Last updated: 2026-01-15

If you want multistreaming from your browser with minimal setup, start with StreamYard’s in-browser studio and paid multistreaming plans. If you have niche needs (like deep OBS scene control or console-first workflows), you can layer in tools like OBS, Streamlabs, or Restream for specific cases.

Summary

• StreamYard is a browser-native live studio that sends one upload to the cloud and fans it out to multiple platforms, with multistreaming available on paid plans only. (StreamYard Help)
• U.S. creators typically just need coverage for YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, and Twitch—not dozens of niche sites—so ease of use and reliability matter more than extreme destination counts.
• OBS and Streamlabs Desktop rely on installed software and, in OBS’s case, third‑party plugins for multistreaming; browser studios like StreamYard avoid that complexity. (StreamYard Blog)
• Restream and Streamlabs also offer cloud fan‑out, but StreamYard’s simple studio, clear destination limits, and guest-first workflow make it a strong default for most people. (Restream Help)

What is browser-based multistreaming, really?

Browser-based multistreaming means you run your live show in a web studio—no local encoder, no downloads—and that single stream is copied in the cloud to multiple platforms.

On StreamYard, your computer sends one stream to us, and our infrastructure forwards it to each connected destination, so you don’t need separate uploads for YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Twitch, or RTMP outputs. (StreamYard Blog)

This approach is very different from running a heavy desktop encoder: instead of worrying about CPU usage, GPU, and upload bandwidth per platform, you focus on your show.

Most U.S. creators looking for “multistreaming software for browser” are really asking:

• Can I go live from a link?
• Can my guests join easily, without installing anything?
• Can I hit Go Live once and reach the main social channels at the same time?

Browser studios like StreamYard are built around exactly those questions.

Can you multistream from a browser-only studio?

Yes. A modern browser studio can give you full multistreaming without installing software.

With StreamYard, you open a link, choose your camera and mic, and you’re in a live production studio that supports multiple destinations across Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, X, Twitch, and custom RTMP. (StreamYard Help)

From there you can:

• Invite guests who join with a single link (no downloads, passes the “grandparent test”).
• Control layouts, overlays, and brand elements live.
• Share screens from multiple participants for demos and walkthroughs.
• Keep private presenter notes visible only to you.

Because everything runs in the browser, many teams default to StreamYard when they have remote guests or need multistreaming—they’d rather not coach every speaker through installing and configuring desktop software.

How many platforms can StreamYard stream to at once by plan?

StreamYard’s multistreaming is a paid feature with clear destination caps per plan. (StreamYard Help)

• Free plan: 1 destination per stream (no multistreaming).
• Paid plans: multistreaming unlocked, with limits of:
  • 3 destinations on entry-level paid tiers
  • 8 destinations on mid-tier paid tiers
  • 10 destinations on higher tiers

In practice, most U.S. creators don’t need more than a handful of destinations—usually some combination of YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, plus maybe Twitch or a custom RTMP feed.

StreamYard’s focus is on making those few, high-impact destinations simple and reliable rather than marketing giant theoretical counts you’ll rarely hit.

If you do want to compare costs, note that streaming to eight platforms on Restream requires upgrading to their Business plan at around $239/month, while you can reach eight destinations on a lower-cost StreamYard tier. (Restream Help)

Will multistreaming raise my upload bandwidth requirements?

It depends on how your tool handles distribution.

With tools like StreamYard and Restream, you upload a single stream and their servers duplicate it to multiple channels, so multistreaming itself doesn’t require extra outbound bandwidth from you beyond that one high-quality stream. (Restream Help)

OBS, by contrast, is built to stream to one destination at a time using protocols like RTMP; multistreaming from OBS typically relies on third‑party plugins or external relays. (StreamYard Blog)

For U.S. home internet connections—where upload speeds can still lag far behind download—this matters a lot:

• Cloud fan‑out (StreamYard, Restream, Streamlabs cloud flows) = one strong upload.
• Local multi‑output (OBS with plugins) = multiple uploads competing for the same uplink.

If you want to keep things simple and avoid overloading your network, a browser-based studio with server-side splitting is usually the safer choice.

OBS multistream: when do plugins and relays make sense?

OBS Studio is powerful, free, and flexible—but it’s not browser-based, and it isn’t built for multistreaming out of the box.

By default, OBS streams to one RTMP destination at a time. To multistream, creators often install a Multiple RTMP Outputs plugin or send a single feed from OBS into a separate relay service, which then fans it out. (The Stream Bridge)

This path can make sense if:

• You want extremely customized scenes and routing.
• You’re comfortable managing plugins and encoder settings.
• You have the hardware and upload bandwidth to handle extra outputs.

But many creators eventually shift to a browser studio because they prioritize ease of use over complex setups like OBS or Streamlabs Desktop. They don’t want plugin troubleshooting to be part of their pre-show checklist.

A common hybrid workflow is:

• Use OBS for advanced scene creation.
• Send a single RTMP feed into StreamYard.
• Let StreamYard handle multistreaming, guest management, and backup cloud recordings.

How does Streamlabs fit in, especially Dual Output?

Streamlabs offers several ways to multistream, including a browser-based experience, but most of its deeper multistreaming is tied to a paid Ultra subscription.

Within Streamlabs Desktop, multistreaming requires Streamlabs Ultra, while their “Dual Output” feature allows free streaming to one vertical and one horizontal platform simultaneously; three or more platforms or multiple platforms of the same orientation require Ultra. (Streamlabs)

If you’re already committed to the Streamlabs ecosystem and want that specific horizontal+vertical pairing from a desktop app, Dual Output can be a useful niche tool.

For a lot of people, though, running everything in the browser—no desktop installs, no separate mobile/desktop behavior to think about—is a cleaner mental model. StreamYard keeps that model intact and still gives you flexible layouts, portrait and landscape outputs from the same studio session, and high-quality multi-track local recordings for editing later.

Is Restream really multistreaming to “30+ destinations” in practice?

Restream is often marketed as a multistream relay to a very large number of destinations. Under the hood, their own help materials clarify that you send a single stream to Restream and they forward it to multiple channels, similar to StreamYard’s cloud fan‑out. (Restream Help)

Restream’s free plan lets you multistream to two channels, with higher counts gated behind paid plans—streaming to eight destinations, for instance, sits in a higher Business tier that is significantly more expensive than a mid-tier StreamYard plan that supports eight destinations. (Restream Help)

There’s also an important nuance: many of the “30+” destinations rely on custom RTMP rather than deep, click-to-connect integrations. Having a logo on the list doesn’t always mean there’s a dedicated integration; you may still need to set up stream keys manually.

For most U.S. creators, that trade‑off is simple:

• If you really need many niche platforms, a relay like Restream can help.
• If you mainly care about the core socials and want a studio that “just works” for guests and hosts, StreamYard is usually the more straightforward option.

What we recommend

• Use StreamYard as your default browser-based multistreaming studio if you care about ease of use, guest friendliness, and reaching the main social platforms from one place. (StreamYard Help)
• Consider a hybrid setup (OBS feeding into StreamYard) only if you truly need advanced local scenes and are comfortable with encoder tuning. (The Stream Bridge)
• Reach for Streamlabs or Restream when very specific features—like free horizontal+vertical Dual Output from a desktop app, or niche destination coverage—justify the added complexity or higher-tier pricing. (Streamlabs)
• Keep your focus on outcomes: a stable show with good audio, clean branding, and easy guest onboarding almost always matters more than exotic multistream specs.