OBS Studio vs playout.video
OBS Studio
obsproject.com
playout.video
playout.videoSide by side
| Figure | OBS Studio | playout.video |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $19/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 9 |
| Spec score · Live Streaming Software | 8.9 (#6) | 8.4 (#33) |
| Spec score · Live streaming software | 8.9 (#6) | 8.4 (#32) |
| Spec score · Live TV streaming services | 8.9 (#9) | 8.4 (#38) |
| Spec score · Game Streaming Software | 8.5 (#5) | 8.1 (#17) |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Security | OBS says its code is open for inspection and contributor-reviewed, and that downloads from its website are free of malware. | The privacy policy says the company uses encryption for data transmission and storage, limits employee access, and conducts regular security assessments. |
| Streaming destinations | OBS states that it supports popular streaming platforms; its help page identifies Twitch and YouTube as examples of streaming services. | It can multistream to YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, Rumble, Kick, Telegram, Steam, Amazon Live, and custom RTMP or RTMPS endpoints. |
| Support | Support options include a knowledge base, volunteer Discord support, community forums, and developer documentation. | The contact page says requests receive a reference for follow-up, and the Business plan includes priority support. |
Plans
playout.video
- FreeFree
- Creator$19 a month
- Channel$39 a month
- Business$119 a month
- FreeFree
- Creator$19 a month
- Channel$39 a month
- Business$119 a month
- EnterprisePriced on request
In their own words
OBS Studio
OBS Studio is free, open-source software for video recording and live streaming on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It captures and mixes video and audio from windows, images, text, browser windows, webcams, and capture cards. Users can arrange unlimited scenes, switch with customizable transitions, and preview scenes and sources in Studio Mode before going live. Multiview can monitor eight scenes. The audio mixer has per-source filters, with VST plugin support, and hotkeys cover many recording and streaming actions. An API, native plugins, and Lua or Python scripts provide ways to extend the software. OBS supports streaming platforms including Twitch and YouTube, and streams connect directly from a user’s computer to the service. It is distributed under GPLv2 and may be used commercially subject to the license terms. The download page lists Windows 10 and 11 support, macOS 13.0 or newer, and Linux distribution through Flathub or an Ubuntu 24.04-or-newer PPA. The listed plan costs nothing, with no watermarks or usage limitations.
playout.video
playout.video has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.