure lets you integrate your live stream into services, cloud video applications, and digital media workflows.
• Social Media Integration – Extensive social media integration will help you live stream on multiple platforms like YouTube and Twitch simultaneously.

How Do You Use Streaming Software?

Using streaming software is more or less the same process irrespective of the different software vendors. Here, I am using XSplit to demonstrate how to use streaming software.

Xsplit supports live streaming on multiple platforms, including YouTube and Twitch.

Here’s a brief step-by-step guide that can help you start your live stream on Twitch with XSplit.

Before setting up the broadcast output, enable 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) on Twitch. You can’t begin your broadcast without 2FA.

Just go to the Twitch security settings page and click on the ‘Set Up Two-Factor Authentication’ option.

After you click on the ‘Set Up Two-Factor Authentication’ button, you will have to create a password and share your mobile number. After filling all the details, you will receive a confirmation message.

After setting up Two-Factor Authentication, now you need to set up the Twitch streaming output.

Here are the steps to follow:

Step #1. Click on the Broadcast > Set up a new output option. Next, click on the ‘Twitch’ button.

Step #2. Next, click on the ‘Authorize’ button and sign in with the Twitch account you want to use. After that, click on the ‘Next’ button.

Step #3. After verifying the Twitch credentials, browse the setup wizard carefully to identify the connection speed, best ingest server, and resolution for your live stream. After you are through with the settings, click on the ‘Finish’ button.

Finally, it’s time to start the Twitch broadcast.

Here is how:

Step #1. Click on the ‘Broadcast’ button and then select the output that you want to set.

Step #2. Here is what the screen on Twitch Properties would look like.

Other than this, it’s essential to get the settings right.

Here’s how to do it:

• Credentials: Select the Web Authentication that saves your Twitch credentials. This happens after an automatic or manual authorization. If you select the Web Authentication credentials, you can authorize your account through Twitch login.
• Twitch Username: Select the Twitch username for the account you want to stream to.
• Stream Key: Stream Key is a unique element that you will find under Stream Preferences on the Twitch Dashboard.
• Server: Either use Automatic or select the server with the lowest ping time. You can also choose the ingest server every time before you start your live stream broadcast.

Executive Summary.

That was all about the 7 best streaming software. All these software options serve the same purpose of live streaming videos. That said, each of them comes with a few unique USPs. And some of them are even available free of cost.

For example, OBS Studio and Streamlabs OBS are excellent options if you are looking for an open-source solution. While both the tools are free, they come with most of the necessary features required for live streaming and extensive integration capabilities.

Wirecast and vMix are most suited for larger companies that want to produce live events at scale.

On the other hand, XSplit Broadcaster is a good solution for gamers who need to live stream efficiently on a small budget.

Review your requirements and budget carefully before making the final choice.

And do let me know which streaming software are you planning to use? Which option would work best for you, and why? Comment below!