Desktop Streamer review
A low-cost Windows encoder for screen capture, recording, and RTMP streaming.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Desktop Streamer is a Windows application for recording screens to MP4 and streaming desktop content through RTMP. It suits tutorials, online classes, product demonstrations, gaming streams, and general screencasting. Users can capture the full desktop or a custom region, record at native resolution, add microphone and system audio, include background music, and place a resizable webcam overlay over the output. Local recording can continue while a stream is active.
Pricing is structured around a 30-day trial, subscriptions, and a lifetime license. The One Month Plan costs $5 per month and includes Desktop Streamer access, free updates, and online technical support. The Three Month Plan costs $10 per 3 months, the Six Month Plan costs $15 per 6 months, and the 12 Months Plan costs $20 per year, with the same listed subscription benefits. The Lifetime license costs $120 as a one-time purchase and includes screen recording, desktop streaming, audio and camera capture, and YouTube upload.
Its strongest fit is desktop-focused streaming where RTMP delivery and local recording are the main requirements. The application can stream to multiple servers or channels, adjust FPS, CRF, and quality presets, schedule automatic starts and stops, and upload recordings to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. YouTube and Facebook support direct upload and sharing. The trade-off is a narrow platform and protocol scope: Windows is required, and RTMP is the stated output protocol. Choose Desktop Streamer for budget Windows screencasting and RTMP workflows; choose an alternative if you need another operating system or a different streaming protocol.
Desktop Streamer pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Screen capture, MP4 recording, and streaming can run together.
- Scheduled recording, webcam PiP, audio capture, and quality controls.
- Uploads to YouTube, Facebook, Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox.
- Where it doesn't
- Windows is the only supported platform.
- Streaming output is limited to the RTMP protocol.
- There is no free plan after the 30-day trial.
Desktop Streamer fact sheet, pricing and score →
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