Last updated: 2026-01-10

For most creators and teams in the U.S., the simplest way to get an all‑in‑one live streaming and recording setup is to start with StreamYard’s browser‑based studio and add paid features as your shows grow. If you specifically want a free, highly configurable desktop encoder and are comfortable managing hardware and settings, OBS or Streamlabs can be useful alternatives.

Summary

• StreamYard combines live streaming, high‑quality cloud and local recording, guest management, and branding in one browser studio—no installs or complex setup. (StreamYard paid plans)
• OBS and Streamlabs Desktop are powerful free desktop apps that emphasize deep scene control and local recording, but they rely heavily on your computer and network. (OBS)
• For interviews, webinars, and multi‑platform shows, StreamYard’s multistreaming, portrait + landscape outputs, and easy guest onboarding are usually the most practical path. (Multi‑aspect streaming)
• Choose desktop tools when you truly need advanced, hands‑on control of every pixel; choose StreamYard when you value reliability, speed to launch, and low‑friction collaboration.

What does “all‑in‑one live streaming and recording platform” actually mean?

When people search for an "all‑in‑one" solution, they’re really asking for one place to:

• Go live to major platforms (YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, etc.). (Supported platforms)
• Capture high‑quality recordings they can repurpose later.
• Bring on guests without tech headaches.
• Add branding—logos, overlays, flexible layouts—without a motion‑graphics degree.

StreamYard is built around exactly those mainstream needs. In one browser tab you can control your show, talk to guests, push a branded, professional‑looking feed live, and save recordings for editing or reuse.

By contrast, OBS and Streamlabs Desktop give you a more traditional “production rig” on your own computer. You get deep scene and audio controls, but you’re responsible for configuring encoders, managing CPU/GPU load, and wiring everything together. (OBS features)

Is StreamYard a true all‑in‑one streaming and recording solution for remote interviews?

For remote interviews, talk shows, podcasts, and webinars, StreamYard covers the full workflow end‑to‑end:

• Live streaming + multistreaming: On paid plans you can simultaneously stream to multiple platforms from a single upload, with explicit caps of 3, 8, or 10 destinations depending on plan. (Multistreaming caps)
• Cloud recording: Paid plans record your broadcasts in HD, with up to 10 hours of recording per stream on most tiers. (Recording limits)
• Local multi‑track recording: You can capture separate audio and video tracks locally on each participant’s device, which is ideal for polished post‑production. (Local recording)
• Easy guests: Guests join via a browser link—no software to install—and user feedback consistently calls out that even non‑technical people can get in “without tech problems.”
• Studio control: You independently adjust mic vs system audio, switch layouts, share multiple screens, and keep private presenter notes visible only to you.

A typical scenario: you host a weekly LinkedIn + YouTube show with three rotating guests. With StreamYard you send them a link, run the whole production in your browser, record multi‑track for later podcast editing, and end the session with both live replays and clean local files—without ever touching encoder settings.

That combination of live control, guest simplicity, and recording options is what makes StreamYard feel “all‑in‑one” for most interview‑style and webinar workflows.

How does StreamYard compare to OBS and Streamlabs for live + recording?

OBS Studio is free, open‑source desktop software for video recording and live streaming. (OBS homepage) It supports multiple scenes, detailed audio mixing, and streaming over protocols like RTMP and HLS, with essentially unlimited layout flexibility. You can record locally and stream at the same time.

Streamlabs Desktop builds on OBS with overlays, alerts, and features like Selective Recording, which lets you send one composition to your live stream and another to your recording. (Selective Recording) It also offers a broader ecosystem (mobile, console, web tools) connected via a single Streamlabs ID. (Streamlabs ecosystem)

Where StreamYard differs:

• Setup and learning curve: OBS and Streamlabs are powerful but can feel convoluted if you don’t enjoy tweaking scenes, encoders, and system audio. Many creators switch to StreamYard specifically because they prioritize ease of use and a clean setup.
• Hardware dependence: Desktop tools rely on your CPU/GPU and RAM; Streamlabs even recommends 16GB+ of RAM for heavier use. (System requirements) StreamYard handles encoding in the cloud, so your computer mainly needs to keep a solid browser connection.
• Guest workflow: With OBS/Streamlabs, hosting remote guests usually means layering in Zoom, Discord, or NDI/RTMP bridges. In StreamYard, inviting a guest is sending a link.
• Multistreaming: OBS and Streamlabs can reach multiple services, but you’re often managing separate RTMP outputs or third‑party relays. StreamYard’s paid plans include built‑in cloud fan‑out to multiple destinations from a single outgoing stream.

