Free StreamYard alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

5 of the 6 StreamYard alternatives we track can be used for free (free, open source, or with a free plan). Restream, Streamlabs Desktop and XSplit Broadcaster rank highest, with facts last verified Nov 8, 2026.

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Restream	Free plan + paid	$19 a month (Standard)	No	Web	7 of 7	68.8
2	Streamlabs Desktop	Free plan + paid	$15.75 a month (Ultra)	Yes	Windows, macOS	7 of 7	59.4
3	XSplit Broadcaster	Free plan + paid	$14.99/month (Premium, monthly)	No	Windows	8 of 8	57.5
4	Riverside	Free plan + paid	$24/month billed annually (Pro)	No	Web, macOS, iOS +1	5 of 5	54.4
5	OBS Studio	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux	4 of 5	50.5

1. RestreamTop pick
Best for: Streamers and brands who want to go live on many platforms at once from one feed
Free plan + paidWeb
68.8
score / 100
Why switch from StreamYard
Similar browser studio with a free plan and support for 30+ streaming destinations.
Pros
Streams to 30+ platforms from a single upload
Works with OBS, Zoom and other encoders as well as its own studio
Free plan covers two channels
Cons
Free plan shows Restream branding
1080p streaming and more channels need paid plans
Clips and webinars are paid add-ons on top of the base plan
Visit Restream Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.3100
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Restream a good StreamYard alternative?
Verified facts
7 of 7 verified
Free plan
Yes, 2 channels at once
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$19 a month (Standard)
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
Destinations
30+
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
Encoder support
OBS, Zoom and others
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
Professional plan
$49 a month
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
Business plan
$239 a month
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
Extra team seats
$25 per seat/month
Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
2. Streamlabs Desktop
Best for: New streamers who want alerts, overlays and chat tools working out of the box
Free plan + paidOpen sourceWindows, macOS
59.4
score / 100
Why switch from StreamYard
Free desktop studio built on OBS with alerts and overlays for gaming streams.
Pros
Alerts, widgets, chatbot and overlay themes built in
Dual Output streams horizontal and vertical layouts free
Local recordings have no watermark or time limit
Open-source code based on the OBS engine
Cons
Multistreaming to several platforms needs the Ultra subscription
No Linux version
Heavier on CPU and memory than plain OBS Studio
Free tier limits themes, apps and guest slots
Visit Streamlabs Desktop Compare with StreamYard Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.369
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Streamlabs Desktop a good StreamYard alternative?
Verified facts
7 of 7 verified
Free plan
Yes, app is free to download
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
Windows, macOS
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
License
GPL-3.0
Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$15.75 a month (Ultra)
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
Engine
Built on OBS
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
Ultra plan
$27 a month, billed monthly
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
Student discount
50% off up to 2 years of Ultra (.edu email)
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
3. XSplit Broadcaster
Best for: Windows streamers and presenters who prefer a one-time licence over a subscription
Free plan + paidWindows
57.5
score / 100
Why switch from StreamYard
Windows broadcaster with full scene composition and plugins, for streams that outgrow a browser studio.
Pros
Lifetime licence option instead of only subscriptions
Webcam background removal without a green screen
Preview editor and recording profiles for cleaner productions
NDI output and virtual camera for two-PC and meeting setups
Cons
Windows only
Free version adds a watermark above 720p and limits scenes to four
Multistreaming and commercial use need a premium licence
Visit XSplit Broadcaster Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.363
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is XSplit Broadcaster a good StreamYard alternative?
Verified facts
8 of 8 verified
Free plan
Yes, up to 720p without watermark
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Yearly price
$59.99/year
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Lifetime licence
$119.99 once
Checked Nov 2, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Platforms
Windows
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Multistreaming
Premium licence
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$14.99/month (Premium, monthly)
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Yearly plan
$59.99/year
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
Lifetime price
$199.99 once
Checked Nov 8, 2026xsplit.com(opens source in a new tab)
4. Riverside
Best for: Podcasters and video teams recording remote guests who want studio-quality local tracks and quick edits
Free plan + paidWeb, macOS, iOS, Android
54.4
score / 100
Why switch from StreamYard
Focused on high-quality remote podcast and video recording with built-in editing.
Pros
Local recording per guest keeps quality high on weak connections
Text-based editor with transcripts, clips and show notes in the same tool
Live streaming, podcast hosting and webinars on higher plans
Guests join from a browser link without installing anything
Cons
Free plan adds a watermark and only a one-off allowance of separate-track recording
Separate-track downloads are capped by hours per month on paid plans
Webinar registration tools need the more expensive Webinar plan
No Windows or Linux desktop app; it runs in the browser there
Visit Riverside Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.352
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.15100
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is Riverside a good StreamYard alternative?
Verified facts
5 of 5 verified
Free plan
Yes, with 2 hours of multi-track recording
Checked Nov 8, 2026riverside.fm(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$24/month billed annually (Pro)
Checked Nov 8, 2026riverside.fm(opens source in a new tab)
Free trial
14 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026riverside.fm(opens source in a new tab)
Max video quality
4K
Checked Nov 8, 2026riverside.fm(opens source in a new tab)
Live streaming
Full HD multistreaming (Grow plan and up)
Checked Nov 8, 2026riverside.fm(opens source in a new tab)
5. OBS Studio
Best for: Streamers and creators who want a free, flexible recorder and are willing to learn it
Open sourceWindows, macOS, Linux
50.5
score / 100
Why switch from StreamYard
Free, open-source desktop app with full control over scenes and sources, no subscription.
Pros
Completely free with no watermark or time limits
Scene and source system handles complex multi-camera setups
Large plugin ecosystem and active community
Cons
Steep learning curve for a quick screen capture
No built-in editor or link sharing
Settings for encoders and bitrates can confuse beginners
Visit OBS Studio Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.346
Reviews ×0.363
Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
Freshness ×0.1586
Votes ×0.150
0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula
Is OBS Studio a good StreamYard alternative?
Verified facts
4 of 5 verified
License
GPL-2.0
Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
Open source
Yes, free for recording and streaming
Checked Nov 8, 2026obsproject.com(opens source in a new tab)
Windows support
Windows 10 and 11
Checked Nov 8, 2026obsproject.com(opens source in a new tab)
macOS support
macOS 13 or newer
Checked Nov 8, 2026obsproject.com(opens source in a new tab)
Linux distribution
Flatpak on Flathub and Ubuntu PPA
Source changed Nov 8, 2026obsproject.com(opens source in a new tab)

Quick comparison

1. RestreamTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. Streamlabs Desktop

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. XSplit Broadcaster

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. Riverside

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

5. OBS Studio

Pros

Cons

Verified facts