OBS Studio vs Streamlabs: Free Control or Easy Setup?

Pick OBS Studio if you want free, open source streaming and recording software with no paid tier, full control over scenes and audio, and support for Linux. Pick Streamlabs if you want ready-made overlays, alerts and tip pages set up for you, or want to stream from your phone as well as your PC.

The two are closer than they look. Streamlabs Desktop is built on top of OBS, so the video engine underneath is shared. The difference is what sits on top: OBS keeps things lean and fully free, while Streamlabs adds creator tools and sells more of them through its Ultra subscription.

OBS Studio vs Streamlabs at a glance

Which is cheaper, OBS Studio or Streamlabs?

OBS Studio, because everything in it is free. OBS Studio describes itself as "free and open source software for video recording and live streaming," and there is no paid version.

Streamlabs Desktop is also free to download and includes core streaming tools. Some features need Streamlabs Ultra, which its page lists as "Starting at $15.75/mo." The page does not say whether that rate needs annual billing, and it was running several first-month and first-year discount codes when we checked.

What does Streamlabs Ultra add?

Mostly creator extras rather than better video. According to the Ultra page, the free plan streams to one platform, while Ultra adds:

• Multistreaming to several destinations at once.
• Full access to thousands of overlay and widget themes.
• A custom tip page and a custom-named Cloudbot.
• 10GB of cloud storage instead of 1GB.
• Collab Cam for up to 11 guests or cameras, instead of 1.
• Stream Shift, for moving a live stream between devices.
• Watermark-free output from its podcast and video editor tools.
• Streamlabs Console, for streaming from an Xbox.
• Up to 10 stream automations instead of 5, and 1,000 Sidekick interactions a month instead of 100 in total.

If you only stream to one platform and are happy to design your own scenes, you may never need it.

What can OBS Studio do?

OBS covers the core of streaming and recording in depth. Its site lists real-time capture and mixing from windows, webcams, capture cards, images, text and browser windows; unlimited scenes with custom transitions; an audio mixer with per-source filters such as noise gate, noise suppression and gain; and VST plugin support.

It also has Studio Mode for previewing a scene before it goes live, a Multiview that shows up to 8 scenes at once, hotkeys for almost every action, and a dock layout you can rearrange. An API supports native plugins and Lua or Python scripts, which is how most extra features get added.

What we checked ourselves

On 6 November 2026, the latest OBS Studio release on GitHub was version 33.0.1, published on 29 October 2026, with downloads for Windows, macOS and Ubuntu. Its 64-bit Windows installer was 186,662,440 bytes, about 187 MB. The same day, Streamlabs' own GitHub repository described Streamlabs Desktop as "free and open source streaming software built on OBS and Electron," under the GPL-3.0 license, which confirms that both apps share the same OBS core.

Which is easier to use?

Streamlabs, for a first stream. Its overlays, alerts, tip page and chat bot are part of the product, so you can look finished without building anything yourself. It also has mobile apps for iOS and Android, so you can go live from a phone.

OBS asks you to build scenes yourself from sources such as images, text and browser windows. That takes longer the first time, but you get exactly the layout you want, and nothing is held back behind a subscription. OBS is also the only one of the two with a Linux version, available through Flathub and an Ubuntu PPA.

Comparing other options too? Our guide to OBS Studio alternatives covers more streaming and recording tools.

Which should you choose?

• You want everything free, with no upsell: OBS Studio.
• You record tutorials, gameplay or meetings rather than stream: OBS Studio.
• You use Linux: OBS Studio.
• You are new to streaming and want overlays and alerts ready to go: Streamlabs.
• You want to stream from your phone: Streamlabs mobile app.
• You want to stream to several platforms at once with one app: Streamlabs Ultra.

FAQ

Is Streamlabs the same as OBS?

No, but it is built on OBS. Streamlabs Desktop uses OBS as its core and adds its own interface, overlays, alerts and paid Ultra features.

Is OBS Studio really free?

Yes. OBS Studio is free and open source with no paid tier. Its code is under the GPL-2.0 license.

Do I need Streamlabs Ultra to stream?

No. Streamlabs Desktop is free and includes core streaming tools. Ultra adds extras such as multistreaming, the full overlay library, more cloud storage and more Collab Cam guests.

Can OBS stream to two platforms at once?

Not out of the box, as far as its site shows: multistreaming is not listed among OBS Studio's features. Streamlabs offers it with Ultra.