Last updated: 2026-01-22

For most creators in the US, the best balance of price, ease of use, and professional output comes from StreamYard, which offers a free plan plus Core at $35.99/month and Advanced at $68.99/month when billed annually. If you need maximum control and do not mind a steep learning curve, free tools like OBS or higher-priced platforms like Riverside and Restream can make sense for more specialized setups.

Summary

• StreamYard pricing is simple: Free, Core at $35.99/month, and Advanced at $68.99/month when billed annually, plus a 7‑day free trial and frequent offers for new users. (StreamYard)
• OBS is completely free and open source, while Streamlabs offers both free tools and a $27/month Ultra bundle. (OBS, Streamlabs)
• Restream and Riverside use multi‑tier pricing that can climb into the hundreds per month for advanced or business use. (Restream, Riverside)
• For most people, the real decision is not just price, but how fast they can go live reliably with guests and multistreaming without wrestling with complex software.

What does streaming software actually cost today?

When people search for “streaming software price,” they usually discover that the range is huge.

On one end, OBS Studio is completely free to download and use for recording and live streaming. It is open source and community‑driven. (OBS)

On the other end, you have polished, browser‑based studios and recording platforms that charge from tens to hundreds of dollars per month depending on:

• Multistreaming and destinations
• Team seats and guest limits
• Recording quality and storage
• Webinars and events

We designed StreamYard to sit in the sweet spot: pro‑looking shows without pro‑level complexity. You can start on the free plan and upgrade when your content or business outgrows it. (StreamYard)

How much does StreamYard cost per month?

Here is a clear look at StreamYard pricing for creators in the United States.

• Free plan: $0

  • Core live streaming features
  • Great for testing your show format or going live occasionally
  • Guests join in the browser with no downloads, which many creators love because guests “can join easily and reliably without tech problems” and it even “passes the grandparent test.”

• Core plan: $35.99/month (billed annually)
  Designed for serious creators and small businesses who want more control, branding, and higher usage.

• Advanced plan: $68.99/month (billed annually)
  Built for teams, agencies, and businesses that want more destinations, higher limits, and extra production flexibility.

We offer a 7‑day free trial and often run special offers for new users, so you can try paid features without a long‑term commitment. (StreamYard)

Where StreamYard really earns its price is in ease of use:

• Creators tell us they “discovered SY and jumped on it for its ease of use, user‑friendliness, and clean setup.”
• Many people who tried OBS or Streamlabs say those tools felt too “convoluted,” while with StreamYard they “prioritize ease of use over complex setups like OBS or StreamLabs.”
• One user said we are “the most reliable and easy‑to‑use software” they use right now and that they “always suggest it to friends.”

If you value fewer moving parts and less tech stress, that simplicity often matters more than shaving a few dollars off the monthly cost.

Is OBS Studio really free?

Yes. OBS Studio is completely free streaming software.

• It is free and open source for video recording and live streaming. (OBS)
• There is no official paid tier or subscription.

Why would someone pay for other tools if OBS is free?

Because for many non‑technical creators, OBS feels like a full production control room in a single app. You get granular control over scenes, sources, and encoders, but:

• The interface can be overwhelming for beginners.
• Advanced configuration can be fragile, especially when you add third‑party plugins.
• Teaching guests how to join your show usually requires separate tools and extra steps.

We see a lot of people who start with OBS and then move to StreamYard because they want “ease of use… clean setup” and faster onboarding for non‑technical guests.

If you love tinkering, enjoy full control, and you are comfortable with a steeper learning curve, OBS is an incredible free option. If you want to just send a link and go live, StreamYard will likely feel better.

Streamlabs Ultra vs Desktop: what are the costs?

Streamlabs sits somewhere between OBS and browser‑based studios.

• Streamlabs Desktop is free to download. (Streamlabs)
• However, multistreaming in Streamlabs Desktop requires Streamlabs Ultra, which is their premium bundle. (Streamlabs)
• Streamlabs Ultra costs $27/month or $189/year. (Streamlabs)

They also offer Streamlabs Talk Studio (their browser‑based studio) with its own pricing:

• Talk Studio Standard plan is listed at $7.50/month when billed at $90/year. (Streamlabs)

The trade‑off here is similar to OBS:

• More knobs and dials, especially if you live inside the gaming ecosystem.
• More complexity to manage.

We hear from many creators who looked at Streamlabs and OBS and then chose StreamYard because they “prioritize ease of use over complex setups like OBS or StreamLabs” and appreciate our “clean interface” and quick learning curve.

How much does Restream cost for professional use?

Restream focuses heavily on multistreaming and offers several pricing tiers. (Restream)

Some of the key monthly prices listed include:

• Standard: $19/month
• Professional: $49/month
• Business: $239/month

Lower annual‑billed rates are available on the same page. (Restream)

Restream is a strong choice if you are deeply focused on multistreaming infrastructure itself. But creators who just want to host a great show with guests often tell us StreamYard is “easier than ReStream,” especially when it comes to onboarding and running the show.

If you mainly care about:

• Simple multi‑platform live streaming
• An intuitive studio for you and your guests
• Minimal tech overhead

StreamYard’s Core and Advanced plans give you that with a smaller learning curve.

How is Riverside priced compared to other tools?

Riverside is built primarily for high‑quality remote recording, with live and webinar features layered on top. (Riverside)

Their pricing page lists multiple tiers, including:

• Pro: $29/month or $24/month when billed annually
• Live: $39/month or $34/month when billed annually
• Webinar: $99/month or $79/month when billed annually

(Riverside)

Riverside is compelling if your main focus is studio‑style recordings and you do not mind a more involved workflow. Some creators who compared us with Riverside choose StreamYard because we are “more intuitive and easy to use” and they like having “the option to have multiple seats” for live shows.

If most of your content is live, with multiple remote guests, and you want clear production control, we are confident StreamYard will feel like a better default.

What’s the cheapest multistreaming option?

If you only look at the price tag, the cheapest way to multistream is:

• OBS + a free or very low‑cost multistream service, or
• Free tiers of platforms like Restream or Riverside, if their limits match your needs. (Restream, Riverside)

However, “cheapest” in streaming often ignores your time and stress level.

Many creators default to StreamYard when they “have remote guests or need multi‑streaming” because:

• Guests do not download anything; they just click a link and join in the browser.
• One person can run the entire production in a clean, visual studio.
• You can easily repurpose live shows into recordings and VOD.

Zoom might look inexpensive at first, but creators who use both tell us that “for everything else he prefers to use SY” due to the studio setting, automatic recordings, and higher perceived production quality.

If budget is truly your only constraint and you are comfortable with more technical setup, OBS plus a low‑cost multistream service will be the absolute cheapest path. If you want multistreaming that “just works,” StreamYard’s Core or Advanced plan is usually the best value.

What we recommend

• Start on StreamYard Free to validate your show idea, get comfortable on camera, and test guest workflows with zero cost. (StreamYard)
• Upgrade to Core ($35.99/month billed annually) when you are going live regularly, want more branding, and need multistreaming with less friction.
• Choose Advanced ($68.99/month billed annually) if you run a team, agency, or recurring events where higher limits, more destinations, and extra control matter.
• Consider OBS, Streamlabs, Restream, or Riverside if you have very specific needs—like deep scene control in OBS or high‑end recording workflows in Riverside—and you are comfortable trading simplicity for more technical complexity.