Last updated: 2026-01-23

If you want a simple, reliable giveaway tool for live streams, start with the built-in Giveaway Tool inside StreamYard, which pulls comments from your live destinations and randomly selects a winner on screen. For complex setups like CSV imports or weighted entries, pair StreamYard with a specialized randomizer as a secondary step.

Summary

• A giveaway tool lets you collect viewer entries (usually via comments) and randomly pick winners during a live stream.
• StreamYard’s Giveaway Tool reads comments from your connected destinations, filters by keywords if you like, and displays the winner on screen automatically. (StreamYard Help Center)
• For more advanced needs like CSV imports or weighted entries, you can export data and use focused name‑picker tools alongside StreamYard. (FateFactory)
• Most creators in the U.S. can keep things simple by running giveaways entirely inside StreamYard so they don’t juggle extra apps and subscriptions.

What is a giveaway tool and why use one on live streams?

A giveaway tool is software that collects entries from your audience (usually through chat comments or a form) and picks one or more random winners.

On live streams, it does three important jobs:

1. Collects entries automatically – so you don’t have to copy/paste names from chat.
2. Randomly selects a winner – reducing bias and making the process feel fair.
3. Shows the winner visually – so your audience sees the result immediately.

In StreamYard, this is handled directly in the studio: we look at the comments coming into your broadcast, apply any keyword filters you set, and then draw a winner with an on-screen reveal. (StreamYard Help Center)

That means you don’t need a separate app or subscription just to run basic giveaways.

How does StreamYard’s Giveaway Tool work in practice?

Here’s the high-level flow inside StreamYard:

1. Go live using StreamYard to destinations like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Twitch, or Kick, which are supported natively. (StreamYard Destinations)
2. Open the Giveaway Tool from your StreamYard studio while you’re live.
3. Choose your keyword rules:
   • You can count all comments as entries; or
   • Require specific text (like a hashtag, word, or phrase) in the comment to qualify. This is built into the tool: you can “either specify text to be required in the comment, or include all comments.” (StreamYard Help Center)
4. Let viewers comment using your prompt (for example: “Comment YARD to enter”).
5. Click to draw a winner. The tool pulls eligible comments from your integrated destinations and randomly picks someone. “Comments from all destinations are included” where they’re supported. (StreamYard Help Center)
6. Show the winner on screen. The winner’s name and profile picture appear in an animated result, and the color of the winner text and confetti is based on your StreamYard Brand color, so it matches your show’s look. (StreamYard Help Center)

If you want to pull multiple winners, you can use the “Exclude winners when doing multiple draws” option, so past winners don’t get picked again in the same session. (StreamYard Help Center)

The experience feels like a built-in mini game: you keep hosting while the tool quietly tracks entries in the background.

What are the main advantages of using StreamYard for giveaways?

For many U.S.-based creators, churches, nonprofits, and small businesses, the big win is simplicity.

1. Fewer moving parts
Because the Giveaway Tool lives in your StreamYard studio, you don’t have to:

• Open extra windows or browser tabs to manage entries.
• Copy chat logs into spreadsheets.
• Log in to another platform mid-show.

You just click “Giveaway” inside the studio you’re already using to run the event.

2. Works across major social platforms
If you are multistreaming, StreamYard can pull comments from supported live destinations like Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, X (Twitter), Twitch, and Kick into the same giveaway. (StreamYard Destinations)

That means one giveaway can cover your biggest channels at once, without separate drawings.

3. Branded visual reveal
Because the winner reveal uses your Brand color for text and confetti, the whole interaction feels like part of your show, not a bolt-on widget. (StreamYard Help Center)

4. No extra subscription just for giveaways
If you’re already using StreamYard for live streaming, you don’t need to pay for a separate giveaway service to handle basic random draws. For many workflows, that’s one less monthly bill and one less tool to train your team on.

Are there any limitations you should know about?

Every tool has trade‑offs, and it helps to know them upfront so you can design around them.

