OBS Studio

What is OBS Studio?

Scene-based capture and broadcast app with an audio mixer, transitions and plugins.

Who is OBS Studio best for?

OBS Studio is best for streamers and video creators who build multi-source scenes to record or broadcast from their own computer.

• Live streaming

  It streams to the major platforms, and Studio Mode lets you preview scenes and sources before they go live.

• Screen recordings and tutorials

  A scene can combine window captures, webcams, images, text, browser windows and capture cards in one recording.

• Shows with several scenes

  Unlimited scenes, custom transitions, hotkeys and a Multiview that monitors 8 scenes at once keep a live show under control.

• Custom setups

  Native plugins and Lua or Python scripts extend it, and the audio mixer takes VST plugins and per-source filters such as noise suppression.

How much does OBS Studio cost?

OBS Studio is free under the GPL 2.0 or later licence on Windows, macOS and Linux, with no paid plan; the project is funded by sponsors and backers.

OBS Studio has no paid version. The OBS Project is funded by sponsors and by backers on Open Collective and Patreon. Full pricing on github.com. We checked these prices on 8 Nov 2026.

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Is OBS Studio open source?

Yes. OBS Studio's code is public under the GPL 2.0 or later licence, so you can run it on your own server.

What are the best OBS Studio alternatives?

OBS Studio is an open source alternative to Restream, Screen Charm, Screen Studio and Tella. ShareX and BlitzRecorder do the same job and are open source too.

RestreamFree

Browser studio for live shows with guests, overlays and cloud recordings, plus clips from streams.

Screen CharmPaid

Mac screen recorder that adds auto-zoom, smooth cursor, captions and device frames to demos.

Screen StudioPaid

Create beautiful screen recordings with auto-zoom.

TellaFreemium

Record, edit, and share video fast with AI-assisted tools.

ShareXOpen Source

Windows app for screenshots, screen recordings and GIFs, with an editor, OCR and one-hotkey uploads.

BlitzRecorderOpen Source

Mac app that records your screen and face in one take, cuts the pauses and exports vertical video.

Questions about OBS Studio