Last updated: 2026-01-15

If you want to invite guests to stream for free, start with StreamYard’s browser studio: you send a simple invite link, guests join without downloading software or creating an account, and the Free plan supports up to six people on screen. For more advanced scene-building you can pair desktop tools like OBS with third‑party guest solutions, but that route takes more setup and ongoing maintenance.

Summary

• StreamYard lets you invite guests via a shareable link; they join in the browser with no software install.
• Guests typically do not need a StreamYard account to join, unless you enable optional authentication or guest rebroadcasting.
• The Free plan supports up to six on‑screen participants, making it enough for most interview shows and panels. (StreamYard pricing)
• Desktop tools like OBS can work with external guest tools, but they add extra steps compared with StreamYard’s built‑in guest workflow.

How do you invite guests to StreamYard for free?

At a practical level, inviting guests in StreamYard is a two‑step process: open your studio and share a unique link.

Once you’re inside your StreamYard studio, you click Invite to generate a guest link, copy it, and send it to your guests over email, DMs, or wherever you usually communicate. Anyone with that invite URL can click it and land in your backstage, ready to go on air when you add them. (How to invite guests)

Here’s what that looks like in a simple show:

• You schedule or start a broadcast in StreamYard.
• Inside the studio, you hit Invite, copy the link, and paste it into a quick email to your guest.
• Your guest clicks the link, grants mic/camera permissions in the browser, and appears backstage.
• When you’re ready, you add them to the layout with one click and go live.

There’s nothing else for you to configure and nothing for your guest to install, which is why this workflow tends to work well even with non‑technical interviewees.

Can guests join StreamYard without creating an account?

Yes. By default, your guests do not have to create a StreamYard account to join your stream.

Anyone who has the guest‑invite link can join your studio from a supported browser, set their display name, and come on screen—no signup required. (Guest login requirements) That’s a big deal when you’re interviewing executives, authors, or community members who don’t want to deal with new accounts.

You can tighten things up if you need extra security or want guests to connect their own social channels:

• Guest authentication: You can enable a setting that requires guests to sign in with Google or Facebook before entering your studio. (Guest authentication options)
• Guest Destinations: On paid plans, guests who want to restream your show to their own channels will need to log into StreamYard to connect those destinations.

For most free‑plan live interviews, though, you’ll typically leave those options off and enjoy a frictionless, “click‑and‑you’re‑in” experience.

How many guests can you have on StreamYard’s Free plan?

If you’re in the United States and just getting started, the Free plan gives you a lot of room before you need to think about upgrading.

On the Free plan, you can have up to six on‑screen participants at once—this includes you as the host. (Free plan participant limit) That’s enough for:

• 1:1 interviews
• 2–3 person co‑hosted shows
• Roundtable discussions with four or five guests

If you decide to grow into bigger panels later, paid plans extend the limit to 10 on‑screen participants and increase backstage capacity so you can rotate guests in and out more smoothly. (Participant caps by plan) For most creators starting on zero‑dollar software, though, six people live at once is more than enough.

What do your guests have to do on their side?

Your guests don’t have to wrestle with production software. They just need a browser and decent internet.

From their perspective, the flow looks like this:

1. Click the invite link (on desktop or mobile).
2. Allow the browser to use camera and microphone.
3. Enter their display name and check their preview.
4. Join the backstage and wait for you to bring them on screen.

Guests can join from modern browsers and there’s also a dedicated StreamYard Guest app on iOS that’s designed to make joining from iPhone or iPad smoother. (iOS guest app) On your side as host, you still run the studio from a desktop browser, which keeps the controls clear and stable.

One important note: because StreamYard is a cloud studio, everyone’s audio and video are mixed online. A strong internet connection matters more than a powerful computer, especially for your guests. (Guest connection guidance)

Can guests rebroadcast your show to their own channels for free?

This is where the line between “free guest access” and “more advanced distribution” starts to matter.

Basic guest access—joining via a link and appearing on your show—is possible on the Free plan. If you want guests to add their own social destinations (so your live show also appears on their YouTube or LinkedIn, for example), that feature is part of our paid plans.

On those paid plans, each guest can connect up to two destinations, and there’s a maximum of six guest destinations per broadcast, in addition to the destinations you’ve already connected as the host. (Guest Destinations limits) Guests who do this will sign into StreamYard to authorize their channels.

If you’re just focused on streaming to your own audience without extra multistream complexity, you can absolutely keep things free while still inviting guests.

How does this compare to using OBS and other desktop tools?

You might be wondering, “If I want to stream for free, why not just use OBS?” That’s a fair question.

OBS Studio is powerful, free, open‑source desktop software for recording and live streaming, widely used by gamers and advanced creators. (OBS overview) But there’s an important difference: OBS does not provide built‑in voice/video calling for guests.

To bring remote guests into OBS, you typically:

• Use a separate calling or browser guest tool (for example, something that generates per‑guest URLs).
• Capture each guest as a Browser Source or window capture inside OBS. (Browser source workflow)
• Build your own scenes, audio routing, and layouts.

This route can be great if you want deep visual customization, already understand audio routing, and enjoy tinkering. But for most hosts who care more about getting reliable guest interviews on air than about mic‑level filter chains, the StreamYard workflow—send link, guests join, go live—removes a lot of friction.

Think of it this way:

• If you value speed, simplicity, and non‑technical guests, StreamYard is a natural default.
• If you value maximum visual control and are comfortable with extra setup, you may layer OBS and external guest tools on top of or instead of a browser studio.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard’s Free plan as your starting point to invite guests: send an invite link, have up to six people on screen, and keep your workflow in the browser.
• Rely on password‑free joining for most guests, and only enable authentication if you have a security or distribution reason to do so.
• Stay on the Free plan while your format is small; consider moving to paid tiers only when you consistently need larger panels or guest rebroadcasting.
• Explore OBS or similar desktop tools later if you outgrow preset layouts and want to invest time in more complex scene setups.