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Connection guides / Stream Deck alternatives

Stream Deck alternatives

Compare Stream Deck alternatives: phone apps, OBS hotkeys, and desk controllers from AJAZZ, Razer, MiraBox and Logitech, with the software each runs on.

Updated October 13, 2026

The short answer

OptionWhat it isWhat you getGood for
OBS hotkeysYour own keyboard, in OBSFree: a key combination for scene changes, starting and stopping the stream or recording, muting and push-to-talkYou can remember a few shortcuts
Stream Deck MobileiPhone, iPad or Android, paired with your Mac or PCSix keys, with no trial period; Stream Deck Mobile Pro raises it to 64Trying the Stream Deck idea before buying hardware
Touch PortalAndroid 5.0 or later, or iOS 12 or later, with a Windows or Mac computerTwo pages of buttons, including a ready-made OBS page; the Pro upgrade adds unlimited pages, up to 110 buttons a page, and plug-insA spare tablet on the desk
AJAZZ AKP153 / Attack Shark x AJAZZDesk controller with a side screen15 customisable buttons, USB-C wired connection and a detachable standA physical alternative with its own software and marketplace
Logitech MX Creative ConsoleA keypad with LCD keys and a separate dialpad, on the deskHardwareEditing and creative apps, where a dial helps
Razer Stream Controller XDesk controller on a magnetic 50° stand15 keys with their own icons, set up in Loupedeck Software and its marketplace; Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.14 or laterProfiles that switch to the app you are using
MiraBox Stream Dock N4Desk controller with four knobs, a touch bar and a USB hub10 keys and 4 knobs, set up in MiraBox’s Stream Dock software; Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.15 or laterLevels on knobs, and spare USB-A and USB-C ports on the desk
Stream Deck Neo or MiniElgato’s smaller models: 8 and 6 keysHardwareThe same software and plugins on less desk
Stream Deck Pedal3 foot switchesHardwareHands busy with a controller or an instrument

The cheapest alternative is the phone or tablet you already have. Elgato’s Stream Deck Mobile gives you six keys for free, and Touch Portal turns a phone or tablet into a button panel with two free pages, including a ready-made page for OBS. Hotkeys on your own keyboard cost nothing at all: OBS lets you set one for nearly every action.

For something physical on the desk, Logitech’s MX Creative Console pairs a keypad of LCD keys with a dial. Within Elgato’s own range, the Neo and the Mini are the smaller models, and the Pedal works with your feet.

AJAZZ and Attack Shark AKP153

Attack Shark sells the AKP153 as Attack Shark x AJAZZ. These names identify the co-branded controller, rather than two different pads. It has 15 customisable buttons and a side screen, connects by USB-C and comes with a detachable stand.

Its software uses the AJAZZ Marketplace for plugins, icons and profiles. Check the specific action you need there before choosing it; the maker lists Twitch and creative applications, which doesn’t mean every Elgato plugin is supported. The maker lists Windows and Mac support.

The desk controllers, key by key

Each drawing counts the keys and dials its maker lists. Under it: the app you set it up in, and the systems that app runs on.

None of the four is set up in Elgato’s Stream Deck app: each has its own app and its own plugins. Before you buy, look in that app for every action on your list, such as switching OBS scenes and muting your microphone. If you would rather keep Elgato’s app and plugins in a different shape, CORSAIR’s GALLEON 100 SD keyboard has 12 Stream Deck keys and two dials that run in the Stream Deck app.

What each kind gives up

Keyboard hotkeys have no labels and no state: nothing shows whether your microphone is muted. You have to remember each combination, and a shortcut an app already uses can clash with it.

Phone and tablet apps show labels and, through plugins, the state of your apps, but the keys are glass: you look down to press them.

Other hardware needs its own software and its own plugins, so check that the actions you need, such as OBS scene changes, are supported before you buy.

How to choose

List the actions you use during a live show. If there are only two or three, such as mute and a scene change, keyboard hotkeys or the Pedal cover them. If you want labelled keys, try Stream Deck Mobile or Touch Portal on a phone first: both are free to start. If you then press those keys every stream, a physical model is worth it, and the Stream Deck selector sizes it to your list.

What is a Stream Deck? explains what the keys can do, and the model comparison puts Elgato’s range and these other makers’ controllers side by side, key by key.

Questions

Is there a free Stream Deck? Stream Deck Mobile gives six keys on a phone or tablet for free, with no trial period. OBS hotkeys are free as well.

Does Touch Portal work with OBS? Yes. Its free version includes an OBS page that switches scenes, starts and stops the stream, and uses the replay buffer. Plug-ins need the Pro upgrade.

Can I use Virtual Stream Deck instead of buying one? Not on its own: Virtual Stream Deck needs a Stream Deck device, or Stream Deck Mobile Pro, connected at least once in the past 30 days.

Equipment for these connections

Start with the kind of gear you’re missing, and read its full profile before adding it to your setup.

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