If you’re an avid streamer, chances are you’re quite familiar with OBS and Streamlabs OBS. But to a beginner, these might be foreign terms. In simple terms, these are two widely used broadcast software programs used by Twitch, Mixer, YouTube Gaming, and Facebook Live streamers alike.

Video streaming and recording using OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) OBS Studio is software designed for capturing, compositing, encoding, recording, and streaming video content, efficiently. You can quickly start streaming and recording just by follow these 4 steps: 1. Run the auto-configuration wizard 2. Set up your audio devices 3. GameStream Requirements: Hardware: Shield TV and Tablet. GPU: Desktop: GeForce GTX 650 or higher. Notebook: GTX 700M or higher. CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 3.1GHz or AMD Athlon II X4 630 2.8 GHz or higher. Driver: GeForce 418.96 Driver or later. Network: Ethernet or 802.11ac - 5GHz (recommended). RAM: 4GB or higher. Streamlabs OBS Remote Control is an Android app and cannot be installed on Windows PC or MAC directly. Android Emulator is a software application that enables you to run Android apps and games on a PC by emulating Android OS.

These software programs are what make streaming possible. And if you’re deciding between the two software programs for your revamped stream, you’ll need to know which is the best performing software. So, before you deep-dive into some Streamlabs vs. OBS reddit research, let’s first divulge into the Streamlabs vs. OBS performance debate and much more about these two popular pieces of broadcast software:

Aug 27, 2021 Video streaming and recording using OBS Studio (Open Broadcaster Software) OBS Studio is software designed for capturing, compositing, encoding, recording, and streaming video content, efficiently. You can quickly start streaming and recording just by follow these 4 steps: 1. Run the auto-configuration wizard 2. Set up your audio devices 3. With OBS open run through the following steps: Click on “Settings” in the lower left hand side of the screen. Click on Audio in the dialog pop-up. Click on the dropdown for Mic/Auxiliary Audio 2 (or some other free option) and selection “IShowU Audio Capture”. Click the “+” button under sources for a scene. Select “Audio Input.

Why Do Streamers Need Broadcasting Software?

Essentially, streamers would not be able to do anything without broadcasting software. As we said before, broadcasting software makes streaming possible. It is the program that records and streams the current video and audio on a streamer’s stream.

The most common and widely-used broadcast software are Streamlabs OBS and OBS.

OBS (Open Broadcaster Software Studio)

To begin, we’ll start with OBS since it is one of the most standard broadcast software programs. OBS stands for Open Broadcaster Software Studio. On top of this software being free, it is also open source, so the code is open to the public. This gives developers the freedom to improve upon this software whenever they please.

OBS has a simple installation process after which you will manually connect a Twitch, Youtube, or another streaming platform key. OBS will recommend a few settings after this and then you are free to stream.

Streamlabs Obs Mac System Requirements 2020

OBS Performance

OBS is a high-performance software delivering the ultimate user experience but lacking in additional features and functionality. OBS is a seamless software for any of your recording or broadcasting needs but it does not deliver many extra bells and whistles.

OBS does provide a few free overlays and others at additional costs, but with resources like Visuals By Impulse, it’s never a hassle to find free overlays for your stream. OBS also doesn’t allow for donations which can be problematic.

Streamlabs OBS

Streamlabs OBS is ultimately an advancement of OBS with increased functionality. Streamlabs OBS is essentially the same OBS code revamped with a better user experience. This software is also free and offers an even easier installation process than OBS. Although this software is only available for Windows, you can get Streamlabs OBS Mac with Bootcamp.

Once Streamlabs OBS is downloaded on your Windows, Streamlabs will pre-configure all settings and send you straight to the Dashboard. All that’s left is to link your streaming account, run the auto optimizer, add your stream key, and you’re set to stream!

Streamlabs OBS Performance

As we stated before Streamlabs OBS offers an enhanced user experience like no other. Streamlabs provides a variety of themes and advanced features to create a unique experience for the streamer. You can choose from dozens of themes to personalize your stream.

