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OBS Studio

OBS Studio is free, open-source software for screen recording and live streaming on Windows, macOS and Linux, built from scenes of webcams, windows, capture cards and overlays. It adds an audio mixer with filters, Studio Mode previews, hotkeys and a plugin and scripting API.

#5 in Video & Audio ToolsScreen RecordersFree plan

Who it's for

Best for

  • Streamers and YouTubers building custom scenes and overlays
  • Anyone who needs a free recorder without watermarks

Not for

  • Beginners who want one-click recording with no setup

Features

  • Scenes and sources

    Build unlimited scenes from window captures, images, text, browser windows, webcams and capture cards, and switch with custom transitions.

  • Audio mixer

    An audio mixer with per-source filters such as noise gate, noise suppression and gain, plus VST plugin support.

  • Studio Mode and Multiview

    Preview scenes before they go live in Studio Mode, and monitor up to 8 scenes at once in Multiview to cue the next one.

  • Hotkeys

    Set hotkeys for nearly any action, from switching scenes and starting a stream or recording to muting sources and push to talk.

  • Plugins and scripts

    A plugin API plus Lua and Python scripting for adding custom sources, tools and integrations.

What users say

Pros

  • It's completely free and open source, with no watermark or time limit on recordings.
  • Scenes and sources combine into custom layouts that switch seamlessly during live broadcasts.
  • Plugins fill gaps in the core app, from multistreaming to extra camera feeds.
  • It runs leaner than Streamlabs and other all-in-one streaming apps.

Cons

  • The learning curve is steep and setup takes trial and error.
  • Updates can break plugins and filters; OBS 33 stopped several from loading.
  • It can freeze or crash mid-session, sometimes on high-end PCs.
  • Recordings can lag on weaker PCs until encoder settings are tuned.

A selection of the review sources we used:

Summarized from public user reviews and community discussions. View details

Global Traffic Rank

Top 50k

Alternatives

OBS StudioLoomShareXVidyard
Rank#5 in category#19 in category#22 in category#25 in category
Free planYesYesYesYes
ProFree, open-source scene-based recording and streaming with pluginsOne-click screen and camera videos that replace meetingsDeep capture features, reliable daily use, automated uploadsFlexible recording, easy sharing, organized libraries, analytics