You get loads of features for the price, such as having guests on your stream, unlimited capture and encoding of video sources, and the ability to stream to different servers and platforms simultaneously.
Telestream’s Wirecast comes in two versions, Studio and Pro, that are priced at a professional level ($655 for the Studio version and $995 for the Pro version at the time of writing this article).
Check out the XSplit pricing page here for more info.īottom line: Affordable and easy to use, XSplit is an excellent basic live streaming software option for Windows users who prefer technical support, feature updates, and simple plugin customization – and who don’t mind needing to tinker with encoding settings. Users can pay a one-time fee or subscribe for annual payments (which amounts to a mere few dollars per month).
XSplit isn’t free, however the cost is affordable. It’s also important to keep in mind that XSplit is available only on Windows, so Mac users will have to look for a live streaming solution elsewhere. Setting up XSplit therefore requires a bit of encoding knowledge, so if you’re not familiar with bitrates, keyframes, and audio encoding, you’ll definitely have some homework to do.Īdvanced users might take issue with XSplit’s limited number of recording formats (MP4 and FLV only), however more casual users likely won’t care. Unlike most other software, XSplit doesn’t include configuration presets for popular streaming destinations like YouTube and Twitch. You can also easily add community-created plugins to enhance the live streaming experience (such as the ability to monitor YouTube comments). Unlike OBS, XSplit offers technical support and releases occasional software updates to ensure customers are equipped with the latest features. Both versions have a clean, intuitive interface containing all the essential live streaming and recording capabilities with the Gamecaster version slightly stripped down to contain only the essentials needed for game streaming. XSplit comes in two versions: XSplit Broadcaster and XSplit Gamecaster.
This usually isn’t an issue for relatively tech-savvy users who are able to set-up and troubleshoot independently, but newer users might face difficulties.īottom line: Great for technical users in search of a free solution with no need for advanced features like virtual sets, multi-streaming, and guest hosting. You need to be self-reliant and figure things out for yourself with just a community forum at your disposal. While OBS is a free software, this also means there is no centralized user support team to help you out if you’re having trouble. OBS offers all the live streaming essentials you need to create a great looking broadcast, but lacks the advanced features of paid software.
Open source software like OBS is free to use, making it a popular choice for price-conscious live streamers. Open Broadcaster Software, more commonly known as OBS, is a powerful open source project that is built by a community.