Streamlabs OBS also offers some built-in features that can’t be found anywhere else. With Streamlabs OBS, you’ll receive free:

• Alerts
• Built-in text-to-speech
• Widgets
• Layouts
• And more

All this is provided to you without any third-party tools! But if you’re looking for something more customized… be sure to check out our Streamlabs OBS compatible overlays today!

The Bottom-Line

Overall, we’re huge fans of both software programs but definitely think Streamlabs OBS offers a lot more functionality, has a higher performance value and is overall a better user experience.

If you’re looking for additional customization beyond the great features Streamlabs OBS provides, browse Visuals By Impulse’s selection of customizable Twitch and Mixer graphics and overlays today!

Related Articles

It can be hard to pick the right free streaming software for you. Streaming is a rapidly expanding market, and developers are clamoring for your attention with claims of better performance, ease of use and quick setup – so how do you choose? Whether you’re a content creator who’s new to live streaming or you’re a business owner who live streams as a main source of revenue, you can rest assured that there’s a solution out there suited for you.

Some of the key features to look out for in your chosen software are: supported platforms, different input sources, user support, and supported games (some streaming applications require you to choose from a list of titles instead of letting you stream whatever you want). Always consider the system requirements of each program compared to the specs of your current rig. For modern PCs, it shouldn’t be an issue, but it can be a problem for users with an outdated OS or for users who stream from Consoles or Phones.

You’ll also want to consider the quality along with your bandwidth and the number of total inputs. Resolution can range from the most basics at 720p all the way up to 4K. You should never assume you’ll get the full range out immediately as you may have to pay for higher quality by upgrading to a premium tier.

But what are the principal differences between the various options, and how to decide which streaming software is best for you? We will try to help answer those questions. So here are, In no particular order, the best streaming software:

• OBS Studio
• Streamlabs OBS
• xSplit Gamecaster
• Wirecast

OBS Studio

Open source, powerful and flexible, OBS Studio is easily one of the best choices when it comes to free streaming software. It’s available on Windows, Mac and Linux, and receives regular updates from a passionate team of contributors.

This software can do a bit of everything, and while we won’t say it’s easy to use, it is quite effective. With a reputation for being overly complicated to set up, if you are only interested in basic streaming then there’s no need to plunge into the more complex settings – however if you do want to make your stream look professional – there’s no shortage of options to meddle with.

Among it’s diverse set of abilities is the multiview feature which allows you to monitor eight scenes at once and edit them with a simple click! In addition there are a number of customizable transitions at the ready, and a hotkey for every function. It’s no slacker in the audio department either, considering the editing tools – including a mixer with per-source filters like gain and noise gate.

OBS Studio can stream directly to Twitch, YouTube, Mixer, Facebook and it’s even possible to stream to multiple platforms at once. It’s a program you need to discover as you go, but one that will not disappoint if you can deal with a few peculiarities.

• Highly customizable. Works with Linux, Windows, and Mac
• An advanced video editing tool
• Advanced features like filters, audio mixers, automatic gain booster

• No centralized support (community only)
• Can be difficult to configure, especially for beginners
• No multistreaming

Streamlabs OBS

Unless you’re new to the scene, it’s safe to say you’ve probably heard of Streamlabs. As the name suggests, Streamlabs OBS is built using OBS as the foundations while putting a friendlier face on the powerful streaming software and adding Streamlabs integration to the program.

Streamlabs Obs Mac System Requirements Download

Streamlabs OBS feels very similar to OBS Studio, but with a more slick and user-friendly design. Almost everything you need is conveniently placed in your dashboard. Many features, which previously could be accessed only via plugins in OBS Studio – were made standard in SLOBS. This includes social widgets (donation and subs tracking, real time game alerts, chatbox, etc.), free overlays, face masks, audio filters, a video editor, and tons of other fun stuff. SLOBS also has better support than OBS Studio, with Streamlabs support staff and Discord support also available.

