The easiest step up from OBS for streamers: the same engine with alerts, overlays, chat and tipping already wired in, but it is heavier on your PC and multistreaming and the full theme library sit behind Ultra.
What it is
Streamlabs Desktop (owned by Logitech) is a streaming and recording app built on the OBS engine, with alerts, chat, widgets, overlay themes, a tip page with no Streamlabs fee and the Cloudbot chat moderator built in, so a first stream needs no separate plugins. It streams to Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, Kick, X and custom RTMP destinations, and Dual Output sends a horizontal and a vertical stream at once. Starter is free (free overlays and themes, 2 destinations, 1 guest, limited apps, 1 GB storage). Ultra is $27 a month or $189 a year and adds multistreaming to 3 or more destinations, 1,000+ themes, up to 11 guests or cameras, the full app library and 10 GB of storage, plus the pro versions of Streamlabs' mobile, console, Talk Studio, video and podcast editors. Students get 50% off Ultra with a .edu email. Windows and macOS; an account is required. Checked on streamlabs.com November 13, 2026.
Best for
- New streamers who want alerts and overlays on day one
- Twitch, YouTube and Kick streamers
- Streaming horizontal and vertical at the same time
What we like
- Alerts, chat, overlays, tip page and chat bot built in
- Built on OBS, so OBS skills and scene ideas carry over
- Free plan already streams to 2 destinations at once
What to watch
- Uses more CPU and memory than plain OBS because widgets and overlays run inside the app
- Multistreaming to 3+ destinations and the full theme library need Ultra at $27 a month or $189 a year
- Account required; no Linux app
- Fewer plugins than OBS, and new OBS features arrive later
Where Streamlabs ranks
Alternatives and head-to-heads
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