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Head-to-head · Lecture Capture Software

Opencast vs Planet eStream

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score Opencast #4 in Lecture Capture Software 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Opencast
Planet eStream #6 in Lecture Capture Software 8.6/10 Pricing on request ✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Planet eStream

Opencast leads on 0 checks, Planet eStream on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreOpencast · 8.8/10
  • Free planonly Opencast
  • Most featuresPlanet eStream · 5 of 5

Opencast scores higher on our rubric for lecture capture software: 8.8 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.

On deployment, Planet eStream gives you Hybrid where Opencast offers On-premise.

Opencast is the better fit for budget-conscious institutions with technical teams. Planet eStream is the better fit for campuses needing hybrid multi-source capture.

  • Opencast fits best

    Budget-conscious institutions with technical teams

  • Planet eStream fits best

    Campuses needing hybrid multi-source capture

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Side by side

Feature Opencast 8.8/10 Visit ↗ Planet eStream 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.8 8.6
Ranking #4 in Lecture Capture Software #6 in Lecture Capture Software
Best for Budget-conscious institutions with technical teams Campuses needing hybrid multi-source capture
Pricing model Free Paid
Starting price Free plan Pricing on request
Free plan ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Cloud, Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms Web, Linux Web, Windows, iOS
Support Email, Live chat, Community, Docs Email, Phone, Docs, Tickets
Integrations 12 integrations 6 integrations
Built for Mid-market, Enterprise Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Opencast 4/5 · Planet eStream 5/5
Automatic captions ✓ ✓
Searchable transcripts ✓ ✓
LMS delivery ✓ ✓
Multi-camera capture Not checked yet ✓ (best)
Live streaming ✓ ✓
Specs
Deployment On-premise Hybrid
Retention period Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Scheduled, on-demand, and live lecture recording
  • Captions, transcription, editing, and searchable slide text
  • LTI, LMS, academic platform, and media integrations
  • Captures and streams lectures, events, classrooms and room activity
  • Supports transcription, subtitles, searchable transcripts and multi-source recording
  • Integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle and Microsoft 365 tools
Cons
  • Self-hosted deployment requires institutional infrastructure management
  • Linux-based hosting may demand technical administration
  • Some classroom workflows require external capture agents
  • Uses a contact-sales pricing model
  • Its extensive feature set may exceed narrow recording needs
  • It is not open source
Our verdict

Opencast is an open-source video management and lecture-capture system for academic institutions. It supports scheduled and on-demand recording, live streaming, browser-based recording through Opencast Studio, media processing, caption and…

Read the review →

Planet eStream is an education-focused video platform for recording, live streaming, archiving and delivering lectures, lessons, room activity and events. It is designed for education organisations that need more than basic camera capture,…

Read the review →
  1. OpencastLecture Capture Software 8.8Free plan
  2. Planet eStreamLecture Capture Software 8.6Pricing on request

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Opencast — where it wins

    • Scheduled, on-demand, and live lecture recording
    • Captions, transcription, editing, and searchable slide text
    • LTI, LMS, academic platform, and media integrations

    Where it doesn't

    • Self-hosted deployment requires institutional infrastructure management
    • Linux-based hosting may demand technical administration
    • Some classroom workflows require external capture agents

  • Planet eStream — where it wins

    • Captures and streams lectures, events, classrooms and room activity
    • Supports transcription, subtitles, searchable transcripts and multi-source recording
    • Integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle and Microsoft 365 tools

    Where it doesn't

    • Uses a contact-sales pricing model
    • Its extensive feature set may exceed narrow recording needs
    • It is not open source

More comparisons

All lecture capture software comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update