OBS Studio or Streamlabs Desktop?
They share an engine: Streamlabs describes Streamlabs Desktop as streaming software built on OBS. OBS is the plain, free program; you add alerts and chat as browser sources from the service you use, and extras as plugins. Streamlabs puts its own alerts, widgets and themes inside the app.
The difference that costs money is multistreaming. Streamlabs’ free plan streams to one landscape and one portrait platform at once; streaming to several platforms, its full theme library and every app in its App Store come with Ultra, which Streamlabs’ plans page lists from $15.75 a month.
Meld Studio: the free one with multistreaming
Meld Studio is free on Windows and macOS, with no watermark and no limits by its own description. It streams to Twitch, YouTube, Kick and others at the same time without plugins, can send a portrait layout to one platform and a landscape one to another, and imports OBS scenes with one click.
XSplit Broadcaster: Windows only, with a free tier
XSplit runs only on 64-bit Windows 10 or 11. The free version streams up to 720p at 30 fps without a watermark; above either it adds a small logo until you pay $14.99 a month, $59.99 a year or $119.99 once for life. It can import OBS scenes and uses NVIDIA’s encoder, including AV1 on cards that have it.
vMix: when the stream is a production
vMix is a Windows program sold in editions. Basic HD, at $60, takes four inputs (three of them cameras) at up to 1080p; HD ($350) takes up to 1,000 inputs and one remote caller through vMix Call; 4K ($700) and Pro ($1,200) add 4K and two recorders, with four and eight callers. Those four are one-off licences with 12 months of updates; MAX is $50 a month. For one person and a webcam it is more than you need; for a church, a school or a show with guests it is built for the job.
Questions
Is OBS Studio really free? Yes: it is open source, with no paid tier, and is funded by sponsors and backers.
Can I stream to two platforms at once for free? Yes, in Meld Studio, and in Streamlabs Desktop’s free plan to one landscape and one portrait platform. Streamlabs charges for more.
Does the software change my bitrate or quality? Not the bitrate: you set it within the platform’s figures, whichever program sends the stream, and the bitrate calculator gives the number to type in. The picture you get at that bitrate depends on the encoder and its preset, which you choose in the program’s output settings; which encoder to use is in the computer guide.
Will my capture card and webcam work? A webcam or capture card that Windows or macOS sees as a camera shows up in every one of these. Set up a capture card in OBS walks through the source.