Castr vs Upstream

Castr8.8Visit Upstream8.3Visit

Higher score Castr #5 in RTMP Streaming Services 8.8/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Castr

vs

Upstream #9 in RTMP Streaming Services 8.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Upstream

• Castr fits best

  Production-grade 4K multistreaming

• Upstream fits best

  Cloud channels and larger destination counts

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Side by side

Feature	Castr 8.8/10 Visit ↗	Upstream 8.3/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.8	8.3
Ranking	#5 in RTMP Streaming Services	#9 in RTMP Streaming Services
Best for	Production-grade 4K multistreaming	Cloud channels and larger destination counts
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$199.99/yr	$50/mo
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Cloud	Cloud
Platforms	Web	Web
Support	Live chat, Docs · 24/7	Email, Live chat, Docs
Integrations	30+ integrations	9 integrations
Built for	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Castr 0/4 · Upstream 0/4
SRT ingest	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Transcoding	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Stream recording	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
API access	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Max destinations	6 destinations	10 destinations (best)
Output protocols	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Supports RTMP, RTMPS, SRT, WHIP, and pull-based ingest Combines multistreaming, browser production, scheduling, and looping Adds recording, Live-to-VOD, paywalls, analytics, and 4K transcoding	Multistreams to up to 10 destinations Browser Live Studio with guests and screen sharing Supports scheduled, prerecorded, and always-on channels
Cons	No free plan; the trial lasts 7 days Advanced controls require higher-priced plans Some annual plan prices are not shown	Free plan is limited to 24 streaming hours per month Free streaming is limited to 1080p at 30 FPS Paid plans are priced by concurrent stream capacity
Our verdict	Castr is a web and API video platform for production agencies, media operators, organizations, and event teams. It accepts RTMP, RTMPS, SRT, WHIP, and pull-based ingest, then distributes broadcasts to YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch,… Read the review →	Upstream is cloud-based live streaming software for creators, broadcasters, agencies, churches, businesses, and teams. It supports always-on and prerecorded channels, scheduled broadcasts, browser-based production, and multistreaming… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Castr — where it wins

  • Supports RTMP, RTMPS, SRT, WHIP, and pull-based ingest
  • Combines multistreaming, browser production, scheduling, and looping
  • Adds recording, Live-to-VOD, paywalls, analytics, and 4K transcoding

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan; the trial lasts 7 days
  • Advanced controls require higher-priced plans
  • Some annual plan prices are not shown

• Upstream — where it wins

  • Multistreams to up to 10 destinations
  • Browser Live Studio with guests and screen sharing
  • Supports scheduled, prerecorded, and always-on channels

  Where it doesn't

  • Free plan is limited to 24 streaming hours per month
  • Free streaming is limited to 1080p at 30 FPS
  • Paid plans are priced by concurrent stream capacity

• Castr8.8/10 · 7-day trial

  A broad RTMP platform for teams that need 4K, multistreaming, and video monetization.

  Visit CastrFull verdict →
• Upstream8.3/10 · Free plan

  A flexible cloud platform for scheduled channels, browser production, and multistreaming.

  Visit UpstreamFull verdict →