Free Wirecast alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Nov 8, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

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

Quick comparison

#	App	Pricing	Verified price	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	Streamlabs Desktop	Free plan + paid	$15.75 a month (Ultra)	Yes	Windows, macOS	7 of 7	64.8
2	XSplit Broadcaster	Free plan + paid	$14.99/month (Premium, monthly)	No	Windows	8 of 8	61.8
3	Restream	Free plan + paid	$19 a month (Standard)	No	Web	7 of 7	57.5
4	StreamYard	Free plan + paid	$18.99 a month, or $14.99 a month billed yearly (Essential)	No	Web	9 of 9	55.9
5	OBS Studio	Open source	—	Yes	Windows, macOS, Linux	4 of 5	54.7

1. Streamlabs DesktopTop pick
Best for: New streamers who want alerts, overlays and chat tools working out of the box
Free plan + paidOpen sourceWindows, macOS
64.8
score / 100
Why switch from Wirecast
Free OBS-based app with overlays and alerts, a cheaper choice for creator-style 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 Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.387
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 Wirecast 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)
2. XSplit Broadcaster
Best for: Windows streamers and presenters who prefer a one-time licence over a subscription
Free plan + paidWindows
61.8
score / 100
Why switch from Wirecast
Windows production app with scenes and remote guests at a lower subscription price.
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 ×0.377
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 Wirecast 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)
3. Restream
Best for: Streamers and brands who want to go live on many platforms at once from one feed
Free plan + paidWeb
57.5
score / 100
Why switch from Wirecast
Browser studio with multistreaming built in, so there is no heavy desktop setup to manage.
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 ×0.363
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 Restream a good Wirecast 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)
4. StreamYard
Best for: Creators and marketers running talk shows, interviews and webinars with remote guests
Free plan + paidWeb
55.9
score / 100
Why switch from Wirecast
Browser-based studio focused on remote guests, much simpler than a full desktop switcher.
Pros
Runs in the browser for hosts and guests, no install needed
Multistreams to several platforms at once on paid plans
Local recordings keep quality even on weak connections
Free plan to try the full studio
Cons
Free plan adds a StreamYard logo and caps local recordings
Less control over scenes and capture sources than desktop apps
Individual plans are restricted to personal, not company, use
Visit StreamYard Details and reviews
How this score is calculated
Editorial fit ×0.357
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 StreamYard a good Wirecast alternative?
Verified facts
9 of 9 verified
Free plan
Yes, with StreamYard logo
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Free trial
7 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Multistreaming
Up to 8 destinations (Advanced)
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Refunds
7-day money-back guarantee
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Owner
Bending Spoons
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Starting price
$18.99 a month, or $14.99 a month billed yearly (Essential)
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Core plan
$44.99 a month, or $35.99 a month billed yearly
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Advanced plan
$88.99 a month, or $68.99 a month billed yearly
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(opens source in a new tab)
Money-back guarantee
7 days
Checked Nov 8, 2026streamyard.com(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
54.7
score / 100
Why switch from Wirecast
Free and open source with scenes, sources and plugins; covers most Wirecast shows if you can do without built-in guests.
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 ×0.360
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 Wirecast 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. Streamlabs DesktopTop pick

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

2. XSplit Broadcaster

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

3. Restream

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

4. StreamYard

Pros

Cons

Verified facts

5. OBS Studio

Pros

Cons

Verified facts