Restream vs Streamlabs Desktop
Updated November 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Restream
Multistreaming service and browser studio that sends one live stream to 30+ platforms at once.
Streamlabs Desktop
Free live streaming app built on OBS, with alerts, overlays, chat tools and a paid Ultra plan for extras.
The short answer
Restream is a browser-based multistreaming service that forwards one stream to 30+ platforms, while Streamlabs Desktop is a free Windows and macOS broadcasting app built on OBS. They often work together rather than compete: Streamlabs produces the stream, Restream distributes it. Pick Restream to reach many platforms at once; pick Streamlabs Desktop for capture, alerts and overlays.
Restream or Streamlabs Desktop: our take
Streamlabs Desktop is a production tool. It captures games, webcams, desktop and audio, and adds alerts, widgets, a chat box, the Cloudbot chatbot and overlay themes in one window. Dual Output can send a horizontal and a vertical layout at once for free, and local recordings have no watermark or time limit. It is open source (GPL-3.0) and runs on Windows and macOS only, and it uses more CPU and memory than plain OBS.
Restream started as a relay: you send one stream from OBS, Zoom or another encoder and it forwards it to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and more than 30 destinations, which saves upload bandwidth on your side. It also has a browser Studio for shows with guests, Upload & Stream for playing a pre-recorded video as live, merged chat from all connected platforms and analytics in one place. Its free plan streams to two channels at once with Restream branding; paid plans start at $19/month (Standard) and add more channels, 1080p and team seats. Clips and webinars are paid add-ons.
The overlap is multistreaming. Streamlabs Desktop can do it, but only with the Ultra subscription, which costs $27 a month billed monthly and also brings the full theme library, more Collab Cam guest slots and the wider Streamlabs suite. Restream does it from the free plan for two channels and scales to many more on paid plans, and it works with whatever encoder you already use.
A new streamer who wants alerts and overlays on one or two platforms can start with Streamlabs Desktop alone. Someone who needs to reach many platforms at once, wants a single chat view across them, or streams from a browser studio or Zoom should add Restream, whether the source is Streamlabs, OBS or something else.
Which should you pick?
Choose Restream if…
- Streamers and brands who want to go live on many platforms at once from one feed
- You need Web, which Streamlabs Desktop doesn't list
- Streams to 30+ platforms from a single upload
- Works with OBS, Zoom and other encoders as well as its own studio
Choose Streamlabs Desktop if…
- New streamers who want alerts, overlays and chat tools working out of the box
- You want open-source software
- You need Windows and macOS, which Restream doesn't list
- Alerts, widgets, chatbot and overlay themes built in
- Dual Output streams horizontal and vertical layouts free
About each app
What is Restream?
Restream started as a multistreaming relay: you send one stream from OBS, Zoom or another encoder, and Restream forwards it to YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and more than 30 other destinations at the same time. It now also has a browser-based Studio for hosting shows with guests, overlays and on-screen comments, an Upload & Stream feature that plays a pre-recorded video as a live broadcast, automatic clips for short-form platforms, and paid webinars. Chat from all connected platforms is merged into one view, and stream analytics are collected in one place. The free plan streams to two channels with Restream branding; paid plans add more simultaneous channels, remove branding, raise resolution to 1080p and offer team seats and workspaces. It runs in the browser and works alongside desktop encoders rather than replacing them, which makes it a common add-on for OBS users who want to reach several platforms without extra upload bandwidth.
What is Streamlabs Desktop?
Streamlabs Desktop is a broadcasting app for Windows and macOS that takes the OBS engine and wraps it in a setup aimed at gamers and creators who want to go live quickly. Instead of assembling plugins and browser sources by hand, you get stream alerts, a chat box, widgets, a chatbot called Cloudbot and a library of overlay themes inside the same window. It captures games, webcams, desktop and audio, records locally without watermarks, and can send a horizontal and a vertical layout at the same time for platforms like YouTube and TikTok. The app is open source and free to use; the Ultra subscription unlocks multistreaming to several destinations, the full theme library, more guest slots in Collab Cam and the wider Streamlabs suite (mobile, console streaming, clip and podcast editors). It is owned by Logitech. Compared with plain OBS it is easier to start with, but it is heavier on system resources and the interface regularly nudges you toward paid features.
