Head-to-head · Live Streaming Software
StreamYard vs Streamlabs
StreamYard leads on 0 checks, Streamlabs on 0, and 8 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 8 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreStreamYard · 7.7/10
- Free planboth
- Most featuresStreamYard · 7 of 7
StreamYard scores higher on our rubric for live streaming software: 7.7 against 6.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #18 and #30.
StreamYard is the better fit for interview shows and webinars in a browser. Streamlabs is the better fit for game streamers who want alerts and a tip page.
- StreamYard fits best
Interview shows and webinars in a browser
- Streamlabs fits best
Game streamers who want alerts and a tip page
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Side by side
| Feature | StreamYard 7.7/10 Visit ↗ | Streamlabs 6.6/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 7.7 | 6.6 |
| Ranking | #18 in Live Streaming Software | #30 in Live Streaming Software |
| Best for | Interview shows and webinars in a browser | Game streamers who want alerts and a tip page |
| Pricing model | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Free plan · 7-day trial | $27/mo |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Features StreamYard 7/7 · Streamlabs 6/7 | ||
| Multistreaming | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pre-recorded streams | ✓ | ✓ |
| 24/7 looping | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Browser-based studio | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom RTMP destinations | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cloud recording | ✓ | ✓ |
| Unified chat | ✓ | ✓ |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | StreamYard turns a browser tab into a small television studio. The host opens a link, guests open the same link, and each one appears as a tile that can be brought on and off screen with a click. Branding, logos, overlays, backgrounds,… Read the review → |
Streamlabs wraps a creator economy around a broadcaster. The desktop app runs on Windows and macOS, is open source and uses the OBS engine underneath, so scenes, sources and encoder settings feel familiar, while alerts, chat boxes, goals… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
StreamYard — where it wins
- Guests join from a link in the browser, with no software to install
- Landscape and portrait output at the same time from one broadcast
- Comments from every connected platform appear in a single view
Where it doesn't
- Plan prices change with the visitor's country, so check yours first
- Multistreaming stops at three destinations on the entry paid plan
- Everything runs in the browser, so heavy production stays out of reach
Streamlabs — where it wins
- Streamlabs Desktop is free on Windows and macOS and is open source
- Ultra adds cloud multistreaming to Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, Kick and more
- Tip page takes no cut, and the merch store sits beside it
Where it doesn't
- Ultra at $27 per month unlocks most of what makes Streamlabs useful
- Aimed at creators, so event and sports production tools are thin
- The desktop app still needs your own computer to encode and stay online
- StreamYard7.7/10 · Free plan · 7-day trial
The easiest way to run an interview show live, with nothing for your guests to install.
Visit StreamYardFull verdict → - Streamlabs6.6/10 · Free plan · paid from $27/mo
Alerts, widgets, a chatbot and a tip page around a free broadcaster built on the OBS engine.
Visit StreamlabsFull verdict →
All live streaming software comparisons → · Full ranking →
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Nov 2026
Last updated · How we research and update