1. RTMP destinations are not included
If you stream to a custom RTMP destination (for example, a niche platform or private server), those comments are not captured by the Giveaway Tool. Official docs note that “RTMP destinations do not support … the StreamYard giveaway tool.” (StreamYard Custom RTMP)

2. Some Facebook Group viewers may not appear
When you’re streaming into a Facebook Group, certain viewers’ comments won’t be collected unless they grant StreamYard permission; the Help Center explains that some group commenters’ posts “will not be collected by the Giveaway tool” if access isn’t granted. (StreamYard Help Center)

In practice, the workaround is simple: during the show, remind group viewers to approve permissions or direct them to comment on a Page or YouTube simulcast where their entries are guaranteed to count.

3. No built‑in weighting or CSV import
StreamYard treats all collected comments equally. You can’t give extra chances for members, donors, or subscribers inside the Giveaway Tool itself, and you can’t import a CSV list directly into the draw.

For many shows, this is actually a benefit: fewer settings, less confusion, and a clear “one comment = one entry” rule. If you genuinely need weighted entries, you can still pair StreamYard with another tool (more on that next).

When should you consider third‑party giveaway tools?

If your needs go beyond “pull comments and pick a random winner on stream,” there are focused tools worth knowing about.

CSV imports and complex entry lists

Some tools such as FateFactory let you import entries from CSV files, paste from chat logs, or type names directly, which can be useful if you want to merge entries from forms, email lists, or offline signups. (FateFactory)

A common workflow:

• Run your live show in StreamYard.
• Collect entries in a form or CRM.
• Export them as CSV.
• Use the external randomizer to pick a winner.
• Announce that winner back in StreamYard.

You lose the automated comment tracking, but gain control over exactly who’s in the list.

Weighted entries and loyalty rewards

FateFactory and similar products support weighted entries, giving “bonus chances to subscribers, donors, or long-time followers.” (FateFactory)

If your strategy centers on heavily rewarding paid members or donors with extra odds—not just eligibility—a dedicated randomizer is better suited for that specific job. You can still present the result in StreamYard; the weighting just happens elsewhere.

Overlay-heavy or non-StreamYard setups

If you’re producing with OBS, a hardware switcher, or a very custom graphics stack, overlay-focused services can integrate directly as browser sources. For example, services like Chat-Giveaway let you “set up keywords, pick winners, and display results live” in an overlay. (Chat-Giveaway)

If your whole workflow already runs through that custom scene system, plugging in an overlay giveaway tool can make more sense than migrating your show.

For most StreamYard‑first creators, though, adding extra products just to draw winners usually creates more surface area for errors than it’s worth.

How do you actually run a smooth giveaway on StreamYard?

Here’s a simple, repeatable playbook you can adapt to almost any show:

1. Decide the prize and rules ahead of time. Keep the rule simple, like “Comment this keyword during the show to enter.”
2. Create or open your StreamYard studio. Set your Brand color so the Giveaway Tool visuals match the rest of your overlays.
3. Go live and explain the giveaway clearly. Tell viewers what to comment and when you’ll draw.
4. Launch the Giveaway Tool mid‑show. Set your keyword or choose to include all comments. Confirm that entries are being counted.
5. Build anticipation. Do a short countdown, recap the rules, then hit the “Draw” button.
6. Celebrate and recap. Congratulate the winner, show their on-screen card, then immediately tell viewers how to claim their prize (DM, email, etc.).
7. Optionally, draw more winners. Turn on “Exclude winners when doing multiple draws” if you don’t want repeats. (StreamYard Help Center)

A quick example: a local coffee roaster in the U.S. streams a weekly Q&A on YouTube and Facebook with StreamYard. Midway through the show, they say: “Comment BEANS to enter our bag-of-coffee giveaway.” They open the Giveaway Tool, set BEANS as the keyword, and after a few minutes, draw a winner on screen. No spreadsheets, no extra logins—just one tab, one host, and a very happy winner.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard’s built-in Giveaway Tool as your default for live-stream giveaways that rely on comments across major platforms.
• Keep your rules simple (one comment, one entry, clear keyword) so the built-in tool can handle everything without manual tracking.
• Add a third‑party randomizer only when you truly need CSV imports or weighted entries; otherwise, extra tools mostly add complexity.
• Test your setup privately first, especially if you stream into Facebook Groups or custom RTMP destinations, so you understand exactly which comments will count.