Predominantly gamer-focused, SLOBS makes a great tool for streamers who want to stream games rather than focus on other types of streams (such as ASMR, Just Chatting, vloggs, etc..). It offers smart, game-specific encoding, which results in lower overall CPU usage – one of the softwares biggest strengths. And last but not least, Streamlabs OBS makes a backup of all your Streamlabs settings so that you can stream from anywhere you like!

Obs Mac

• Game-Aware Video Encoding
• Integrated Alerts
• Low CPU usage
• Used by most streamers

• Favors NVIDIA GPU’s (Just something to be aware of)
• Prime makes most themes and plugins a premium feature

xSplit Gamecaster

In contrast to the free streaming programs in this roundup, Xsplit Gamecaster is a free, cut-down version of a premium application. As such, while it may look sleeker and benefits from premium support online, some features are locked behind a paywall that would otherwise be accessible in the freemium software.

Gamecaster is the game-centric version of Xsplit Broadcaster, with a more polished and intuitive interface. It supports streaming to Twitch, YouTube Live and Facebook Gaming, and is incredibly easy to use – it automates nearly everything, so you can focus more time on the game and your audience and spend less time messing around with the program itself. It’s ready to roll after installation and works with consoles as well – if you have the proper capture card.

The biggest drawback is that streams at the high end resolutions carry an Xsplit watermark – which is not ideal if you want your stream to look professional. You’ll also have to use your credit card if you want chroma keying (green screen), in-game Twitch chat, console support via a capture card and custom logos. And the most detrimental part is Commercial use also requires a license.

• Chroma key
• Enhanced audio features
• Excellent support
• Plugins

• Not compatible with Mac or Linux
• Limited free version

Wirecast

Wirecast is a program many people have heard of, but not many have tried. We’ll get to that reason soon enough, but before that we want to talk about what makes this one unique and why it may be the last (but certainly not the least!) program you ever buy. Compared to our other choices, Wirecast is one heck of a professional program.

Telestream has three different versions of Wirecast available, although all share a common set of features. The software gives you full control over your presentations with things like 3D animated titles, video conferencing and unlimited support for inputs. Like layers? Well, with this program you can use up to 250! Widgets & playlists, in addition to GPU accelerated coding are all standard features for the Studio and Pro versions of Wirecast.

The ‘Pro’ version provides access to things like multi-track recording and NDI output, alongside ISO recording from individual sources. It also comes with three “virtual sets” along with Instant Replay and a Live Scoreboards. While we only touched on a handful of the many features Wirecast brings to the table, trust us when we say it’s not a tool for beginners – it’s a tool that professionals will surely appreciate. Lastly while there’s a 30-day trial, all versions are pricey and we suggest you only buy them if you seriously intend to delve into streaming professionally.

• Multiple-bitrate streaming
• Interactive user interface
• Integration with over 30 platforms
• Virtual sets
• GPU accelerated coding

Conclusion:

Picking the right software to stream could be a difficult decision to make. While there are other options out there – such as vMix, VidBlasterX, Lightstream and Nvidia Shadowplay (just to name a few), they aren’t as good as the ones that I mentioned above. Just in case you didn’t have the patience to read through it all, here’s a very short tl;dr of what I talked about:

• OBS or Open Source Broadcaster is a popular recording and live streaming software that everyone, even a beginner can use – however, to really use its full potential requires a lot of time and effort.
• Go live in seconds with Streamlabs OBS. You could almost say it’s OBS on steroids with the incredible amount of built-in presets and it’s clean interface you get to use it very easily. Not only does Streamlabs OBS offers a heap of plugins or send alerts while gaming live streaming (for example) – it is also better optimized when compared with OBS or other live streaming software.
• Finally – boasting excellent quality software, Xsplit Gamecaster has many premium features that come at a steep price. Contrary to most of the free streaming software in this roundup, this is a cut-down version of a premium application. As such, it looks sleeker and is very versatile, but there are features are locked behind a paywall.
• Enjoy professional live streaming with this impressive tool. Wirecast Play allows you to easily encode your Livestream over multiple platforms or servers. Using this professional live streaming software, you will gain complete control over your stream – but only if you can afford to spend a lot of money.