Which is better for screen recording in 2026? Here's our side-by-side comparison.
Best free screen recording and streaming. Full power, zero cost.
How OBS Studio and StreamYard pricing stacks up — green highlights the better value.
| Free Tier | Full software. No limits, no watermarks. All features included. | Stream to 1 platform. StreamYard branding. 2 guests. |
| Starter Price | — | $20/mo |
| Pro Price | — | — |
| Per-User Pricing | No (flat rate) | No (flat rate) |
| Annual Discount | — | — |
What each tool brings to the table.
| Feature | OBS Studio | StreamYard |
|---|---|---|
| Screen and window capture | ||
| Streaming to YouTube, Twitch, etc. | ||
| Scene switching |
Strengths and weaknesses of each tool, side by side.
Which tool should you choose?
Streamers, tutorial creators, anyone wanting free pro recording
Read full reviewTry either tool and see which one fits your workflow.
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| Filters and transitions |
| Plugins and extensions |
| Multi-platform (Win, Mac, Linux) |
| Multi-destination streaming |
| Guest invites via link |
| Branding and overlays |
| Screen sharing |
| Comments on screen |
| Recording |