Side by side
| Attribute | Restream | Streamlabs Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan + paid | Free plan + paid |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | Web | Windows, macOS |
| Best for | Streamers and brands who want to go live on many platforms at once from one feed | New streamers who want alerts, overlays and chat tools working out of the box |
| Status | Active | Active |
Verified facts, compared
Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.
| Fact | Restream | Streamlabs Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $19 a month (Standard) | $15.75 a month (Ultra) |
| Free plan | Yes, 2 channels at once | Yes, app is free to download |
Restream vs Streamlabs Desktop pricing
Restream: free plan + paid
- Starting price: $19 a month (Standard) source
- Free plan: Yes, 2 channels at once source
- Professional plan: $49 a month source
- Business plan: $239 a month source
- Extra team seats: $25 per seat/month source
Streamlabs Desktop: free plan + paid
- Free plan: Yes, app is free to download source
- License: GPL-3.0 source
- Starting price: $15.75 a month (Ultra) source
- Ultra plan: $27 a month, billed monthly source
Platforms
| Platform | Restream | Streamlabs Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Web | ||
| Windows | ||
| macOS |
Restream facts
7 of 7 verified- Starting price
- $19 a month (Standard)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “Standard $ 19 /mo”
- Destinations
- 30+
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “One live video 30+ destinations”
- Encoder support
- OBS, Zoom and others
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “Connect tools like OBS or Zoom to multicast without extra load on your system.”
- Free plan
- Yes, 2 channels at once
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “Creator Business Monthly Annually Save 20 % Free plan $ 0 /forever Get started for free A taste of multistreaming: Stream on 2 channels”
- Professional plan
- $49 a month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “- 100 attendees + Professional $ 49 /mo”
- Business plan
- $239 a month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “- 100 attendees + Business $ 239 /mo”
- Extra team seats
- $25 per seat/month
- Checked Nov 8, 2026restream.io(opens source in a new tab)
- “$25/seat/month”
Streamlabs Desktop facts
7 of 7 verified- Free plan
- Yes, app is free to download
- Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “ Streamlabs Desktop is free to download and includes core streaming tools”
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Checked Nov 1, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “License: GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).”
- Engine
- Built on OBS
- Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Streamlabs Desktop is built on top of the core OBS engine .”
- Starting price
- $15.75 a month (Ultra)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Learn More Starting at $15.75/mo”
- Ultra plan
- $27 a month, billed monthly
- Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Join Ultra to elevate your reach and engagement across multiple platforms. Monthly ($27/mo) Annual ($179/yr) Thank you!”
- Student discount
- 50% off up to 2 years of Ultra (.edu email)
- Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “Join Ultra Save 50% off up to 2 years of Ultra with a valid .edu email address and code STUDENT.”
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS
- Checked Nov 8, 2026streamlabs.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “ Streamlabs Desktop runs on Windows and macOS and requires a computer capable of real-time video encoding.”
Pros and cons of Restream
- 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
- 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
Pros and cons of Streamlabs Desktop
- 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
- 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
Other apps to consider
StreamYardInstead of Restream
Browser studio with strong guest and recording tools, plus local recordings for podcasts.
XSplit BroadcasterInstead of Restream
Windows production app with scenes and plugins that can also send one stream to several platforms.
Ecamm LiveInstead of Restream
Mac streaming studio with scenes, guests and overlays that can broadcast to several destinations at once.
OBS StudioInstead of Streamlabs Desktop
The open-source engine Streamlabs is built on, lighter on resources and with no upsells, though alerts need extra setup.
Restream vs Streamlabs Desktop: common questions
Is Restream better than Streamlabs Desktop?
Restream is a browser-based multistreaming service that forwards one stream to 30+ platforms, while Streamlabs Desktop is a free Windows and macOS broadcasting app built on OBS. They often work together rather than compete: Streamlabs produces the stream, Restream distributes it. Pick Restream to reach many platforms at once; pick Streamlabs Desktop for capture, alerts and overlays.
Is Restream free?
Restream has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Streamlabs Desktop free?
Streamlabs Desktop has a free plan, with paid plans for more features. See its verified pricing facts above for current limits.
Is Restream or Streamlabs Desktop open source?
Streamlabs Desktop is open source; Restream is not.
Which platforms do Restream and Streamlabs Desktop support?
Restream: Web. Streamlabs Desktop: Windows and macOS.