Best Tools for Live Streaming

Streaming is the big deal today. People like Ninja or even Tyler1 get a lot of viewers on different platforms (Ninja used to stream on Twitch but he moved to Mixer). Since streaming got so big so quickly, everyone wants to be a part of the community and have their own fan base, making plays, enjoying online games, betting with the coral promo code, chatting to people and having fun, in general. Some want to earn money, which is also okay.

In order to do that, some criteria have to be met, for once, you’d need a computer powerful enough to stream (that is easy in this day and age), and you need good software to help you stream. The former part, well, that is a different and longer story while the latter could be summed up pretty quickly, so read on.

OBS – The Most Comprehensive Open Source Streaming Software

OBS stands for Open Broadcasting Software and it stands for everything we love about open source. It’s free, it’s comprehensive and it’s absolutely great. The people behind OBS thought of everything.

You want to simply stream? You can do it. You want to have a bit more details in your stream? You can do it. You want all the glory and all the windows, overlays and whatnot? You can do that as well.

OBS is known for its ability to meet every streamer’s demands, but it also takes some time to get used to, as all powerful software does. On the other hand, it also allows you to stream with just a press of a button or two. It can stream to all popular platforms, meaning Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, Facebook and lots more.

It has lots of documentation if you wish to learn more about using it and since it is the best streaming software, people have made their own tutorials, so it has a large community backing as well.

Oh, and it’s available on Windows, macOS and Linux, making everything very easy for all users.

Streamlabs OBS – OBS with a Smile

Given that OBS takes time getting used to and that people love modern interfaces, it was only a matter of time before something like Streamlabs OBS came forth. It is basically OBS but with a much friendlier interface. The interface is also updated to look a lot more modern. They claim to have improved the performance, but that is basically not possible, given that OBS does just about everything right, especially if you can take the time to master it.

Regardless, for those wanting an easier setup experience, Streamlabs OBS is the best choice.

XSplit – Broadcaster and Gamecaster

XSplit offers their tools called the Broadcaster and Gamecaster for free, but with limited functionality. If you want all of the functionality, then you would have to purchase the full version, which you get for life, of course. They also created the VCam extension, which can act like a green screen, removing blur and background from your camera input.

Do note that XSplit sponsor OBS and that VCam can be seamlessly integrated into OBS.

These are some of the best programs you can use for streaming, which are free. To be fair, OBS is clearly above any other streaming program, so it is a step above everything else on the list, or what you can find online.