OBS Studio
Free open-source streaming and recording tool used by serious producers.
Our take
OBS is genuinely free and genuinely capable — multi-source recording, scenes, audio filters, and streaming to anything that speaks RTMP. The cost is your time.
The UI is unforgiving, the learning curve is real, and you'll be Googling how to do basic things for weeks. Worth it if you'll use it daily; overkill for a one-off show.
At a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Category
- Recording
- Price
- Free, open source, no paid tier
- Platforms
- Web, macOS, Windows
- Best for
- Hands-on producers
In depth
OBS Studio is the free, open-source standard for live streaming and local recording that powers a huge chunk of the broadcasting world — gaming streamers, church AV teams, podcast producers who refuse to pay $40/mo for what is essentially scene composition. The feature set is staggering for a free tool: multi-source scenes, transitions, an audio mixer with per-source filters (noise gate, suppression, gain, VST plugin support), multitrack recording, simultaneous record-and-stream, and outputs over RTMP, SRT, HLS, and WebRTC.
The plugin ecosystem extends it to virtually any workflow. For podcasters, OBS is particularly good as the final assembly point for a video show — wire in a remote guest tool like VDO.Ninja, layer scenes for solo/two-shot/screenshare, and record everything to ISO tracks.
The trade-offs are time and polish. The interface looks engineering-built because it is. Basic workflows like 'send my video to YouTube' require configuration steps that StreamYard handles in two clicks.
There's no native multi-track remote guest feature — you bring your own. Best for producers willing to invest learning time once for a tool they'll use for years, teams who want zero subscription cost, anyone on Linux. Wrong choice for casual one-off shows, or teams who'd rather pay than configure.
Compared in our guides
Related research and guides
- How to start a remote podcastRecording tools, starter kits from $0, and what usually goes wrong.
- Best remote podcast recording softwareOur researched shortlist, with prices checked.
- Podcast Guest SoundcheckA free mic and headphone test to send guests before you record.
- How to start an in-person podcastMics, recorders and the room, with starter kits from $0.
Alternatives to OBS Studio
See all Recording →
Browser-based studio that records each guest locally in 4K, then helps you edit.
Remote recording, AI editing, hosting and monetization stitched into one workflow.
Remote recording with progressive local uploads, now bundled with Descript.
OBS Studio FAQ
What is OBS Studio in one line?
Free open-source streaming and recording tool used by serious producers.
Who should pick OBS Studio?
OBS Studio is shaped for hands-on producers. The cost is your time
Is OBS Studio free?
Yes. OBS Studio is free to use. What we have on record: Free, open source, no paid tier.
What can I use instead of OBS Studio?
Other tools in the same category: Riverside, Zencastr, SquadCast.
Shorts by Slice
From the team behind these free tools
One video. A week of posts.
Upload an episode and get back the moments worth posting, cut and captioned.
- Reads the whole episode, then picks the excerpts worth posting
- Captions burned in and framed vertical, ready to post
- Your first video and first 3 clips are free, no card
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How we research each tool
Each entry is compiled from the tool’s own homepage and pricing pages, plus public reviews on G2, Capterra, and Trustpilot. Editorial copy reflects our independent take — not the vendor’s marketing language.
We refresh the directory monthly to catch pricing changes and discontinued tools. Last full sweep: May 2026.
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