A useful rule of thumb: use StreamYard when the show format centers on people talking (interviews, live Q&A, webinars) and your priority is reliability and speed. Reach for OBS/Streamlabs when you need pixel‑level scene design and are ready to invest time and hardware.

How do recording limits and quality compare across platforms?

When you say “all‑in‑one,” recording is just as important as the live moment.

On StreamYard:

• Cloud recordings: Paid plans record broadcasts in HD, up to 10 hours per stream on most tiers, with higher caps on select business plans. (Recording caps)
• Local recordings: The free plan includes 2 hours per month of local recording, while paid plans offer unlimited local recording, which is where studio‑quality multi‑track in up to 4K UHD and 48 kHz WAV audio comes into play. (Local recording)

OBS and Streamlabs, being desktop apps, let you record as much as your drives and hardware can handle. Streamlabs’ Selective Recording and multi‑track options are especially handy if you want one version for stream and another for VOD or highlights. (Selective Recording)

The trade‑off: desktop tools give you granular control, but you carry the risk of dropped frames, crashes, or corrupt files if your PC or settings aren’t dialed in. StreamYard removes a lot of that risk by handling encoding and backup in the cloud while still giving you high‑fidelity local tracks for editing.

How important is multistreaming and portrait video in an all‑in‑one setup?

Most U.S. creators don’t actually need to hit a dozen destinations at once. YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and maybe Twitch tend to cover the bulk of audiences.

That’s why StreamYard focuses on sane multistream defaults:

• Paid plans let you send a single show to multiple major platforms plus RTMP destinations, within clear caps of 3–10 host destinations, plus up to 6 guest destinations per broadcast. (Multistreaming caps)
• With Multi‑Aspect Ratio Streaming (MARS), you can broadcast in landscape and portrait from the same studio session, so desktop viewers see a widescreen show while mobile viewers get a vertical version tailored for feeds. (MARS)

OBS and Streamlabs can also reach multiple platforms, especially when paired with relay services, but that typically means more configuration and more bandwidth demands from your own connection.

For most people, the practical impact is this: if you want to go live on a few main destinations and have both horizontal and vertical content ready to repurpose into shorts and reels, StreamYard’s built‑in multistream + MARS combo is a straightforward solution.

When does pricing and “total cost” favor a browser studio over desktop tools?

OBS and Streamlabs Desktop are free to download and use. OBS has no paid tiers at all, and Streamlabs layers an optional Ultra subscription on top of the free desktop app. (OBS help) (Streamlabs FAQ)

StreamYard uses a free‑plus‑paid model:

• There’s a free plan for basic live streaming.
• Paid plans unlock multistreaming, extended recording, full branding, guest destinations, and higher caps.

For teams, one important nuance is that StreamYard pricing is per workspace rather than per user, which often works out cheaper than tools that charge per seat when several people need to collaborate.

The trade‑off to consider: you might save on software fees with OBS/Streamlabs, but you “pay” in extra hardware requirements, setup time, and ongoing maintenance. Many creators decide that the time saved and predictability of a browser‑based studio outweigh a modest recurring subscription.

How do you choose the right all‑in‑one setup for your use case?

Ask yourself a few simple questions:

• Is your content mostly conversations, interviews, webinars, or simple demos? Default to StreamYard for ease of use, reliable guest flows, and built‑in recording.
• Do you want to avoid buying a new streaming PC? StreamYard’s cloud encoding reduces pressure on your hardware.
• Do you enjoy tinkering with settings and building highly custom scenes? That’s the moment when OBS or Streamlabs Desktop make sense as your production engine.
• Do you need separate compositions for live and VOD from the same session? Streamlabs’ Selective Recording can be handy, while StreamYard’s multi‑track local files plus an editor will cover most practical needs.

In practice, many creators even combine tools—running OBS or Streamlabs for very specific shows, but using StreamYard as the default studio for interviews, launches, and recurring series where reliability and speed matter more than fine‑grained control.

What we recommend

• Start with StreamYard as your primary all‑in‑one live streaming and recording studio, especially for interviews, webinars, and recurring shows.
• Add OBS or Streamlabs Desktop only if you’ve hit a clear ceiling in scene complexity that truly requires desktop‑level customization.
• Use StreamYard’s multistreaming, MARS, local multi‑track recording, and AI clip tools to turn each live session into a full content engine.
• Revisit your setup once your audience and format stabilize; until then, keep the tech simple and focus on making great content.